roseduet

[roseduet]

"what's wrong with hanging out with the guy i've known since i was four? i think it's a great way to spend my friday night," said in a jesting tone but it's the truth. this was her version of a perfect night — curled up in a living room, watching silly shows with an abundance of snacks laid out. she'd choose this over engaging in awkward small talk with a random stranger any time. sinking back against the couch, julie snatches a piece of popcorn, pillow hugged to her chest. "like... two years ago? three? honestly? i'd rather grow old with ten cats than bother with all that."

         ›   julie’s living room ( with @roseduet )

         “ not that i’m complaining — ” because he can’t, really, not when he’s got a bowl full of popcorn sitting on his lap, “ but it’s a friday night. don’t you have anything better to do than hang out with the guy you’ve literally known since you were four? ” he’s a lot more alarmed than he lets on, but he tries not to let it show, busying himself with the netflix homepage in an effort to dodge hysterics. “ when’s the last time you even went on a date? ”

[roseduet]

if only he didn’t make it so easy to fall, like sunlight pooling in her chest, slow and inevitable until she's already too deep to step back. “yeah, pretty much. just decent,” she hums, quieter now that he's closer. but it's more than decent, the kind that's too contagious, that lingers in her thoughts for far too long to be considered 'platonic'. as she speaks, her fingers move before she can stop them, tender as she carefully brushes the specks of sand clinging to his hair. “whaaat. you’re gatekeeping it from me? and here i thought you said i'm your special friend. i'm hurt, truly.” she teases, feigning a ( dramatic ) pout — anything to distract herself from the way her pulse jumps from the sudden warmth lingering against her shoulder. it's just a fraction of second before her expression smooths back to indifference. “then you're not seeing mine either." lips purse, pressing together in a futile attempt to fight the smile that threatens to push its way through. "no more smiles for matthew lewis.”

         “ ah. damned if i do, damned if i don’t. would i rather drown or suffer the wrath of willow hale? that’s a lot to think about. ” his brows furrow, seemingly pensive, only keeping it up for a few moments before giving way to a laugh. his arm shifts so that it’s laid across her shoulders, echoing the drumming against his skin without really meaning to, the pads of his fingers pressing that same beat against her shoulder. “ just decent? ” he feigns offense, but it’s softened by the smile that accompanies his words. he’s always smiling around willow, he knows, and she makes it so easy — to smile at her, to laugh with her, to feel content whenever he’s by her side. matt doesn’t want for much, not normally, but even the fewest fancies grow quiet around her; the rest of the world fading away until they’re the only ones left standing. “ i was hoping you’d have better things to say about my smile, especially since you’re planning to gatekeep it. i should probably gatekeep it from you, too, at least until you’re nicer to me. ” he leans down, the curve of his mouth pressing softly against her shoulder, words muffled against the skin. “ this is better, i think. can’t see any smiles until you compliment them properly. ”

[roseduet]

"never done anything wrong? not even once?" words drip with mock disbelief but the amusement tugging at the corners of her lips betrays her. it's a lie, obviously, she knows. aspen's no fool, and this definitely isn't the first time this has happened: a random, ever-so-unfortunate incident occurring on a date night. "you're right, that'd be crazy. poor guy's probably panicking while rushing home to his supposedly drowning apartment." the image alone is enough to earn a chuckle as she saunters into the room, squeezing herself into whatever space remained next to the other. "now, scoot over and let me borrow that gloss? i'm already all dressed up, might as well complete the look. y'know, just for fun."

based on: best friends who sabotage each others' dates until they finally accept they should be together / closed for @roseduet

Cherry lip gloss wand still in hand, she turns away from the mirror to glance over her shoulder at her friend. Lips purse, half glossed, in attempt to hide the smile threatening to give her away. "I have no idea what you're talking about, actually," Lorelai shrugs, turning back to finish her interrupted task. "I've never done anything wrong in my whole life—" she lies blatantly, "—and I certainly didn't call what's-their-name and tell them their apartment flooded just to ruin your date." She caps and discards the gloss into her makeup bag and finally gives her full attention to them, "That would be crazy."

