Summary: Michael came to Calum with a request, a huge best friend favor: “Calum I need you drive me to Las Vegas!”
Or
Michael impulsively buys tickets to an emo festival in Las Vegas to meet up with a girl he's been talking to on Discord, but has no idea how he's gonna get there. Luckily, Calum has a car...
Written for @5sos-fic-fest based on the prompt: friends to lovers but make it a road trip!
I think a lot of fanfiction is inherently sexist and has horrible misogynistic undertones against women and here is why:
- a lot of fanfiction that includes going to a club , a lot of the times the girls in it or around the main character are judged on feminine stereotypes ( the drunk women at the club that dress like sluts and want to get into men's pants) which ends up turning the main character into a "not like other girls" stereotype.
- many times : other girls in fanfiction are just "other girls" and behave like stereotypes where feminity is seen as wrong or slutty. Somehow the main characters always end up being the guy's type compared to other women because they're less feminine and like the less feminine stuff
- a lot of the blonde bimbo stereotype appears as a best friend in fanfiction and end up turning against the main character because of men
-a lot of these stereotypes appear in fandoms that mostly have young fanbases but not always
- I understand this is because of the internalised misogyny we all have against women .I'm not saying I've never been guilty of this, I have . Actually a lot of girls spend their teenage years thinking like this.
I think women should love other women and appreciate femininity and include that in fanfics. Other girls are not always stereotypes. Think about this when writting believable characters. This is not the only reasons I think a lot of fanfiction is sexist but I'm just gonna leave these points here.
A//N: I finished this I can’t even remember how long ago but I just never got around to posting it. I’ve been getting quite stuck with writing recently and I’ve definitely fallen out of the habit of it, but I’m trying to get back into it before life starts to get hectic. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little addition to my dad!sos universe with Luke, Elle and Kenzie! Let me know what you think, feedback and thoughts are always welcome and very much appreciated!!!
Word Count: 4.8k
“Baby girl, what do you think you’re doing up?”
Elle’s head shot around to face her bedroom door, her eyes welcoming the sight of Luke standing there, blond curls framing his face due to his latest haircut, elbow resting against the doorframe as he watched the sight before him. She couldn’t hide the guilty expression that crept onto her face when their eyes met momentarily, her lips pouting ever so slightly as she looked down at her feet as they stretched out in front of her from where she was sitting on the floor.
It was getting late — too late for Elle to be sitting on her bedroom floor, dolls spread out in front of her. She should have been in bed, happily snoozing away where Luke had placed her not even a few hours ago. But instead, she was distracted by holding her dolls upright, mumbling to herself as she made them interact and talk to one another in her own made-up language.
Luke couldn’t stop the slightly amused chuckle that vibrated in his chest, pushing himself off the doorway and walking into his three-year-old’s bedroom. Elle naturally reached her hands up into the air, wiggling her fingers in Luke’s direction as she silently asked to be lifted and held.
“Up we come,” Luke took easy hold of Elle, hauling her up into the air, causing her to release an excitable squeal before she was brought against his chest, her small arms wrapping around his neck while her legs wrapped as far around his torso as they could. She always naturally clung to Luke when he held her, her small impressionable fingertips gently moving back and forth against the skin at the back of his neck, feeling the small baby hairs that curled there, the soft strands smooth against her skin.
She felt so relaxed against him, the way her grip was tight yet so loose as she held onto the fabric of his shirt, the way her heels dug into his ribs just enough to assure herself that she wouldn’t slip down him like he was a slide. Luke felt just as relaxed, feeling her chest rise and fall against his as she cuddled into him, her cheek pressing against his jaw as she looked over his shoulder.
“You know you’re supposed to be in bed, honey,” Luke spoke softly, trying to keep his voice and smooth as a hope that it would help in the attempt to get her to go back to bed. He had already sung to her once tonight and quite frankly he wasn’t sure he could handle singing her song for her for a second or third time that night no matter how much she loved it.
Who was he kidding? If she wanted it — he’d sing it.
“But Millie wanted to play with Hannah, and she kept asking,” Elle began to quietly ramble about her dolls, head never lifting from Luke’s shoulder, “And— and she then asked if I would let her— “
She cut herself off with a yawn, turning so her face became hidden by her arm, scrunching up her face as she opened her mouth and released the tired breath.
Luke felt her head drop a little, the weight falling against his shoulder as the pressure on his ribs from her legs slowly began to loosen. He could sense that sleep was slowly creeping up on her, her previous idea of staying up to play now coming back on her. “I think someone’s getting a bit tired, hm?”
“But… But Millie and Hannah…”
Luke tried to hold back the amusement that threatened to break out in the form of a laugh at her little protest, resting a large hand on her back as he rubbed gentle circles against the fabric of her pyjamas, responding, “Millie and Hannah will still want to play tomorrow, but right now, baby, you need to go to bed because it’s way past your bedtime.”
“But— “
“No buts, Elle, come on, let’s get you into bed.” Luke watched his footing as he maneuvered around the scattering of dolls that Elle had littered the floor with, making sure he didn’t stand on any or damage any of her other toys as he made his way back to her small bed in the corner of her room.
Luke kept a steady hold of the sleepy toddler, pressing a kiss to the side of her head as he moved to stand above her bed, gently moving one of his arms so he could move her legs so he could place her down. He kept a hand on the back of her head — a natural instinct since he became a father, it only became even more primal when Kenzie made her appearance a few months prior, his hands acting of their own accord to make sure their heads were supported and protected at all times.
Her curls fanned out against her patterned pillow case, her sleepy blue eyes slowly blinking up at him as he held himself up above her, a loving smile spread across his face as he stared down at the little girl who had his heart in the palm of her hand.
“Now you stay in bed this time, okay?” Luke raised an eyebrow at her, a playful questioning glint in his eyes as he reached a hand down and pulled up her blanket, tucking her in for the second time that night.
“But what if I can’t sleep?” Her question was accompanied by a pout, her brows slightly furrowed on her face as her little hands found a loose thread in her blanket, fingers beginning to fiddle with it as she watched herself twirl it around her left index finger. “Will you stay with me until I fall asleep? Please dad?”
“You want me to stay here until you fall asleep?” Luke basically repeated her question, voice soft and gentle in the ambient lighting of her bedroom. She still had her nightlight on in the corner, the warm glow just enough for them to make out each other in the night. “Okay, I suppose so, but you need to promise me that you’re gonna try and sleep, alright? Can you do that for me?”
Elle didn’t give a verbal response but instead just gave a simple nod, her eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as her eyelids grew heavier with every blink.
