purple rain

millie bobby brown. 22. actress & 19th century detective. ( roleplay, chill. )

[maliiiiiks]

what the hell is "soft girl" by florence by mills, and why is my five year old daughter asking me to buy products from that brand? i swear kids somehow discover trends faster than adults do. one second she's watching cartoons, and the next she suddenly has opinions about skincare and clothes. i feel like i'm losing control of my own house. @milliebubbybrown

[milliebubbybrown]

It's only the best perfume there is in the whole wide world... just kidding. That's the cutest thing ever and it has just improved my day dramatically. I fear your house may no longer belong to you, Zayn. The fact she even knows the brand exists kind of melts my heart a little, can't lie, I'm too soft for kids. If she wants a whole package, with different products even if she won't use them, I'll send it over. Has she started reading yet? A personalized letter is on its way!

[fiinns]

finn stood in the middle of the suite, heart still racing from everything they'd just shared, a smile playing on his lips as he listened to millie moving around in the bedroom area. he rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks still faintly flushed from calling her "baby" out loud for the first time. "i know it sounds insane." he called back. "but the second i realized how much i missed you, nothing else mattered. rehearsals, shows, all of it could wait. i just needed to see you." he let out a quiet laugh when she mentioned still being nervous around each other. "good. because yeah, you still make my stomach flip every single time you look at me like that. i don't think that's ever going away, and honestly? i don't want it to." when she teased him about jealousy and said she'd only have eyes for him, finn felt another flutter in his chest. he leaned against the wall near the bedroom entrance, arms crossed, fighting the urge to peek even though he'd promised not to. "i believe you. still doesn't stop that little jealous part of me from wanting you all to myself tonight."

the moment millie stepped back into view wearing the fitted dark slacks, silk top, gold jewelry, and that effortlessly cool leather jacket, finn's breath caught. he straightened up, eyes widening as he took her in slowly, a grin spreading across his face. "holy shit, mills…" he breathed, stepping forward without thinking and gently taking both her hands in his. "you look incredible. like, stupidly beautiful. i don't know how you just threw that together in five minutes and still look like you belong on a manhattan rooftop." he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead before leaning down to kiss her properly. "you could've worn sweatpants and i still would've thought you were the most beautiful girl in new york, but this? this is perfect. you're perfect." he rested his forehead against hers for a second, smiling softly. "i'm really glad i flew out here. ready to go freeze on that rooftop with me and make this the best night we've had in years?"

[milliebubbybrown]

Honestly, Millie couldn't actually believe that Finn had expected her to be able to take any other interest whatsoever and at the thought that he only wanted her for himself, she could feel her face flushing, although perhaps that had something to do with rushing about getting ready as quickly as she had. It was a small comfort that her make-up from when she'd been out was still on; there was absolutely no chance of getting it sorted out now. She let herself be pulled in and kissed again and then for only a split second, resisted before melting against his lips and letting out a little laugh as if she still couldn't believe how easily he had swept her away. When he finally drew back enough to take a breath, her forehead still resting against his, she let out a quiet little breath against him, and smiled as she admitted, "Well, you know about the plan already so you're clearly far more ready than I am," she said looking him from head to toe, and she put a sweet, little face on as if she was more hurt at him for not telling her than anything and squeezed his hands tightly. She had a quick look at her reflection and then turned back to him, tugging her jacket straight with perhaps more authority than she felt, "More than ready," she grinned a little wickedly at him and threaded her fingers with his, "you're big enough to wrap around me and keep me warm and so it'll have to do," and she tilted her head up to him.

Almost automatically Millie snatched up the room key, shoving it into the purse she'd brought and before she had time to overthink it, she'd linked her fingers with Finn's. It was such a natural gesture that she hadn't even realized what she was doing until they were already moving toward the door. The hotel room clicked shut behind them and for a moment, Millie just stood there in the hallway, like she'd floated out of a bubble she wasn't so sure she wanted to be pulled back into. "You ready for people to gossip?" she asked looking up at him with a faint, unsure smile. "Cause like, this is kind of our first real, like public, thing. I mean Napa doesn't count, we weren't alone... alone, you know." It still somehow felt like they had already been public for a lifetime by then, the part of her that didn't always have an input had clearly made up her mind and this was where she belonged. In the elevator she still didn't let go of his hand, idly playing with his fingers and felt that familiar ache in her chest that only she seemed to be able to pinpoint every time she caught a glimpse of him. She tilted her head and leaned on his shoulder, letting out a soft breathy laugh. "You're kind of setting a precedent here, you know." She murmured, tilting her head back and meeting his eyes. "And I'm going to start assuming I will be brought to rooftops on our dates." Her smile broadened a little more, sweet but teasing, before she swallowed slightly, squeezing his hand with hers as if it could somehow hold her down in the moment. "That's just what I'm saying… You're kind of setting the bar to a whole new level here, there is no competing with this date. None."

