#not really a very interested in romantic relationships guy myself but i like pink and hearts and i thought this idea was funny

[automatonknight]

id: a digital drawing of robo ky from guilty gear. his chassis is colored grey, his hair is blonde and long, tied in a ponytail, and his clothes are different shades of pink. he’s shown in full view, crouching and sticking one of his legs out. from the leg there’s a dark box with a red button extending, robo ky is pushing down on it, making a finger guns gesture as he does so. in his other hand, he’s holding the thunderseal behind him. he’s smiling with his mouth open and winking. the background is also pink-there are wavy light and dark lines and on top there’s a heart. above robo ky there’s text saying: lets’ get closer valentine!. end id

[inawickedlittletown]

You Can Find Me Where the Skies are Blue (BuckTommy fic) -6/7

Summary:

Soulmates are rare. So rare that it's actually incredible that Buck has two soulmate couples in his life. Statistics tell him it's very unlikely for him to meet his soulmate. Of course, then he meets Tommy. Too bad it happens at the worst possible moment.

Canon compliant soulmate AU where Buck is still a mess and Tommy is still very understanding.

Words: 4,050

Ao3

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

-

Part Six

“This is…it’s a platonic bond, isn’t it?”

Tommy heard the words, and they strangled something inside him. He knew what he’d said to Lucy, how he’d tried to tell himself that of course that was all it was. Even Eddie, earlier stating that Buck wasn’t gay was something he carried with him. Evan wasn’t into men. It wasn’t something that even a soulmate bond could change. 

“If that’s what you want it to be,” Tommy said. 

Evan nodded. He was still a little flushed pink from earlier, it made the birthmark over his eye stand out even more. It was such a distinctive thing to catch on his face, Tommy thought he would look strange without it. 

“There aren’t a lot,” Buck admitted. “But it does happen. These two girls on instagram…they run a podcast, actually, they met when one of them married the other’s brother and they’re soulmates. And there are other examples…people do it. Your most important relationship doesn’t have to be romantic. I mean…then you can date whoever you want and so can I. Not that it’s ever gone very well for me, but what I’m saying is that you can still have a girlfriend. Or…or a wife. Kids. It won’t stop us from being soulmates.” 

Tommy laughed. Evan looked so earnest, but in his eyes was something else that told Tommy a lot of it was Evan just being brave. That was yet more to be impressed by when it came to Evan. There was no denying he was a lucky man to have him as a soulmate. 

“That’s all very nice, Evan, but I’m not going to have a girlfriend. Or a wife.” He couldn’t help but chuckle again. 

Evan frowned. It was cute. It was really unfair how cute this man was. It wasn’t even like he was that much smaller than Tommy, though he was less broad. He still carried a lot of muscle, his short sleeved shirt straining where the sleeves ended. Somehow, he still managed to be cute. 

“What?” Evan asked. “What’s funny?” 

“I’ve been told I pass for straight,” Tommy said. “I never knew if it’s because I felt I needed to hide that part of myself for a long time, or because I was never going to fit the stereotype. I’m gay, Evan. So if anything, it’s a boyfriend. Husband…I don’t know.”

“You’re gay,” Evan said in a soft whisper. 

“Yeah,” Tommy said. 

Evan was…well, he was everything that Tommy ever really did look for in a romantic partner. Maybe there was something to it when it came to soulmates. He remembered thinking that Evan was attractive right off the back, and the few interactions they had shared so far had endeared him to Tommy. He was interested, and maybe in the right circumstance like if they met at a bar, maybe Tommy would have asked him out. 

“So,” Evan said and the blush was back, “you would be interested in this being a romantic bond? I mean, you…am I someone you could be attracted to? Not that…I’m an ally. I’ve always been an ally. I post a rainbow every June and I love Hen and Karen. And Josh…he works with Maddie. I have no problem with you being gay or — or gay people in general. It’s great. Men are great. So are women. I’m into women…although, who doesn’t check out a hot guy? Like at the gym…or at the park or just out and about. But I’m straight, it’s only ever been women for me and maybe they weren’t the best choices…I mean Taylor wrote that book and Abby ran off without even breaking up with me so maybe women aren’t the way to go or…I don’t know, but you kno—”

Tommy couldn’t watch it go on any longer. Evan talked with his hands, they moved in a distracting but fidgety way. He leaned forward and caught one of his hands between his own. Evan gasped and he tripped over his last word.

“Evan, there is a lot to unpack there.” 

Evan gulped. Evan’s fingers were callused, but the back of his hand was softer. He could feel where old scars remained on his skin too. He wanted to know about how the rest of him felt, what the job had marred and changed and left marked. 

“Do you want some water? Maybe something stronger?” Tommy asked. 

“Uh…yeah…there’s beer in the fridge.” 

Tommy stood up, felt the loss of no longer touching Evan as he rounded the island and headed to Evan’s fridge. There wasn’t much inside but a six pack of beer did sit front and center. He grabbed two. When he returned to Evan, it did look like he’d regained some of his composure, but he was still very very pink. It was beautiful. Tommy could watch him forever. 

Their fingers brushed when Tommy handed over the beer and Evan gasped. Tommy didn’t know what he was seeing. He was still trying to process the word salad that had come out of Evan. Had he said he checked out guys? And he did ask if Tommy was attracted to him, of that Tommy was sure. That needed to be addressed at once. 

“For the record, Evan, I am definitely attracted to you,” Tommy said. 

It was a bit of a gamble. He wanted to know how Evan would respond. He hadn’t thought that Evan could get any redder, but apparently he could and Tommy wondered how far down that might go. It was a train of thought he had to shake off. Tommy watched him as he opened his beer and took a few sips, keeping his eyes trained on the bottle or away from Tommy. It gave Tommy more room to just watch him. It meant that he caught Evan’s gaze when he finally looked up. 

“That shouldn’t shock you,” Tommy added. “Any girl or guy would be into you.” 

“Into me,” Evan whispered. “You — you’re saying you would want this to be romantic.” 

Tommy shook his head. “No, Evan. I’m saying that you’re not hard to look at. That shouldn’t be surprising to you.”

Evan stared at him. His lips twitched as if they were trying to form a smile, but they were unsure. 

“You, um, you too,” Evan said, dropping his gaze and blushing again. 

Oh, what he would do to be able to kiss that heated skin…what he would do to see Evan’s skin go pink for other reasons. 

“Me too?” Tommy asked and he couldn’t keep the shock from his voice. 

“You know what you look like,” Evan said, complete with a scoff. 

Tommy chuckled. “Evan, tell the truth, am I on that list of hot guys you’ve checked out?” 

His answer was written all over his face. Not just the blush, but the way that he couldn’t look at Tommy and how he turned away and then drank a big gulp of his beer. It was absolutely adorable and it also left Tommy with something to work with because despite what Evan might say, he was definitely not entirely straight. Tommy didn’t want to hope and yet he couldn’t tamp it all the way down. 

—

Tommy was gay.

It kept coming back in his head…a thought that wouldn’t go away and that maybe hadn’t even sunk in fully. He was gay. Gay as in into men. Gay as in attracted to Buck. It was somehow not at all what Buck had been expecting and maybe that was a bit his fault, for projecting what he expected a gay man to be like. Sort of like Josh who would never be able to deny his sexuality. 

It made Buck think. Well, a lot of it made Buck think. Mostly, it made him ignore all of the things that he’d thought he’d already figured out about their soulmate bond. Buck had been so sure it had to be platonic. But maybe he was wrong and maybe he was wrong about other things because he had eyes and even as he’d proposed the idea that Tommy could date women, he’d felt an uncomfortable churn in his gut. 

“You okay there?” Tommy asked. 

“I’m — yes.”

“Are you sure about that, Evan?” 

Tommy called him Evan. He’d been calling him Evan pretty much since they met and Buck had never wanted to tell him that actually everyone called him Buck. Buck had started back in the fire academy, a way to differentiate from the other Evans and it wasn’t that it stuck like a nickname, but that he became Buck. Buck was a firefighter, he was more than just the boy that had no idea what he wanted. Buck was brave. He found a place to belong. Buck was so many things that Evan wasn’t. When Maddie called him Evan, she said it in the tone that she’d used when he was kid and she was looking out for him. When his parents said it, it was like nails on a chalkboard the very disapproval they had always felt for him coming through way too clearly. 

With Tommy, Evan was something else. It was soft. It was gentle. It was fond. It was literally warm. He wanted to hear his name said like that for as long as possible. 

“I’m okay,” Buck responded a bit stronger. “I just didn’t — didn’t expect you to be into guys, I guess.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Tommy said with a chuckle. “Your, um, your ramble was very informative.” 

Buck dropped his chin, cringing a little. He didn’t even know what he’d said because words had just been coming out as he thought them until Tommy stopped him as if Buck could be stopped from embarrassing himself. 

“I am so sorry,” Buck said. 

“I’m not. It was adorable,” Tommy said. 

When Buck looked up, he found Tommy was still just watching him. Watching him like Buck was worth looking at. He hadn’t liked the idea of Tommy dating women or marrying some woman, he liked it even less to think that Tommy could date another guy. Not when…well, Buck was his soulmate and he was right there. 

“Do you think I’ve been wrong this whole time?” 

“About what?” Tommy asked. 

“About me,” Buck said. “I’ve always…there’s always been something missing.”

He had thought it was Daniel. When he finally had all that information, the thing that finally made him understand why his parents had never been very present, he’d thought that maybe that was it. But, though it explained some things, it didn’t explain others. 

“Evan, I can’t—”

“Can we…can I try something?” Buck said, cutting him off. 

Buck set his bottle down, wiping his hands on his jeans and then standing. 

“Try something?” Tommy asked. 

Buck rubbed the back of his neck, tried to shake off the nerves, but they wouldn’t go away. This should not be this hard. 

“Yeah, um, maybe come here?” 

It felt like an age between a bemused Tommy standing and walking towards Buck. Buck gulped. They were about the same height and yet Tommy felt taller. Buck didn’t know how to explain it, maybe it was because Buck was used to being taller in this type of situation. 

“Can I…this will sound crazy, but it’s the only thing I think will clear things up for me? I mean, maybe you don’t want to do this and I can understand, but—”

Tommy’s fingers made contact with his chin sending a jolt through him as he tipped Buck’s face up minutely just as Tommy leaned forward. He moved as if in slow motion, giving Buck every chance to pull away and change his mind. Somehow, it was still a shock when Tommy’s lips touched his, but Buck leaned into it, he felt the heat between them and the way that just a quick brush of Tommy’s lips on Buck’s lips could light him up. He kissed back because he wanted it, and because Tommy had to know. It didn’t last nearly as long as it should have, but what it did was answer questions in a way that words never would have been able to. 

One of his hands fluttered, reaching for Tommy, but Tommy pulled back too soon and Buck had to drop his hand. His whole world…it was shifting and Buck didn’t mind. He’d been put together a little jumbled, but everything was falling into place. 

“Was that okay?” Tommy asked, voice low. 

“Yeah,” Buck said. “More than okay.” 

“Good,” Tommy said. 

It wasn’t that it was different from kissing a woman. Maybe it was a little bit different, Tommy had a bit of facial hair and that felt different, but everything else…lips were still lips…but those lips belonged to Tommy. They belonged to his soulmate. And there was no denying that for a kiss so chaste, he was left more than a little flustered. 

“Good?” Buck asked. 

Tommy smiled wider. “Did you answer that question, Evan?” 

Buck chuckled nervously. “Maybe we’ll need to test that, you know for — for science?” 

Tommy laughed, and there was something just gorgeous about the depth of his laugh lines, how it changed his face. And, oh, his chin had a cleft. This was his soulmate. He’d kissed his soulmate. He wasn’t even freaking out…more like he was relieved. More than anything, he wanted to kiss him again. 

So, he did. 

—

Tommy almost didn’t expect it when Evan kissed him. How one of his hands wound up on his neck and Evan’s lips brushed on his own almost gently but with just enough pressure that it was something of a tease. And then, Evan deepened it and Tommy matched him, bringing him closer and parting his lips as Evan’s tongue darted out to meet his in a slow sweet slide that brought out a moan Tommy almost felt embarrassed by. 

As Evan eased back on the kiss, he chuckled and they panted against each other, Evan’s fingers traveling to the back of his neck and leaving a trail of warmth everywhere he touched. 

“Just, uh, needed to check,” Evan said. 

Tommy let out a small chuckle, he dropped his head to Evan’s shoulder and he felt Evan’s fingers in his hair, a gentle touch to his scalp. How had they made it from a question about them being platonic, to this? Not that he was complaining. 

“Verdict?” 

“May need more data,” Evan said, smiling. 

Tommy turned his head, breathed against Evan’s neck and felt Evan shiver.

“Tommy,” Evan whispered. 

Tommy pressed a kiss to his neck and then a little higher, to his jaw. He heard Evan gasp and he smiled against his scruffy cheek. 

“Is that enough?” 

“Nope,” Evan said, capturing his lips in yet another kiss. 

Tommy had kissed plenty of people. A few girls when he was a teenager, kisses that meant absolutely nothing. Then there had been boys at gay bars or clubs under the strobe lights or in the dimly-lit bathrooms. Kisses that served a single purpose, a prelude to getting off with a warm body that could be forgotten in a few hours or by morning. Tommy had been finding himself and sometimes he regretted how he’d rushed in without much care for what it might do to him. Eventually had come different kisses, the ones at the end of a date, the ones that didn’t lead anywhere. Hello kisses, and goodbye kisses, and heated ones too. Any and all of those experiences would forever be eclipsed by the way Evan kissed him. 

