the love hypothesis.

once you've met someone, you never really forget them.

[astradites]

𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔.    a  private & exclusive multi-muse blog featuring characters from television, animation, film, comics, etcetera. first established in 2020, and revamped in 2026.     muse list is friends only. 

thematically exploring romance tropes.   doomed lovers,  soulmates,  etc.  do not follow first.       affiliated with astraheros

[astradites]

moonlight spills silver across lake avalor, soft and luminous and heartbreakingly still. it catches against the white of her feathers first, delicate as snowfall upon dark waters, before climbing slowly toward the curve of her throat, the fragile line of her shoulders, the golden shimmer of hair still damp from transformation. magic lingers around odette like the final note of a song not yet finished. beautiful, lonely, and cursed. the swans drift quietly behind her near the reeds, gentle ripples breaking apart the glass-like reflection of the stars overhead. but odette remains near the shore, barefoot now upon cool stone, fingers twisting anxiously together at the front of her pale gown. when she finally hears footsteps approaching through the trees, her breath catches despite herself. not out of fear, never fear, not where derek is concerned — but because hope has become such a dangerous thing to carry. fragile enough to shatter. precious enough to ruin her entirely. ❝ you came, ❞ odette says quietly, though the relief in her voice betrays just how badly she had feared otherwise. the words drift between them gently, barely louder than the water itself. ❝ i think… ❞ she begins carefully, fingertips brushing absently against the fabric near her heart as though trying to steady it, ❝ i think i have spent so long being frightened that sometimes i forget what it feels like not to be. ❞ her gaze lowers briefly then, watching moonlight fracture across the surface of the lake. slowly, cautiously, odette steps closer. close enough now that she can see the familiar warmth in his expression, close enough for hope to begin blooming painfully beneath her ribs once more. ❝ but when you are here, ❞ she confesses softly, voice turning almost shy beneath the weight of honesty, ❝ the curse does not feel so heavy. ❞

@astraheros odette for derek.

[astraheros]

❝ y'know, meredith, when we discussed spending the night at your place, this wasn't exactly what i had in mind. ❞ sinking into the hospital bed, clint smirks, bandaged arms crossing over his chest. sly and teasing. mostly trying to relieve tension chilling the room. it doesn't last long. the archer winces at a surge of pain, somewhere in his side, he guesses. clint curses under his breath. ❝ i might need a raincheck on our date. ❞ aw, futz. he had been looking forward to it, too. one bright spot in an otherwise uneventful week. meeting meredith's eyes, he forces a weak smile. hopes he looks better than he feels. ❝ sorry. if i gave you any grief, i mean. ❞ he glances away, feigning interest in the bedside infusion pump. guilt quietly eating him alive. they wouldn't be here if hawkeye had been more careful. ❝ m'sure doctor grey has a lot of shit on her plate already. worrying about some stupid bozo like me is the last thing you need right now. ❞

@astradites, clint barton for meredith grey. unprompted.

[astradites]

❝ wow, ❞ meredith says dryly, arms folding across her chest as she leans back against the doorframe of his room. ❝ and here i was thinking every guy dreamed of candlelight, hospital pudding, and narcotics administered every four hours. ❞ but the bite in her sarcasm softens immediately at the edges. because he’s hurt. because even now she notices the slight tension around his mouth every time he breathes too deeply. because clint barton somehow manages to look guilty for being the one lying in a hospital bed stitched back together. her expression gentles despite herself as she pushes away from the doorway and crosses toward him, sneakers quiet against the tile floor. the fluorescent lights wash everything in sterile white, but somehow he still looks warm beneath them. infuriatingly so. ❝ and for the record, ❞ meredith continues, quieter now, ❝ you surviving was actually pretty high on my list of priorities today. ❞ there’s a flicker of something in her eyes then — relief buried beneath teasing, hidden carefully beneath layers of practiced detachment. surgeons learn quickly not to let fear show on their faces. but she’d seen the blood, she’d seen him unconscious. and there had been one terrible moment where her chest hollowed out completely before anyone even told her if he was alive. instead she reaches down, fingers brushing lightly against the edge of his bandaged wrist before settling there properly—warm, grounding. ❝ anyway, ❞ she murmurs, the corner of her mouth lifting faintly, ❝ if you wanted to get out of taking me on a date, you could’ve just said so. getting stabbed is kind of dramatic. ❞