[shaaaawns]

and that's exactly why i think this friendship works, because neither of us knows what we're doing most of the time. excuse me, i'm warning you because i'm a very protective brother who is not emotionally prepared for a lot of things, and if you complain about it, i'll warn you another million times. since when did this conversation become about me? and yes, i like meeting people who have good hearts and are honest with me. if i feel something strange coming from someone, i'd rather just distance myself. it's way too early for us to be talking about that, millie, shush it.

[milliebubbybrown]

Definitely, we're just kind of figuring it out as we go and hoping it makes sense later. Feel free to warn me as much as you want, I'm ready to hear everything. A friendship goes both ways, though, so I need to know what's happening in your life too, especially in the love life department since we're already on the topic. I'm not letting you dodge that question that easily. Well, it doesn't have to be serious or anything like that, she can be making you happy just fooling around too, right?

[oliviarfm]

I think you can't dwell on that too much, baby girl. If you do then you're just going to be over thinking too much and maybe changing how your relationship could be. Trust me on that one as a chronic overthinker. I've already learnt a little not to do that with my relationship. I'm rooting for the two of you, honestly. Whenever you make it official - please let me know. You mean we were both in New York for work things and didn't meet up? That's fucked. We need to sync our calendars or something, for real. So we know these things.

[milliebubbybrown]

Thank you for saying that, 'cause it's much easier knowing I'm not alone in it. I have a tendency to overthink things into the ground, but I swear I'm trying to be better about not spiralling too much and just letting things unfold as they should. And you'll be of the first people to know, that's for sure! I think that was the case, which I hate because I'd have loved to see you, baby. It's honestly ridiculous when you think about it, we somehow managed to completely miss each other being in the same vicinity. That's actually criminal behaviour. We definitely need to sync calendars or something properly, like full-on operation coordination, because clearly "we'll just see if we're around" is not working for us at all.

[mayathurhawke]

millie! i miss you terribly and unfortunately for everyone else around me, i’ve made that their problem too. every mildly sentimental thought i’ve had this week has somehow turned into “wow, i should text millie.” it’s actually a little concerning how quickly my brain associates random things with you now. i’ll see a chaotic dog video, a sparkly dress, a badly iced coffee, or literally anything pink and immediately think, “millie would have something to say about this.” so really this is your fault for becoming woven into the fabric of my daily life like this. ( @milliebubbybrown )

[milliebubbybrown]

My love!! I miss you so bad. And this might genuinely be one of the cutest things anyone has ever said to me, by the way. I'm obsessed with the fact I've apparently become your personal point of reference for pup videos, pink objects, and iced coffees. That feels exactly right. But trust me, it goes both ways! I'll see the most random things during the day and immediately think, "I need to tell Maya this immediately." So unfortunately for everyone around me, they've also had to deal with me talking about you. You really have woven yourself into my daily life too, and now I fear we're both stuck like this forever.

[isamathers]

this might sound a little funny because i don’t think we’ve ever actually formally met, but i have to say it anyway. i’ve watched what you’ve built with florence by mills from afar, and there’s something really beautiful about seeing someone create something that feels so personal, soft, and completely their own. it gives me that weird older sister kind of pride, like i want to stand in the corner clapping and saying, “look at her go.” i know people see the pretty packaging and the cute moments first, but building a brand takes so much heart, patience, and trust in yourself. so even if this is technically me introducing myself, it’s also me saying i’m proud of you. and now that i’ve made this emotional before we’ve even properly said hello, hi. i’m isabelle. ( @milliebubbybrown )

[milliebubbybrown]