Luke adjusted himself so he knelt on the floor by the bed, resting a forearm against the sheets as he reached his other hand forward, using his fingers to brush a few stray curls out of Elle’s tired face. He found his hand going back to the same spot he removed the curls from once they were gone, allowing for his fingertips to gently glide against her soft temple, brushing back into her hair with a soft touch. He noted how Elle moved into it, her head turning up ever so slightly as if to somehow get closer to his hand, the soft graze of skin against her face soothing her.
As much as Luke wasn’t exactly impressed to come into Elle’s room to find her awake, he wasn’t mad about the outcome of where he found himself to be right then — knelt down by his daughter’s bedside, soothing her to sleep. It was something he never tired of doing, enjoying the whole malarkey of taking her to bed and the attempts of getting her to settle down enough to fall asleep. He secretly loved it when she was a baby and he loved it even more now, especially when she asked if he would stay with her.
There was never any reason why she wanted him to stay, not that Luke needed any to be convinced in the first place. It was always at the simplest of requests, Luke would find himself in her bedroom, sitting with her as she played, sitting with her as she tried to sleep, even gently singing to her as she drifted off like he had done since the day she was born.
It was an instinct for him to sing to her, for him to gently start humming and mumbling the familiar words to the song that she had come to love and claim as her own since the beginning. He didn’t even realise he did it half of the time, too transfixed on the sight in front of him whenever he would unintentionally start the familiar tune in his head.
And this time was no different.
Luke hadn’t realised he had started humming, ocean coloured eyes focused on the gentle breaths that left Elle’s lips as she drifted off to sleep, the soft sound of his silent words providing her with a familiar nightly comfort that she hadn’t even had to ask for anymore and could still be assured that she would receive it.
“And please don’t take my sunshine away…” Luke heard the tired mumble come from the three-year-old, his heart soaring at the sound of Elle’s sleepy voice as she sung the final words to the song she knew oh so well.
She turned comfortably in her sleepy haze, moving closer to the edge of her bed, blanket still tucked securely around her. She moved her head up a little, tilting her chin towards Luke’s direction so her head tilted back, moving more into Luke’s hand that had moved to stroke her hair, the soft locks against his palm provided him with as much comfort as it did her.
“Goodnight, baby,” Luke presses a soft kiss to her forehead, allowing for his lips to linger momentarily as he took a second to cherish that moment which he got to share with her. It was one to add to the collection, one he wished he could take a photograph of and add to the collection of memories that littered the hallway.
And just like that Elle was out like a light, the blanket that lay over her rose and fell with every heavy sleep-induced breath she inhaled and exhaled.
Luke knew he had to move otherwise he would have stayed there the entire night, knowing fine well that he would comfortably have stayed knelt on the floor of Elle’s bedroom, eyes fixed on her as he watched her dream through the night.
But Luke had to move. The crying baby down the hall wouldn’t soothe herself quite yet and Luke had told you to let him handle Kenzie during the night. He was only supposed to check in on the girls before joining you back downstairs, but it seemed like he was getting side-tracked.
His girls needed him. And that’s all that mattered.
***
When one door closed another opened in its place, Luke leaving one bedroom only to enter another. The only difference in leaving the previous bedroom to entering the new one was the silence that was no longer there, the soft cry of the unsettled baby coming from the crib at the bottom of the bed tearing through the quietness of the late night.
Luke felt his heart ache at the sound, his face scrunching ever so slightly in grimace at the unpleasant sound, the shriek being painful for him to hear. Closing the door behind him, Luke made his way over to the wooden crib, the wooden floors cold beneath his bare feet as he took the few steps required for him to peer over the edge of the crib. The sight of the unhappy baby beneath him warmed his heart yet also made it twinge unpleasantly, the soft face of Kenzie always being a vision that made him smile except from when her face was bunched up, mouth drawn open to release an unhappy wail while her arms and legs kicked out in protest.
“Hey hey hey…” Luke kept his voice soft and quiet, not wanting to give the small girl a fright. One palm curled around the edge of the crib while the other reached down, knuckles grazing against her pyjama covered back in a soothing up and down motion, as Luke began his fatherly duties of attempting to comfort his youngest daughter. “What’s got you all upset, hm?”
Kenzie continued to wriggle in her crib, an uncomfortable whine escaping her small lips as she fought to get her legs free from the blanket that was gently laid over them. Her face scrunched up in distaste, nose bunching up as her eyes clenched shut, her gums becoming visible as her mouth opened to let the sound break free.
Luke hated hearing her cry, much like any parent did with their child, the sound going right through him like cutlery against a china plate. It was a sound he wanted to silence as quickly as possible, a sound he wanted to put to rest by providing as much comfort and assurance to little Kenzie as he could.
“Come on, sweet girl, up we go,” Luke reached down with both hands, keeping his voice just as quiet as before, not wanting to disrupt the semi-peaceful atmosphere that was lingering in the room. He took a gentle hold of Kenzie, sliding a hand beneath her so his hand was splayed against her back, while his other went behind her head to support her as he lifted her up and out of her crib, gently placing her against his chest so her face was resting against his neck.
When you had taken Kenzie up to bed previously, the bedroom was set up so it would soothe her; Luke’s bedside lamp was left turned on the lowest setting so it barely lit, giving some reassurance that Kenzie wasn’t left alone in complete darkness, a small night-light projector was set up on the dresser, aimed so the gentle cascade of moons as stars were scattered across the ceiling, accompanied by the gentle instrumental lullaby that the toy sung. Usually the combination worked to keep her asleep for the majority of the night, the only time she would wake up was usually for a night-feed, but tonight seemed to be the night that neither of his daughters were sleeping without a second visit from him.
Luke adjusted her in his arms, so she was resting comfortably against him, forehead against his neck with her cheek pressed against the top of his chest. Kenzie seemed to settle a little at the physical closeness she had gained, the familiar warmth of his body recognisable to her and bringing her as much of a comfort as it brought to Luke himself. His hand remained splayed across her back, thumb moving gently in a back and forth motion as Luke gently began to sway as he allowed for his feet to begin to walk around the room, smiling as the gentle weight of her head against his shoulder as he whispered to her, “There we go, is that better?”
If there was one-way Luke knew to get Kenzie to sleep when she was restless, it was to lull her sleep with motion. A simple movement worked wonders with the small blonde, the soothing motion of a moving car causing her eyelids to become heavy as the gentle hum of the engine rocked her to sleep with every car ride. But the motion that Luke conducted when he walked with her, a gentle sway in his step as he held her in his arms had nothing on the hum of a trusty engine, the warmth of his arms and chest against her mixed along with a soft whisper he hushed her with was the one true secret that worked almost every time.