[astraheros]

his reaction paints feigned surprise. a dash of hurt to spare. this little charade might convince any other woman, but not carol. his girlfriend is too smart to buy the act. hal's gotta admit, he'd be disappointed if she did. maybe it's what he loves most about her. ❝ please. like i'd lose my natural charm. ❞ a scoff. offering a wink and a smirk, jordan obliges captain's orders, allowing himself a few bites of delicious steak. he studies ferris as he eats. quiet, careful. brown eyes shifting between tenderness and concern. the latter expression there and gone in a flash. vanishing long before she takes notice. ❝ maybe you oughta look a little less beautiful. arriving on time ain't easy when a drop dead gorgeous gal is on my mind. ❞ placing knife and fork on the dining table, he mock sighs, teasing smirk giving way, small and earnest at the edges. it widens a fraction as her thumb grazes knuckles. ❝ tell me. you feelin' okay lately? ❞ question starts light, casual. borderline serious. ❝ i'm worried about you. ❞ more than carol knows. than she can ever know. for now, this is the best hal can do. until star sapphire is taken care of. until green lantern is sure miss ferris is safe. ❝ and i might be thinking you need a break from that stuffy office for a weekend. in fact, your overworked assistant agrees with me. ❞ a half-hearted chuckle coats empty space. ❝ 'betcha i could fly us somewhere real nice, too. though i'd hope a ceo's salary can cover the five star hotel. ❞

[astradites]

carol’s laughter arrives softly, warm as champagne bubbles and twice as dangerous. ( of course he says things like that so easily. ) that effortless jordan charm, reckless & sunlit and impossibly sincere when it wants to be. men like hal jordan should not exist so beautifully in a universe already crowded with disasters, & yet somehow he sits across from her now, tie loosened slightly beneath the restaurant lights, smiling at her as though she is the easiest thing in the world to adore. it would be unfair if she did not love him so much. ❝ careful, jordan, ❞ she murmurs, dark eyes gleaming over the rim of her wine glass. ❝ flatter me any more and i might start thinking ferris air should put you in marketing instead of a cockpit. ❞ the tease comes easily, polished smooth beneath years of matching his banter step for step. but carol notices things, always has & always will. her thumb strokes once against his knuckles again before she fully realizes she’s doing it, the gesture instinctive in its tenderness. grounding. perhaps for both of them. ❝ i’m okay, ❞ carol says softly at first. then, with the faintest arch of her brow: ❝ mostly. ❞ because the truth is more complicated than she knows how to explain. there has been a strange restlessness living beneath her skin lately, something shimmering and volatile just beyond the edges of herself. exhaustion, perhaps. stress. too many board meetings and too little sleep. ❝ and for the record, ❞ she continues, mouth curving softly at the corners now, ❝ my assistant is a traitor with absolutely no respect for corporate structure. ❞ a pause. ❝ though she may have a point. ❞ there is something almost wistful in the admission. the idea of escape unfolding carefully between them like silk sheets and ocean air and mornings untouched by responsibility. for a moment, carol lets herself imagine it. hal at the controls of some absurdly expensive private plane, his hand tangled lazily with hers somewhere over the atlantic. a world where she is simply carol and not ferris air’s relentless golden daughter carrying an empire on her back. dangerous fantasy. more dangerous still because of how badly she wants it. ❝ a weekend away does sound tempting, ❞ she admits quietly, gaze lifting fully to his now. there is affection there so bright it nearly softens her entirely. ❝ though i should warn you, once a ceo gets accustomed to five-star hotels, there’s really no going back. ❞ her fingers curl more fully around his hand after that, slow and deliberate and impossible to mistake for accidental. ❝ besides… ❞ carol’s voice lowers slightly, velvet-soft beneath the low restaurant lighting and clink of distant glasses. ❝ if you’re going to fly me somewhere beautiful, pilot… ❞ a smile flickers there, fond. luminous. ❝ i’d hate for you to think i wasn’t planning on keeping you all to myself while we’re there. ❞