There was something to be said about enthusiasm, but there was more. Evan was a fantastic kisser. He knew just when to push for more and when to pull back and how to have Tommy chasing his touch and his lips and his tongue. By the time they were panting against each other again, foreheads pressed together, Tommy knew he was ruined for anyone else. Then again, maybe that’s how it was supposed to be with your soulmate.

“Evan, that was—”

“Yeah,” Evan said. “I think I have everything.” 

“For the science experiment?” Tommy asked. 

Evan made a sound that was almost a giggle. “For the soulmate experiment. It’s not platonic at all.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Evan said completely with a goofy grin and skin gone pink. 

“You know what that means, Evan?” 

Evan tilted his head. “What?”

“So much more kissing.” 

Their noses brushed as Evan went for another kiss, keeping that one languid and lazy. Soft. 

—

The door closed behind Tommy with a click. Buck wanted to pull it open and call Tommy to come back, but he held himself back. His fingers traveled to his lips where Tommy had placed one last kiss before he left. It had been a peck, barely even a kiss, but it was like some reminder of all the kisses that had come before. Buck had kissed his soulmate.

Buck had kissed his soulmate. His soulmate who was a guy. A guy who found Buck attractive. A guy who Buck wanted to kiss again and again and maybe even so much more. 

All the confusion, the surety that what they could have could only ever be platonic, it almost made Buck laugh. He just…he hadn’t known. Except he’d been aware of the draw that Tommy had on him, and like he’d told Tommy it wasn’t like he’d never looked at a guy and thought he was hot. Buck had just assumed it was normal and that everyone checked out men and women alike. Not that it was abnormal, it was just…it was just that Buck wasn’t straight. He was more than the ally he’d always said he was.

The weird part was feeling like he should have known…like he’d somehow been lying to himself his whole life because it was something that was obvious and that would have prepared him to have a male soulmate.

It was after he’d gone through his bathroom routine and he’d made it up the stairs, that Buck allowed himself to say it outloud. 

“I’m bisexual.” 

It felt right. It felt like him. It felt more freeing than anything ever had before. 

“I’m bisexual,” he repeated it to his ceiling while lying in bed. 

Sleep came easy and the next morning, he was woken up by his phone vibrating on his bedside table. 

He grabbed for it, answering the call without bothering to look at the ID. 

“Hello?” 

“Would it be presumptuous of your soulmate to ask you out for breakfast?” Tommy’s voice came through. 

Buck sat up at once. His duvet pooled at his waist. “Tommy,” he said. 

“Evan,” Tommy said and he said it in that tone of his, the one so full of fondness and warmth. 

“Breakfast? Uh…yeah, I can do that.” 

Tommy chuckled. “Okay. Good. I’ll pick you up in twenty.” 

“Oh. Uh. Sure. Sure.” 

Buck heard him laughing again before hanging up. 

Used to getting ready quickly, Buck rushed down to his bathroom and into the shower. Ten minutes later he was out with a towel around his waist, rubbing himself dry as he took the stairs to grab clothes. The knock on his door came before he’d gotten a chance to put any product in his hair or for that matter shoes. So barefoot, he walked down to open the door. 

Tommy stood on the other side, smiling. Sunglasses hung from the neck of his v-neck, giving Buck a good look at his clavicle, but also the hint of dark chest hair that likely went down farther and that Buck wanted to suddenly know a lot more about. 

“Hi, Evan,” Tommy said and opened his arms. 

Buck stepped into the hug, lingering for a few moments too long.

“You ready?” 

“Oh. No. Just need shoes and my wallet and keys and…”

Tommy just chuckled. “I would say I’m gonna sit on your couch, but you don’t have one. But, take your time.” 

“It really bothers you,” Buck said as he headed up the stairs.

“Not really. Just curious.” 

“I’ll tell you over breakfast,” Buck called back. 

He didn’t take long to get himself ready. Tommy hadn’t sat down while he was busy, instead wandering around the small space and even out onto the balcony. That’s where Buck found him, and he turned as Buck approached. His hands were in his jean pockets, and he looked fully relaxed. It was unfair, how hot he was. 

—

Tommy did think that it would have been a bit much to tell Evan he’d missed him. That as soon as he left the night before, he’d longed to be back with him. He had, though, and seeing him open the door like he’d only just finished getting dressed, it had hit him again how ridiculously attractive Evan was. Also, curls. Evan kept his hair short, and maybe dry and brushed it was more wavy than properly curly, but at the half-dry state it was in at the moment, the curls were defined and Tommy thought it made him look younger and even cuter if possible. Oh, he was already so far gone for him. 

While Evan ran back upstairs to finish getting ready, Tommy walked through the apartment. There wasn’t much to it, it was very much the kind of place that belonged to a single guy, but he hadn’t been lying when he said he was impressed because it was actually really nice. 

He found a door that led out to a small balcony. It wasn’t big or anything, but Evan did have a couple of chairs out there and Tommy could imagine just sitting there with Evan with the sun setting. Evan found him out there. 

“Hey,” Evan said.

“This is nice,” Tommy said. 

“I think it’s one of the reasons I really liked this place. Breakfast you said?” 

“I did,” Tommy said. “I woke up this morning and I really just wanted to see you again.” 

Evan blushed. “You did?” 

“Of course. Do you know how difficult it was to know you were within my reach and yet it took days for us to talk. It’s why last night I wasn’t going to sit at a bar when I knew where you were. I guess you could say I’m a little impatient.” 

Evan moved closer and while his blush never left his cheeks, neither did his smile. When his hands landed on Tommy’s shoulders, Tommy almost didn’t expect them, but he took his own hands out of his pockets to take Evan by the waist. 

“I said it yesterday,” Evan said. “I was jealous. I don’t think I realized what that meant…why I was feeling that way. Maybe I was a little impatient too.”

“Evan,” Tommy whispered. 

Evan kissed him. Tommy could do nothing but respond, because Evan was everything and he kissed Tommy like it mattered, like there was nothing more important. It wasn’t even a very passionate kiss, the type that led to other things, and yet it felt more intimate than anything Tommy had ever felt before. And when Evan ended the kiss, smile growing and his hands running down Tommy’s chest until they fell away, Tommy could see that Evan’s eyes were shining. 

“What is it?” Tommy asked. 

“I’m just happy. And I think you promised breakfast.” 

“I did,” Tommy said, drawing him in closer, Evan’s hands trapped between them. “After all, I wanted our first date to be right away.” 

“Date,” Evan said in little more than a surprised, but pleased whisper.

Evan’s hands were climbing up Tommy’s chest in a way that was far too distracting especially when his fingers hit bare skin right where Tommy’s shirt ended. His touches were tentative, almost like a tease. 

“Date,” Tommy repeated. “One of many.”

Evan grinned at him. He was simply adorable. One of his hands was touching Tommy’s neck, leaving behind a trail of electricity and then his hand climbed up to Tommy’s jaw, touched the corner of his lips and then the cleft on his chin. Holding Tommy’s chin he pecked his lips, a very soft and very quick kiss. 

Tommy couldn’t attribute it to their soulmate bond, or he couldn’t just attribute it to that. It was Evan and Tommy was just that lucky to call him his soulmate. 

When they left Evan’s apartment it was hand in hand, sharing smiles every time their eyes met.

-

Final Part

[herecomesaspecialghoul]

『 𝙰 𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚈 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙵𝙸𝙻𝙴 』

NAME. As a Nameless Ghoul, I have no true name. However, I have several nicknames, including “Special” and “Phil."

AGE. As a Nameless Ghoul, I was not born and does not age. I emerged from Hell in 1960, I think, so if we are going by years I am presently 64.

SPECIES. Nameless Ghoul. I don't know if we actually count as a species? We are demons. Barely. Eheheheh.

GENDER. As a Nameless Ghoul, I have no sex or gender. We don't mate or reproduce so. It's all Ken Doll smooth down there as default. An' I'm still not sure of my identity. For the past thirty or so years, I have identified as a male guy man and mostly uses he/him pronouns, but they/them and it/its work just as well.

ORIENTATION. As a Nameless Ghoul, I was not constructed to feel sexual or romantic attraction. However, I am happily in a relationship with a human man, but, y’know, all you humans are so cute and wonderful, too! I guess I like everyone?

INTERESTS. Music- primarily rare vinyls and weird niche genres, Movies- primarily horror, and as of late, the poetry of TS Eliot and Walt Whitman... I’m tryna better myself, and smart people read poetry, right?

PROFESSION. Mostly, I coach the ghouls in the band on how to look and act human. I dunno if that counts as, uhhh, an actual ‘profession,’ ehehehehehhh...

BODY TYPE. Depends on my form. In my default Nameless Ghoul body form, I'm tall and almost imposing, and impossibly strong despite not looking like I possess any muscle. In my human disguise I tend to slouch, and am quite thin. I keep getting called ‘scrawny’ and I don’t know if that is a good thing?

EYES. Depends on my form. In my Nameless Ghoul state, my eyes are solid black- no iris or sclera or pupil, and no light reflects on their surface. Just like all the other ghouls. In my human disguise, they are a fiery green.

HAIR. Depends on my form. In my Nameless Ghoul state, my hair appears short and dark but, as with all Nameless Ghouls, it is actually very fine feathers. In my human disguise, it’s still short, but looks like actual hair, dark brown and appears to be spiked or mussed with gel. I spent years getting my shapeshifting just right to make it stylishly messy.

SKIN. Dep- you know. As a Ghoul, my skin is a dark, dull grey. If one were to look very closely, it would appear to be scaly. As a human, it’s very pale.

FACE. My ghoul face is a stony mask-like feature colloquially called a “face plate.” It really only has my eyes and nose. The space from my nose to my chin is an empty expanse. Remember the Meliora era masks? That's essentially how Nameless Ghoul face plates look without shapeshifting. I have long, black, antelope-like horns appear to emerge from just above where my carved eyebrows rest and go up, curving slightly over my head. My left horn has a little broken bit in the middle... My human face is lean, with defined cheekbones and round chin. My nose appears to have been broken and healed wrong. My eyebrows are a bit thin, but noticeable. My forehead bears a few wrinkles, as do the spaces just under my eyes. When I smile or laugh in my human guise I get those ‘laugh lines’ on the outer edges of my eyes. I have thin, pale pink lips, and crooked teeth with very sharp canines. I fucking hate shapeshifting teeth.

HEIGHT. 5feet 8inches tall. As a Ghoul, if you were to include my horns, I am just under seven feet tall.

COMPANIONS. Papa Emeritus the Fourth and the Nameless Ghouls who make up the Satanic band known as Ghost.

ANTAGONISTS. I try to get along with everyone, but nazi punks can fuck right off! Music is INCLUSIVE, damn it!

COLORS. Red, Black, Blue, neons.

FRUITS. I don't have a throat or stomach.

DRINKS. I don't have a throat or stomach.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ? I don't have a throat or stomach.

SMOKES ? Eheheh... I taught myself how to shapeshift something of a rudimentary throat and lung inside my body in order to smoke catnip. I capture the smoke in my ‘lung,’ then close the lung and throat, forcing the smoke to infuse with my ghoul body. Catnip has an affect on me that is akin to marijuana in humans.

DRUGS ? Catnip. I have cut back a lot, though.

DRIVERS LICENSE ? No. Would you trust me to drive? I wouldn't!

[gracesshelves]

Legally Blonde (2001)

When I saw this movie on the list, I got so excited. Legally Blonde (2001) is probably in my top five favorite movies of all time. We watched this movie all the time when I was growing up, so I have a lot of special memories attached to it. To me, this is a five out of five. Some of the jokes and moments haven’t aged well. However, I still think the overall message of the film holds up. Girls need to see that being intelligent and powerful does not mean you have to sacrifice femininity. So many pieces of media have shown female characters becoming more masculine or trying to appeal to the male gaze to have more power, and I think Legally Blonde (2001) does a good job arguing against this idea. Elle does not dress the way she does for anyone else, she does it because she likes it. While the message of this film is a more surface-level feminist argument, I’m not really expecting in-depth theory from a romantic comedy.

Legally Blonde (2001) follows Elle Woods, a wealthy girl from California, who follows her ex-boyfriend, Warner, to Harvard to get him back. However, winning him back is not as easy as she hoped. Unable to fit in with the east coasters, Elle struggles to find a place for herself in law school and learns that Warner is engaged to someone else. By letting go of that relationship, Elle discovers a passion for law and helping others, like Paulette and Brooke. Ultimately, she realizes that she doesn’t need to pretend to be someone else, or do things for other people, and she surrounds herself with people who like her for her. The tone of the movie is very lighthearted and has many iconic lines that people still quote today (“What like it’s hard?”) I ended up re-watching this with a friend, and she was shocked with how much of this movie I had memorized.

I do adore this movie, but as an adult, I noticed moments that bothered me more than they did when I was younger. The biggest was the body shaming and early-2000s diet culture. I found myself cringing at Brooke Windham’s whole plot about liposuction, or the comments about losing weight and going down sizes Unfortunately, this is par for the course for early 2000s movies, but I think this is a potentially large turn-off for folks who are not emotionally attached the same way I am. Additionally, I also struggled with some of the stereotyping. There are a few queer background characters, and I do think they have funny moments, sometimes it relies a bit too much on stereotypes. The only context we see gay men in relates to fashion or beauty, and the only lesbian character is mean and angry. I think it would’ve been a lot more interesting if Enid, the aforementioned lesbian, had been an ally to Elle instead of a foe. They have a lot more in common than different.