Oh my God, you might actually be the cutest human being alive. I'm emotional before we've even properly met. First of all, hi Isabelle, and second of all, thank you, truly. That means so much coming from you, especially because you understood exactly what I always hoped people would feel from Florence by Mills. I really wanted it to feel personal and comforting and a little soft around the edges, not just another celebrity thing thrown out into the world. This weird older-sister pride for me is going to stick with me for a very long time because that's such a lovely thing to say. There really is a lot of vulnerability in building something that reflects you so personally and then letting the world have opinions on it. So thank you for seeing that part too! And for the record, I already adore you a little for making our first interaction simultaneously a formal introduction and a heartfelt pep talk.

[shaaaawns]

i don't even try to understand what the hell goes on inside my mind because i already know it's all incredibly confusing, and half the time i don't even understand myself. but i'm glad you two finally talked about feelings and all of that stuff, that's really important in a friendship and in a potential relationship too. i know i'll survive, but like i've told you a million times, you're my little sister, and i need to get used to the idea of you having a boyfriend someday (soon? i'm freaking the fuck out). yeah, we started talking, and i realized she's genuinely a really good person with a kind heart, and when i saw her in napa, i was really happy. yeah, maybe… i don't know. she makes my heart race, okay? shut up.

[milliebubbybrown]

That makes two of us when it comes to not understanding ourselves. Even if it takes a little while to get used to the idea, I'm sure you'll get there eventually. You've only warned me about the "little sister with a boyfriend" crisis about a million times now, so I’ve had plenty of preparation for your inevitable emotional breakdown. And wait, no, that's actually really cute. The way you talk about her already says everything. The fact you noticed how kind-hearted she is before anything else? That's adorable. Oh, you've got it bad. You deserve that happiness, babes.

[fiinns]

finn thought his heart might stop when she kissed him like that. the feeling of her hands gripping the front of his jacket, the way she leaned into him like she wanted to close every remaining inch between them, completely unraveled him in seconds. his own hands tightened instinctively at her waist as he kissed her back, pulling her closer without even realizing he was doing it, because after days in napa of slowly learning what it felt like to have her this way, the idea of distance suddenly felt unbearable. he could still taste her lipstick faintly when she pulled back just enough for him to breathe again, forehead resting against his, and for a moment finn forgot about the rooftop entirely. forgot about new york buzzing outside the hotel windows, forgot about the reservation he'd spent hours obsessing over, forgot about literally every coherent thought he'd had before she opened the door. all he could focus on was the fact she was smiling at him like this. her tiny laugh against his mouth made something warm twist painfully in his chest, because he knew then he was completely done for. "you have no idea how nervous i was coming here." he admitted quietly, eyes flicking between hers while his thumbs brushed little movements against her sides. "i spent the whole flight convincing myself you were gonna look at me like i'd lost my mind for flying across the country just to take you to dinner." he laughed. "and honestly? maybe i have. but you standing here looking at me like that is making it feel pretty worth it."

when she asked if she should change first, finn finally glanced down at the oversized robe she was wearing and laughed under his breath, though the sound came out fond more than amused. "millie, mills, baby." he murmured, shaking his head slightly. "if you go up there dressed like this, i'm not gonna hear a single word you say all night. and people would be looking at you, guys mostly, and i'd freak the fuck out because i'd be trying not to be jealous and then fail miserably." his eyes lifted back to hers almost immediately afterward, caught again by the way she was looking at him, all bright eyed and affectionate in a way that made him feel oddly unsteady despite how calm he tried to act. he leaned down and kissed her once more, lingering for an extra second before forcing himself to pull back because if he didn't, he had a very real suspicion neither of them would make it to that rooftop at all. "go change." he said softly, though his hands stayed at her waist another moment longer than necessary, reluctant to let go of her. "i'll survive five minutes without you. probably." that crooked grin tugged at his mouth again. "i promise to close my eyes and i won't even see anything, won't see you changing at all." he said, instantly closing his eyes, trying not to laugh and waiting for her.