[astraheros]

it seems, once again, they must part ways. a natural endpoint. a foregone conclusion. a predictable outcome. one the world's greatest detective should have foreseen from miles away, from the precise nanosecond talia al ghul stepped foot in gotham. in his city. bruce hates to see her go. ❝ talia. ❞ it isn't the stern dark knight who speaks. this time, a different voice, raw and tender, with a trace of longing. remembered hurt. quickly buried and compartmentalized. ❝ there's no shame in staying here. ❞ his words linger in the air, a bitter chill staining his breath. watching her retreating back, silhouetted against the brilliant sunrise bleeding gotham gold, he wonders if she heard him. worrying is no longer necessary, cut off by steady footsteps stopping dead in their tracks. the batman seizes on the opportunity. ❝ must things always end this way? you shouldn't have to leave. ❞ direct translation: i don't want you to leave. bruce reaches out, rests a hand on her shoulder. his rugged face practically unreadable beneath the dark blue cowl. he's certain talia sees right through it. she's one of the only people in this world who can. ❝ surely there's hope for us yet. ❞

@astradites, bruce wayne for talia al ghul.

[astradites]

the sunrise catches against the sharp line of her profile, gilding talia al ghul in gold as though the morning itself cannot decide whether to mourn her departure or worship it. she stills beneath his hand. that, perhaps, is the cruelest thing bruce wayne has ever done to her: touched her gently. because violence she understands. conflict, she was born into. war lives in her bloodstream as surely as his grief lives in his. but tenderness? tenderness has always felt catastrophic between them. slowly, talia turns her head just enough for him to glimpse the edge of her expression beneath dark curls stirred by the wind. there is no mockery there tonight. no amused smile at the corners of her mouth. only exhaustion. only love stretched thin across years of impossible choices. ❝ hope, beloved, ❞ she murmurs softly, the title leaving her lips with all the intimacy of a wound reopened, ❝ has always been your greatest weakness. ❞ gotham breathes around them in the quiet aftermath of nightfall's violence — distant sirens, restless rooftops, the city dragging itself bruised and bloodied toward morning once more. his city. he would die for it, and that is precisely the problem. ❝ you speak as though staying were simple, ❞ talia continues, her voice low and velvet-soft, threaded through with something dangerously close to sorrow. ❝ as though i could simply step across the line between us and leave everything else behind. ❞ she finally turns fully then, dark eyes lifting to meet the impossible blue hidden behind the cowl. and of course she sees through it. she always has. a faint smile touches her lips then — fleeting, melancholy, beautiful in the way dying stars are beautiful. ❝ if there is hope for us, ❞ she says quietly, eyes luminous beneath the breaking dawn, ❝ then it does not live in this city. nor in our war. ❞

[astraheros]

astradites, from ariel for eric: [  nap  ]  sender  falls  asleep  against  receiver.

their cabin sways up and down, back and forth, staying afloat in the rough ocean seas. here, eric and ariel sit together, pouring over a sprawling mess of charts documenting the known world. he tells her stories. fascinating tales about foreign lands, incredible places he hopes they'll visit together one day. his mother's castle isn't enough. nor, and this he's very much sure of, is the kingdom of atlantica. not with the big wide world waiting for them out there. there's so much, too much to see, and he and ariel have barely gotten started. eric can't wait for what tomorrow might bring. they'd better make landfall soon.

❝ oh, and this, ❞ he points at a faraway island on the nearest chart, a shade of dark yellow from age, ❝ this is the best one yet ! my mother told me all about it. she said it was one of the most beautiful places she's ever seen — ❞ passionate tangent is abruptly cut off at a weight on his right shoulder. a glance to his side tells him it's ariel. she's fast asleep, no doubt, though he can't tell if she's just dozed off. for all he knows, it could have been an hour ago. maybe even two. ❝ let's get you back to bed, shall i ? grimsby won't be pleased if you stay here all night. ❞

