futurafrees

[futurafrees]

[  +1  new  imessage  ]  LOL  nice

heart  sinks  as  soon  as  cooper's  name  pops  up  on  her  screen  .  to  say  his  reaction  was  anticlimactic  would've  been  an  understatement  ,  not  entirely  sure  what  she'd  expected  him  to  say  anyways  .  she  should've  known  all  of  this  was  some  kind  of  joke  ,  of  course  he  didn't  actually  have  a  crush  on  her  ,  and  of  course  he  didn't  actually  want  to  ask  her  out .  had  probably  only  spent  the  last  few  weeks  pretending  to  be  her  boyfriend  simply  out  of  a  favor  to  a  friend  and  nothing  more  .  they  weren't  dating  ,  she  knew  that  ,  so  what  is  to  blame  for  the  pain  that  pierces  through  the  center  of  her  chest  ?  guilt  ,  seemed  to  be  the  most  likely  off  all  the  answers  .  what  did  she  expect  him  to  say  anyways  ?  after  weeks  of  stringing  him  along  ,  flirting  with  him  ,  "  pretending  "  like  she  had  feelings  for  him  all  while  constantly  assuring  him  their  relationship  wasn't  real  no  matter  how  much  she'd  wished  it  was  .

her  best  advice  to  herself  is  to  try  and  move  on  .  after  a  day  of  radio  silence  it  becomes  more  than  obvious  that  cooper  was  clearly  done  having  his  fun  with  her  ,  no  matter  how  much  she'd  willed  his  name  to  light  back  up  on  her  phone  screen  it  never  came  .  she'll  be  spending  the  rest  of  their  quarter  shamelessly  avoiding  him  ,  never  thought  she'd  be  so  grateful  for  the  option  to  virtually  attend  the  chemistry  lecture  that  she  and  cooper  had  always  made  it  a  point  to  sit  next  to  each  other  in  .  that  was  a  battle  she'd  have  to  fight  another  day  .  she's  just  finishing  up  some  review  when  a  knock  on  her  door  causes  her  to  push  her  headphones  off  of  her  ears  ,  "  that  was  quick  "  she'd  muttered  to  herself  ,  had  only  put  in  her  doordash  order  (  cold  stone  ,  of  course  )  a  few  minutes  ago  and  already  it  was  at  her  door  .

she  moves  on  autopilot  ,  her  mind  in  a  million  different  places  as  the  door  is  swung  open  only  for  her  breath  to  be  knocked  out  of  her  chest  when  what  awaits  her  on  the  other  side  is  definitely  not  a  one  smart  brookie  sundae  .  "  cooper  ?  "  her  face  drops  ,  unable  to  get  another  word  out  before  he  starts  rambling  with  what  sounds  like  an  apology  .  she  has  to  force  herself  to  blink  a  couple  of  times  to  make  sure  she's  not  dreaming  ,  gaze  pulled  down  by  the  bright  bouquet  of  lego  sunflowers  shoved  into  her  hands  .  "  cooper  ,  you  don't  have  to ⸻ "  apologize  ,  she  would  have  finished  ,  but  it  seems  he's  not  quite  done  .  a  date  .  .  .  a  real  date  ,  he  says  ,  and  the  corner  of  eden's  mouth  twitches  upward  with  the  first  remnant  of  a  smile  she's  allowed  herself  since  he'd  gone  m.i.a.  "  listen  .  .  .  um  ,  i  think  i  owe  you  an  apology  ,  actually  ,  "  she  sighs  ,  eyes  dropping  to  the  floor  beneath  them  .

"  i'm  still  mad  at  you  for  ghosting  me  but  you  wouldn't  have  had  to  if  i  hadn't  just  sprung  that  on  you  like  that  ,  "  her  feelings  ,  she  means  ,  "  it's  just  .  .  .  i  don't  know  ,  i  really  like  you  and  it's  really  freaking  me  out  ,  "  her  eyes  find  their  way  back  up  to  his  glossed  over  as  a  light  shade  of  red  dusts  across  her  cheeks  .  "  i  would  love  to  go  on  a  date  with  you  ,  a  real   date  ,  "  cage  of  butterflies  awakens  in  her  stomach  as  the  words  come  out  of  her  mouth  .  "  i  don't  know  if  you're  busy  tonight  but  i  kinda  just  ordered  enough  ice  cream  for  at  least  seven  people  ,  i  was  just  gonna  make  some  dinner  and  crawl  in  bed  and  watch  a  movie  .  .  .  i  could  use  some  company  ?  "

* @futurafrees !