[milliebubbybrown]

She could practically feel the pulse of his heart against her, uneven and fast against her own and somehow that was even better than the kiss. The pressure of his hands on her waist tightening around her, instinctively pulling her closer and she almost couldn't help but arch into his touch. "Well you're insane for this. But I have to say I absolutely loved it. I was certain that you'd be either in rehearsals or prepping for your shows, or literally doing anything other than flying across the country for me". Her eyes softened when he admitted he was so nervous, an unbearable sweetness settling onto her features. "I really hope the nerves are gone. Although honestly, you make me nervous too and I think that's never going to change", she whispered, thumb rubbing back and forth against the fabric of his shirt. And then he called her baby. She felt a tiny flutter in her chest. Millie wasn't used to it; they weren't used to them being… this yet whatever 'this' was becoming. "Jealous?" She asked out loud, a smile formed in her lips. "I would still only have eyes for you if the entire city was staring at me, so." It was only when he reluctantly gave her an ultimatum and told her to go change, did she release him with another big grin. "Fine", she dramatically sighed though she was still nowhere near letting go. "I hope I packed something for a sophisticated NYC rooftop date". And then she burst into genuine laughter as he clamped his eyes shut and promised he wouldn't look and stepped back towards the bedroom area, "You don't have to do that, you know. I mean you wouldn't see anything you haven't seen already."

Smiling to herself, Millie ducked toward the bedroom section of the suite already speaking to him over her shoulder while she busily searched drawers, fluffed her suitcase. "If I step out looking inappropriately dressed, that is entirely on you, and the whole surprise thing," she said, her voice tinged with amusement. She ducked her head back out after a few moments, halfway changed with her dark pencil skirt and two shirts held alternately against her frame. "Which one says Manhattan rooftop, fancy-ish date and which says panic packing?" She asked, and before he answered she remembered something that would fit just right, "Wait, I think I got it," and she ducked back in again. Clothes were rustling behind the screen of hangers and drawers were opening, yet the soft murmur of Millie speaking directly to him continued. "I'd like to go on the record that I fully understand the risk of freezing to death on that rooftop and I am willing to take it." After another minute of muffled preparation, she stepped back into the bedroom view fully dressed in fitted dark slacks, a perfect silk top tucked neatly inside, glinting gold jewelry draped from her neck, and a large leather jacket flung casually over it as though she hadn't a minute ago dug through her entire suitcase. She hesitated for a moment as his gaze landed on her, suddenly a bit shy in spite of the rest of the night. She smoothed her hands over her jacket. "Alright," she said, a sheepish grin impossible to conceal. "Don't laugh, but I think this is the closest thing I own to appropriate Manhattan rooftop attire."

[partridgelou]

PRIVATE: i, um.. didn't think it would be that easy to get this information out of you, so i wasn't exactly prepared. but that was pretty much the information i was trying to "drag" out of you, if you can even call it that at this point. props for being honest, mills. you know, he seems pretty smitten with you, so if you feel the same then who cares about the principle of it? isn't your partner supposed to be your best friend? double dates weren't exactly the reason i wanted to confess my feelings for her, but you know, perks, i guess? but i've decided i'm going to tell her. what's the worst that could happen? i lose her as a friend.. do i need a brown paper bag? shit..

[milliebubbybrown]

PRIVATE: Well, I kind of knew you already knew from the way you were talking about it, so it's not like I could really lie to you anyway, right? And I don't mind telling you, people would've figured it out eventually one way or another. Yeah, that's exactly what I thought too. He's genuinely been my guy best friend since we were kids, even while everyone around us kept trying to force this whole "you should be together" thing before we'd even figured out what we were ourselves. You absolutely do not need a brown paper bag! Don't spiral on me now. Maybe she feels the same way. I have a very hard time believing this is going to go as badly as your brain is trying to convince you it will.

[sadlesink]

PRIVATE: Pity he couldn't stay too long. I know how much you loved having him there. At the end of the day, I trust you to make the right decisions for yourself and please know that if you ever need me, I'll be right here. What can I say? I love the guy, but you will always be number one in my heart. If I have to threaten violence to get that point across, I'll do it happily. You always have been your own worst enemy, but it's good to acknowledge how safe you feel around him. I know that's ultimately what he cares about the most. He told me once he was going to make a bunch of take online accounts to argue with anyone saying anything mean about you. He's fully invested. No, it feels so stupid to admit it out loud because of course this would happen to me. Don't judge, but... it might be Louis.