[roseduet]

her stomach drops the second he says it — 'i thought you knew me well enough'. because she had always convinced herself that she did, but lately the space between them stretches too wide, every unspoken word like another thread unraveling from whatever's left between them. it's impossible for her mind to not spiral when the silence's too loud. dani doesn't respond at first, not because she's speechless but more so something angrier. at the situation, at him, at herself for always assuming the worst. "what else was i supposed to think? you act like we're strangers, you don't even text. i know we're on a break," whatever the hell that even means in their dictionary. "but it's like you just vanished. and then i see you buying flowers for whoever that was for." dani cuts herself off but the last comment slips out anyway, careless, another spark added to the flame. she doesn't even remember how this whole 'fight' started weeks ago. knowing them, it's probably something insignificant. knees drawn to her chest ( like a shield ), her abandoned mug sits cold, fingers restlessly toying with her hoodie's drawstring. "i know i don't have the right to be mad. i know i hurt you, and i'm sorry. but can you just... try to see it from my side? even for a second?"

         he doesn’t want to be here. it’s a strange thought, one that never occurs to him when he’s around her, but everything about tonight was all wrong. he doesn’t want to argue, doesn’t want to fight — but there’s frustration sitting at the back of his throat, begging to break free. “ i’m not going to fault you for wondering what i’m up to, but i thought you knew me well enough to know that i wouldn’t do that. ” he exhales, tone measured, controlled. he can feel her eyes on him, but he can’t meet her gaze just yet, wary that he’ll break or snap. he’s teetering on the edge, caught between bitterness and resignation, and he didn’t want her to tip him either way. “ if you don’t think you know me well enough, that’s fine. i can accept that. but i really thought that after all this time, i would have at least proved that i would never hurt you like that. that even if things go wrong, you could at least trust me with that much. do you know how that feels? to be nothing but genuine only to watch the person you care about most just throw it back on your face? and i know how that sounds, i know, and i’m sorry. but dani, that — that’s how it feels. ”

[roseduet]

And i’ll kiss every scar on your body & soul to remind you that love doesn’t have to hurt.

[roseduet]

coward. it echoes in his mind, louder than how emery's voice was. it stings, enough to make him flinch and he just hopes it goes unnoticed. "are you serious?" jude doesn't mean to snap but the words tear free in the heat of the moment. then he laughs, dry and disbelieving — the kind that scrapes its way out when something fractures. "right. so now i'm a coward." his eyes stay fixed on the road, knowing that if he looks at emery now, he might just break. "when i've been tearing myself apart trying to make all this work because hell, i do want you in my life. but i don't know why it's so fucking difficult to make it work." maybe it's not just about what transpired earlier anymore. it's the fights piling up over the past few weeks, the blaming. the way every argument leaves them at a worse state. when it's good, it's good. but when it's bad? a sharp exhale cuts off whatever reckless thing he might've said next. just drive me home — and that's when jude falters. "... i thought you were staying over tonight." no accusation, just quiet disbelief. doesn't mention how he cleaned the whole place, nor the fact that he made sure to restock his favourite cereal. simply shakes his head as he turns the corner, defeated, letting the silence linger. "fine, yeah. i'll drive you home."

he   laughs   —   not   because   it’s   funny,   but   because   it’s  infuriating.   his   head   snaps   toward   jude.   he   couldnt   contain   it   anymore.   but   maybe   he   wasn't   mad   at   him,   maybe   he   was   more   mad   at   himself   for   not   being   enough.   for   not   trying   harder   in   life.   if   he   knew   he   was   going   to   end   up   meeting   someone   like   jude,   then   he   wouldve   done   more.   he   hated   being   the   odd   on   out.   hated   that   he   still   cared.   but   his   words   come   fast,   too   fast   —   sharp   and   bitter.   he   didn’t   mean   them   the   way   they   came   out,   but   he   says   it   anyway   —   "   then   maybe   you   should’ve  stood   up for   me   instead   of   sitting   there   like   a   coward   while   they   picked   me   apart   like   i   wasn’t   even   in   the   room   !   "   then   he   shakes   his   head,   scoffing   under   his   breath.   "   god   i'm   such   an   idiot   —   i   can’t   do   this.   just   drive   me   home,   jude.   please.   " he'll regret this later.