[astradites]

ariel stirs when he shifts, a soft sound leaving her before she quite wakes, like the sea remembering a wave. her lashes flutter, copper hair spilling further across his shoulder as if it has decided this is where it belongs. ❝ mm— ❞ she murmurs, half-lost in sleep, fingers curling instinctively into the fabric of his sleeve. the cabin sways and she sways with it, perfectly unbothered, perfectly trusting, her breath warm and even against him. she blinks up at him at last, eyes unfocused but smiling all the same. ❝ did i miss it? ❞ ariel asks quietly, already knowing the answer and not particularly caring. she shifts just enough to tuck herself closer, cheek resting against his chest now, listening to the steady sound of him beneath the roll of the sea. ❝ you were talking about somewhere beautiful, ❞ she adds, drowsy and sincere. ❝ we’ll go there. we’ll go everywhere. ❞ when he mentions bed, she hums in mock protest, arms slipping around his middle with lazy determination. ❝ just a minute more, ❞ she whispers, voice barely louder than the creak of the timbers. ❝ i like it here. ❞ her eyes close again, smile lingering, utterly content to let tomorrow wait its turn while the ocean carries them both, and she drifts back to sleep in the safest place she knows.

[astradites]

@astraheros

after a close encounter with the star sapphire on the outskirts of coast city,  it’s a good thing the ring protects his particularly expensive suit.  carol would kill him if it was damaged.  oh,  and speaking of the suit:  damn it,  he’s running late.  cursing under his breath,  the green lantern descends from the sky,  quietly landing in the alleyway beside the restaurant where carol had arranged their date.  making sure that he’s alone,  there’s a bright flash of emerald light,  and hal jordan steps onto the sidewalk and out of the shadows,  hastily entering the building. 

❛  hi,  carol,  ❜  hal gives her the best warm,  affectionate greeting he can manage,  with a sheepish smile as he approaches their table to boot.  ❛  i’m really sorry i’m late.  rush hour was brutal.  ❜  part of him wishes he could tell her what he had been really up to,  but for carol’s sake,  it’s for the best that hal jordan and the green lantern are left separate.  ❛  you remembered to get my favorite order,  right  ?  ❜  a joke,  obviously.  he can see the meal laid out on his plate.  ❛  i gotta tell you,  i’m starved.  ❜  

carol looks up the second he says her name — not because she’s been waiting, but because she always knows. there’s a particular way hal jordan enters a room when he’s just come down from the sky: energy still crackling under his skin, shoulders a little too loose, that grin doing its very best to pretend he hasn’t flirted with death in the last hour. she takes him in with one slow glance, eyes flicking from the sheepish smile to the suit she personally approved down to the last stitch. intact. good. she exhales, barely noticeable, then arches a brow. ❝ rush hour, ❞ she repeats, dry as champagne left out too long. ❝ fascinating. ❞ her mouth curves anyway, because she’s already reaching for his hand, already squeezing his fingers like she’s checking inventory. still warm. still solid. ❝ you’re lucky that suit is still in one piece, jordan. do you have any idea how much that fabric costs? ❞ a beat. softer, quieter, just for him. ❝ because i do. and i’d absolutely invoice you. ❞ she nudges his plate a little closer, expression easing as she leans back in her chair, elegant and amused and very fond. ❝ eat, ❞ carol says, like it’s an order and an indulgence all at once. ❝ you get grumpy when you’re hungry, and i’d rather you save that energy for later. ❞ her thumb brushes once over his knuckles, affectionate, grounding. ❝ and next time you’re late, at least have the decency to look a little less handsome walking in. it makes it very hard to stay mad at you. ❞

[astraheros]

wrapping vibrant orange jacket around sakura's broad shoulders, naruto merely beams at her, unperterbed by his wife's needlessly stubborn attitude. why would it bother him ? the pinkette's steadfast determination is a trait they both share, something he's admired in her since their academy days. since he was an obnoxious brat with a hopeless crush. the seventh hokage chuckles, breath misty in the cold air, content with the world. he let's sakura's hand fill empty spaces between their fingers.