[ +1 new imessage ] i don't want you to not ask me out [ +1 new imessage ] okay maybe i do

was it bad that cooper had been freaking out about her text for the past two days ? in a totally cool way , of course . in fact , it wasn't actually even freaking out when you really thought about it ... skipping class the next day and not texting anything back besides ' LOL nice ' was extremely normal of him . it's just ... well ... he never really thought he'd get this far . it'd hadn't ever been a secret that he'd had a big , fat crush on eden — never been shy about it before . even when she'd tagged him in as a fake boyfriend , cooper had always managed to keep up his confident demeanor . he didn't mind being strung along ... but now she maybe wants to go on a real date with him ? he's not totally convinced that she's not just fucking with him — he'd been the butt end of jokes like this before — and maybe that's why he'd suddenly grown so nervous . cooper's not new to making a fool of himself , but he's not sure his pride could handle a rejection if he came to her earnestly about his feelings . take the risk or lose your chance . cooper can practically hear his grandma's voice in his head — knows it's exactly what she'd say if he'd phoned her to vent about it ... that and that he needs to apologize to that poor girl for leaving her hanging !! ... and so he's here at her door now , rocking back and forth on his heels as he waits for her to answer the door . typical , goofy grin lights up his features the instant she appears before him . " hi ... " he shifts nervously , " i'm sorry . for ghosting out of nowhere ... and for saying LOL ... i was not laughing out loud . i fibbed — well , i might have giggled now that i think about it ... " he's getting off topic ! shakes his head , thrusting the lego bouquet he'd put together into her hands . " — and i'm also sorry for attempting to ask you out like that . i sounded like a total douche . " and she deserves way better than that . cooper knows this . " and , if you'll let me , i want to try again — um ... and you can totally say no if you were , like , joking or something . or if you just don't want to after all this , or whatever , or if you , like ... " he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment . just get to the point , coop . " — would you like to go out with me , eden ? i'd really love to take you on a date . a real date . "

[futurafrees]

her  eyes  offer  a  playful  roll  ,  hand  twitching  with  the  urge  to  reach  up  and  rest  against  the  skin  of  his  cheek  as  the  space  between  them  lessens  ,  nose  pleasantly engulfed  with  his  scent  once  he  leans  against  the  doorframe  she's  currently  stood  in  the  middle  of  .  "  you  can't  ask  me  that  question  and  then  look  at  me  like  that  ,  that's  not  fair  "  eyes  soften  and  she's  not  sure  what's  worse  :  the  fact  that  he  knew  her  so  well  ,  or  that  fact  that  she'd  let  herself  be  so  seen  by  someone  she  could  never  completely  call  her  own  .  "  oh  shut  up  ,  "  she  swats  at  his  chest  ,  gaze  quickly  shifting  towards  the  heat  against  her  waist  as  his  fingers  graze  against  the  cold  skin  that  peeks  from  under  her  top  . "  oh  for  fuck's  sake  ,  it's  so  cold  outside  i  can't  even  pretend  like  i  don't  want  you  to  come  inside  ,  "  fingers  gently  wrap  around  his  wrist  ,  a  faint  laugh  slipping  past  her  lips  before  she  tugs  him  inside  ,  eager  to  wrap herself back up in the blanket she'd tossed to the side of her couch .

door  behind  nathan  is  only  closed  after  doing  a  quick  scan  across  her  front  lawn  ,  paparazzi  had  never  been  an  issue  with  them  before  but  she  could  never  be  too  sure  ,  especially  considering  how  enticing  nathan  and  his  new  marriage  seemed  to  be  with  the  press  .  "  that  depends  .  .  .  "  her  voice  softens  ,  fingers  reaching  down  to  toy  with  the  hem  at  the  bottom  of  his  shirt  as  soon  as  she  gets  close  enough  .  "  did  you  remember  my  favorite  flavor  ?  "  eyes  glance  up  to  meet  his  ,  soft  and  flooded  with  an  affection  so  strong  it  makes  her  cheeks  begin  to  burn  .  she  shifts  her  weight  towards  the  balls  of  her  feet  ,  lifting  herself  up  enough  to  get  her  to lips  brush  against  his  ,  "  please  don't  tell  me  you  came  over  just to  deliver  some  pastries  ,  "  she  says  ,  finally  allowing  her  fingers  the  pleasure  of  lacing  between  his  .  "  not that i'm counting or anything , but  the  last  time  i  saw  you  was  almost a week   ago  .  .  .  have you missed me ?   " 