Another thing I noticed about this movie was the perspective. A majority of movies from the early 2000s, and still today, fall victim to the male gaze. Even in this movie, there are a few moments that sort of do that (the scene where she is getting ready and the bunny costume). However, I would like to argue that most of this film is filtered through the female gaze. Elle is a hyper-feminine person, obsessed with pink and all different kinds of fashion. Most guys I know are not really into that women who dress like that, but my fellow queer women friends adore Elle and her outfits and find them attractive. Sure, not every queer woman likes this femme look, but there are a lot who do. Another example is the love interest. Movies under the male gaze often have the girl end up with the buff, successful main guy. But Elle ends up with the soft-spoken, supporting guy who wears sweater vests. Again, in very generalized terms, love interests like this appear most often for the female gaze. If this movie had been targeted at men, Elle would wear super revealing sexy outfits instead of coordinate pieces and bubble gum pink dresses.

            While Legally Blonde (2001) isn’t for everyone – I have a large soft spot for this film. I understand why it’s a blockbuster.

[rize-is-writing]

Hi! Could I please have a romantic bsd matchup?

My Name is Rachel, Im 18, and my pronouns are she/her.  My zodiac sign is Taurus and Im a Gemini rising.

I’m a really optimistic person, and I try to help others as much as I can! I’m good at giving advice, and making people feel better. I’m also very charismatic and very outgoing! I love trying out new activities, But, I can get impatient easily and I tend to be stubborn. I’m very affectionate and I tend to make sure that everyone around me is feeling alright before making sure that I am. Basically, I’m like the mom friend. 

I’m 5’7, I have dark brown hair that is a couple inches past my shoulders, brown eyes and freckles across my nose.

I really enjoy fashion design. I love sewing and coming up with a new ideas of something I can make! I’m also really passionate about music. I’ve played piano since second grade, and it really helps me to express myself! Some of my other hobbies include baking, crocheting and shopping. My personal style is a kind of mix between softie and angelcore. I love clothes that are pink, ruffly or have some sort of lace on them. Some things I like include, desserts, pretty perfume bottles, flowers, and jewelry. I absolutely hate bugs.

Thank you so much!! <33

I found your match! Come to meet them, c'mon c'mon!

Sometimes, what a mom friend needs is a dad friend of the group (strike me down for this terrible pun)

You seem like someone a bit too good for their own good, so you need someone to remind you that is ok to take a bit of time to yourself and your own care. Chuuya might be not very tactful about it, and gentle isn't something he is when it comes to human interaction at times, but he is one who cares and cares a lot. A small downside of the relationship may be the fact that you are both hot headed though.

Also, Chuuya is a fashionable guy on his own way we might say (have you seen him? I'm envious while looking at him), so he might be interested in your own fashion ideas and I'm sure shopping with him would be fun as well. Not really knowledgeable about music I think (or as far I have seen at least) but who doesn't like listening to some good music? Just picture yourself playing a piece while he works with his paperwork? Dunno about you, but to me it sounds relaxing.

(just be careful because Chuuya himself is a bug by how small he is- LMAO)

[annbourbon]

Movies that get me in a girly mood♡

Mamma Mia, both movies. I could watch these two movies almost every day and be happy. That's how much I love Mamma Mia. They are after all about friendship. And family. They have a lot of music and fun moments but also know when to be sad.

Barbie. The movie makes me feel for once, capable of anything and especially remind me to be kind to myself. America's speech keeps me on check. If that's not enough you have the whole Barbie~verse, because those movies are more about the plot and friendship while romance is a bonus.

Crazy Rich Asians. While the main plot is not about friends but romance, this movie would be nothing without the support cast and the characters who help our heroine, in fact, our couple doesn't have so much screentime together. It's like a couple of scenes at most. The rest is a very interesting relationship that IMHO, I feel this is the way adults should be behaving. This movie is all green and a breath of fresh air. That's why I decided to include it here.

Walk of shame. I love to laugh. And this movie is perfect for that. I won't say anything else or I'm spoiling it. But the whole plot is ridiculous and really funny. And I love her friends.

Burlesque. Wanna feel sexy? Dance or sing? This movie is my go to. The characters have their issues, yes but everything is solved without too much drama. The main character is perfect. And where else you're gonna have Cher, Christina and Kristen Bell together?

Montecarlo I find this movie a classic in the sense of how the sequence of scenes and humor is managed here. Good humor, lots of friendship and again, nothing big happens, which allows you to relax and enjoy.

New York Minute if anything, this movie is peak comedy and all about sister bonding. Plus, you get to see Jared Padlecki in his firsts years.

Bridesmaids although it's not one of my favorite movies, it's definitely all about friendship between them. And that's why I'm including it.

Wild Child It's another story with more friendship than romantic interests. It's nice to see that because they believe each otther and know each other enough to see past their mistakes.

Aquamarine I can't believe I almost forgot about this movie. But it's definitely worth watching. And it's all about friendship.

You know? Doing this I realized that we really don't have a lot of movies where it's more about friendship and bonding with other girls over romantic interests. So please, if you have any other options, that are uplifting and girly vibes all the way, drop them in the comments or reblog. I'm interested.

Others: I'm out of gifs already so I left the other 2 options in pink and mesh them with these ones that focus more on romance than girls enjoying themselves or having a friendship.

While romance it's great, I believe we need to have more movies where that comes as secondary. Which is why you're not gonna find the main list of chick flicks with a lot of romance, but here~

♡ To all the boys I've loved before

♡ Leap Year

♡ Legally Blonde

♡ Pride and Prejudice

♡ How to lose a guy in 10 days

♡ 10 things I hate about you

♡ Love, Rosie

♡ Coyote Ugly

♡ The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

♡ Miss Americana (and Taylor Swift concerts)

[antigerrymanderingspiderman]

Thought of the Day: Did you know that Valentines day is surprisingly the most hated holiday?

i didn't know, but i'm not exactly surprised? it's a very commercialized holiday and that can suck. and it also has a lot of heteronormativity around it. but yeah generally i'm sure a lot of people don't like it because of the pressure and/or the loneliness

personally, i like valentines day. i'm not in a romantic relationship nor have i been (i'm aroace btw) but i like to dress up fun and give little gifts to my friends. i even had pink hair last february and i think i might do that again next year. i like making a fun thing out of it even though i'm not celebrating it the traditional way.

i do know that i have had a very different experience than most people with valentines day. for the majority of my life i just didn't think about romance so it was just a fun day for class parties or candies or whatever. then, in the seventh grade i have a diary entry from that day, and i'm going to share with you the entire thing because i think looking back it's really interesting and really clear that i am not allo:

"I have to admit something. For the first time I was upset not having a valentine on valentine's day. I am so confused about my feelings. I want someone but I feel like I'm too young and not ready. But I want a valentine. I make up false stories for my own amuzement, but when it actually comes true I hate it. The whole thing with *guy friend at the time who had a crush on me*. I don't want it to be true because that would be awkward, but I want someone to feel that way about me. Emotions are hard and so is middle school. Amuzing should be spelled with a Z and I wish more for a Gilbert [Blythe] of my own. I don't know. Emotions are hard."

so that is something. i'm really glad i have diaries from this time, but i feel so bad for the younger me that had no idea what was going on. the next year, a different friend of mine sent me this poem and asked me to be his valentine. i had an anxiety attack and felt super nauseous, and then said yes because i had convinced myself that i did have a crush on him and what i was experiencing was just a bit of nervousness.

my freshman year of high school i made little gifts for my friends, but i really didn't care much about valentines day because that was the exact day i got my results from my autism evaluation.

i know all of this is super oversharing but this got me thinking and i think my history with valentines day is interesting and kinda says a lot about me. last year i crocheted a bunch of heart granny squares and sewed it into a sweater. i got gifts for my closest friends because i love gift giving and gave little chocolates to the people i wasn't as close with. i know a lot of people don't like valentines but i do :)

[karatecaulfield]

Hello 💜✨️ could I get a Cobra Kai ship? Male or female works 💜

I'm a 5'7 girl and I'm fairly insecure about my height. At times I feel too tall or too short. I have wild curly hair that's hard to tame and deep brown eyes that are almost black. I also have freckles. I'm plus sized and also insecure about this 😓 I typically wear dark clothes, blacks and dark colors, but I sometimes wear softer colors, pinks and purples. I shop at hot topic if that's an jndication of the style I'm going for.

I'm shy and socially awkward. I don't really like talking to strangers. I used to not be able to talk to a cashier but that's gotten better over the years. I can talk to ppl but I never actually know what to say. However when it comes to making friends, it doesn't take long for me to get comfortable with someone. I just won't make the first move. I'm scared of screwing it up or saying the wrong thing. Sometimes I can overshare or ramble on, getting myself confused along with others. However, once my walls come down, I'm fairly bubbly and nice. I still might not talk a lot, but I will listen closely and pay attention. I find other's interests and passions fascinating and I always want to cheer my friends on in their endeavors.

I like to read and write, usually lost in my own head thinking about the other worlds I'd rather live in. Usually bookish, mysterious and haunting or bright and cheerful. My aesthetic is ever changing. I love comics and graphic novels alongside traditional novels, and I typically reach for magical realism and paranormal stories with a dash of romance. When it comes to writing, I like to write eerie stories of self discovery and friendships wit romantic tension. Other hobbies I enjoy are photography, listening to MCR and Taylor Swift, and trying new crafts. I'm not good at sports and I don't understand football, but I'll sit down and watch a game if I'm actually there. I want to be active but find it hard since I've run into some health struggles (chronic pain and migraines) but I would live to start going on small hikes when I can. I love nature and care about the environment, doing what I can to help our planet and constantly learning.

That's all I can think of. I hope that wasn't too much and thank you 💜✨️💖✨️💜

Miguel Diaz! He’s a very sweet and open minded person and I think he would do extremely well with someone who gets insecure at times. He would never see your flaws the way you do, and if he senses that you’re feeling down he’ll shower you in compliments. Luckily, he’s a super extroverted person and wouldn’t mind doing a bulk of the socializing for both of you. Whenever you do come out of your shell he gets insanely proud of you. He really needs someone supportive in a relationship, and I think you could provide this kind of presence in his life. You’d be his number one fan at karate tournaments, and in return he would be your number one fan when it comes to all of your creative writing endeavors. You guys would encourage positive change in one another often, and I think that would be such a beautiful dynamic for each of you.

A/N - I’m so sorry for the wait! you seem like such a lovely person, I hope you enjoy. feel free to request again if it isn’t what you were looking for <3

[saddestarcade]

Wednesday Thoughts

First first, I think I finally have new special interest that can replace HP for me. My brain has been v bored and longed for new media to dissect. I’ve already watched the entire series twice and it came out less than a week ago. 

I’ve seen a bunch of discourse on the Wednesday/Enid ship and the seemingly forced love triangle w/ Tyler and Xavier. I have some thoughts. Firstly, I think Enid, if anything, is bi. My evidence: her hair and nails throughout the series are pink, blue, and purple. Second, I actually find the love triangle to be a novel take on the trope. Sure, the guys are fighting over Wednesday and being zero communicative as to why they hate each other for like 4 episodes, however, Wednesday is not really conflicted in her feelings. I’ll get into the spoilery parts of that after the page break. Thirdly, Wednesday reminds me a lot of myself in middle and high school. I’m straight and absolutely OBLIVIOUS when women are hitting on me, but I also feel that my female (all iterations) relationships are the most important. Like besties before testies (of the cis varietal), know what I mean. Which was very confusing when I was a teen when girls gave me their numbers or asked for mine and I sincerely thought they just wanted to be friends. So regardless if they actually go the Wenid route, it’s ENTIRELY plausible Enid has a crush on Wednesday and Wednesday is like this is my friend and I will murder anyone who hurts her...

Oh wait, that happened in the show when Enid was going to meet Ajax. Now to the love triangle. Tyler and Xavier both read way too much into their interactions with Wednesday. Wednesday is firmly convinced Xavier is the murderer for the majority of the series and all of her interactions are to get the truth from him. I do think she genuinely likes Tyler which makes the betrayal all the more poignant. Especially because you aren’t sure, right up until the very end, if he was a willing participant or not. She will bounce back quickly because love and romantic relationships are not her priority, obvi. Maybe Wednesday and Xavier will become a thing if there is a season 2 but I don’t think it necessarily needs to happen. If Wednesday and Enid become a thing, that is also great, but again not necessary. Just keep giving me my goth Nancy Drew series. Thank you. 

[rancid-jester]

expirimenting with the kind of relationships im portraying in this new story im working on and wanted to write it out...

there are two seperate narrators:

Helena, a nonbinary transfem (she/her),

and Jonah, who is just some guy (he/it),

these are the other characters: Stella, a cis woman, she/her... Rosa, nonbinary, they/them... Adam, a cis man, he/him... Dirk, a trans man, he/him... and Brandon, a cis man, he/him.

and like first of all I don't generally write characters who are like me very well for some reason... however Jonah is a lot like how I was in middle school. undiagnosed autistic who just fucking hates new people. Helena is less like me but she has like the vibe (actually Helena is the name i call myself when I feel more feminine, lol)

and like the relationships are already interesting cuz Jonah hated Helena because she was new to it but he's like slowly accepting her existing because she's the only one showing sympathy to him (he's a prick and its friends have just kinda given up on it, but she's like "well obviously theres a reason")

and then there's Jonah and Adam, Jonah has a big crush on Adam, who used to bully it in middle school but is now his closest friend, and Adam prefers his twin brother Dirk (who yes is a trans homestuck and named himself after Dirk Strider)

and then like I'm not sure what I'm going with Helena regarding the relationships she has with the group, but I know Stella has a crush on her, which i think will lead to a very casual relationship. but like I'm thinking she might also end up having something with Jonah because I love a casual polyam vibe in my stories. But also i love the idea of them being casually queer platonic besties like me and jaxx

I also want to expand more on the non-pov characters, especially Rosa at the moment because they don't have a romantic link to anyone. I'm thinkin that they're aroace, and so far i've been focusing too much on the romance aspect but i want each character to be well-written and interesting to read about.