He felt her small hand clutch onto the collar of his t-shirt, her grip a little loose in her tired state, the soft whines and whimpers continuing to slip past her lips although at a lesser volume than before.
“Shh… Shh…” Luke gently hushed her, lips gently pressing against the side of her head as he left a reassuring kiss against her soft skin, his palm beginning to glide up and down on her back. He glanced down at Kenzie from his position, noticing the missing splash of colour that could usually be found in her mouth, mentally cursing himself for not noticing at first that her favourite comfort was missing. She couldn’t sleep without it, always having the familiar lion-themed piece of rubber and plastic attached to her baby-grow on the little fabricated cord. Although it seemed that the cord had come undone during her slumber. “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Have you lost your paci?”
Luke gently rocked her, swaying in place as he bent his knees slightly to try and create a soothing rhythm as he stood on the spot and looked back into her crib, searching for the familiar brightly coloured piece of rubber and plastic that Kenzie adored. He didn’t understand how such a small baby in such a limited space could lose something that she barely let go of throughout the day. Whenever she would suck on her pacifier, she held it like a vice between her lips, her gums gripping it with all the strength her small frame could muster if Luke or you even attempted to take it from her against her will.
She was only young, but boy, was she stubborn. I wonder where she got that from…
“Where did you put it, huh?” Luke quietly asked, directing the question towards the unhappy baby in his arms as if he would receive an answer. His eyes were focused on the discarded blanket, removing his hand from its place on Kenzie’s back so he could use the limb in the attempt to search for her favourite orange pacifier. Luke knew it wouldn’t be the secret to settling her, but it would certainly help.
Luke’s eyes searched the dimly lit crib, leaning ever so slightly forward so he could get a better look, keeping a steady and secure hold of Kenzie while his fingers lifted the blanket up as he gently tossed it to the other end of the crib. A flash of orange caught his attention, eyes looking to the far side of the crib, spotting the brightly coloured plastic of the pacifier which had somehow become stuck between the crib’s cushion and the wooden frame. He wasn’t sure how it exactly got there, but with the amount of moving he knew Kenzie to do throughout the night, he knew he shouldn’t have been completely surprised about where it ended up.
“Would you look at what I found,” Luke added a bit of hushed excitement to his voice, reaching forward and grasping hold of the pacifier as he plucked it free from the tight space it was trapped in. He checked it over, making sure it wasn’t broken or damaged, assuring there were no cracks in the plastic for Kenzie to hurt herself with. You called him overcautious and overprotective, but you knew he was only looking out for his girls; the thought of one of them hurting themselves ultimately being his worst nightmare. Once he deemed that it was fine, he cleaned it off, ridding the rubber nub of any dirt or fluff before he lifted it to Kenzie’s face, a smile creasing his lips as he chuckled and gently rubbed the smooth material against her lips to encourage her to take it. “Here you go, baby.”
Kenzie blinked tiredly, her eyes spotting the familiar bright orange object in Luke’s hand. Luke watched as she clung onto his shirt, lips separating as she leaned forward slightly, head moving closer to where Luke was holding the pacifier between his thumb and index finger as she took the rubber between her lips before resting her head back against Luke’s shoulder. Her hand still gripped his shirt’s collar, cheek pressing against him as she nuzzled in, her soft skin sliding against the fabric of his shirt as she tried to keep as close as possible, the gentle graze of the fabric against her skin almost doing its own job of lulling her to sleep.
Kenzie’s soft whines and whimpers seemed to quieten down even more, the sound becoming muffled from behind the pacifier that was back in its rightful place, her cheeks moving ever so slightly as she sucked on the soft piece of rubber.
His hand found its place on Kenzie’s back almost instantly, resuming its previous gliding motion as if it were second nature to him. Luke had always been told his hands were a gift, that they were instruments in themselves that could strike the most beautiful sound when given the right tools, and he knew that to be true. But, there was nothing like the way his hands naturally found their position when holding his children, the way his fingers stretched, the way his palms curved, the way his hands manoeuvred so the young girls felt secure and comfortable when they were in his arms. He was forever grateful for the work his hands created and the talent he had been given, but the way he felt when he got to hold Kenzie like he did in that moment… There was nothing that came close.
“That’s better, isn’t it?” Luke spoke in a hushed whisper, resuming his gentle swaying motion from before as he stepped away from the crib and allowed for his feet to absentmindedly wander around the room, to step where they wished and carry the two of them across the room while he tried to settle Kenzie enough to get her to fall back to sleep, “You just wanted your paci and a cuddle, hm?”
Kenzie seemed to relax against Luke in that moment, her weight falling against him as her face gently pressed into his neck as her breathing began to slow and even out. Luke felt her blonde curls tickle the sensitive skin of his neck when she rubbed her cheek against him, her skin half rubbing against the fabric of his t-shirt and brushing against the skin above the collar, attempting to get comfortable. He swore he felt his heart ache when he heard the content little sigh slip out, the light-hearted sound containing just enough volume to cause a tear to spring to his eye at the simple realisation of contentment the young baby felt against him.
With one hand remaining splayed across her back, the tip of his thumb brushing the nape of her delicate neck with every slow swipe, Luke slowly continued to circle the room, humming quietly under his breath. Luke barely heard the creak of the bedroom door open, his head turning to glance over his right shoulder, Kenzie drifting off against his left, his eyes meeting yours as you popped your head through the gap, smiling at the sight in front of you.
Luke couldn’t hold back the smile on his face at the sight of you slipping in through the open door, his lips puckering out slightly as he whispered a quiet “shh” to you, the sound barely counting as audible, before continuing his gentle sway as he padded around the room in the attempt to lull the sweet baby to sleep.
It was after a few more minutes, Luke made his way back over to the crib, gently rearranging his hold on Kenzie so he could lower her down. He kept a hand on the back of her head, leaning forward with his shoulder so he had a better hold of the sleeping child, allowing for her weight to fall against his arms, turning her slightly so her back was resting against his forearm. He kept a hand beneath her body, fingers gently tapping a comforting rhythm on her back with a featherlight touch as he continued to lower her back down into the crib.
“Shh…shh…shh…” Luke hushed her uncomfortable whimpers, the gentle noise he released breezing through the air as it comforted Kenzie and her whines slowly settled back down as she wriggled a little against the fabric of the cushion in her crib. Luke slowly and carefully removed his hands from beneath her, sliding the hand that previously rested under her back, fingertips sliding over her side to rest delicately on her stomach, slowly coming together as if they were almost meeting to form a fist but instead continuing to provide Kenzie with a comforting touch to keep her asleep. With his other hand Luke reached over with a free hand to grab her blanket again before placing it over her so she was protected from the cold draft he knew to sneak in through the night. “There we go, sweetheart, all nice and cosy.”
