#you can’t tell me they didn’t have a complicated relationship

[gilbertscurls]

all in — matt sturniolo

Matt’s heart was pounding.

Not the normal kind of pounding, like when he was excited about a new video idea or about to win an argument with his brothers. No, this was the terrifying kind—the kind that made his chest feel too tight, his hands too shaky, his brain too loud.

He wasn’t used to feeling like this.

He was supposed to be the easygoing one, the laid-back guy who didn’t overcomplicate things. Love? That was always something he kept at arm’s length. Too messy, too unpredictable. He had seen too many people get hurt—seen too many relationships fall apart because someone cared too much and the other person not enough.

But with you?

With you, it wasn’t messy. It wasn’t complicated.

It was everything.

Which was why he was currently sitting beside you on your couch, trying not to pass out from nerves, knowing that in about thirty seconds, he was going to say something that would change everything.

He swallowed hard, rubbing his palms against his jeans.

“You good?” you asked, raising a brow.

No. He was not good. He was about to rip his heart out and hand it to you on a silver platter, hoping you wouldn’t throw it back at him.

But he nodded anyway. “Yeah. Fine.”

You gave him a skeptical look, shifting to face him. “You look like you’re about to either throw up or confess a murder.”

He huffed a laugh. “It’s not murder.”

“Okay… so throwing up, then.”

Matt rolled his eyes but took a deep breath. This was it. No backing out now.

“I—” He hesitated, then forced himself to meet your gaze. “I need to tell you something.”

Your expression softened, your full attention on him now. “Okay.”

His heart was racing in his chest, his palms sweaty in anticipation. He was laying it all on the line, leaving nothing between you. He was exposing his heart, hoping that you would take it and hold it gently.

“I don’t think I can do this casual thing anymore,” he admitted, voice quieter than he meant it to be.

Your brows furrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”

Matt exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I mean… I don’t want to be just your friend. Or your almost something. I don’t want to pretend that what we have is just fun or easy because it’s not. It’s more. You’re more.”

Your lips parted slightly, but you didn’t say anything, so he kept going.

“I’ve spent my whole life thinking relationships had to be complicated, that love was supposed to be this impossible, messy thing that never lasted.” He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. “But then I met you. And now I know I can’t just settle for anything less than this. Less than you.”

Silence.

Matt swore the room was spinning.

And then—

“You’re an idiot,” you murmured.

He blinked. “What—”

Before he could process what was happening, you reached out and grabbed his face, pulling him into a kiss so sudden, so right, that he forgot how to breathe.

It wasn’t fireworks or dramatic music swelling in the background. It wasn’t like the movies, where everything clicked into place in a perfect, cinematic moment.

It was better.

It was warm and soft and real.

When you finally pulled away, you rested your forehead against his, smiling. “You think I don’t want this?”

Matt exhaled shakily, eyes searching yours. “I—”

“I’ve been waiting for you to say something for weeks,” you admitted, laughing softly. “Do you know how hard it was not to kiss you every time you smiled at me?”

Matt blinked. “Wait, what?”

You rolled your eyes. “God, you’re so slow.”

“I’m slow?! You could’ve said something too, you know.”

“But this is so much more fun.”

Matt groaned, dropping his head onto your shoulder, but he couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips.

Because for the first time in a long time, he had everything he wanted.

And for once?

Love didn’t feel so complicated after all.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom, @sturniolowhore69, @faith5drpepper, @emely9274, @psychologyloverfr, @lovetaylorrussellgrr, @conspiracy-ash, @helpimateenagerinlove, @ghostlythinggoingaround, @sturmatt, @chris-hallelujah, @goingtojohnkramershouseee, @wurlibydominicfike, @straw8berry, @shadowthesim237, @courta13, @frankdelreyy, @evansturn

[nalyra-dreaming]

It's so frustrating trying to have a conversation about Louis' narration. The last time I tried, someone accused me of being 'ship-brained' because they believe Loustat has nothing romantic about it and that there's no tenderness between them.I simply pointed out,as neutrally as possible,that we can’t fully trust what Louis has said about their relationship so far because he’s altered a lot of details,and that Armand is also a suspicious figure in Louis’ memories of Lestat. That’s it.But immediately, I got attacked for calling Louis an unreliable narrator and for trying to demonize Armand. Which is insane, because I never said Louis was completely unreliable, just that when it comes to his relationship with Lestat, things are complicated, and we can’t take his words at face value when assessing their love.It’s exhausting. You can’t have a nuanced discussion anywhere without people jumping down your throat.I have never said Loustat had a perfect marriage or was a perfect couple,just that things are more nuanced that what Louis narrated,I'm not waiting for Lestat to be the only truth and if i understand Rolin doesn't want another revisit and s3 will be modte likely Lestat' background + maybe some plot in modern story,I never believed that he would refute everything and Louis is a liar Iand Armand a big bad moustache curling villain.😮‍💨

I'm accepting to be wrong and we can discuss anything without being always at each other throat

*sighs*

You know, the fact that people cannot see what a disservice they do Louis by making him into this one-dimensional, flat caricature of himself by removing all the problematic bits.... And I call that "problematic" - because JACOB called him/them monsters, and that it's good that they can be problematic...

And so I sat down, and listed a few things JACOB said - with sources!

Louis does lie (he literally says “not everything Louis says is a lie“ in this video)

Louis is problematic

Louis was very repressed

Louis is a snob

Louis has many guises (and Jacob looks forward to s3, TVL!)

Louis is the problem (I saw the tweet (here is one referring to the Taylor Swift song), but it's referred to in this comment as well, as well as other things, too)

Louis knows deep down some things are not true

Louis presents Lestat as a monster bc he‘s angry

The way some people want to remove eeeeeeeeverything that makes Louis in the slightest bit problematic or even an active participant of his own story, and thereby reduce him to this victim only ... this shell is beyond me. I get where it comes from(!), namely from bad stereotypes and racist inflections that have unfortunately been employed again and again at other points - but heaven help, this show is NOT that, and JACOB has already stated all these already - and this need to scream anyone down who dares to point these out is preventing any possibility of real discussion in this fandom - and honestly, THAT is actually the true shame.

Also, re Loustat - ALSO Jacob:

"They are in a romantic relationship in the books. They’re married by the end. Maybe Anne Rice didn’t fully know what their relationship was at first – the style is very different in the first book. Lestat is this kind of goblin monster torturing Louis. But when you look back with the context from further books, you see this man was just very repressed and so hurt by what happened between him and Lestat that he couldn’t acknowledge him as his lover, as his partner, as his great love. But by the second book, they’re absolutely a couple. And because we’re adapting the whole of The Vampire Chronicles and taking things from later books and repurposing them, the idea of telling this story and them not being a couple… well, there’s no show! Their love story, as messed up as it is, is the heart of it."

And:

"Well, scenes from a divorce is probably Armand, and then scenes from a marriage feels more fitting to Louis and Lestat."

What else is there to say....

Our cast gets their characters. Jacob gets Louis.

Now if only the fandom could accept that, too...

[mikalilys]

Remus lupin was a child that sat at the top of the stairs.