#i'll post this on ao3 soon as well maybe i'll make a lik collection of drabbles also from past years

[eileen-crys]

Hello love. Some random prompts that you can ignore or just pick and choose whatever you fancy:-

John and Ronnie's first date (not their first meeting at the disco, but the first time he took her out just the two or them).

The first time Ronnie met John's Mum/sister in Oadby or the first time he met her family in Sheffield.

The first time they exchanged I Love You's.

Other band member's perspectives on the first time they all met Veronica for the first time.

The first time Veronica heard YMBF.

Lots of firsts basically!

Hiii thanks for sending these! Omg they're a lot, but I think either me or other writers tackled most of these prompts a bit already, so I chose only one to write about, I hope you don't mind 🥰💕 I chose John meeting Veronica's parents for the first time... as her boyfriend!

The wheels of the Silver Bullet stopped in front of the building, but John couldn't take his hands off the steering wheel. He was paralyzed and shot a nervous glance at his side, where Veronica sat looking at Sheffield out the window.

She felt John's terrified look on her and turned to meet his eyes, shivering.

"I'm nervous too, John, but it's going to be okay, don't worry." She gave him a tentative smile and John let out a deep sigh, finally leaving the car.

John and Veronica have been knowing each other for over a year, she even went in Cornwall with his band, and that time she really struggled to get the permission from her parents (only with the promise of behave well and don't do anything sinful, coming from both John and Veronica's own lips), but this time... well, now John wasn't only a friend, they were together.

Like, really together, very much in love with each other, which was the reason behind this visit. She told her parents about it on the phone, and they demanded to see John in person for the second time with a rather unpleasant tone.

"My hair's even longer this time, your father's really not going to like it even one bit." John whined, carrying their bags for the night up the stairs.

"I told them you're not a hippie, I'm..." Veronica let out a frustrated sigh. Her parents had complained about John's fashion style and being in a band, but they clung to the promise he was going to be a respectable engineer and had extremely good grades at university. But she was still quite worried about her parents' welcome.

Edmund and Catherine still lived in the same public housing in Sheffield where Veronica grew up in, a rather big apartment stuffed with children that now were all moved away or, in Veronica's case, studying in London, leaving the parents alone with a couple of extra rooms in case of need.

And as expected, they got welcomed by two pairs of stern, concerned and judgmental eyes.

-*-

"I'm sure you'll understand our concerns about our daughter, John, given you're a very intelligent boy." While Veronica's father silently stared at John, giving him the most awkward dinner of his life, her mom kept bombarding him with questions. Some of which she did actually already ask during the first time they met, but this time he was there as Veronica's boyfriend, and not just as a friend, and that carried a whole bag of implications.

"I do, ma'am." John replied with a nod, trying not to show how pressured he felt. After all, John was a master at keeping a poker face. "I'm... I might be in a music band and I like to keep my hair long but I can assure you I'm responsible and I deeply care about Ronn- Veronica." He corrected himself, biting his lip, and Ronnie gave an invisible, gentle rub on his thigh as she sat absolutely silent next to him.

"Have you had a girlfriend before?" Another question from Catherine, who seemed only curious about it, but for sure had a deeper meaning about John's behavior.

He swallowed and Veronica noticed his cheeks flushing a bit. He told her about that first, naive attempt of a relationship which didn't land anywhere. He's never been interested in any relationship before Veronica arrived in his life like a wrecking ball.

"Uh, n-not really... Well, kind of, I suppose, I had a girlfriend when I was seventeen, but it was... You know, just an approach and I wasn't really chasing girls. Never went further than a kiss." He stammered a bit, fidgeting with the fork.

"And how's this... rock band thing?"

This time Catherine gave John an icy glare that drilled right through his soul. He read the question in her eyes as clear as reading the newspaper: she was assuming he intended to be promiscuous and break Veronica's heart, which was opposite of his intentions. He felt purely in love with her and didn't need anything else.

"I'm just the bass player, it's just for fun, we're all students. My bandmates have very different... personalities than mine, you know." Seeking genuine comfort, he glanced at Ronnie and met her loving eyes. "But I'm already happy and fulfilled with Veronica."

It was then that both her parents exchanged a look that seemed softening, lifting the weight on both John and Veronica's hearts.

"I can't foresee the future, I don't know where life will lead us, but I'll do my best to make your daughter happy as long as we're together." John promised, making the bold move of holding her hand tightly in front of her parents, and Veronica's wide smile gave John enough courage to speak those words out loud.

For now, it seemed enough for her parents, who quietly agreed with a silent look at each other.

"We'll keep our eyes on you, boy." Edmund finally spoke, but his threat had a friendly tint in it and John replied with a vigorous nod, before the dinner continued and Ronnie's parents asked her about her studies, almost as if she just joined the meal.

-*-

As both of them expected, Veronica's parents put them in separate rooms to sleep, but as soon as the night came down and a dead silence dawned on the Tetzlaffs house, Veronica stood up from her bed and tiptoed in the room that used to be her brothers'.

John wasn't sleeping either and she was met with his green eyes staring at her.

"Jesus Christ, Ronnie, I thought it was your father checking if I was still here." He hissed, a little frightened before softening up once Veronica sat on the bed.

"Better not call Jesus's name out loud in this house…" She giggled, "I know, but I also know my parents well enough to be sure they won't disturb us, they're very deep sleepers. My dad snores-"

"I heard!"

"... and mom wears earmuffs and takes sleeping pills. It's actually pretty safe at night, I just have to go back to bed later and not fall asleep here." In the dark, Ronnie gave him a warm smile which made John's heart flutter violently.

He cherished the sensation of his cheeks flushing while he adjusted himself on the single bed and made room for Veronica, inviting her under the covers.

Despite her parents' concerns, they never went further than cuddling and kissing, yet, but they were comfortable with it. John loved the domesticity of holding his girlfriend so close, and respected her will of waiting a while before eventually taking some steps forward, because not only her parents were religious but she was as well, after all, and was struggling between her beliefs and her "sinful" desires. But thankfully, John didn't feel like rushing their relationship either.

Quietly, Veronica slid under the covers and winded her arms around his waist, listening to his warmth and heartbeat.

"I'm sorry my parents are so rough and cold… I have told them many times you're a guy with his feet on the ground, they're just… very conservative, you know. Religion, and all that." She murmured. "My two sisters also struggled a lot with their boyfriends…"

"You didn't speak a word earlier… I was rather scared." John admitted, being used to Veronica speaking her mind about her parents and venting when she was with him made him worried about her well-being first.

"I know, I'm so sorry! My father really never lets me speak and they were having a conversation with you, so… I shouldn't interfere."

"As if you were disturbing?"

"Yeah… interrupting, even." She sighed and John gave her a nod. Her situation with her parents was definitely a complicated one for a girl her age in the roaring Seventies and he didn't blame her one bit.

"It's unfair, you're involved as well... It felt like an exam…" John added with a pout and exaggerated his expression, mimicking Edmund's stern face and making Veronica smile . Until she looked at him and a veil of sadness covered her eyes.

"I don't want them to scare you away from me…" Ronnie admitted weakly, her voice thin as if she was afraid to say that out loud.

Cupping her face, John caressed her soft cheek and cradled her sorrow away.

"They won't, don't worry."