Stella also doesn't have much about her yet. So far she's a stoner with pink hair, and even though she has a private scene with Helena we havent learned anything aside from her hobbies. i have to figure out what links her to the others, aside from being queer and punk and a poet.

Adam I think has plenty of info for what I want people to know so far--his attempts to be as kind as possible, his control issues, his goldenboy persona, his people pleasing, and some hints at his issues. I'm doing a lot with Adam lol.

I also want to bring Dirk in more. He's currently in a ward and all we know about him is that he has bipolar depression, he's Jonah's twin brother, and everyone likes him better than Jonah. I want to kind of show that he has some guilt for that and show how much he loves his brother and wants the best for him, while also maintaining him as a character apart from Jonah.

Also Brandon is kind of just a support character for Helena, as her older brother, but I do want him to have a plotline. He's sort of meant to represent my own older brother, which is what makes it difficult to see him as a person outside of Helena. Also, he isn't a part of the main group,and he doesn't really hang out with them much, aside from walking home with Helena and Stella.

Also important is why the group sticks together. Stella, Adam, Jonah, and Dirk have known eachother their entire lives, since they grew up in the small town together, but what made Rosa a part of their group? Why are they keeping Helena around? They're all poets, theyre all punks, and theyre all queer, and maybe that's enough of a connection but I want there to he more ties involved, especially for Rosa, as the one who was an outsider before Helena. What made the group accept them? Why do they stay with the group despite Jonah's assholery and the constant drama between Adam and the twins?

anyways i've only got two finished chapters so far and i suppose i should write character sheets now that i've articulated some of what i want to do with this!

[syrupa]

Blind Dates

Pairing: Kyoka Jiro x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 769

"Come onnnnn Jiro!" "Nope, not happening."

All the girls in 1A decided to have an only girls day. The topic of romance was brought up somehow and the girls had learned that Jiro had never been on a date. Hagakure absolutely freaked out saying something along the lines of, HOW HAVE YOU NOT BEEN ON A DATE YOU'RE SO PRETTY. The next few hours had been the girls trying to set Jiro up on a blind date. Eventually, she caved in.

"If I agree will you guys stop?" "Mhm!" "...Fine.."

Now here she is, looking for some random person at the mall. Jiro sighed, how'd she let them drag her into this? She didn't even want to be here. She probably looked like some weirdo, walking around staring at people. An idea soon popped up in her mind. What if she just left? She could easily walk out of the mall and tell the girls she couldn't find them. Yeah, that's what she'll do.

Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me are you Jiro?" shit. She couldn't just tell you she wasn't interested and leave when you were right here. Reluctantly, she responded. "Mhm, that's me."

While chuckling, you said, "Well, do you want to grab a bite blind date? Foods on me." A defeated smile appeared on the girls face. If she was going to do this might as well at least try to have a nice time. Also, you told her you would pay so who was she to deny free food? "Sure I know this pretty good place over here." Jiro responded, gesturing to a nearby food place. Whilst the two of you walked over there, you whispered to her, "You seem tense. If you want we could just start out as friends." "That actually sounds really nice!"

After grabbing a bite with you, she realized this wasn't that bad. You were a person who she was genuinely interested in. Nearing the end of the date she said, "Can I change my mind?" "Hm?" She sighed at your oblivious response. "You're the type of person I can imagine myself in a romantic relationship in so, maybe we could be more than friends?" Jiro had a slight blush on her cheeks as she rambled, causing a little smile spread across your face. "I agree, you're my type and I would like to see where this could go." The purple haired girl pulled you into a tight hug the second those words came out of your mouth. "I'm not so good with this kind of stuff," she started. You smiled, welcoming her into your warm embrace. "Neither am I, let's learn together." Your words turned her face even more pink than it already was.

Jiro hesitantly pulled away, wanting the moment to last a bit longer. She waved you good bye before going to message the girls about how well the date had went. Pulling out her phone, she realized she powered off her phone. Eh she thought. Don't remember powering it off but it's not a bad thing. They could've ruined the date or something. Powering her phone back on, she was met with over a hundred messages in the girls chat. Sighing, she began reading the most recent ones.

Mina: AT THE VERY LEAST TELL THEM YOU AREN'T GOING

Uraraka: yeah that was kind of messed up Jiro :/

Yaomomo: agreed

She looked at the messages in confusion. What were they talking about? Did she do something wrong?

Jiro: wdym? I met up with [Name]?

Mina: WHO???

Hagakure: Jiro who's [Name]?

Jiro: my date?

Jiro: you guys okay?

Yaomomo: Mina, correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't her dates name Midori?

Mina: yeah it was lol

Mina: Jiro did you just go on a date with a complete stranger?

Jiro: WAIT WHAT

meanwhile~

"Damn [Name] you didn't have to ghost them like that." You looked over at your friend with a raised brow "I met up with her?" "You do know Ojiro's a guy right? He messaged me that you stood him up." wait. "Ojiro?" "Mhm." "I- um, my bad." "Yeah it is, don't stand people up like that you douchebag." "Sorry." "The poor guy waited for a hour or two just for you to not show up." You did feel bad but you were still in shock. You went on a date with the wrong person.

Later that night, you and Jiro ended up texting each other about the whole situation. Laughing it off, the two of you now look back at the funny meeting fate had planned for you both.

[castielgurl]

Confessions

Romanogers week

Prompt: Role reversal

Hi admin, thanks for listening to my confession. My name is Natasha R, I am going to tell the story of me and my husband named Steve R. Enough with just the short name of the two of us. I was a martial arts trainer. My life was simple with the same routine every day. I was a simple person in fashion sense. Every day I put on a simple and the same makeup. As I got older my mother started to worried because I still unmarried. My mother suggested I get acquainted with the son of one of her friend. As a 30 -year -old woman, I didn't have an interesting love story. Until I met my husband Steve.

 I didn’t object to the idea because I was also tired of finding a partner of my own. Meet some good guys as well as some bad ones. It's annoying. I decided to go on a date with Steve. My mother showed me his photo, Steve had pale skin. Neatly combed blonde hair, and clean shave. His shirt was pink, a tight t-shirt and a designer jacket. I admit he is better at fashion than I was. He is a handsome man. But I'm starting to wonder why such a handsome man doesn't have a partner?

 I met Steve at a Starbucks café. The first time I saw Steve I was speechless. I watch him from top to toe. Steve wore a tight white turtle neck t-shirt showing off his sleek figure, tight black jeans. I felt very embarrassed by my simple dress. He also wears lip gloss. I laughed inside. When Steve started talked he had a soothing tone of voice. When he spoke he would moves his hands together as his speak. His hands looked soft as he often put lotion and even softer than my own hands. Yet Steve is not like any other man I have ever met. He was very polite and spoke softly. In fact, he didn’t stare at my boobs like other men. Eyes focus on me when I spoke. We talked about a variety of topics from fashion to the telenovelas that are currently being popularly aired on Netflix. Honestly, I feel comfortable with Steve and felt safe with him. Like talking to the best girlfriend in the world. When we finished the date he walked me up to the front door of my apartment. Steve walks exactly like the female catwalk model over the runway stage. I deliberately tested him, inviting him into the apartment. He refused it like a gentleman. Then he asked if I wanted to see him again. I answered of course. He was shocked because all the women he met hundred percent didn’t want to see him again after the first date. I was the first.

 After we dated for a few months, Steve asked an unexpected question. If I wanted to get married. I did not take a long time to answer him. Because after getting to know him. Steve is the most gentlemanly, supportive, caring, kind-hearted man I have ever met. He never forced me, controlling, I never saw him got angry. Even Steve never raised his voice to me. Even when I’m too busy with work and have no time for him. I know that he is not like other men, he does not pretend to be macho, ego or masculine. But he was more of a man than all the men pretending to be like a real man. I accepted his proposal. Steve's reaction was also very funny. He cried when I said yes. He said he was not like other men. He asked many times if I wanted to change my mind. I said no I have already made my decisions. He promised to take care of me like his own life. He promised he would never see another woman. I laughed at his reactions. I told him I trusted him.

 After we got married we stayed at Steve’s house. Steve's house was bigger, and he's good at decorating. The house is very modern, there are many flowers, beautiful paintings. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you what is Steve's job. He is a wedding planner. During our wedding night, Steve asked me to wait for our first night. Because he still felt awkward. He asked me to give him more time. I agree. That night I slept on the floor worried if Steve was uncomfortable. In the middle of the night, I felt like floating. I asked myself what happened? Steve carried me and put me on the bed. I was shocked because I never thought he was able to lift me! I definitely underestimate his strength too. He whispered to me and said

 "Don't leave me on a bed alone, honey lemon." Did he just call me Honey Lemon? Cute names. This gives me a goosebumps

 Steve not allowed me to work because he was able to support me and our families in the future. I smile when he talks about family. Steve said he dreamt to have many children. So I sit at home cooking, tidying the house. Every day I watched Netflix at home. When Steve comes back home from work he will watch Netflix with me. We will chat about the plot of the telenovela from our favorite series. It felt like talking to your BFF. Sometimes Steve would accidently hug me while we slept together. I felt very warm in his arms and don`t want him to let go. But he woke up and turned to another side of the bed. Apparently, this is how it felt to be hugged by your husband.

 Steve took me out on a date when he had a day off. He will put make-up on me. He turned out to be excellent at make-up. He said I am very beautiful I just don`t know how to enhance my features. He loves my red hair and my plump lips. After he said that I kiss his cheeks, he blushed. He would hold my hand when crossing the street. He also introduced me as his wife to his friends he seemed very proud to show me off to everyone he knew. I really like our relationship like this. Like two besties.

 One night, Steve and I have watched a telenovela on Netflix. Suddenly there is a love scene between the main male and female characters. I'm not a virgin but I felt embarrassed to watch a scene like that with Steve. I took the remote for fast forward. But Steve said no. I don’t want to continue to be in an awkward situation, I wanted to get up to go to the kitchen to make hot chocolate. But Steve pulled my hands gently and asked me to sit next to him. He asks when do we want to do the same thing as the scenes in the telenovela? My face turning red. Shocked by the question I said nothing. His fingers gripped my chin, his blue eyes increasingly visible in my eyes. He kissed my lips. I admit to once dreaming about him kissing me. Now, this is really happening. His kiss was slow, I returned his kiss. He then stopped and stared into my eyes. He said he wanted us to try tonight. It's only now that I really see him as a real man. I said why don't we do it now? I smiled he smiled too. I waited too long.

 Our love-making I described as awkward at first, gentle, slow, romantic, and calm. Then we would laugh together remembering the awkwardness of the two of us after first seeing each other naked. Steve told me when he first time touching me down there he felt like electricity through his veins. We kept trying new positions, new costumes, and even different locations. It turns out that making love after marriage is more fun. Steve at first got afraid if he was being too rough. I know he never intended to hurt me. One of the best sex I’ve ever had was when Steve was behind me and my palms were on the wall, the panties I was wearing were stuck between my ankle. This, not Steve's favorite because he wanted to see my face during our love making. But the sex was more intense than usual. It made me forgot about everything in the world.

 I tell this story to this page was just to fill my free time at home. And Steve approves the idea too. I just bored during pregnancy. Oh yes I am now six months pregnant. Steve and I are going to have a baby in January next year. Steve, on the other hand, is becoming more and more man day by day. He threw away all his old clothes and old habits. He was also the first to say I love you. We both can't wait to see our son for the first time. Steve wants at least four more children. Of course is up to me.  

 Thank you for reading my confessions.

[i-may-be]

Hi there I would like to request a romantic match up for haikyuu, Marvel and Percy Jackson (if three are too much then just cut them out)

General facts:

I'm a 22 old, female she/her, hetero, ESTP/ESFP, aries. I have an undercut hairstyle. (length kinda like ushijima so my profile picture isn't that accurate anymore)

Basically I'm a open and humorous person who likes to laugh :) I don't have a particular fashion style, I wear mostly everything from sweat pants and Hoodie with sneakers to mini skirt or rockabilly dress with high heals. I have no favorite color but I don't like pink...

Personality/character :

When you first meet me I am nice, polite but rather quiet or reserved. Knowing each other better I am very direct and straight out with my emotions of any kind. Whether I'm mad, sad or in a good mood. Even then I'm quite humorous. I am like an open book for most to read as you can tell by my nonverbal body language what I am like right now. I can get very aggressive and angry if someone is stupid towards me or starts a fight with me or my friends. On the other hand I speak before I think without any filter ... And I only notice that afterwards... But if someone points my inappropriate behavior out to me I would apologize immediately :)

- I'm a very helpful and nice person. I would do everything for my friends and family if they ask

- I'm a good listener. And because of my own family history I know If someone’s having a bad day and needs emotional support.

- I'm really good in organizing things

- I'm faithful and loyal. If you mess with me or my friends I will fight everyone.

- I'm to stubborn and straight forward. When I have a goal in mind, I don’t give up so easily. It can also backfire.

- I speak before I think. So I may say inappropriate in front of others...

- When I'm interested in something, sometimes I just focus on it and only want to talk about it, which can really get on others' nerves

Hobbies:

My hobbies are

producing my own little video clips or drawing

I like to bake :)

I can play violin but I don't get any lessons anymore :)

I am interested in technology especially IT and love to make, build and program things and websites myself.

I love helping with repairs on the house, but also building furniture, as well as electronics and electrics.

What I dislike about people:

-I don’t like being underestimated by my intelligence and physical strength and behaving towards me as if I were a fool.

Fun facts:

-I have an extreme visual defect (nearsightedness) + I can't see in three dimensions, so I'm kinda blind in some way xD

(if I don't wear glasses it's as if I see my surroundings as a picture...)