Luke hadn’t noticed you make your way over to him, your steps against the floor were practically silent, your presence only becoming clear to him when he felt an arm slip around his waist. The gentle squeeze you gave as you leaned into him was warm, the embrace being one he always looked forward to whenever you were around one another, it almost being guaranteed when you had the chance to hold one another without a toddler or a baby in between the two of you.
“Night night, baby.” Luke spoke in the softest whisper, lifting his hand, pressing his index and middle finger to his pouting lips before lowering the limb back down. With the gentlest of touches, he allowed for the pads of his fingers to rest against Kenzie’s forehead, as if transferring the kiss from his lips to her skin through his hand. It was a soft gesture he had started doing for her as of late, the loving way of saying a final goodnight before he would carry himself back through the house where he could unwind.
Elle had her sunshine song and Kenzie had her special goodnight kiss, both personal moments to be shared with Luke when he took them each to bed, a silent promise to them that he was there and he would always be there to give them those comforts.
Luke found himself leaning against Kenzie’s crib just that little bit longer, gaze never breaking from the slumbering baby as she lay on her back, head tilted in Luke’s direction, with one hand out to her side while the other clutched onto the soft blanket that was splayed over her. He watched as the pacifier in her mouth slowly bobbed up and down, silently counting every small suck gave and timed them with her breaths, smiling to himself at the realisation of what he was doing.
“I’ve always said you have magic hands, Luke,” You kept your voice low, as if any sound louder than that of a pin dropping would wake Kenzie. You rested your head on Luke’s shoulder, your arm remaining loosely wrapped around his waist, your other hand coming to rest against his bicep in front of you. You pressed a kiss to his shirt-covered shoulder, smiling to yourself as you inhaled the remnants of his cologne that still lingered on his clothes. “The same trick worked when she was nothing more than a bump and now look at her.”
The natural smile that spread across Luke’s face at your words was a knowing one, one that was also so full of love. He knew you were right, it seemed as though his touch was something to be considered magic. It was with the simplest of touches, he could make the girls calm down, make them fall asleep, he could soothe them in any case. You had always told him that his hands were gifted, especially when it came to your girls, that there was something that they provided which no one else could match, that they provided a warm comfort that came from him and him only.
“I’m kind of hoping it’ll always work,” Luke tilted his head so it rested lightly against yours, turning ever so slightly so he could press a soft kiss to your hairline in the process. You knew he enjoyed having his own little knacks that had become nightly routine for his girls, understanding the sense of need and purpose that they provided Luke with. As long as the song and kiss worked, Luke and you both were assured that the girls would always ask for them, that they would always want them. “Hopefully, my girls don’t get sick of me too soon.”
“Trust me, babe, I highly doubt that’s going to happen anytime soon,” You chuckled, squeezing his bicep slightly, the pressure your fingers provided was light, “You are their entire world, their everything, they love you more than they love anything in this world.”
Luke knew you were right. It was a loving moment they shared every night, a moment so small yet so big that it meant the world to Luke as well as the little girls whom he shared it with.
It was an individual moment he got to share with each daughter and that in itself was the greatest gift Luke could have.
Warnings: a bit of smut I guess but not really more than heated kisses, mention of anxiety and a bit of sadness too
Requested: based on the prompt “can I kiss you right now?”. Request are always open and they don’t have to be prompt based, feel free to request anything you want!
A/N: hi! I don’t know how to feel about this one. I’ve spent the whole day writing it and I still feel it could be better but I don’t hate it ig. I like that it has like flashbacks idk. I got kinda caught up in my own feelings so this may be too fluffy or cheesy. Feedback is really appreciated! I’d really love to know what you think about it. Enjoy!
Masterlist
You didn’t really like parties that much, but it was Luke’s birthday party, so you figured it would be rude not to go. You and Luke had been best friends since he moved to LA and somehow you had never been able to spend his birthday with him until this year, so you were excited.
You finished getting ready and headed to Luke’s house. It was a 10 minutes walk so before you could even realize it, you were already there. You would have lied if you had said you weren’t a bit nervous too. You knew it was gonna be crowded and you were afraid your anxiety would strike when you needed it the less.
Besides, it was gonna be the first time you saw Calum since quarantine started. You wouldn’t care if it wasn’t because the last time you saw him you told him how you felt. You had known Calum for a couple of years now. In the beginning, you saw him just like one of Luke’s bandmates but as time went by, you started falling in love with him. You tried to deny it even to yourself because you were convinced you had no chance with him but it didn’t make your feelings go away.
You had told Luke you liked Calum a couple of months ago. “I know” was his answer after you explained to him how you had silently fallen for his best friend. You weren’t even surprised, no one knew you better than Luke. What you didn’t expect was him telling you that you should go for it.
You were two years younger than Luke and from the moment you got close, he had acted like a big brother. He was always trying to protect you and rarely approved any of the boys you had been with. So it was quite a surprise when he told you he thought Calum may be the one for you.
“Oh, c’mon Luke. You’re giving me false hopes here... you know Calum would never go out with someone like me”
“What are you talking about, y/n? You’re the most awesome girl I know, and also the funniest, you know Calum loves that”
“I’m also younger than him, I’m sure he sees me just like you, like a little sister to protect. I’m not doing it, Luke, I don’t wanna lose him. I’ve gotten used to loving him in silence, it’s fine”
“Why have you told me then? You were hoping I’d say this. I think you are meant for each other, and you may be younger but you are way more mature than any of us. Don’t forget I know him too if I’m telling you that you should try it is because I really think it’s going to work”
You didn’t even know how but he had convinced you to invite Calum over that same day and as soon as he got to your house, Luke left the two of you alone. You could see the confused look Calum gave him as he said goodbye. “Good luck” he shouted as he closed the door making you blush.
“So... what are we doing here? I thought the rest of the guys were coming too”
“No, it’s just you and me tonight” you answered awkwardly. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“A beer will be fine”
You brought him a beer and served yourself a tequila, hoping the alcohol would give you the courage you lacked. You talked about your day and when you realized the conversation was dying out you decided it was time to tell him.
“So you’re probably still wondering what you’re doing here” he nodded in response “yeah, me too. Luke convinced me to do this and now I guess there’s no going back”. You shifted on your sit of the couch not knowing how to word your feelings. He was staring at you, waiting for you to continue.
“Okay, you know we’ve known each other for a couple of years now, right? well, of course, you know. We’ve spent quite a lot of time together, I’d say we’ve become good friends and I enjoy so much spending time with you because you always make me laugh and you are always there to listen and give advice when someone needs you. So I don’t know what I want to happen after I say this and I don’t know how to say this”
“Just say it y/n, it will be fine” he encouraged you. You took a deep breath and raised your head to look at him.