❝ aw, come on, sakura ! gimme a break, will 'ya ? ❞ he accentuates a grumpy, irritated tone for good measure — though it dies on his lips, betrayed by the goofy, playful smirk spreading along whiskered features. ❝ if anything, you should be the one in bed, y'know ! patients shouldn't be treated by exhausted doctors who are half - dead ! besides ... — ❞ the blonde presses, sky blue eyes meeting soft greens, ❝ falling asleep is easier when you're by my side. ❞

[astradites]

youth blooms in spring, wisdom ripens in winter. there are bits of all those she's loved now facing her, as if naruto's voice has become one with kakashi's. where there once was a childish orphan, there now is a recognized hero. sakura laments her past self for once writing him off so quickly, why did you spend so much time searing for love in the darkness, when sunshine was right here? when the sun itself materialized in front of you? foolish girl. ❝ — wives don't give their husbands' breaks, ❞ she can remember when her mother once echoed the same to her father as sakura and naruto turn a corner, the warmth of his jacket warming even the most distal parts of her. like the light he is. ❝ half-dead? please, i could sleep one hour and still be the best doctor in the village. you know that! ❞ suddenly, she's a little girl again, teaching him out to survive. they've grown up together. they've learned to love. ❝ — the bed is made for two after all. you've been spending more time out here lately. is everything okay? ❞

[astradites]

what is love? a dream. a little lois lane, clad in the little prep school skirt she hates, waiting. of course her father would never dream to be on time, so here she stands. nine. a happy age, other kids played with barbies, read fairytales. dreamt of love. yet the purple hued irises of lois lane found comfort in a love for writing. doodles. what is love? a lie. this prom dress is too tight, these pictures too uncomfortable. she hates this. (secretly, she can enjoy it — but lois lane cannot exist to feed a man's ego. she can't listen to her date talk about his life like she cares. don't you see, one day i'll be on every billboard? don't you see — i'm meant for more than this. for more than you.) what is love? lex luthor treats her like a possession. she exists as the pretty thing on his arm & it works, for a bit. lois notices it becomes remarkably easy to get what you want when you're the eye of the most powerful man in metropolis. until he suddenly thinks he can buy off your stories. until he expects something in return. what is love? a weakness.

until he comes. superheroes are fantasy, akin to dragonslayers and knights and all those books she hated. but then he picks her up, holds her tight and flies her to the sky and suddenly she understands. why romeo died for juliet. why rapunzel waited in that tower for her prince to come. superman's eyes stare into hers, his knuckles against her lips. soft hands for a savior.

❝ i'm not asking for a bodyguard clark. ❞ oh how wicked she feels, clad in her nightgown on the balcony as lois looks up at him. its so intimate — so foreign. to call him clark when he adorns that S. her S. her superman, her star, her story. all hers. ❝ — are you coming to bed? it's late. i've missed you. ❞

what is love? a love letter to clark joseph kent.

i won't let anyone hurt you. clark kent for lois lane. ♡  @astraheros

[beforethepoison]

CLOIS - Intimacy | Part 1 - MOS

[astradites]

liam rise

[taebaelee]

[astradites]

"i wish you'd take better care of yourself." anakin for padme

the senate is a never ending circus, the barrage of a thousand micromanagements, a war at their fronts — even the ex queen cannot help but drown in it. but how selfish is she? how can padme pretend to care for herself when every day, he plagues her mind? he follows her like a shadow in her mind, as she sits in session, as she gallivants to find allies and urges her foes for peace. no matter where she goes, her mind drifts back to anakin. her anakin. the man that woke her up in the middle of the night with nightmare after nightmare, vision after vision. and yet — he thinks of her? padme leans her head against his chest, listening to the thud of his heartbeat. steady. alive. safe.

❝ you don’t have to worry about me, ani. ❞ she promises him, eyes shutting for a second. inside her, padme feels the twinge of life, the unborn children at rest beside their father. her mind plays the picture of anakin holding their children, of a man bringing them close to his chest — it’s her haven in these war torn days. it’s her sanctuary.