- so basically I'm looking for a guy who shares my humor and is able to handle/accept my flaws :) and he shouldn't underestimate me.

- I think I would go to Karasuno.

- in my opinion I'm a Iwaizumi kinnie :)

- I love movie soundtracks! the whole soundtrack, original music from the composer + epic soundtracks from two steps from hell, audiomachine, John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman etc.  So they are my favorites(recently my favorite soundtrack is the whole haikyuu soundtrack!).

But i also have pop and rock on my playlist along with some electronic songs and classic music. So basically a bit from everything :) 

Love language/type

- When I'm in a relationship with my boyfriend I would spoil him physically(massages) , with gifts and emotional equally (showing up ar his work place, preparing dinner, organize quality time in front of the TV with cuddling and watching favorite movies, etc.)

-my type of men: I like men how respect me and others, who don't get jealous that easily. Who like to activities with me but also can stay on the couch. I'm a very cuddly person and like to show pda so body contact is required.

Soooo I hope that's not too much information, and I hope I included everything you need :)

Thank you in advance ❤️

hello! thank you for choosing this blog for your matchup <3

HAIKYUU!

ROMANTIC MATCHUP: Daichi Sawamura

HOW YOU MET

It was school, plain and simple.

Ok it wasn't just that simple, you were actually asked to be a manager of the volleyball team so you met through that.

Whether you become a manager is up to you ofc but that's where you met.

It was a kinda formal meeting? Like you both really just discussed the team and what it would probably be like to be a manager. It was mostly the senior manager you spoke to.

Either way you had a few classes together so now you know a nice guy in those classes! A win!

RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

He's definitely spectacular at reading your body language and approaching you about how you feel. He always has your comfort as a top priority, like the other two ofc but Sawamura is a little more open and obvious about this.

You know the kind of people who like rub your arm/leg/ect as their main form of physical affection, or something like that. That's him fr. He also does his lil face kisses but that's his most prominent way, especially with pda.

He has a pretty busy job(he's a local police officer to remind you!!) that sometimes has some really irreguar shifts so he tries his hardest to always warn you before hand!! He leaves notes and leaves a salad he made for you in the fridge before he was called to work or something!! Also texts too!!! The note is mostly a backup.

This man's humor is so underated!!!! His jokes never fail to make you laugh and he always knows when it's an appropraite time to use them and when's not. He's just a 10/10, top noche boyfriend who really cares about you and a responsible guy <3

HANGING OUT

I firmly believe this man will try to teach you volleyball. He'll give you and pointers you need he's just happy to share his interests with you!!

He really likes when you play violin, he thinks you make it sound extra pretty. He likes to find songs you might like to learn on the violin with you.

He may be horrible at baking, but he is very very good at passing you the ingrediants. Anway he enjoys watching you bake and sometimes being helpful!! He has v v bad technique but maybe with your help he can learn <3

No thoughts just the two of you guys building/fixing furniture together. If you guys ever got a place to live together there would be absolutely no broken furniture like it's all fixed up.

PERCY JACKSON

ROMANTIC MATCHUP: Frank Zhang

HOW YOU MET

It was a part time job at a corner store of wtv you call them where you live. It was a really quiet one that only had customers at certain times+random locals who ran out of milk or something else idk.

Anyway it would be really awkward just twidling your thumbs the entire time in a shop with only like the radio in the background.

You both first really talked when you were helping restock shelves and it was cool so you both started talking more.

You found he was pretty reliable for helping cover shifts that you didn't share together. He was a real reliable guy.

You both exchanged numbers on one random day a while after you started talking after you realised that you didn't have each other's numbers already.

RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

I feel like he really likes those matching couple things but like... subtly. I dunno maybe you have bracklets with each other's initials on them. Maybe you both share earings, it's cute idk :)

Whenever you say anything inappropraite without thinking he's wide-eyed before reassuring you that it wasn't that bad. He sometimes thinks he should be used to you doing that but he never expects it.

Gift giving goes both ways. I think he likes to specifically give you fluffy things you'll like. He gives you books and sometimes semi-useful trinkets too, but he likes giving you soft things!!

I feel like playlist trading is quite common too. Like he'll make a playlist of songs that remind you of him, then realise that they're from several different genres and then organise them , and then they're continuously added to. He probably makes playlist of songs that remind him of characters from shows/movies you like and share the playlists with you!!

HANGING OUT

He is begging you to talk about your music taste. He finds it cool that your music taste is so diverse and he'll probably try to follow you in expanding his music taste, since he typically only listened to what his mother and grandmother would listen to.

Very much cuddly too, sometimes you'll find him as like a cat or something to curl up if you want more room. I think he'll make a really fluffy place.

Not sure why but I think you'd have fun clothes shopping together. Maybe it's just window shopping but you guys going around looking at clothes together would be fun, especially since you both have a broad sorta style.

This man has all of your comfort/favourite movies on a list so he doesn't forget whenever ya'll have movie night. Think any evening your usually free (probably Friday for most) and you both sit down and watch a nice movie :]

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

ROMANTIC MATCHUP: Luis (Antman movies)

HOW YOU MET

Met at one of those collage parties, your friend invited you to it so it was kind of like a friend of a friend's party it was hype.

It's cool, it's nice. Your mostly sticking with your friend group cause I mean, they're there too. It isn't a crazy party like you see on a tv show or smth idk I haven't been to a party ever.

Ya'know when you're talking with your friends and you somehow merge with another friendgroup and it's kind of like ??? how did this happen but you're cool with it because it's fun??

Yeah that's what happened. You all had a lotta fun and it was cool!!! One of your friends got all their numbers and added you all to a groupchat so you guys could talk through there.

You both didn't actually text or talk at all after that until you both met at a coffee shop and were like yo!! I know you that's so crazy.

RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

I feel like he'd be really curious about your sight problems. Like he'll ask you really strange and specific questions about it. You'll probably have to take a moment to think about it.

He will randomly compliment you and it'll be prompted by literally anything. You started baking something? You're spectacular! Wonderful! Gorgeous! He just likes complimenting you.

Will fight someone who upsets you(well kinda?). He calls them out in a really calm manner and gets you out of the situation really quickly. He's definitely an obvious sweetheart.

I think if you were to give him permission to he would probably put one of your drawings to a wall. Like he sees you had a cool art moment and he's like "yo!! people should see this it's so good!!!" Either way he's just so supportive of you and wants you to get the recognition you deserve!! He probably doudles for fun on his own too thanks to your influence <3

HANGING OUT

He likes talking about future plans. Maybe where you want to work, or where you want to live. He likes the idea of having something to look forward to.

This one may sound little strange but you guys talking about childhood crushes or crushes in like something your watching, even celebrity crushes. I dunno just seems like some fun bonding activity and who doesn't like talking about to characters and people they like to others right?

Either him hanging in your friendgroup or you hanging out with his. I think you both just like being with people who know and respect you!!

SHOW HIM YOUR PROGRAMING I BEG. He thinks it's so awesome and is always down to test and run over it!!! Honestly he's just really supportive of any of your interests :] I feel like you're both the type to focus in on things. Both of you can just talk about whatever cool thing it is this time and it's fun!!

[whorefordazai]

requested by @ttaehyxx: About my appearance: I am (5'1), My hair around is my shoulder, with pink tips (I dunno how to say it aaa, but my hairs dyed in some parts👍) My eyes are blue (a rain blue mixed with green) I don’t really know my style. Nonetheless, I really like the Dark and the Academia clothing. about my personality: Some friends of mine describe me as reserved (which I agree) and anti social (which I don’t) If I had to describe myself I would say someone lost and confused??? See???? Arg. I like to say jokes dad jokes. THE BEST: I don’t know how to get to a person that I like (non romantical) and bring up a subject. No matter how much I do that, internally I will be in a panic without knowing what to do. I really like to know more about other people (the ones that I have interest -non romantically speaking). However, I usually get into the dillema of sending or not a message because I really don’t wanna bother the other person. I’m not good at talking about what I feel, so I try to write. In the end a lot of nonsense comes out. About my hobbies: I like listening to music and writing. As a friend, I show that I care about you asking about how was ur day and reminding to eat, drink and rest properly. We stan healthcare. In a relationship, I would describe myself as: I’d rather hug than be hugged. My loving language would be either acts of service or physical touch. (in this case It would be how I would act with my s/o): I (probably) would not declare first. I am very dense about flirting- before entering the relationship. (for example, if someone comes to flirt with me, I would think it was just a joke, because I do not like to interpret unspoken things and, in some way, leave the other person uncomfortable.).

Osamu Dazai! ´ˎ˗

👾 you and dazai might seem like total opposites, but that’s what makes it funnier. It would probably start off with dazai making a million jokes and pestering you day and night. but since you love dad jokes, dazai does too LMAO so literally no one is immune to you guys cracking dad jokes 24/7💔 he’s amazing at flirting, so he’ll be the first one to initiate anything.

👾 he actually finds it really beautiful how you write down your feelings. It kinda reminds him of oda. he’ll gladly have an arm around your waist or his head rested by your shoulder when you write and listen to music. when you ask him if he’s slept, eaten, or drunken water—his heart will kinda melt cuz he struggles with those things a lot. bonus points if you help him with it 😉

👾 dazai is usually the one who hugs others (but only because he doesn’t know how to accept genuine affection poor bby😔) so he’ll be kinda taken back and shocked when you randomly hug him. just simply rest his head on your chest and wrap your around his neck—he’ll never forget that.

👾 he’ll shamelessly flirt with you, even after you guys start dating. but this time, he genuinely really means it. he’s not exactly sure how to show you he loves you, so just bear with him a little until he can figure it out 😅 he’s absolute chaos, so he’ll probably drag you into his crazy antics and ask you for ideas on how to annoy kunikida.

SONGS ´ˎ˗

- juliet | cave town

- why’d you only call me when your high? | arctic monkeys

- friends | chase atlantic

- cloud 9 | beach bunny

- arms tonite | mother mother

MESSY LAYOUT ´ˎ˗

[aboysbestfriendishismum]

Chapter 58 - The deal, the name and the prince (Part Two)

In the previous chapter: Angie has a weird nightmare about her future, where she becomes the author of fantasy-themed chick-flick novels, and she’s awakened by a phone call by Eddie. He reminds her it’s finally Friday, that is the day they’ll finally tell their friends about their relationship. Ater disappearing for some time, to think about what Grace had told him, Stone shows up at her workplace to and they talk things out. Angie and Eddie kiss in he streets outside her condo and they believe Jeff, Mike and Dave, who were in the van waiting for them to go to the Ok Hotel for their show, saw them and now are surely talking about them. Once they get to the van though, they find out they’re discussing the latest episode of Twin Peaks.

***

Pink. They're turning pink. My purple highlights are slowly but inevitably waning into sad off-brand bubble-gum pink, whereas the blue dye is fading out completely to my old boring dark brown. I'm here, squatting over the toilet, examining the locks of hair falling in front of my face, lightedy by the buzzing light of the Ok Hotel's restroom. I flush the toilet and pull up my pants and then I can hear the sound of the club's music going up and down straight away, followed by chattering and laughing sounds of female voices. Somebody else got in so I'll just stay here some more. I don't know why but I don't like meeting other people when I get out of the bathroom, it makes me nervous. I have nothing against going to the bathroom in three, five, ten girls all together, but if I have to pee, I'm the one who always goes last and tells the others to go first and that she'll meet them later outside. I can't use this system with strangers, especially in public toilet rooms in clubs with never ending queues outside the door. What do I do then? Either I hold my pee or I give up, trying to avoid eye contact with the girl getting in after me, who surely doesn't give a damn about me and just wants to fuckin' pee. This time though, it's early, the show has yet to start and the restroom was empty, at least until these people got in. Who knows how many are they? From the voices they seem three, I won't have to wait for that long. I just hope none of them will start wondering why the door of my stall is locked.

“Have you already heard these Pearl Jam guys play?” my ears don't miss the question asked by one of them since I'm focusing on their conversation, until now only to understand when they'd leave, but now even more interested.

“Not yet, but Emma did, right?” another voice, a little higher-pitched than the previous one, replies.

“Yeah, and the singer is so fuckin' hot!” the third voice has a vague Boston accent, I can't decide if it's a real accent the girl's trying to hide or a fake one she's putting up on purpose, I don't know why. And the accent is the first thing that catches my attention, more than what she actually says.

“Well, you don't need to hear him sing to say that, you just need eyes to look” the first voice chuckles.

“Yeah, he looks fine if you just see him around but on a stage? He's much sexier. You'll see and you'll agree with me”

“He's not bad but I'm more oriented towards the bass player” voice number two chimes in again but her friends immediately drown it out.

“We know, we know!”

“You've been oriented like that since Green River, maybe it's time to change your orientation since you've been getting no chance in hell, what do you think?”

“He'll be single once again sooner or later, won't he? He won't marry Miss Perfection, I mean...” the harmless, and after all kind of flattering, nickname these chicks just gave my friend bothers me a little, unlike their appreciation of Eddie. Actually I'm almost... pleased? By what they say? Yes, pleased. Am I normal or what?

“Aim for the accessible single ones in the band, trust me” Emma-maybe-Boston tries to discourage her friend from her crush on Jeff.

“That is the guitar player only”

“Who? Stone? Hasn't he recovered from his fucked up relationship with Psycho Valerie yet? Or you mean the other one?”

“The other one. Stone has a girlfriend, he must have found a new trust in women”

“Or he's just keeping this girl at a safe distance from his guitars hehehe”

Ok who's Valerie? I must remember to ask Meg.

“So the only ones left are the lead guitar and the singer. You're taking the guitar player”

“The singer isn't single”

“Isn't he?” “Really?” the other two ask at the same time.

“No, he has a girlfriend back home waiting for him or who's about to come and move out here with him, it depends on how it goes with the band”

“Where is he from?”