“I really like you Calum” he laughed and you gave him a confused look. “What?” you questioned.
“I like you too, y/n, you’re one of my best friends” you sighed and shook your head.
“No, that’s not what I mean Cal. I have feelings for you, I think I love you” you looked down and waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, you could feel the tears building up in your eyes. You felt Calum standing up from the couch. “Where are you going?” you managed to ask.
“I’m sorry, y/n. I can’t do this right now” you felt your heart break in a thousand pieces as you heard the door close and you called Luke.
“I don’t know what to say, y/n. I’m so sorry, I swear I thought he would react differently, I don’t know what’s up with him” Luke explained himself as he cuddled up with you. He stayed at your house that night and that was the last time you had seen any of them since quarantine had started just a few days later.
Of course, you had kept in touch with Luke, calling each other or facetiming almost every day, but you hadn’t heard of Calum since then. When Luke told you he’d be at the party your first reaction was to get mad at him for inviting you both but five minutes later you realized you were both his friends and there was no reason why Luke shouldn’t have invited him, you know? not liking you back wasn’t a crime after all.
Luke opened the door and all of your fears went away, you had missed him so much these last months that the only thing you could think about now was being with him. You went in, said “hello” to everyone who had already arrived and sat next to Luke.
“I’ve brought you something”, you said receiving a disapproving look from him. “Before you say it, I know you didn’t want any presents but I have never been with you on your birthday so please make an exception, besides, it’s not like I’ve spent a lot of money on it or whatever”.
You handed Luke his present and you could see the sparkle on his eyes while he opened it, you knew that deep inside he loved receiving gifts, he just hated people spending money on him. It was a book filled with polaroids of your favorite memories with him and you had written exactly how you had felt in those moments. You knew Luke would appreciate way more something handmade, personalized, and something you had spent your time in rather than something you had just bought.
“Oh wow, this is beautiful, y/n, I love you so much, thank you for taking the time to make this!” he told you while he hugged you and you couldn’t help but giggle at his excitement.
The night went by, as usual, nothing really out of the ordinary. Calum had arrived only a few minutes after you but you both had avoided each other the whole night. It hadn’t been hard since he spent most of the time in the kitchen playing games while you stayed in the living room talking to your friends.
A couple hours after midnight people started to leave and when everyone had gone, you, the band, and their girlfriends offered to help Luke clean all the mess. You were washing the dishes and glasses when you heard the door of the kitchen close. You turned around and saw Calum standing almost too close to you for your liking.
“Hello”, you said trying to be polite and hide the fact that you still felt embarrassed for opening up about your feelings. “Have you had a great night?” you asked him turning to continue your task and to try to hide your blush.
“It’s been great, yeah”, at the sound of his voice you felt a slight shiver running down your body, it felt like a lifetime since the last time you had heard it. Suddenly you felt his hands on your hips and his breath on your neck. You could feel the tension building up between you two but you didn’t know how to react so you kept washing.
At the lack of response from you, he moved to your side and started helping you. You sighed relieved at the same time as frustrated for the loss of contact. You kept going in silence until you had finished.
“It’s pretty late, I’m gonna head home”, you told him. You went to open the door but he grabbed your wrist making you turn and pulling you close to him.
“As you said, it’s late, let me give you a ride” he offered and you nodded. Luke opened the door and Calum let go of you.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked confused.
“Ha, ha, very funny. No, I was just offering y/n a ride home”
“Are you okay with that. y/n? If you wait for a second, I can drive you”
“No, that’s fine Luke. I’ll go with Calum” you answered. You were feeling the tension between you and Calum still growing and although you knew you may end up heartbroken once again, you were curious where it could lead to. You said your goodbyes and got in Calum’s car.
Calum put on some music and you closed your eyes trying to relax but all the tension came back to your body as Calum placed his hand on your thigh. You left a soft gasp and grabbed his hand as an instinct, but you didn’t pull it away. Calum started to draw small circles with his thumb and continued to move his hand slowly closer to your inner thigh. His touch felt so warm and familiar, it was comforting. You arrived home and Calum got out of the car almost instantly. It was fair to say you were more than confused by his behavior.
You got out of the car and were surprised by Calum quickly closing the door and pushing you against it.
“I know I’m an asshole but please, I am begging you, can I kiss you right now?” you nodded frantically and it took him less than a second to press his lips against yours. You opened your lips slightly desperate to finally taste him and he slipped his tongue inside your mouth. He pushed your legs apart with his and you left a soft moan. After a few seconds, he pulled away and you could tell his eyes were filled with lust.
“What was that? I mean, you know how I feel about you so I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but why did you do it?”
“I am a mess for you, y/n. You are all I can think about. I’ve spent my days in quarantine looking at our photos together and remembering every moment I’ve spent with you. You don’t know how many times I’ve been about to call you but I never summoned up the courage to do it. I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you, at this time you’ve proved to me you’re the kindest and bravest person on this Earth and every time you give me more motives to fall in love with you. Luke advised you to tell me because all the band has known how I feel for years. I’m so sorry if I hurt you in any way, trust me, it was the last thing I wanted”
“Why did you leave? I’ve spent these few months trying to get over you. I don’t get it, Cal. You left me thinking I had lost one of the people I care for the most not only as a potential partner but also as a friend”
“I know, Luke told me. I really am sorry. I am such a coward. My first reaction was to run away because that’s what I always do when I feel vulnerable. You know I haven’t had a stable relationship in years and you’re part of the reason why. I could only imagine my future with you and I didn’t think it was fair to start something with anybody else if I thought it wasn’t going to last. I swear I’m not lying when I say you’re the only person I’ve thought about for the longest time. But I never got any sign from you that could mean you felt the same so I got used to my love for you being platonic. Besides I know you don’t like being on the public eye that much and it has given you anxiety the few times paparazzi have followed you with Luke so I thought we were better out as friends and I never tried anything.
And then when you confessed your feelings I tried to tell you how I felt but I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth. I started to think about being in a relationship and I got scared of commitment and everything it implies so I left. I don’t think I’ve ever regretted any decision as much as that one. I know I don’t deserve you to forgive me but, please, could you give me a second chance?”
“You know you could have fixed this before, right?”