[milliebubbybrown]

PRIVATE: Thank you for trusting me when half the time I don't even trust my own ability to make decisions. I love you so much. Seriously, what would I do without you? Poor bloke is going to be thoroughly haunted if he ever hurts me, although honestly, I really don't think he will, because he's just… so good to me. Like genuinely, no man has ever treated me the way he does or made me feel like he does on the daily. Wait, he actually said that? He's unbelievable. It's insane how safe and protected he manages to make me feel just by being there. And hold on, Louis?? As in Partridge?? As in Tewksbury on Enola Holmes?? Have you told him this? I'm still actively trying to process this information.

[shaaaawns]

future anxiety? i thought i was already dealing with enough things, and now i'm finding out there's actually something called "future anxiety", that's insane to think about. i guess that's what happens when you fall in love with someone, you always think it's too good to be true and then you don't quite know what to do with all these feelings. i think everyone knew you two were going to end up together someday, even when you were kids, you could tell there was something really pure between you both. yeah, i understand that you want to figure out what you are, and i'm still not completely prepared for the day you tell me you have a boyfriend, but i'm rooting for you. what? oh, we're getting to know each other! i feel very comfortable around her, she's way too damn beautiful and we get along just fine.

[milliebubbybrown]

There's a term for it but if there wasn't, it would just be the same thing, just your brain trying to prepare for things that haven't even happened yet. Yeah, like what am I actually supposed to do with all of that? I think there's always been something there between us too, but I genuinely thought it was more of a one-sided thing. You'll survive the day I tell you I have a boyfriend, dramatic man. Excuse me?? Sounds like a soft launch. I'm actually really happy for you, though. The fact you already feel comfortable around her says a lot, and the way you talk about her is honestly very cute. Also, way too damn beautiful, you've got it bad already, haven't you?

[fiinns]

finn had been looking at his phone every thirty seconds the whole time he'd been in the cab in manhattan, as though the reservation confirmation would disappear if he looked away too long. it was ridiculous, honestly. he'd played sold out shows before, walked red carpets, done interviews in front of millions of people without blinking, yet somehow planning one date for millie had him feeling sixteen again. maybe because this mattered more. napa had changed everything between them too quickly for him to fully process. one minute they'd been toeing around years of unresolved tension and almost confessions, and the next he was lying awake beside her at three in the morning listening to her sleepy voice talk about absolutely nothing while thinking, with terrifying certainty, that he could get used to this frighteningly easily. leaving her that morning had felt wrong in a way he couldn't explain, like walking away halfway through something important. so somewhere over the atlantic, running on no sleep and impulse, he'd booked out a small rooftop terrace in new york after hearing her mention once, months ago, casually, probably not even remembering it, that rooftops were the only places in the city that made her feel like she could breathe.

finn was cold now, suddenly aware how crazy this was. and now, standing in front of her hotel room with his cold hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, he was already much more than he expected the unthinkable. he hadn't told her he was coming. hadn't even really thought past getting here. the flowers downstairs had felt too much, the fancy dinner too forced, so he had spent the last two hours making sure the rooftop was simple enough not to scare her off: string lights, music low enough they could actually talk, food from a little italian place nearby instead of something pretentious. something that felt like them. but every coherent thought vanished the instant the hotel room door opened. millie seemed too surprised to even remember how to speak for a second, her eyes wide, lips parting slightly as she stared at him standing there like he'd materialized out of nowhere. and finn couldn't help smiling at that. god, he'd missed her already. "before you say no..." he started quickly, laughing a little at himself. "i know showing up unannounced is absolutely fucking insane. but i've missed you like crazy and i couldn't help myself." he leaned one shoulder against the doorway, looking at her for a second longer than he probably should've. "and i may or may not have planned something for tonight." he admitted. "and i kinda need you to come with me because otherwise i rented a rooftop in manhattan for no reason."