" we both know you rarely fall asleep at a reasonable hour , love . especially not at the beginning — or end — of the month when the latest issue of céline hits the newsstands . " of course nathan had known she'd up at this hour . she's nothing if not a perfectionist . he figured he might as well keep her company — has a hard time falling asleep beside someone else anyways . wedding band had been abandoned on his nightstand , bare left hand clutching the bag of treats tightly . " and if i tell you it's not , are you really going to turn me away ? " he shoots her a look akin to a kicked puppy , lesser lip jutting out in a small pout . it's a hypothetical question — she knows him too well ... or maybe she'd just spotted the bakery's logo on the bag before he'd playfully hid it behind his back . nose wrinkles up now , pulling the bag back into view . " ... alright , you caught me . do i get to come in now , or shall i resign to being stuck outside forever ? you know , i really don't mind all that much . " head rests against the doorframe , eyes fixed on the woman stood in front of him . " i like the view . " shoots her a cheeky smile , free hand ghosting her waist as she steps aside so he can enter . nathan navigates her place easily — been here so many times it feels comfortable . " so , if an eclair gets me in , what does a half dozen macarons get me ? " eyebrows pique in interest , setting the bag down on the coffee table and turning to face her once more . " i might have a few ideas myself ... "

[futurafrees]

"  you  can't  just  keep  showing  up  here  in  the  middle  of  the  night  ,  what  makes  you  think  i  wasn't  peacefully  asleep  at  this  hour  ?  "  it  was  well  past  one  in  the  morning  the  last  time  she'd  bothered  to  look  at  the  clock  on  her  desk  ,  fingers  unknowingly  aggressive  as  they  tap  away  at  her  keyboard  ,  trying  her  best  to  keep  up  with  the  words  that  spill  from  her  brain  so  seamlessly  she's  almost  scared  to  stop  .  she'd  barely  even  noticed  that  the  sun  had  went  down  ,  let  alone  that the  entirety  of  the  night  had  slipped  from  her  grasp  .  she'd  been  putting  the  finishing  touches  on  her  article  when  a  text  slid  across  the  corner  of  her  screen  ,  heart  sinking  down  to  her  stomach  only  to  flutter  right  back  up  to  her  chest  at  the  sight  of  nathan's  name  coming  into  view  .  '  open  the  door  '  he'd  said  ,  and  she  was  never  one  to  make  him  ask  twice  .  the  least  she  could  do  was  pretend  to  be  annoyed  ,  arms  folded  across  her  chest  as  her  bottom  lip  is  tucked  between  her  teeth  ,  trying  her  best  to  bite  back  the  smile  that  fights  to  pull  its  way  across  her  mouth  .  "  what's  in  the  bag  ?  "  she  nonchalantly  nods  towards  the  brown  paper  bag  in  his  grip  ,  eyes  only  briefly  led  astray  by  the  veins  that  slightly  projecting  against  his  skin  .  "  if  it's  a  chocolate  eclair  from  that  bakery  by  your  house  i  just  might  consider  letting  you  in  .  .  .  maybe  .  " ( @n0sense )

[futurafrees]

Writing Tip June 4th

A list of body language phrases.

I’ve included a very comprehensive list, organized by the type of body movement, hand and arm movements, facial expressions etc. In some cases, a phrase fits more than one heading, so it may appear twice. Possible emotions are given after each BL phrase unless the emotion is indicated within the phrase. (They are underlined for emphasis, not due to a hyperlink.)

Note: I’ve included a few body postures and body conditions as they are non-verbal testimony to the character’s physical condition.

Have fun and generate your own ideas.:-)

Eyes, Brows and Forehead

arched a sly brow:  sly, haughty

blinked owlishly:  just waking, focusing, needs glasses

brows bumped together in a scowl:  worried, disapproving, irritated

brows knitted in a frown: worried, disapproval, thoughtful

bug-eyed:  surprised, fear, horror

cocky wink and confident smile:  over confidence, arrogant, good humor, sexy humor

eyes burned with hatred: besides hatred this might suggest maniacal feelings

eyes flashed: fury, defiance, lust, promise, seduction

eyes rolled skyward: disbelief, distrust, humor

forehead puckered:  thoughtful, worried, irritation

frustration crinkled her eyes

gaze dipped to her décolletage: sexual interest, attraction, lust

gimlet-eyed/narrowed eyes: irritation, thoughtful, mean, angry

gleam of deviltry:  humor, conniving, cunning

kept eye contact but her gaze became glazed: pretending interest where there is none/bordom