“Yes, I know. I’m sorry for that too. I thought you probably hated me and I didn’t know what to say exactly. If I’m being honest, until tonight, my plan was to act as if nothing happened and just try to be your friend again but then I saw you tonight with this little red dress that drives me crazy if I’m allowed to say so” you nodded and smiled at him “Well, I saw you and I talked to Luke and somehow I decided I would try to tell you tonight and if it didn’t work I’d leave you alone because that’s the least you deserve. You’ve possibly noticed I didn’t exactly have a plan but suddenly I just felt like I needed to be in contact with you, touch you, kiss you, as if I needed to hold on to you and never let go. As I’ve said, I am a mess, I am feeling things more intense than I ever had before that I don’t fully understand yet and just being around you makes me so happy I don’t ever wanna lose you. I love you, y/n”. You wrapped your arms around his neck and gave him a short peck. You pressed your foreheads together, feeling each other’s breaths.
“I already told you, but I love you too, Calum, so much. You’re lucky I do because I don’t know if I’d give you a second chance otherwise” he sighed relieved.
“I have to warn you, you’re gonna have to be patient, I’m new to all of this” Calum said pointing at the two of you.
“What do you mean by “this”? A relationship?” you teased.
“I guess so, y/n, I’ve never done this before and it may be weird, old-fashioned or whatever but I feel like asking this would be a great start for our relationship. Y/n, do you wanna be my girlfriend?”
“Of course I do, you cheesy idiot!” you giggled and he kissed you again pressing you against the car for the second time. Your tongues danced perfectly synchronized as you played with the curls at the back of his head. You pulled them slightly and Calum let out a quiet moan, which was exactly what you were hoping for.
“Do you wanna come inside?” you asked as you bit your lip and shifted your position so that his back was pressed to the car now.
“As much as I’d love to say yes, I think we should take this slow. I don’t wanna rush it and screw things up” he said pulling a strand of hair off your face. You pouted making him giggle. “C’mon, let me at least take you out for a date first, what do you say about dinner tomorrow?”
“Fine, but I expect a great dessert after it” you winked at him and blushed right after. “Don’t mind me, I do stupid things when I’m horny”.
“It was cute”
“But it was supposed to be sexy” he laughed and you followed him. “I guess you’re gonna have to get used to your new girlfriend failing to be sexy”
“Trust me, you are sexy just by existing. So, do I pick you up tomorrow at 8?”
“That sounds perfect, Cal” he hugged you and you wrapped your arms around his torso “I’ve never said this before but your hugs have always made me feel safe, I’m so glad it’s not weird to say that out loud anymore”
“You are the cutest. But y/n, I really meant it when I said you are gonna have to be patient with me. I’m not used to being in a relationship or sharing my feelings but I promise I’ll try my best to make this work”
“It’s okay, we’ll work it out together, step by step. We need to earn each other’s trust first, it’s normal if you don’t feel like opening up just yet”
“You really are the kindest girl ever, how did I get this lucky?” you pulled away from his embrace.
“I’m gonna go to sleep, see you tomorrow Cal”
“See you tomorrow babe” you couldn’t help but blush at the pet name. You kissed him goodbye and got into your apartment happier than you had ever been.
“Congrats, mate!” Luke said once you had closed your door.
“What are you doing here, Luke? Were you watching us? That’s creepy man”
“Of course I was! Did you guys really think I was gonna leave the two of you alone after last time?”
“Fair enough”
“Although there was a point when I thought you were gonna get inside and that was awkward to watch but the point is that I’m glad you didn’t”
“Yeah, I told her it is better if we take things slow”
“I agree. By the way, don’t you dare hurt her again Calum or else I don’t know what I’ll do”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on hurting her, I swear. In fact, I really like her Luke, I think she has always been the one”
“I know, I can tell by the huge smile that doesn’t leave your face” Luke teased him.
“Oh, shut up!” they both laughed and decided it was time to wrap up the night and head home.
what if in the distance series, she’s been having a really stressful week with her album promotions and whatnot and all calum wants to do is make her feel better and the facetimes can only help so much so he decides to fly out and surprise her 🥺
Thanks so much for the suggestion! I’m going to combine it with this one:
i’m feeling rlly down do u think for the distance series you could write another blurb about the reader being really upset and not wanting to bother cal but she tweets a really concerning tweet and cal calls her and she’s balling and maybe he sings to her to make her to feel better and the next week she gets a care package?
I did some tweaks. Her album’s not out yet. She’s just promoting the singles. But the album is coming out soon! I’m not a professional, so I don’t know how any of this actually works. But I’m trying.
Series Masterlist | Calum Hood Masterlist | Main Masterlist
The thing about life is that, sometimes when one thinks there’s not much lower that they can do, there’s something right around the corner that proves deeper is possible. Though the tweets hadn’t exactly lessened, she made a point not to be on social media unless she had to be, she only interacted with fans for a spare few minutes, liking tweets and reply to the love and positive outreach. Her relationship with social media is rapidly evolving and for the first time in a while, she kind of understood the reason why Calum never seemed to be on his. It was a hard river to get out of, if one floated down it too long.
But now, she was looking at her schedule for promotion and while thankfully most things were still relatively close to her, traveling this much so soon, made her nervous. She tried to speak with her manager and the team, to see if some of the interviews could be scheduled for video. They had managed to keep a decent portion video based but still too many required her traveling. “I’ll try to talk to some people, but you really have to get out there, have people see your face. Besides, you already traveled out of the country once before. What’s the big deal now?”
It makes sense and she’s still new to this game. But going to see Calum is completely different than being in cities for hours before flying out for the next. Just the idea of her being herded around made her a little uncomfortable. “I understand that, but when am I supposed to be a human being during all of this? I still have songs to finish. And I visited a friend for a few days. Totally different than bouncing around god knows how many countries in two weeks. I need time to breathe in all this.”
“Listen, we’re here to help you out. The only way for this relationship to work is if there is mutual respect.”
“That’s rich,” she retorts. “I’m only simply asking that for my mental wellbeing that we adjust some of the interviews, that’s all.”
“And we will see what we can do.” The rest of the meeting is tense and it grates every nerve in her soul that there seems to be no real regard. It’s really just in the tone. Like she’s a child begging for candy in the checkout line while her mother has already told her once before that there is candy at home.
But she has to in some ways take them at their word. She lets this go for now but when the next day, she receives an email that the schedule will remain the same, she knows in her gut that no one actually talked about rearranging anything. Can she really afford to cause a ripple? Especially so early in her career? These people kind of did pluck her from obscurity but at the same time, shouldn’t her voice be heard?
Remember the compression socks, reads the message from Calum. He sent her a care package last week, after hearing about her promotion schedule. It was going to be hell and Calum wasn’t going to hide that fact from her. She hadn’t told me about the small feud. So he sent things that helped him out a lot, the socks for the constant air travel, a sleep mask, vitamins, a book that he recommended but she hadn’t stopped by the local shop to buy, a pack of her favorite pens that she had to order from a place in New York, and a beautiful bound leather journal. Her wire bound notebook was curling at the corners and well loved. It was by time to get a new one but she had a hard time giving up on things.