“California, don't know where exactly”

“Los Angeles”

“Shut up. Do you believe someone who wants to make music for a living would leave LA, which is like the center of the world where everything happens, and come to fuckin' Seattle? I've heard he's from near San Francisco”

“NO, SAN DIEGO” in the heat of the moment I almost can't understand who the fourth voice belongs to, then here comes the realization: it's me, coming out of the stall, basically screaming.

“And you... how do you know? Who are you?” now that I look at the trio I see they're nothing like I imagined. Voice number one, who's sort of the gang leader to me, is as tall as me, skinny and all eyes, big beautiful green eyes, dark hair pulled up in a tight high ponytail, giant loop earrings. Boston girl looks like she just came out from an episode of Baywatch, blonde, blue eyes, body of a model squeezed in a black mini-dress. Jeff's fan with the high pitched voice is the tallest one, a swimmer's body with broad shoulders highlighted by a strapless tube top, dark eyes, hook nose that gives and exotic and charming air.

“I know because I know him” I shrug as I bend over the sink to wash my hands, focusing my whole attention on the fuckin' pink strands in my hair in the mirror.

“Wait... yeah, I think I saw you with Stone and Jeff's friend, the blond chick who works at Roxy's... how is she called?”

“Meg, she's my roommate” I answer to the boss looking at her through the mirror.

“Do you know Jeff? Does he still have a girlfriend?”

“Hehe yes, I'm sorry”

“See, I told you!”

“I'll fall back on the singer then, his girlfriend is in San Diego, it's an out-of-sight-out-of-mind situation, she'll never know”

“He's not with that girl anymore, they broke up when he moved here” I stop here before adding any more intimate and unrequested details, although I have a senseless and sudden will to give them all out to these girls.

“SEE? HE'S SINGLE THEN!”

“I knew that”

“Actually... he's dating another girl, a girl here in Seattle” and that would be me and it's like I'm desperate to tell them, but why? What's happening to me? Am I becoming jealous? I told Eddie his jealousy towards Jerry made no sense but at least that had some factual basis. After all Jerry's my ex, he came over looking for me and we spent some time alone in a small enclosed space. These are just some random girls who've only said Eddie's cute. Thanks a lot. He is. It's only natural they like him. Why am I talking then?

“And who's she?”

“Well, dating someone is not like putting a ring on their finger”

“What's his name anyway?”

“Yeah, right, what's his name?”

“Eddie”

“And what's Eddie like? I mean, as a guy, is he nice?”

“He's...” he's sweet, sexy, funny, shy, crazy, romantic, goofy, protective, quiet, clumsy, smart, passionate, practical, loyal, honest, reliable and other 800 adjectives more, which come to my mind and I keep to myself”... he's ok, he doesn't talk much, but he's cool”

“A hot guy who doesn't speak much: the perfect man” the blond girl states and all three of them laugh.

In the meantime I keep on washing my hands and if I go on like this I'll get webbed fingers soon. I turn off the tap and shake the water off my hands in the sink before heading up to the dryer hanging on the wall next to the door, feeling three pairs of eyes on me.

“Can you introduce us to him?” the beanpole asks me when I already have one hand on the door handle and I'm about to leave.

“Sure!” I smile at them and I'm still trying to decipher my behaviour when I get out of the bathroom, followed by the gang of three, and who do I find standing right there, one hand in his pocket and the other one holding a full glass?

“Hey, there you are finally! I was getting worried. Was there a queue?” he asks, noticing I'm not the only one coming out of the restroom. I walk up to him, my hands are still kind of wet so I rub them on the legs of my jeans, I'm conscious I have the trio's eyes still on me and then I do something honestly uncomprehensible: I throw my arms around Eddie's neck and kiss him like I had last kissed him last month and not twenty minutes ago, backstage, trying to get some kind of reaction out of Stone and Dave, who right at that moment were not looking at us though. What's wrong with me? Have I become a showoff?

“I was chatting with the girls” I back up from his lips, steal the beer from his hands and take a sip, then I turn around to face the trio of dropped jaws behind my back.

“He doesn't talk much but makes himself clear” the leader is the one who breaks the ice and makes her friends, and me I must admit, giggle.

“Very clear, I see” the tall girl adds.

“Haha come on, let's go. Bye Eddie, good luck with the show!” Boston vamp takes the other two by the hands and they all say bye and leave.

“Bye Eddie!”

“God, we made fuckin' fools of ourselves”

“Why? We said nothing bad after all”

“It was embarrassing though...”

I follow their conversation as long as I can and when the girls are out of my radar, I turn back around and find Eddie's perplexed eyes staring at me.

“Do you know them?”

“More or less. Come on, let's go, you're up next soon”

Eddie and I part ways after a kiss right in front of the stage, after we noticed Meg coming our way. Anyway when we end the kiss we see she's more focused on cursing against a guy, who's guilty of bumping into her and almost spilling his drink on her new t-shirt, rather than looking at us and noticing our public display of affection. Eddie shrugs, nods at Meg and goes backstage to get ready for the concert.

“You can stop pretending you know nothing about Eddie and I now”

“Really? Ok but that jerk really wasn't even looking where he was going!” she searches for the stranger in the crowd but he's already gone and disappeared.

“Yeah, we decided to tell everybody. I mean, to let people know. Stop hiding, you know”

“Uh! So is that why you're randomly making out all around the club?”

“Shut up!”

“Right, maybe you didn't stick your tongue into his throat right under the mixer station. And not even in front of the restrooms”

“Hahaha stop it! Anyway, ehm, it actually happened in front of the restrooms, also”

“HA!”

“Talking about that... I need counselling... with Dr Meg”

“Uhm”

“You know I don't like to take advantage of your psychology studies”

“Very poor studies”

“And of your great and not academic only enthusiasm for the subject but... I'm weird and I need you to tell me why I'm weird”

“Ok so, first of all thank you for your surely mistaken trust in me, because it must be huge if you think what I know is enough to solve the Angelina Pacifico's enigma”

“I'm being serious”

“And I'm also flattered, 'cause usually it's me intruding your private life trying to analyze you and make you reason BUT this time it's you asking me spontaneously. I feel tears coming out of my eyes”

“I acted strange earlier and I can't say why”

“Ok, shoot”

I ignore her sarcasm, even though I appreciate it, and tell her everything about the three girls I met at the bathroom, while she listens to me in unnatural silence. Unnatural both for her, 'cause honestly I don't think I've ever heard her keeping her mouth shut for so long, and for the place, a crowded bar full of people, voices and sounds, I mean, pure chaos.

“So? What's wrong with me? Am I jealous like Eddie? Is jealousy contagious? Or have I just become a bitch?”

“Is Eddie jealous?”

“Yep. Well, yeah, a little” I don't wanna talk about this right now, maybe next time.

“Healthy amount of jealousy”

“Healthy... I mean, what's healthy? Jealousy is not healthy, it's stupid. And it looks I'm getting stupid too”

“I don't completely agree with you about that. Anyway your scene has got nothing to do with jealousy, my dear”

“No?”

“OH no, that's not jealousy, I'll tell you what it is. It's three things”

“Three?”

“Number one: you're pedantic”

“Romantic?” I can't hear shit in the noisy crowd with the loud music on.

“I said PEDANTIC! You're pedantic, you can't help it. If someone says a wrong thing you gotta correct them, nothing can hold you back, not even your pathological shyness. Had it been a matter of jealousy, you'd have jumped out immediately, insulting them and telling those three to keep their hands off your man. Instead you just stayed there, locked inside that stinky stall listening to those girls drooling after your boyfriend until they've started churning out incorrect facts. That's when you lost it, you had to speak up and give them the truth”

“So I put myself at the center of the attention only to lecture them?”

“Not just that but also for that. In this you and Stone are the fuckin' same, let me tell you. You're scarily the same”

“Shut up, you give me the creeps!”

“Number two: you're seeking approval”

“Approval?”

“Everybody wants to be liked, but someone wants it more than others, especially those with a wobbly self-esteem”

“What's self-esteem?”

“If you were jealous, you'd describe those three like sluts or ugly monsters of both, but you didn't. It almost seems like you liked them”

“Because I did, I liked them”

“Exactly. Three nice funny girls who shared a common interest with you, without knowing. You told them you knew Eddie because deep inside you wanted them to accept you and approve you”

“Oh”

“Number three... well, number three is my favourite”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. Because, Angie, my friend, I'm glad to tell you that at the venerable age of 18”

“And a half”

“Eighteen and a half...” she corrects herself rolling her eyes “... after all this time, you finally learned one of the main concept of life, as well as one of the most pleasurable feelings”

“That is?”

“Hahahaha showing off, of course”

“Showing off? I've never shown off anything in my whole life!” maybe just a couple of seconds, that infamous unlucky night, with the waitress of Canlis restaurant, waiting for Jerry. And see what happened next.

“That's why I said it took you a few years to get cocky...”

“Getting cocky for what then?”

“Because Eddie's your boyfriend!”

“And what's with me? It's not like I did anything, it's not a merit, it's not something one merits and shows off like a medal!”

“That's what yo say but your subconscious thinks differently. Think about it, you found approval from your new friends and when you saw Eddie you could have just introduce them to him briefly and just leave with him, but you didn't. You aimed right at Vedder and kissed him right in front of them, knowing exactly you'd have made their jaw drop. And don't even try to tell me it just came out like that and you didn't think for a second about their reaction because I won't fuckin' believe you”

“Well, actually, ok, yeah, I thought of it, a little...”

“You're with the guy they all liked, that's the ultimate approval, almost a consacration”

“I show off for no valid reason, what have I become”

“Don't overreact now, please!”

“I'm a horrible person!”

“Angie-drama starting in 3, 2, 1...” Meg counts down with her fingers inches from ny nose.

“Can't you understand? It means I treated Eddie like an object, like a bargaining chip”

“You're with a cute guy and you rubbed it in those girls' faces a little, it's not like anyone died or something!”

“A trophy to nurture my self-confidence”

“You're making it worse and bigger than it actually is. That is, as you always do”

“A decent guy gives a fuck about me and my head gets big all of a sudden?”

“A decent guy gives a fuck about you, you're a couple and you don't have to hide for any reason. When was the last time it happened to you?”

“Err... quite some time?” a normal relationship? I'd say it's been years. Anyway, have I ever had a normal relationship at all?

“You're with the singer of a fucking cool band everybody's talking about in town, I'd scream it at the face of everyone I meet. Listen to me: aren't you proud of Eddie and what he's doing with the band?”

“Yeah”

“So you're proud and your showing, like you showed those three”

“Sucking face with Eddie right in front of them?”

“Exactly. By the way, considering you're sucking face with him in every corner of this place, they'd have seen you anyway sooner or later”

“Not necessarily, especially if they're as watchful as our friends, who haven't noticed yet”

“Or maybe they noticed but just want to be discreet”

“Discretion? Stone?”

“Well, thinking about it...”

“Talking about Stone; who's Valerie?”

“OH MY GOD, VALERIE?? WHERE IS SHE?!”

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

“It's so weird to me that everybody hates the Kingdome. I mean, that's your stadium!” since I came here in Seattle I've never met a single sports fan who hasn't complained about the stadium or easily dismissed it as a simple location that's not so much loved by the citizens. Jerry is no exception, as we talk at the bar waiting for our drinks.

“It's not like we hate it, it's just it could be better, you know? Surely it doesn't suck as much for footbal as for baseball. Or maybe it's just a matter of different point of views: if the Mariners didn't play like shit, it would be the place of the heart, like Wrigley Field for Chicago hehe”

“Sacrilege! I've never been there yet, I gotta go and see” I playfully push him away and grab the glass the barman has just given to me. Cantrell does the same and says thanks with a nod since I buyed him the drink and keeps on talking.

“I walked into the field, actually I ran on it! Six years ago, no, seven, when the Seahawks beat Raiders 13 to 7 at the Wild Card Game and the supporters stormed the field at the end. The following week we'd fuck it all up and Miami would destroy us but in that moment we believed we could make it! Anyway the people is what makes the Kingdome good”

“The twelfth man, right?” I nod and as I look around I casually make eye contact with Angie, who's not so far.

“Yep, other than that and the adrenaline, the field itelf sucks, it seemed to walk on concrete covered with green carpet”

“Wrigley though, I'd sleep on that field...” I look the same direction as before but I can't see my girlfriend anymore “On the bleachers too”

“At the Kingdome you can sleep well too, the roof protects you when it rains. Some parts of it might break and fall onto your head but how bad can it be?” Jerry chuckles and sips his whiskey but he almost chokes on it, and I do too, when someone casually appears between us from out of nowhere and basically yells into our ears.

“HI GUYS! ARE YOU HAVING FUN??”

“Jesus! Hey Angie, uhm yeah, sure” Jerry gives her a perplexed look whereas I instinctively put my arm around her shoulders.

“WHY?”

“What do you mean why?”

“I mean, uhm, you know, what for? What are you talking about?”

“Baseball” I answer probably with star-shaped eyes, just like every time I think about my favourite sport.

“And football” Cantrell adds then drinks up his whiskey with one last sip.

“Sports uh? A typical conversation between male friends...”

“Not necessarily betwe-” I'm about to argue with the idea sport is an exclusively male interest when my colleague interrupts me.

“Now I think I gotta go and find Sean. I saw Layne with Demri before so I think they made up and he'll go to her place so I probably have to go home with my drummer. See ya!”

“See you!” I say bye as he leaves with his hands in his pockets and Angie does the same but in a louder voice.

“BYE! Ok, what's going on? What's wrong?” she addresses me right away with an extremely serious expression on her face.

“What's going on? Nothing's wrong”

“What were you talking about for real?”