[roseduet]

will be here once i get my life back together i swear (real) i miss plotting silly things

[roseduet]

there's something to him that she finds intriguing. as she listens, hazel takes a slow sip of her coffee, nodding along as if all this is perfectly normal. honestly? it kind of is. with how chaotic everything's been lately, sitting in a cafe, chatting with a stranger that seems weirdly too familiar fits right in. "is that so? god, you're making me want to meet this bad twin of yours. just how bad must he be for you to speak of him like that? family reunions must be fun." when he leans closer, she doesn't falter, simply mirrors the gesture, chin rested on her palm with easy confidence. "let's see..." voice dropping just enough for it to seem all convincing. "you fidget with your pen whenever you're thinking. your brows furrow when you're in deep thought. prefer your coffee black. hm... always sit on the table furthest away from the door." like now. of course, they're just random guesses — random habits plucked from the back of her mind. but at least one of them has to be correct, right? "but yeah, you're right. boring." eases back then, half a smile following. "good thing i'm easily entertained."

oh how close she was to the truth. it was entertaining how if she flipped the story over, she would've described what hopper had been doing perfectly. his coffee was now long forgotten and so was the journal he had shoved into his bag. "yeah. we don't talk much about him. he gives the family a bad rep." the novelist was basically jekyll and hyde. using his own alter ego as an evil twin in this story. "but don't worry, you're safe with me. you have the good twin now." a small smile played across his lips. feigned curiosity got the best of him, brows pushing up as he leaned closer to hazel over the table. "really? well tell me more. what have you found out about my habits today?" there were so many other things he could've asked, but he didn't want to seem too desperate. "i'm pretty boring, so i hope you had other things to capture your attention today."

[roseduet]

"yeah. but you know i'm never the type to listen." she's tired, exasperated, like the week's already worn her down even though it's just begun. it's all apparent in her voice, words seemingly tumbling out uncontrolled, heavy with something in between nostalgia and regret. "hm... angry? nah. upset? i don't even know how i'm supposed to feel." empty, maybe. whether or not he could already tell, she opts to leave it unsaid. hazel's quiet, lost in the whirl of thoughts. some about the book, some not. she doesn't face ceph— not yet, too ashamed to see his reaction to her picking up that damn book out of free will. but knowing that he's there, listening, is enough. "whatever. all i know is that the female protagonist got done dirty. way too villainized." she says as if they're just discussing something completely normal on a monday night. in a way, they are. "does that justify the one-star review i left on goodreads?"

         he doesn’t know what he was expecting, exactly, but it definitely wasn’t that; and he turns to face her, too worked up, too quick. he doesn’t have a clear view of her face, not from this angle, but he can picture how she must look — deep in thought as if she was trying to piece something together. “ you’re not serious. ” but he knows she is, knows how many wires that book must have crossed in her brain. being called over on a monday suddenly made perfect sense. “ jesus, haze, i thought i told you to drop that. ” not that he had expected her to. he’d always known they’d be having this conversation, one way or another. “ how do you feel about it? ” he didn’t need to ask, not really, it was pretty clear — but he knows she needs this, needs ceph to hear her out.

[roseduet]

“first of all, they’re not assholes — they’re actually quite nice if you just made the effort to get to know them. second, they’re unfortunately all occupied.” well, the second one’s not exactly true. merely an assumption she'd made on her own. “please? and don’t even worry about the tux, i’m sure my brother’s got plenty for you to borrow. black, white, navy— whichever looks best on you. i won’t ask for anything ever again, promise.”

〝     yeah     ,     i'm     not     doing     that     .     can't     you     go     with     one     of     those     assholes     you're     always     hanging     around     with     –––     besides     ,     i     don't     own     a     tux     and     there's     no     way     your     dad     would     appreciate     me     rockin'     up     in     jeans     and     a     hoodie     .     〞

[roseduet]

plots   /   vibes   i   need   immediately   (lms   if   ur   interested   and   i'll   hit   ur   dms   up):

-   best   friends   who   sabotage   each   others'   dates   until   they   finally   accept   they   should   be   together -   party   boy   x   innocent   girlie   who   he   corrupts   lowkey -   influencer   x   influencer   power   couple   who   look   perfect   outwardly/on   social   media   but   also   maybe   he's   toxic   behind   the   scenes -   secret   relationships -   rich   girl   x   poor   boy   who   doesn't   think   he   is   worthy   of   her -   drug   dealer   x   their   best   customer   who's   broke   but   offers   'favours'   as   payment -   honestly   a   messy   ass   black   mail   plot

[roseduet]

my tiktok seems to be living for the ice skating couple that's no longer competing together. and this idea has been haunting me ever since i saw them for the first time. muse a and muse b have been competing ever since they were young. they're the top in their competitions / country and it's all because of their insane chemistry -- both on the ice and outside. everyone seems to think they should be a couple, and they do try for a brief time. but it only makes everything more difficult and they're afraid of failing as a team the same way they failed as a couple. give me all the drama that can come with this situation. almost losing a competition bc one of them can't focus. one of them thinking that going their separate ways is the best for them. all!!! the!!! angst!!!!!!