❝ i worry about you — every day, ❞ she admits, looking up to his eyes. he’s captivated her, by mind, body, and soul. ❝ obi-wan tells me you’ve been distracted, and i rarely see you smile anymore. what troubles you? what burdens do you bare? im yours anakin, just as you’re mine. whatever it is — you can share them with me. ❞

@astraheros | anakin & padme

[astradites]

me when I reply 60 days later to a random ask

[astradites]

that's it? no goodbye kiss? clintbobbi

it’s downright sickening how quickly he gets under her skin — they’ve played this game for years yet each time bobbi expects a different ending. clint barton is the drug she can never quit, no many how many rehabilitation efforts the ex agent has tried. blonde hair tied up quickly, trading his old t-shirt for her late night outfit (she dreads the trek back home, talk about the walk of shame when you’re a renown biochemist and secret agent…) her stuff is haphazardly thrown into her bag when her near super hearing catches clint shifting under the sheets, letting the tail end of his comment rest on her ears.

eye roll. hawkeye sure can be needy in the morning. (it’s secretly endearing. slightly. maybe a bit more so. though she’s never one to admit how much she loves him.)

bobbi let’s put a chuckle, crossing over the room to find the tuff of blond hair under the covers, his fingers cupping his cheek. clint has that dazed look, the softness in his eyes found only in the morning — the early hours framing his silhouette. (there’s something to be said about him and the sun. how he lights up her sky, something cheesy — something accurate.) ❝ would’ve thought last night tired you out…❞ bobbi can’t help but tease, pressing a kiss to his cheek, softly brushing his hair from his eyes. ❝ go back to sleep clint, you barely get enough sleep as it is.❞

@astraheros | clint & bobbi

[astradites]

darkness covers the outdoors as doctor haruno steps out of the clinic, regretting being clad in just her white coat. konoha weather has become increasingly bipolar, the sunny mornings leave winter-like nights — something the brilliant doctor continually fails to plan for. the day is filled with patient after patient, a couple surgeries & wounds to heal before sakura turns in her stethoscope to return back home. clinging to her coat, she shivers until a sudden coming of footsteps signals she's not alone. a flash as sakura turns, and he's there in lightning speed — placing a jacket across her back in seconds. sakura's cheeks turn red for a second (to think, they've been married years & yet she still finds herself embarrassed that naruto thinks of her first...) ❝ you should be in bed. ❞ jade eyes find his, amazed that he's so full of sunlight even in the dead of the night, raising an eyebrow in mock anger.

cold, sender places their jacket over receiver's shoulders.    naruto for sakura. ♡  @astraheros

her hand finds his first, lacing their fingers together as she finds comfort in his warmth. they've come such a long way. ❝ the hokage has more important things to do than give a foolish doctor a jacket, especially when he looks like he hasn't slept in days. ❞ it's a quick jap, but the two of them have become notoriously bad sleepers. sakura loved that he'd wait for her, but the dark eyebags under naruto's eyes match hers. she leans closer into him, nearly melting his warmth as they turn another corner. ❝ you shouldn't worry about me. ❞

[astradites]

❝ i — ❞ her voice cuts off, breath catching as he walks beside her in an instant. sophie remembers her sister's warning : he steals pretty girls' hearts! the hat maker can't help but paint her cheeks red in embarrassment at the memory, at the assumption that he'd want her heart. so long ago, yet barely any time had passed. sophie balances the basket from her free hand, holding on to her wizard tightly. ❝ what are you doing in the market? ❞ curiosity spikes, wondering how calcifer & michael could be faring without their wizardly protector. a gust of wind pushes her closer to him, nearly falling into his chest. he smells like fire. like calcifer. like her home.

link. sender links arms with receiver while walking. @astraheros howl for sophie.

skipping over a rock, sophie tugs his arm, a smile on her lips. ❝ now come on howl, ❞ playfully teasing voice, elated to be near him. elated to be in love with him. the war is over & the curses are gone. it's just the two of them. the way it was meant to be. she stands up on her tip toes, eyes peering into his. ❝ did you come all this way to distract me from getting our fruit? ❞ the demon in their home is no longer tied to the wizard she loves, the king no longer searching him down to play a pawn in an endless war. sophie intertwines her fingers with his, freezing in the moment. ❝ there are other ways to get my attention. ❞