narrowed to crinkled slits:  angry, distrust

nystagmic eyes missed nothing (constantly shifting eyes):  Shifty

pupils dilated:  interested, attraction to opposite sex, fear

raked her with freezing contempt

slammed his eyes shut:  stunned, furious, pain

squinted in a furtive manner:  fearful, sneaky

stared with cow eyes:  surprised, disbelief, hopeful, lovestruck

subtle wink:  sexy, humor/sharing a joke, sarcasm

unrelenting stare: distrust, demanding, high interest, unyielding

Place To Place, Stationary Or Posture

ambled away:  relaxed, lazy

barged ahead:  rude, hurried

battled his way through the melee:  desperate, anger, alarm

cruised into the diner:  easy-going, feeling dapper, confident

dawdled alongside the road:  lazy, deliberate delay for motives, unhurried, relaxed

dragged his blanket in the dirt:   sadness/depressed, weary

edged closer to him:  sneaky, seeking comfort, seeking protection, seeking an audience

he stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sudden interest, sexual attraction

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig: demonstrates physical condition – he has to pee

hips rolled and undulated:  sexy walk, exaggerating for sex appeal

hovered over them with malice/like a threatening storm: here it’s malice, but one may hover for many reasons.

hunched over to look shorter:  appear inconspicuous, ashamed of actions, ashamed of height

leaped into action feet hammering the marbled floor:  eager, fear, joyous

long-legged strides:  hurried, impatient

lumbered across:  heavy steps of a big man in a hurry

minced her way up to him: timid, sneaky, insecure, dainty or pretense at dainty

paced/prowled the halls:  worried, worried impatience, impatient, diligently seeking pivoted on his heel and took off:  mistaken and changes direction, following orders, hurried, abrupt change of mind, angry retreat

plodded down the road:  unhurried, burdened, reluctant

practiced sensual stroll:  sexy, showing off

rammed her bare foot into her jeans: angry, rushed

rocked back and forth on his heels: thoughtful, impatiently waiting

sagged against the wall:  exhausted, disappointment

sallied forth:  confident, determined

sashayed her cute little fanny:  confident, determined, angered and determined

shrank into the angry crowd:  fear, insecure, seeking to elude

sketched a brief bow and assumed a regal pose: confident, mocking, snooty, arrogant skidded to an abrupt halt: change of heart, fear, surprise, shock

skulked on the edges of the crowd: sneaky, ashamed, timid

slithered through the door:  sneaky, evil, bad intentions

stormed toward her, pulling up short when: anger with a sudden surprise

swaggered into the class room:  over confident, proud, arrogant, conceited

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

toe tapped a staccato rhythm:  impatience, irritation

tottered/staggered unsteadily then keeled over:  drunk, drugged, aged, ill

waltzed across the floor:  happy, blissful, exuberant, conceited, arrogant

Head Movement

cocked his head:  curiosity, smart-alecky, wondering, thoughtful

cocked his head left and rolled his eyes to right corner of the ceiling:  introspection

droop of his head: depressed, downcast, hiding true feelings

nodded vigorously: eager

tilted her head to one side while listening:  extreme interest, possibly sexual interest

Mouth And Jaw

a lackluster smile:  feigning cheerfulness

cigarette hung immobile in mouth: shock, lazy, uncaring, relaxed casualness

clinched his jaw at the sight:  angered, worried, surprised

curled her lips with icy contempt

expelled her breath in a whose:  relief, disappointment

gagged at the smell: disgust, distaste

gapped mouth stare:  surprised, shock, disbelief

gritted his teeth:  anger, irritation, holding back opinion

inhaled a sharp breath:  surprise, shock, fear, horror

licked her lips:  nervous, sexual attraction

lips primed: affronted, upset, insulted

lips pursed for a juicy kiss

lips pursed like she’d been chewing a lemon rind: dislike, angry, irritated, sarcasm

lips screwed into: irritation, anger, grimace, scorn

lips set in a grim line: sorrow, worried, fear of the worst

pursed her lips:  perturbed, waiting for a kiss

scarfed down the last biscuit:  physical hunger, greed

slack-mouthed:  total shock, disbelief

slow and sexy smile:  attraction, seductive, coy

smacked his lips: anticipation

smile congealed then melted into horror

smile dangled on the corner of his lips: cocky, sexy

smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder:  conceit, sarcasm, over confident