“What do you mean? Sports, we told you”

“Sure. And I'm Doris Sams” she folds her arms and gives me a side look.

“Are you a secret baseball player as well by any chance?” I let go of her, I fold my arms too and look at her suspiciously.

“No”

“I can't believe it! We gotta go out and throw a ball sometimes”

“I can't play! But I know the game and I know a couple of history facts, I remind you my dad is a fan of basically all the sports”

“I don't know... you're very good at pretending not to be able to do things, aren't you?”

“And you and your friend are very good at pretending nothing's happening and changing the topic of the conversation at the right time, aren't you?”

“My friend?”

“Jerry... well, friend, sort of...”

“We were really talking about the Kingdome”

“Sure. And the debate was so animated you even shoved him”

“Haha I gave him a little nudge, as a joke”

“Oh you were just kidding, of course”

“Angie, I don't know what's going on in your head and I don't know what you saw but really, we were just making small talk”

“Small talk?”

“Yes”

“You and Jerry talk?”

“Yeah. As you know, human beings are social animals, they interact with each other and-”

“Cut the crap! You know what I mean...”

“It's not like we're best friends or something but we know each other so we happen to have a chat from time to time” I shrug and on one hand I find it funny that Angie came here running, fearing for an upcoming duel between me and her ex, on the other hand I think he'd actually deserve a couple of punches after all.

“And you didn't talk about anything else?”

“No, what would we talk about?”

“I don't know, maybe you told him something about the other night...”

“Why would I?” I thought Angie would tell me to fuck off after that fuckin' scene I made but we made up the next day instead, problem solved. Why would I rock the boat?

“Well, I don't know, maybe because you threw a fit at me!” she retorts and suddenly she almost looks disappointed.

“That's different, I'm with you, not with him...”

“Ok but you almost ate me alive on the phone. And with him? Nothing? He just gets away with it like that? A chat at the bar like two old friends?”

“Sorry Angie, I don't understand. One second ago you were all alarmed because you thought I had told him something and now you're offended because I didn't. Is it that I'm limited and I just don't get it or does it make like no fuckin' sense at all?”

She opens her mouth as if she's about to answer, then she shuts up and looks around like she's looking for the right words through the crowd. In the end she admits, almost mortified: “It doesn't make fuckin' sense at all, I don't even know what I mean honestly”

“Hey, it's alright, ok? Jerry and I are on normal decent terms as two colleagues. And who gives a fuck about Jerry anyway” I take her face between my hands so she's forced to look at me as I smile to reassure her and let her know she's getting worried for nothing.

“Ok. But how do you do it? I mean, like, when you talk about me”

“Easy: we don't talk about you. Do you want something to drink?” I answer straight, turn back towards the bar to get the bartender's attention and order another round for me only, since Angie shakes her head no.

“Ok, right, but what if it happens?”

“It doesn't happen. Not even coke? Or juice?”

“No, thanks. But how can you be sure? What if my names comes up during a conversation, what do you do?”

“We don't do anything because that can't be, Angie... Windbreaker?”

“Wrong answer. Anyway the fact it hasn't happened so far doesn't mean it can't happen in the future” Angie smiles at my casual attempt at guessing her second name but doesn't let go on the topi.

“I'm 100% sure it can't happen. Jerry and I don't talk about you, we just don't”

“Never?”

“Never. We have a deal” the last bit slips out of my mouth and I regret it one second later, as soon as I see Angie's face as she registers this piece of information.

“You have... WHAT??”

“We made a non-aggression agreement that satisfies both parties” ok, I'm not 100% satisfied, and Jerry neither for sure, but it's working now.

“You made a deal with Cantrell? About me? And when?” after every questions she takes a small break that lasts a couple of seconds, in which I shake my head yes. But the third question requires a more articulated answer.

“In San Diego” kind of articulated.

“SAN DIEGO? You told Jerry about us when I left?”

“Actually, before that...”

“BEFORE??”

“And it wasn't me telling him anyway, it was the other way round” Angie doesn't look convinced or maybe she's just confused. So I tell her about the little quarrel Jerry and I had at the Yates Club, about how Jerry had figured it all out and got mad at me for not telling him.

“Wait, correct me if I'm wrong: you mean he did everything he wanted when he was with me but he had the nerve to get angry because you hadn't let him know on advance that you were interested in his ex girlfriend? The ex girlfriend he treated like shit? Why would you show him this courtesy? And how did he understand we liked each other anyway?”

“Maybe he's a good observer.” or maybe I just suck at hiding what I feel but I don't say that because she sucks as much at understanding other people's feelings and I don't wanna hurt her “Anyway he was right to some extent, we were on tour together and from time to time he asked me about you and confided in me and I could have told him or just talk about something else. Instead I just stayed there listening to him. So I was kind of an asshole too”

“He confided with you?”

“Yes”

“And what did he say about me?”

“Why do you care? Is it important? And then, well, can't you imagine?” if I got so jealous the other night is also because I know he's still into her.

“No, but I'm curious to know: 1) how he's still alive, 2) how you held back throughout the tour”

“I don't know, maybe it's just because of a certain promise I made to a certain special person about not kicking the ass of a certain ex and keeping a certain secret and not starting any trouble in general”

“Wow, you're a man of his word then”

“I'm someone you can trust”

“Will you make a deal with me too then?”

“Sure, anything you want princess”

“The deal is... we won't talk about Jerry anymore”

“Uh”

“Like never, ok?”

“Well, I mean...”

“I won't mention him to you and you won't mention him to me. It's not like we can erase him from our lives, we simply won't actively have any more conversations about him, what do you think?”

“It's not that simple...”

“Well, if you can make an agreement with him, I can't see why you can't make the same kind of deal with me, since I'm also your girlfriend” she folds her arms once again and from the look she's giving me I know I won't get out of this alive if I don't accept this fuckin' agreement. The only thing I can do is trying to get the most out of it.

“In fact I can do it. I'm in...” I hold out my hand for her to shake it “on one condition”

“What is it?” she lets go of my hand and looks suspicious, I think she really don't know where I'm getting at.

“That you finally tell me your second name” she rolls her eyes and barely hides her smile, maybe she was expecting something worse.

“Ok, agreed” she shakes my hand again and I'm all ears.

“So?”

“You know I'm giving you the most powerful weapon, right? You'll make fun of me as long as I live for this”

“I bet it's a beautiful name, I can't wait to know, I'm super psyched”

“Just like my parents when they chose my second name, like I'm pretty sure they were literally under the influence of psychedelics when they decided to call me like that”

“Call you what?”

“Angelina... Something Wind Pacifico”

“But if you're a W. it can't be-”

“The other half of the word starts with a W too”

“Whirlwind!” I say straight off and for an immediate word association the lyrics of Like a hurricane by Neil Young start running in my head and I can already picture her as the perfect main character of that masterpiece of a song.

“No, it's all together but actually it would be a separated word”

“Oh” are you sure? Because that name was pretty perfect.

“It's an adjective” she points out while, in my daydream, I leave the hazy bar and close the door behind my back.

“Windy Wind?”

“Hahaha fuck you, Eddie!”

“Ok, I'm serious now. Warm wind?” I think about the warmth of her hugs and her presence in general but she shakes her head no.

“My mother was... is a fan of Nina Simone. So?”

“Uhm...”

“Maybe I can help you a little more if I tell you Station to station by David Bowie”

I mentally run through the album's tracklist until I get to maybe one of Bowie's best vocal performances ever, right at the end of the record.

Wild is the wind

“Angelina Wildwind Pacifico”

“Guilty as charged”

“It's fucking cool!”

“Ok but... wild wind? Me? Can you picture me with a name like that?” she blushes and shakes her head and hides her face behind her hands.

“Actually it suits you perfectly”

“Sure, it suits to the most boring and average person on the planet”

“No, it suits to the strongest and most unpredictable and most breathtakingly beautiful person in the world. At least, in the part of world that I know, which by the way is the only part I care about because you're there” Angie removes her hands from her face and looks straight into my eyes without opening her mouth and for a minute there I get the illusion I managed to leave her speechless or, at least, in the condition of being forced to take a fucking compliment for once.

“Hahaha well, it really is a shitty world!” she cracks up all of a sudden and hugs me, so tight.

“How fuckin' stupid are you from 0 to 10?” I hold tighter.

“I don't know but I'd say we have a deal now, right?” she looks up and gets free from my embrace just to stretch her hand towards me and seal this agreement for good.

“Right, deal done” I shake her hand, then pull her back to me to kiss her and seal this pact my way.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Time to take a ride, time to take it in a midnight eye

And if you want to go, get on below

“Ok, where the hell are those two now? Dave and I have to unwrap our presents!” we all more or less managed to bunch up around a couple of tables at the Ok Hotel. I tap Krusen on the shoulder and he suddenly awakes. He zoned out completely when the Sonic Youth's song started. Or maybe when the whole evening started.

“I kind of saw them earlier at the bar” it's the drummer's wild guess and considering he basically spent the whole time at the bar, before and after the show, he could have seen Angie and Eddie any time. They could as well be in Mexico by now.

“They're not at the bar anymore, that's where we're coming from” McCready and Staley join us with two fresh beers in their hands, talking of people who should tone it down a little.

“Huh they must be tongue-kissing around here somewhere” Stone is sitting right in front of me, keeping one hand on Grace's shoulder and waving the other hand in the air while he speaks, as to brush it off like an unimportant thought.

“Who? Eddie and Smurfette?” Cornell Gazette from the other end of the table couldn't miss the breaking news and both Stone and Grace nod.

“They've been doing nothing else all night, they're on the edge of public indecency” Mike enriches the gossip story some more, followed by Ben and Kim, who put up a show and got us all bent in laughter.

“I've never seen anything like that”

“At some point we timed them”

“We were bored”

“Twelve minutes and a half of tongue”

“Contjnuous, uninterrupted tongue. I mean, with no breaks whatsoever”

“They looked like two fuckin' 14-year-olds”

“Well, Angie's still a teenager after all, it makes sense”

“Ok but what about Eddie? And how... just on a practical level, I mean, I don't get how they could fuckin' breathe through all that”

“They must have gills, fuck if I know”

“Hahahaha you're such assholes!” my girlfriend scolds us all but only slaps me on the nape.

“Well they're just making up for lost time and you're just jealous” Meg joins her in defending the two lovebirds.

“I get it but TWELVE MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS” Kim repeats punctuating every single word about the record timing.

“Jealous and peeping Toms!” Graces chimes in too.

“They were on top of the stairs, it was impossible not to see them” the guitarist shrugs and his bass player nods.

“From every view point and corner”

“Twelve minutes and a half on the stairs?” I playfully add fuel to the fire, the two musicians look at me and their arms flap out.

“Yes!”

“Then the record is that Angie didn't fall down the stairs on anybody, given her history” Chris snickers under his moustache.

“God you love that story so much!” Layne almost chokes on his beer then laughs at Cornell's face.

“Ok ok, anyway, you're shit guys, this all mess for some P.D.A.s? Just because they loosened up a bit, it doesn't mean they're living 24/7 connected at the mouth li- Oh wait, yeah, there they are, they're kissing next to the door” Meg abruptly interrupts her speech and it's kind of comic because we all turn around together at the exact same moment and among those in the back there's someone standing up, getting closer or stretching their neck to give a better look at the not-so-new couple. Even strangers passing by turn the same direction to see what the fuck we're looking at.

We don't know if it's been more than twelve minutes and a half since the beginning of their laters make out session, but those two break away from their kiss and Eddie looks right towards us. We turn the other way around and in a second we're back at talking, well, pretending to talk as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't caught us red handed. Out of the corner of my eye I see them coming over and I casually lift up my voice.

“Alright, I love Goo too, it's a hell of a record, it goes without saying. What I meant is that putting it on in a club and just playing it front to back for two or three times, letting it go, it just gives me a sense of... sloppiness? That's how you call it, right? I'm not saying you have to pay a dj or some fucking guy just to put records on and select music, but they could at least take some time to make a fuckin' mix tape or something and put that on, even on repeat, it doesn't seem so difficult to me. Oh hey guys, where have you been?” I address Stone and Dave first, who look at me weirdly, then to Andie and Eddie walking up to the table.

“Round here. Have you already opened your presents? There's mine left!” Angie rummages into her bag looking for something, then picks out a not so small package.

“Cool, a new brush set, thank you!” I cheer as I unwrap it.

“A little bird told me you needed new ones...” Angie looks up playing dumb, exactly like the bird I know very well who's standing beside her. These two fuckers belong together.

“Oh and this is mine” the little bird sticks his hands into his girl's bag and takes out another package, which turns out to be Subway art, a photobook about graffiti art I've been wanting to buy for ever.

I can say this was a lucky birthday for me, with strings, cords, tool kits, acryic paint set, a couple of gift cards for Easy Street Records, which I loved quite as much as the supermarket voucher Meg gave to me. All useful presents but I loved the (apparently) less useful ones too, like the Marshall jack rack key holder with four plug key chains: thanks to the Alice guys!

During the whole presents and wishes exchange, Eddie and Angie are sitting in a corner and basically being the special observed ones, since everybody watches them like you watch a documentary about animals during the mating season. The couple takes part to the conversation and just ignore the rest, yet they whisper something to each other from time to time.

“By the way, Angie's got something to tell you” Eddie comes out of nowhere with this, in a moment we were all silent, catching our breath after a joke by Stone, who suggested Touch me, I'm Dick as the title of the stand out song of our fake band in Cameron Crowe's movie. By the way, who knows if Chris has already wrote something for the songs of Cliff's solo demo? I gotta remember to ask him.

“What?” Meg asks first, since nobody's speaking, not even Angie, who first gave Eddie a nasty look, then turned pale as she looked at us one by one.