[roseduet]

"it's not silly," jia's reply comes tender, soft in the way that's reserved for anna. “...can they? go back to how things were before, i mean.” it's a question that they both know the answer to. there's no urgency nor a desperate edge, just pure curiosity. a few months back she'd be convinced they could go back, fix all their mistakes. now? she has moved on, she thinks... mostly. but mostly isn't entirely and old habits die hard. sometimes she does catch herself thinking of the past, reaching for her phone to share silly things — a stupid meme, a song that reminds her of their time together, finger hovering over a phone number — only to remember that she no longer holds that place in the other's life. it's no longer painful, but more like a lingering dull ache. "there's always the option to try again. start over, if we both wanted to." hypothetical, quiet, accompanied by a wistful smile. "but i'm just not sure whether that's the best idea."

"it's silly, but sometimes i wish things could just go back to the way they were before." anna admits, the smile she forces onto her face tinged with a palpable sadness and longing that tugs at the heartstrings. perhaps she is only saying it because of the nostalgic bittersweet ache brimming in her chest at the moment — memories of them dancing in the kitchen, bathed in the warm glow of the lights, late night visits only to satisfy an ice cream craving, of laughing from their silly shenanigans, so hard that their stomachs ache. perhaps one day, she'll have moved on as well as they seemingly have moved on with their life. it's pathetic, the way she still clings onto the idea that no one understands her like they do — but that's another harsh fact of life that she needs to swallow, isn't it? everyone can be replaced and nothing ever stays the same. / @roseduet

[roseduet]

the rain was relentless, each drop like needles against skin, serving as a reminder of how alive he still feels even in death. the hunger burns away at his stomach — it's been three days? four? since he last fed. he lost count. weeks since he slept without waking up in coldness, thirst clawing at his throat. and yet here he is, stupid and pathetic, footsteps dragging himself along the road to nowhere in particular. logic screams at him to turn and go back because this isn't a place for someone like him: newly turned, still unable to control himself fully, still unable to accept it all.  then impact. a body collides against his and for a second, his world stops.  familiarity's the first thing he feels. he knows. doesn't even have to look. that scent, warmth, cedar and faint metallic ... the very scent that still clings to his sheets, his clothes, his apartment, the ghost of it that still lingers in the hollow space beneath his ribs. emery. he doesn't have to look but he does anyway, head snapping up, rain streaking down his cheeks as vision wavers. "... what the fuck?" the words hit like knife, and perhaps jude wishes that this was another hallucination, another cruel trick of hunger because that would hurt less than this — than him standing here after leaving jude to drown in this stupid shithole of a life alone. silence stretches, then a hollow laugh tears out. "that's all you have to say, after everything? 'you shouldn't be here'?" the memories surge like a tide and comes crashing in all at once. lover's hand in his hair, tangled bodies and whispered promises in the dark. the way he looked at jude like he was, for once, something precious and loved. lips against his pulse like a prayer. then the searing pain, betrayal, waking up alone with the sort of hunger that felt like dying all over again. but the worst part? is that beneath the rage and anger, he still loves him. and it's the kind of love that's stubborn as the echo of a heartbeat that'll never sound again. his hands shake with the urge to scream, bleed him dry, make him feel half the agony jude's endured, or drag him close and never let go. but he doesn't. just stands there, soaked and trembling, too aware of how his dead heart still stutters at the sight of emery. when he finally speaks though, his voice comes laced with poison, meant to wound. "you don't get to tell me where i should or shouldn't be. not after you walked away that night."