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: sarcasm, conceit

spewed water and spit: shock

stuck out her tongue: humor, sarcasm, teasing, childish

toothy smile:  eagerness, hopeful

wary smile surfaced on her lips

Nose

nose wrinkled in distaste/at the aroma

nostrils flared:  anger, sexual attraction

nose in the air:  snooty, haughty

Face in General

crimson with fury

handed it over shame-faced

jutted his chin: confident, anger, forceful

managed a deadpan expression:  expressionless

muscles in her face tightened:  unsmiling, concealing emotions, anger, worried

rested his chin in his palm and looked thoughtful

rubbed a hand over his dark stubble:  thoughtful, ashamed of his appearance

screwed up her face:  anger, smiling, ready to cry, could almost be any emotion

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: conceit, derision, scorn

Arm and Hand

a vicious yank

arm curled around her waist, tugging her next to him:  possessive, pride, protective

bit her lip and glanced away:  shy, ashamed, insecure

brandished his fist:  anger, threatening, ready to fight, confident, show of pride

clamped his fingers into tender flesh:  anger, protective, wants to inflict pain

clenched his dirty little fists: stubborn, angry

clapped her hands on her hips, arms crooked like sugar bowel handles:  anger, demanding, disbelief

constantly twirled her hair and tucked it behind her ear:  attracted to the opposite sex, shy crossed his arms over his chest: waiting, impatient, putting a barrier

crushed the paper in his fist:  anger, surrender, discard

dived into the food: hunger, eager, greedy

doffed his hat:  polite gesture, mocking, teasing

doodled on the phone pad and tapped the air with her foot:  bored, inattention, introspection

drummed her fingers on the desk:  impatient, frustrated, bored

fanned her heated face with her hands: physically hot, embarrassed, indicating attraction

fiddled with his keys: nervous, bored

firm, palm to palm hand shake:  confident, honest

flipped him the bird: sarcastic discard

forked his fingers through his hair for the third time:  disquiet/consternation, worry, thoughtful

handed it over shame-faced:  guilt, shame

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig:  physical need to relieve himself

limp hand shake:  lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm

propped his elbow on his knee: relaxed, thoughtful

punched her pillow:  restless, can’t sleep, angry

rested his chin in his palm:  thoughful, worried

scratched his hairy belly and yawned:  indolent, bored, lazy, relaxed, just waking

shoulders lifted in a shrug:  doubtful, careless discard

slapped his face in front of God and country:  enraged, affronted/insulted

snapped a sharp salute:  respect, sarcastic gesture meaning the opposite of respect

snapped his fingers, expecting service:  arrogant, lack of respect, self-centered

sneered and flicked lint off his suit

spread her arms wide: welcoming,  joy, love

stabbed at the food: anger, hunger, determined

stood straighter and smoothed his tie:  sudden interest, possible sexual interest

stuffed his hands in his pockets: self-conscious, throwing up a barrier

sweaty handshake:  nervous, fearful

touched his arm several times while explaining:  sign of attraction, flattery, possessive

wide sweep of his arms:  welcoming, all inclusive gesture, horror

Sitting or Rising

collapsed in a stupor:  exhausted, drunk, drugged, disbelief

enthroned himself at the desk:  conceit, pronouncing or taking ownership

exploded out of the chair:  shock, eager, anger, supreme joy

roosted on the porch rail like a cock on a hen house roof:  claiming ownership, conceit, content

sat, squaring an ankle over one knee:  relaxed and open

slouched/wilted in a chair and paid languid attention to:  drowsy, lazy, depressed, disinterest, sad, totally relaxed, disrespectful

squirmed in his chair: ill at ease, nervous, needs the bathroom

Recline

flung himself into the bed: sad, depressed, exhausted, happy

prostrated himself: surrender, desperate, miserable, powerless, obsequious, fawning, flattering

punched her pillow:  can’t sleep, anger, frustrated

threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming: tantrum

Entire body and General

body stiffened at the remark:  offended, anger, alerted

body swayed to music:  dreamy, fond memories, enjoys the music

bounced in the car seat, pointing:  excitement, fear, eager

cowered behind his brother:  fear, shyness, coward, desperate

curled into a ball:  sorrow, fear, sleepy, defensive

heart galloping:  anxiety, joy, eager

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig

humped over his cane, each step shaking and careful: pain, aged

inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly: buying time to find words/thoughtful, reconciled

quick and jerky like rusty cogs on a wheel:  unsure of actions, self-conscious, tense, edgy

rocked back and forth on his heels:  impatient, cocky, gleeful

manhandled the woman into a corner:  bully, anger

slumped shoulders: defeat, depressed, sad, surrender

stiff-backed:  priggish, haughty, affronted

stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sexual interest, wants to make an impression

stooped and bent: aged, arthritic, in pain

stretched extravagantly and yawned:  tired, bored, unconcerned

sweating uncontrollably: nervous, fear, guilt

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

was panting now at:  afraid, exhausted, out of breath, sexual excitement

-Sharla Rae