[milliebubbybrown]

Millie went totally rigid the moment her gaze fell on him standing there. For one confused, disbelieving second she truly thought she was imaging him, that maybe she'd fallen asleep, that this whole day and jet lag had finally taken their toll, that Finn just wasn't in New York, certainly not outside her hotel room, and definitely not standing there looking at her like this. But then he'd said something, all nerves and lopsided grin and his voice just smacked against her as much as he looked at her, and unraveled everything. Her chest felt like it was clenching itself and before she'd even had time to think of something clever or even a half-decent sentence she found herself laughing, just a tiny surprised and unbelieving little thing, a hand pressed over her mouth, head shaking in disbelief as if it was all a silly dream. "Are you actually crazy?" She actually managed to whisper, without any hint of it being an actual question at all. Only wonder. Only pure affection slipped out before she could even try and shove it back down, her eyes flicking all over his face as if willing him to be more than just an hallucination conjured up from her missing him. And as the truth of it slowly dawned, as she slowly began to understand that he had actually travelled thousands of miles to see her, all the shock changed into something else. Disbelief. Disbelief at the fact that anyone could do that for her. Before she even processed what she was doing, she closed the distance between them and instinctively her fingers balled into the front of his jacket as if seeking out something stable to hold onto. "I can't believe you actually did this…" she managed through another tiny, relieved giggle, briefly lowering her head lest the tears start to roll down her face because there was a very real chance if she kept looking at him like this she wouldn't be able to help herself. "A rooftop in Manhattan? Are you for real?" She lifted her head back up then, her eyes bright. "You really did bring out your romantic side, didn't you?"

She looked up at him again, and this time her smile came slowly, without her own will or control, just like she was a doll who had been forced to do it. Just picturing all of this put together by him; Finn planning everything, probably over-thinking every little bit of it made her chest have that awful ache. She could perfectly imagine him trying to act completely casual about it, shrugging off every detail like it had required so little effort from him, like he hadn't been quite this bothered by it. That was the problem, he knew her far too well. "I can't believe I have to admit to you that I like that you know how to make me melt," she whispered still clutched around the front of his jacket with both her hands, still hugging him close as though the only reason he might be there is that she was physically holding him here and if she let go he'd disappear. Millie just wanted to be close, really as close as it was possible to be to someone. A quiet chuckle escaped her mouth and before he had the chance to even respond, Millie pulled him closer and kissed him. It wasn't tentative, or hesitant, or worried like their first had been. When she pulled away, it was only by a fraction of an inch. They were standing still with their foreheads against each other, Millie was up on her tiptoes, both of them completely captured by the pull. Millie still had her arms around him and she let out a small laugh, "I guess I can't really turn you down now," she said against his mouth. "Though I certainly don't want to." She smoothed the front of his jacket absently for a moment, tilted her head back, her eyes still impossible bright. "Can I change first," she said, looking down at what she was wearing, "or is this rooftop surprise right now?" she giggled again.

[belindas-chandra]

Millie Bobby Brown on new Instagram post.

[milliebubbybrown]

After four blissfully disconnected days away, Millie was nowhere near ready to throw herself back into work. A full month of press tours and nonstop promotion for Enola Holmes was waiting for her on the other side of that hotel room door, and for the first time since the first movie had come out, the interviews wouldn't be through glitchy Zoom screens and carefully staged webcams but real rooms. Part of her was genuinely excited for it, who was she lying to? She loved the attention. But another part of her couldn't stop wishing the trip had lasted just a little longer, that somehow the world had forgotten about them for a few extra days and let her stay in Napa with Finn a while more. It had only been hours since she'd last seen him, yet already she found herself wondering when she would again. The four days they'd spent together hadn't exactly been private, she'd seen friends, gone out, kept things moving enough not to draw attention, but beneath all of it there had been this shift between them, and she couldn't help but wonder if anyone else had noticed it. A few people knew found out from the source; she'd told Sadie, and he'd told Joe and Charlie. Perhaps too soon, before they could define it.