Snapping a picture of her carry on, she makes sure the socks are resting right on top. I would never.
You got this, buttercup. Calum stares at his phone, wishing he could do a little
The first couple of days aren’t so bad. The flights aren’t terribly long. The interviews are kind of fun, filled with plenty of laughter. There are gimmicky games based on her singles and they didn’t always pan out completely, but for a second, she figures maybe she had overreacted. But soon the interviews grow repetitive, the games are no longer fun. She can’t even write, by the time she’s on a plane, all she wants is sleep. The time zones are killer and she swears time means literally nothing as she’s hurded about.
I’m losing it, she texts Calum. Losing all sense of her humanity. She’s grateful to meet her fans in the small pockets of time she’s allotted and that keeps her going. But slowly and surely, her body is drained. No amount of sleep means anything. She can’t hardly concrete. It’s all crumbling around her. She doesn’t feel human.
“Are you sleeping?” Calum asks, through the screen. His picture goes pixelated for a quick second but then it straightens back out.
“Yeah. Just doesn’t seem like enough though.”
Calum knows that feeling. He knows that look in her eyes too. It’s hard to keep up the facade when constantly about. “Eating enough?”
“Kinda,” she admits. She tries to think what she had for breakfast. But that was hours ago and now she’s sitting waiting for another plane that will take her even further ahead in time. Will she be eating breakfast again soon? Does it even matter right now?
Calum passes along a few more tricks, but mostly aims to distract. He talks about the new music he’s working on. She asks if she can get a sneak peak and he’s more than happy to oblige. If that’s all he can do for the small moments in time, he’ll do it. He wishes he could do more though. It’s not easy and he’s fortunate to have three other people that are going through it all at the same time as him. There’s always a support system. But it’s just her. And she can confide in a couple of her security guards, they’ve become a level of friends, but it’s still not quite the same.
“I miss my dog,” she confesses, randomly amongst the reverbing rumble of Calum’s bass as he finishes the last chord in the progression. Her chest starts to ache. And the tears are stinging her eyes before she can really stop them. “I miss my dog so fucking much,” she cries in a whisper. “I miss my bed. I miss you.”
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s hard to be away. I totally get it.” His heart races, because of her tears but also because of her confession. Now, probably isn’t the time, not to get hung up on that last sentence but his mouth is moving before he can will it not too. “I miss you too. And I know your dog misses you. And it’s okay to miss us. We’ll always be right here when you need us.”
It doesn’t help to be having this breakdown in the middle of an airport. And sure, there might be headlines in the coming days but at the end of the day she’s so human. No matter how much she wants to pretend nothing ever affects her, it does. It always will. Her wall isn’t without some flaws. She does her best to calm the tears, steady her breathing but it feels so right just to let it all out.
She manages to excuse herself to that bathroom. There are still about thirty minutes before her flight and she has to get it all out now before she boards. With Calum still on the line, she sobs in the bathroom. A toilet flushes alerting her that she’s not as alone as she once expected but locked into the stall, it doesn’t matter. Calum soothes her as best he can, telling her it’s okay to get it all out. Ten minutes later, she’s cleaned up and running back to her gate. “Thanks, Cal.”
“No, no need to thank me. Just take care of yourself, okay? Please.”
She nods, guards waiting for her with her bags. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Just like she knew, it’s all over the internet the next day. The woman interviewing asks if everything’s okay, what sparked the teary episode. “I’m human, in case anyone forgets. I am human and I just hit my limit. I think we all need to take a moment to remember we are human. I am. You are. The person listening to this. We’re all human at the end of the day.” That’s all she has to say because if truth be told, she’s still at that limit, she’s still hitting that wall in which everything feels hazy but crying her eyes out helped a little bit.
Calum sees her interview, not trying to look for it, but it pops up on his timeline. Her voice shakes as she speaks, lower lip quivering but her tone is strong, there’s a fire behind her eyes as she talks. Calum knows she’s hitting that wall and she won’t really get over it until she gets home and gets a chance to unwind. It’s crazy. Really, but he can’t do much over a call or over a video chat. So he figures out when her return home is and books a flight out for the next day. He should really make sure she wants company to, but it’s too late now as his email dings with the confirmation.
It’s midday and it should require more pants than she’s currently wearing, her only plans are to stay curled up on her couch and snuggled up with her dog. She has plenty of food in the house and she doesn’t mind taking the moment to cook for herself. The knock at her door is surprising and she stands, hollering that she needs just a moment and scurries to her room to grab a pair of shorts off the chair in her room that has just become the clothes chair when things aren’t dirty to go into the laundry but aren’t clean to stick back into the drawer.
And there’s Calum, just standing at her door. A hoodie on his head, covering the baseball cap and his sunglasses. “Hey,” he exhales with a tiny grin.
All she can do is hug him, shaking with a small bit of laughter. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, or if I’m hallucinating this, but I’m absolutely okay with this.”
He kisses the top of her head. “Just here to cheer you up, buttercup. That’s all.”
So what happened since the last preference in June 2018? Had just gotten out of surgery. Fell deeply in love. Started college. Prepared to move out. Broke up. Depression. Crisis of identity. Mentally abused by the same ex for half a year. Tried to find myself. Fought back to what I loved. Started writing again.
Let’s say an old hello and welcome back to preferences. ❣️
Read When We Collide here // Find my Masterlist here
Luke:
“Are you suddenly demanding what I should do?” You looked at Luke with challenging eyes, your tongue removing the taste of blackberry cider from your red lips. His eyes scanned the cup in your hand, it was probably your fifth drink this night. “Yes, in fact, I am.” He took you by surprise, his baby blue eyes turning dark. “You were basically grinding your body all over that guy over there! Right in front of me. As if I wasn’t existing!” You rolled your eyes deeply by his dramatic words. You had been dancing, yes. But grinding? That must have been his interpretation of the situation. “Why do you even care? You’re not my boyfriend.” You raised your arms in the air with the cup and tried to yell over the loud music. “Because you know you’re my weak spot and if a single guy hits on you I’m going to beat the shit out of him.” Luke’s voice lowered, almost intimately and your eyes switched between looking at his lips and his eyes. It wasn’t often he showed affection like this. "Let's get out of here." You quickly concluded and placed your cup on the nearest table. It didn't take Luke any convincing to grab your hand and quickly leading you out of the party, skins being met with the cold wind and lost in the air.