“Is it about the movie?” Layne asks.

“No, it's not about the movie”

“Are you quitting college?” Dave tries.

“No! Why should I?” Angie denies it firmly.

“Is it personal?” if I didn't know him, I'd say Stone is trying to put Angie at ease and help her spit it all out. But since I know him too well, I can say without a shadow of doubt he's just enjoying himself playing with the poor girl.

“Well, yeah, but... mmm... it's not just about me, you know”

“Who else then?” I inquire.

“Eddie” “Me” the two lovebirds reply at the same time.

“Oh fuck, are you pregnant?” McCready stands out as usual for his caution and sensitiveness.

“OH MY GOD, NO! WHAT THE HELL, MIKE?” Angie stands up in shock while Eddie simply laughs.

“So? What's the news?” Cornell is all ears and right now I'm picturing him armed with a pen and notepad as an old-time reporter.

“What Angie's trying to say is that-” Eddie wipes his eyes with he sleeve of his shirt and tries to give an answer but the girl is faster.

“We're together”

“...”

“Eddie and I, we're together”

“...”

“We've been for a while”

“Almost a month” he suggests to her in a low voice.

“Almost a month” she repeats and she looks into our eyes searching for something she can't find and apparently she's just concluded the best thing to do is to keep adding details or to repeat the same concept with different words until she'll find it. Or until any of us opens their mouth.

“...”

“Something more than three weeks”

“...”

“We're basically a couple”

“...”

“I mean, he's my boyfriend and I-”

“And she's my girlfriend” Eddie ended the sentence for her.

“Wow, what a coincidence!” Stone can't hold back and I hide my face between my hands not to show I'm laughing.

“What do you mean?”

“Ok. You're together... and?” Mike tries to investigate some more and if he asks her if she's pregnant once again I swear I'm gonna laugh so hard that I'll fall out of my fuckin' chair.

“And nothing, that's it” Angie replies and sits back down.

“And that'd be great news?” Kim asks keeping a straight face.

“Why? What's wrong with it? Is it because you think I'm too young for him? Look, I know, we know. We talked about it actually, I understand tha-” Angie's about to launch herself into a hornet's nest with no way out but her roommate stops her and we all finally crack up.

“Totally unmotivated Angie-drama in 3, 2, 1...”

We all, but Angie of course.

“Why are you laughing? Is ther something I don't know?”

“What you don't know is that now everybody knows that what you believed none of us knew was actually well known by everyone” Stone answers in his style and Mike's face tells me he didn't understand shit.

“Huh?” exactly.

“He means we're laughing because we already knew what the news were about” I explain and the lightbulb in his head lights up.

“Uh!”

“You saw us then, I mean, tonight? Because, well, you didn't say anything...”

“Who do you think we are? We're discreet people!” Cornell states and it almost looks like he believes it.

“We knew before tonight anyway” Ben adds without thinking.

“You knew before? How? MEG?? You told them, right??” Angie stands back up and roars against her friend.

“How could she tell if she didn't know?” Eddie asks puzzled his now official girlfriend.

“No! Right! She didn't know! But... I don't know, maybe she figured it out. DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT?”

“I figured it out” Meg confesses.

“THAT'S IT!”

“But I didn't tell anyone, I swear” she holds up her hands, Angie believes her and looks at us one by one, before aiming straight at her boyfriend.

“YOU TOLD THEM!”

“No, I can assure you I kept my mouth shut, as you asked me”

“How did you know then?”

“Stone told me” McCready's voice of innocence out of nowhere.

“Stone told me too, because I was there as well that night. And Dave too” I confess and the drummer nods.

“Stone told us too, but it was some other time, at least I think so” Chris looks at Kim and Ben who shake their heads yes.

“For obvious reasons, he told me too” Grace raises her hand and shyly admits.

“Jeff told me because Stone told him” Laura chimes in.

“Is there someone Stone didn't tell anything to?” Angie blurts out.

“Me! I figured it all out by myself! I'm a genius!” Layne raises his hand and waves it around, as happy as the winner of a tv quiz.

“And you, how did you know, genius?” Angie turns to Gossard snarling at him but he answers calmly.

“I believe I knew even before you that you'd end up together, Smurfette”

“What do you mean?”

“That you both suck at playing the oblivious lovers. You're made for each other” I translate it all in Jeff-language and everybody nods in agreement, Eddie included.

“Were we so obvious?”

“Noooo”

“Not that much”

“It's not that”

“It's just Stone's a very good observer”

“It's just Stone doesn't mind his own fuckin' business”

These are just some of the answers we give in no particular order just not to make her feel little Angie like shit.

“Come on, it was clear from the beginning they had a connection. Since the first time they met at the Off Ramp, I realized it at my own expense since I had bet on it, do you remember Mikey?” I like the fact that Stone, just like me, remembers old memories based on bets we placed.

“Right! I lost ten bucks too because I thought you wouldn't talk to each other, yet you got along immediately, it looked like you already knew each other”

“I'm gonna ignore the umpteenth bet you made over your friend's head but... actually we already knew each other somehow” Angie reveals and the alarm goes off in my head.

“WHAT? REALLY? HOW?”

“Jeff?” Stone calls me immediately as I keep on trying to disguise the truth clumsily.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER? THAT'S SOME NEWS!”

“I had met him at Roxy's the previous night, he came over to eat”

“NEWS AS IN IT'S A NEW THING, A NEW FACT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE”

“So you didn't know about it Jeff?” Stone doesn't let go and by now it's obvious I got caught, I'm fucked.

My shit show at least has one merit: the following little bickering between Stone, Mike and I about the twenty dollars, which they think I owe them back, moves the attention away from Angie. Now she's finally free from the awkwardness and can sit back and enjoy the show of our friends kicking my ass, holding hands with her new boyfriend.

[aurathian]

Hey! I'm so glad your requests are open, I love your writing and I would love to suggest something. In my opinion, everyone noticed that Link and Zelda liked each other even before they knew. I imagine Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, or even Purah or Robbie would constantly be teasing them about that, only for them to quickly deny it and blush with embarrassment. But maybe this could lead the blondies to having interesting conversations, don't you think?

Firstly, I am SO sorry at how long this took. Life is really getting ahold of me, and it’s only getting worse. I decided to experiment with present tense in this oneshot, so I hope it turned out to your liking despite the experimental nature! Thanks for your request.

Rumors

Zelda rolls her eyes. “Please,” she groans. “I don’t like him.”

“Come on, Princess, you totally do!” Impa lightly taps her on the shoulder and wiggles her eyebrows. The princess reels back in playful disgust and smiles.

“Impa, I really don’t. We are just...” she searches for the right words. “Acquaintances...?”

“Friends,” Impa offers. “Maybe more.”

“There is no maybe, Impa. It’s simply false. The implication I like him, that is.”

Impa runs a hand over her face and rolls her eyes, too, following Zelda as she continues down the hall. “You guys go everywhere together!”

“He is my knight.”

“He held your hand that one time—”

“We were about to be blown up by a raging Guardian,” Zelda scolds, and she stops to face Impa. “It’s his duty to protect me, and he grabbed my hand to help me keep up with his speed.”

“Sure, Princess.” Impa crosses her arms. “But you can’t deny that—”

“Besides,” Zelda interrupts unintentionally, her voice soft and low in the castle halls, “I don’t think anyone would want to be with a failure like me.”

Impa blinks. Once, then twice. “Um...” she’s caught off guard by the sudden shift in mood. “That’s not true. I, for one, would love to be with you!”

“Impa!” Zelda scolds, her face burning scarlet. “I simply mean that I have much to worry about and don’t have the time to think about relationships. I need to fulfill my duty.”

“Everyone has a little spare time for love, Princess.”

Zelda gazes out the window next to her into a small green courtyard. “Not me,” she disagrees. “He is fulfilling his duty beyond what is expected. I need to figure out how to do the same.”

A guard approaches the pair of women and tells Impa that she’s needed elsewhere in the castle. Impa walks off with the guard after saying goodbye to Zelda, making sure to turn around and make kissy faces at her as she walks away. 

Zelda chuckles quietly, but it really does bother her. The endless questions, assumptions, the never-ending looks she receives when she’s out with her knight Link. Ever since he was appointed as her knight, the rumors ran rampant. Part of her wishes that she would’ve been left alone to train day and night to appease the Goddesses that refuse to answer her even now, but the other part of her appreciates the support, however silent it is. 

Zelda continues her stroll through the castle only to run into the Champions returning from the throne room at an intersection in the hallway.

“Hello,” she greets politely, still a little uncomfortable around them and in awe of the sheer power they each held individually. She feels that it would be rude to get too friendly too fast, given their statuses in their homelands. 

“Hey, Princess!” Daruk bellows boisterously, his mouth positioned in a never-ending smile. “What’re you up to?”

Revali tuts and crosses his arms. “What a foolish question, Daruk. She lives here. What do you think she’s doing?” Zelda frowns and tilts her head ever so slightly in disapproval. Each of the champions has a strong personality, she knows, but Revali’s is arguably the strongest.

“I’m just on a walk,” she explains to Daruk with a small smile. “How about you?”

“Well, we’re—” his smile drops when he realizes he forgot.

Urbosa claps him on the back and a few sparks light up from her hands. She laughs heartily, deeply, warmly, and looks at Zelda. The Princess Zelda always found comfort in Urbosa. When her mother died, Urbosa was the only woman in her life that was there for her, especially in her younger years.

“We just got our next mission from the King,” Urbosa tells her. “We’re on our way to vanquish some monsters from the Breach of Demise.”

“By ‘we’, she means ‘I’,” Revali cuts in. “We all know I do all the work.” Urbosa shoots him a glare and its enough to silence him for a little while.

They talk a little while longer about boring, menial things, like how it is back home or what their plans are after they defeat the Calamity. Zelda wishes she could think like them.

“Mipha, aren’t you craftin’ some armor for someone?” Daruk asks loudly, and Mipha turns even redder than her skin.

“I— well, yes, I am.”

“Really?” Urbosa says in surprise. “There’s a special voe in your life, little vai?”

Mipha only nods.

Suddenly, Revali groans, and it’s an unheavenly and demonic sound. He turns to face the wall behind him, arms still crossed. “Look who it is!” he yells. “The great knight!” His voice is riddled with notes of sarcasm and disdain.

Zelda’s gaze shifts away from the proud Champions and to Link, who is still approaching them. His face is the same; mouth flat and eyes dull. He always looks bored, but perhaps indifferent is the better word. Zelda doesn’t quite know the words to describe his demeanor. It crosses her mind then that she’s never seen him smile.

She doesn’t realize it, but her face glows pink.

“Princess, are you alright?” Mipha’s soft voice breaks Zelda’s trance and she blinks out of it. “You’re red.”

She realizes.

“I—I am not!” she says defensively, fanning her face. Daruk is puzzled, but Mipha and Urbosa share knowing glances. The tall Gerudo warrior strides over to the princess and puts a hand on her shoulder.

“The princess and I are going to talk for a moment,” she says with a wink at Mipha, who blushes. “I’ll meet up with you outside the castle.” The Champions walk away, and Revali doesn’t miss his chance to send a searing glare at Link. As usual, the knight doesn’t react, and it makes the Rito even angrier.

“Link, you can be on your way as well,” Urbosa tells him. He looks at Zelda and back at Urbosa, and his gaze makes the princess feel a little weak. “Oh, I see. Come along, then.”

Zelda and Urbosa walk side by side while Link trails behind a little ways, unable to hear their whispers.

“You make it so obvious,” Urbosa says. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Please, I just had this conversation with Impa. I don’t know if I can make it any clearer that I have no romantic incline toward Link.”

“Your mother was a very busy woman.”

“My mother? What does she—”

“She often overworked herself, much like you, little bird.” Urbosa’s voice is warm and comforting, a stark contrast from the strong inflection she uses when giving commands. “She never allowed herself time off.”

“I do not overwork myself.”

“She also had a habit of denying the obvious. I see you inherited that as well.”

Zelda grumbles under her breath and Urbosa smiles. “When she made time for herself, she found someone. Your father.”

“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Zelda, it’s okay to indulge a little. To want something. Even when your father demands that you train, it’s okay to be a little selfish.”

Zelda stares up at Urbosa in admiration. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone now,” the chief says. “Sav’orq!” Urbosa walks down the hallway and turns a corner quickly.

Zelda groans. “We are not lovebirds!” she calls after Urbosa, but she’s long gone. She stops walking and turns to face her knight whose expression is still blank. “And you... I assume you don’t have much of an opinion on the matter?”

Link tilts his head, a silent show of confusion.

“Surely you’ve heard the rumors.” She steps closer and hisses, “We’re secret lovers.”

His expression doesn’t change, but his cheeks do. They flare a bright red like she’s never seen on him before. “It’s just silly,” she sighs, “and frustrating. Because I don’t feel that way about you. I think.”

He doesn’t say anything.

“Tell me what you think about it,” she demands. “I want to know.”

He doesn’t say anything still, but he’s thinking, and she can tell.

“I don’t mind,” he says plainly.

“You don’t... what?” She’s surprised, maybe a little disappointed, but she dwells more on the sound of his voice—soft and the exact opposite of what she imagined. “Why wouldn’t you mind? The rumors are wrong in every way! I simply don’t have time to have a lover and how scandalous is the mere idea! Other than that, you wouldn’t want to be with me. I can’t do the simplest things.”

“I think they’re sorta true.”

She squints at him. “What?”

“I like you. And I think you can do more than you think.”

Before she can say anything, someone calls his name down the hall. He mutters an apology, bows, and runs away.

Alone in the hallway she sighs and cups her cheek with her hand. She giggles, brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “He likes me.”

Maybe the rumors hold some truth.