✿ : @roseduet 📍 : in the middle of the french quarter ( vampire verse )

it  started  to  rain  sometime  after  midnight.  water  splashed  under  his  boots  as  he  crossed  the  street,  every  step  heavier  than  the  last,  like  the  storm  itself  was  trying  to  drag  him  down.  just  my  fucking  luck,  he  thought  to  himself.  he  was  only  here  in  the  quarter  for  business  —  a  simple  visit  for  a  dealing  that  needed  to  be  done,  quick  and  clean.

he  wasn’t  even  looking  ahead  anymore,  the  rain  blurred  his  vision  and  as  much  as  he  wanted  to  simply  run  — hell,  even  fly  out  of  here,  there  were  too  many  damn  witnesses  in  the  way.

and  then  he  bumped  into  someone.  the  body  he  collided  with  was  just  as  cold  as  the  rain  soaking  him  through.  emery  stiffened  on  instinct.  his  senses  flared,  sharp  and  predatory.  was  this  some  newborn  trespassing ?  or  maybe  trying  to  make  a  name  for  themselves ?  either  way,  they  shouldn't  be  here.  not  in  this  territory.  he  blinked  through  the  rain,  ready  to  shove  whoever  it  was  aside  but  there he was.  jude.  he  opened  his  mouth,  a  thousand  excuses,  a  thousand  lies  clawing  up  his  throat  but  none  of  those  would  ever  be  enough  to  save  him.  " you  shouldn't  be  here.  "  his  voice  barely  audible  over  the  storm,  but  it  didn't  matter.

he'd  sworn  he'd  never  do  it.  he  had  vowed  with  everything  he  had  that  jude  would  be  spared  this  kind  of  existence.  this  miserable  existence  emery  had  to  endure  for  lifetimes.  he  remembered  —  too  clearly,  like  a  curse  —  the  way  jude  used  to  laugh  under  the  sun.  how  alive  he  felt,  and  how  warm  his  presence  was  in  those  moments.  emery  could  walk  in  the  sunlight  if  he  wanted  to  but  just  only  for  a  few  minutes  at  most.  jude  on  the  other  hand,  had  been  meant  for  it.  the  sun  loved  him  in  ways  emery  never  could.

years  had  gone  by  but  there  wasn't  a  day  where  he  wouldn't  watch  him  from  rooftops,  from  alleys,  from  anywhere  jude  wouldn’t  see  him.  just  enough  to  make  sure  he  was  surviving.  just  enough  to  hurt  himself  a  little  more  each  time.  there  were  nights  emery  followed  him  so  close  he  could've  reached  out  and  grabbed  his  wrist.  but  to  reveal  himself  was  a  price  he  could  not  pay.

[roseduet]

“oh,” juliet's gaze drops to her drink that's basically untouched except from that first obligatory sip, tracing the condensation on the glass. she trusts leah, of course she does, but there’s a flicker of something in her tone that makes juliet's stomach twist with doubt. “no! i mean— i get it, really, you don't have to apologize. i know it’s out of your control,” words come out with a rush, accompanied too quickly by a tight smile. “kinda boring, to be honest. things have been slow lately.” a pause, biting the inside of her cheek, hard enough to ground herself. don't say it, don't say it— “i missed you." it slips anyway, embarrassingly raw and she softens it with a laugh. "let’s hang out again soon, yeah? after all the uni stuff clears up a little." ( @lovefms. )

“yeah…  uni  has  been,  like,  super  insane.”  it  was  a  flimsy  excuse.  the  truth  was,  she  had  been  avoiding  juliet.  and  it  was  easy  to,  scarily  easy.  she  practically  had  juliet’s  schedule  memorised  with  how  often  she  visited  the  diner.  “i’m  sorry.  um—for  not  being  present  recently.  how  have  you  been,  julie?”  leah  could  hear  the  slight  disappointment  in  juliet's  voice,  and  it  made  her  heart  twist  painfully,  like  it  was  stepping  on  its  own  shoelaces.  she  wanted  to  fix  it.  she  wanted  to  explain,  to  apologise,  to  tell  juliet  everything  she’d  been  too  much  of  a  coward  to  say.  but  that  would  be  stupid.  dangerously,  irreversibly  stupid.

[roseduet]

on a trip rn so i’ll do drafts next week (might do shorter ones first though) we’ll see..

[roseduet]

“do they? i just thought you looked like you needed a break from… all that. you had that look — like you were two seconds away from throwing your drink in that guy’s face.” she notes, slightest amused smile growing at the mere thought. “unless you’d rather go back to listen him ramble on and on about his ‘great taste in music’?” 

                              ❝     usually    people    book    this    room    to    do    things    we    can't    do    out    there    on    the    floor    ,    you    know    ,    something    worth    two    hundred    bucks    —    but    you    just    want    to    …    talk    ?     ❞