Calum:
“No, no, no, Calum. Not now.” You were quick to mush between Calum and whoever he was trying to confront, anger shown in his usual warm brown eyes. “Look at me.” You almost demanded, trying to sound intimidating. He barely flicked you a glance. You rolled your eyes deeply and still held your hands on his firm chest. "You weren't flirting with me. Right?" You looked up at the light-haired guy with frickles, almost begging with your eyes. If he admitted he was indeed flirting with you, Calum would lose his temper and most probably be thrown off-campus in the middle of everything. "No, I wasn't. Just being polite and asking if you needed my help." He referred to the assignment you had been given. His tone hinted of nervousness, clearly indicating that whatever he was saying it was a lie to cover up. "See," You looked back at Calum, who still had a tense jaw. His fists were firm and clenched together so you decided to try lace your fingers between his. "No one is hitting on me. You don't have to worry so much." By this, his eyes glanced down at you, less tense. "You know I should put on a sticker on your forehead telling you're mine." You rolled your eyes deeply by his words and stood on your toes to kiss his nose lightly, wanting him to settle down.
Michael:
"Are you suddenly challenging me, Clifford?" You leaned your elbows against the cushion of the couch and looked at him daringly. He was sitting with his controller, intensely watching the screen. He had been switching his eyes between glaring at you and back at the screen. He was annoyed, you could tell. He was chewing the inside of his cheek just to prevent from word vomit. "Y/N, I just told you. If you poke me one more time with your feet-," "I'll regret it." You finished off his sentence, a cocky smirk starting to form on your face. "You're so annoying right now it should be illegal." He mumbled the last part with rolling eyes, a deep breath settled his tone and he looked at you sweetly. "Would you be kind to quit?" "No," You quickly answered again, followed by a poke from your feet. This time into his cheek and he quickly reached over to grab it in his hands. "No, no Michael you know it's invading personal space to tickle someone's feet." "You know it's also invading personal space to fucking poke someone for almost an hour." He used his strength to pull you down to his edge of the sofa, a small smile forming on your face. You laughed, afraid of what he had in mind as revenge. "You are fucking lucky you're cute you know that right?"
Ashton:
“Should I repeat myself?” He asked, arms sneaking around your waist and folding his fingers together on your loin. You looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows, a smile growing on your face. He was definitely challenging you with his cocky smirk and smart tone of voice. “Since when did I start following orders? And from someone like you.” Ashton’s eyes widened and his eyebrows lifted by your matching tone. He liked when you were fighting him back. "From someone like me? Are you trying to put me into some sort of box?" You shrugged your shoulders, wanting him to continue speaking. "Don't give me that softy look." He wrapped his arms around your waist and moved you away so you weren't standing in the sight of everyone. He pressed your body against the cold brick walls, the expelling smell of cigarettes lingering on his lips as he moved his face closer. "I'm not doing anything," You blinked carefully, biting down on your lip to suppress a laugh. "You're so sure of what you're doing." One hand slipped your waist and filtered in your hair instead. "You're using yourself as my weak spot. Let me tell you something. It's working." You smiled when he moved his lips closer to yours, barely brushing. "I know," You whispered and instead of kissing him on the lips went for his nose instead, grinning.
How about fanfic writers actually be neutral in the writing YOU or Y/N fics. Don’t describe colours of hair or eyes or skin. Don’t assign a gender or sexuality. Just write a story like you’re looking through your eyes or whatever.
Like if you’re writing about Ashton, obviously you can describe him, but don’t describe yourself. We don’t need “I look in the mirror” scenes. We don’t need freaky “I love you” scene where they mention every feature. Let’s not talk features. How about we talk about personality. I like your laugh. You’re intelligent. No “you’re eyes are so blue I melt”.
We don’t need skinny white girls in every fic. Not every fan is a skinny straight white girl, so we can’t do that. Delete it from your writing and your mood boards.
It’s actually WAY more simpler than you think it is. And we need all our lovely fans for every fandom to be able to see them self in fics and writing.
for my favorite writers, the ones i can think of at the top of my head right now; will probs add more eventually:
@irwinkitten so like. laura’s writing contains such a pretty tone of her own voice. when it comes to her longer fics, i just know she’s the mastermind behind them because, yeah, every writer has their own style and voice they put into their works but laura’s always seems to stand out to me because it just sounds so soft and sweet? idk if that makes sense. even if i’m reading something angsty by her, i feel this sense of calm wash over me as i do, while also experiencing the emotions she’s intending to pull from her audience. it’s black magic, i swear. and her lil blurbs, especially the smutty ones? yeah she FREAKY freaky and i love losing my breath over them.
@softforcal the concepts nova comes up with are amazing, and such concepts i never knew i needed until she introduced them. she puts so much planning and care into her OC’s and it’s amazing to see her bring them to life. no one OC is like the other, and nova does a brilliant job in differentiating between their voices, something i sometimes struggle with. her fics always leave me at the edge of my seat, and even though she can say i’ve made her cry with my stuff, she can proudly say she’s made me shove my face into a pillow and scream bloody murder because of how phenomenal she is.
@valentinelrh oh my baby lauren. her writing is the sweetest i’ve ever read. she’s got a GIFT when it comes to writing dad!sos. as IF i didn’t wanna have kids with the boys Calum bad enough already. she’s got such a lovely way of showing just the kind of dad they’d be, it’s so realistic and sweet. her blurbs are amazing, with the perfect amount of detail to tug at your heart strings just the way she wants.
@sweetcherrymike okay so i’m like half convinced em sold her soul to the devil or some writing god because of how perfectly she incapsulates the boys in her writing. like. it’s unreal. i can picture the boys so vividly in her writing, from their dialogue to their facial expressions to their body language. her stories and concepts in general are fucking amazing, and they grasp you even more tightly because of how talented she is in capturing the boys’ essence in her works. like i said: half convinced she sold her soul to something.
@dammitbands ah yes the QUEEN of world building. amara’s fics aren’t fics. they’re poetry. like, you read something of hers and you instantly want more because of how beautifully everything flows, because the plot and conflict are so specially interwoven in every carefully picked word. it’s so easy to get lost in amara’s writing by her ability of intricately using the setting and the world she’s built to move her characters’ stories forward. and it’s never forced. it all works so smoothly. it blows my mind.
@irwintry so i only just recently started reading brit’s writing and goddamn it’s like.... where have i been?? like i remember reading one of her Calum fics and literally choking on a gasp at the end of it ((you KNOW the one)). she so easily had me so deeply involved in the world she created and i had no recollection of her doing so because it was effortless. the words she thoughtfully strung together created such beautiful stories that by the end i’m like, i need MORE. even if the story has ended perfectly, i still need more. amazing.