That morning she'd been dragged out early for a wardrobe fitting for one of the interviews, smiling politely while people pinned fabric against her shoulders and talked around her, but the second she made it back to her hotel room, her thoughts drifted right back to him. She kept staring at her phone, debating whether asking Finn to come over would make her look reckless, or worse, needy. The truth was, neither of them had said what this was yet. No labels, no clear line defining where exactly they stood now, and the uncertainty left her feeling like she was wading into deep water without being able to see the bottom. Whatever they'd been before, friendship alone no longer covered it. But now... they even slept together, already crossed a line you couldn't uncross, opened a door that was never going to shut again no matter how hard either of them tried to pretend otherwise. She was so wrapped up in the spiral of it all that when someone knocked suddenly at the door, the sound startled her hard enough to make her jump. For a second she just stared at it, pulse quickening, before crossing the room and pulling it open, and there he was. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked, breathless and laughing at the same time, the words slipping out with that disbelieving edge of someone who can't decide if she's imagining it or if it's actually happening. ( @fiinns )

[shaaaawns]

exactly, and the funniest part is that i try to stay positive about things, but somehow the negative thoughts always find a way to ruin everything anyway, it's like my brain enjoys creating problems that don't even exist yet. and you're welcome! honestly, if you're still in that phase where you can't fully believe all of this is actually happening, i think that's probably a good sign, right? it means it matters to you. i also think that sooner or later, you two are naturally going to put a label on it, especially if you're both feeling the same way about each other. but at the same time, sometimes something feels so right that you don't even need to sit down and officially define it immediately, things just kind of happen naturally. nah, don't overthink it too much, just follow your heart for once instead of trying to predict every possible outcome before it even happens. you deserve to enjoy this without turning it into a source of stress. i love you too.

[milliebubbybrown]

That's called future anxiety, my friend, the brain's little talent for inventing problems that don't exist yet and then acting like they're urgent. You're right! I still can't wrap my head around it, and it's 'cause it feels a bit too good to be true. I mean, liking someone and them liking you back? Especially after so many years of crushing on each other, it's like something straight out of a film, the whole best friends to lovers trope and everything. But we'll need to put a label on it eventually. I need to know what we are, you know? Whether we're exclusive, whether he really wants to be with me, where we actually stand in all of this instead of just guessing. By the way, dude, what is this I saw on this trip… you and Isabela… together? Spill.

[joekcery]

PRIVATE: Yes, he's a huge blabber mouth, but I think he was just so excited that he finally built up the courage to do it. No, don't be embarrassed, I think it's sweet how crazy he is over you. I promise I won't throw in the older brother talks unless entirely necessary. The nerves are completely valid, especially considering how close you were as friends before all this, but it's okay. You're allowed to be happy as the two of you move into a new chapter in your life. I promise, it wasn't all in your head. Seeing you two together even when you were kids always made so much sense. I think everyone resisted saying anything because you were dealing with so much from the media already and we didn't want to pile on. I'm happy for you, Millie, you deserve this. Both of you do. You've found your calm in the storm, hold on to it. I know he won't be letting you go anytime soon.

[milliebubbybrown]

PRIVATE: It's crazy 'cause I also told Sadie, but even between us we still don't really know how to handle things yet, you know? Charlie's already been teasing me about it too, at what point Finn decided it was a good idea to tell him.... I'm joking, I love him and he obviously had to know, but in Napa he was really giving me a hard time the whole time, and I swear every time I saw him I'd go bright red whenever he mentioned Finn. Yeah, I feel like that's probably the reason no one puckled up the courage to tell me sooner. You're the best brother, Joe, I don't even know how I'd stay calm and grounded without people like you around me.

[kmtaehyvng]

i don't wanna have him stray away too far from the path and i wouldn't be here right now if i didn't have to face everything thrown at me. i know it certain moments, i wish i didn't have to face them but i've grown stronger due to them. it wouldn't at all so i couldn't meddle even if i wanted to. i mean for me, i usually don't mind unless i'm with certain people or wanna feel at least somewhat normal. oh, i do! when i went to hawaii for a vacation one time, the fans made sure to keep their distance and let me enjoy myself. it made me so happy. it has happened a few times especially when i'm not with my group members. exactly! it makes you wonder but i know i don't share certain details but people know it without me saying a word. it is and i don't know how to take it.

[milliebubbybrown]

That's honestly really grounding to hear. I think there's something admirable about recognising that you don't need to have everything figured out, but still choosing to show up and face whatever comes your way, that really shows in the way you carry yourself later on. I really appreciate it when people remember there's just… a person on the other side of all of this, you know? Someone trying to have a normal time, make sense of things, and not feel like they're constantly under a microscope. It's so strange, people pick up on details you never even realised you were giving away. Like accidental detectives with way too much accuracy. Impressive, slightly unsettling, but impressive nonetheless.