THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL
pairing. bf¡drew && singer¡reader
summary. ever since you && drew started dating, you've been more inspired than ever, so—before your newest album drops—you wanna give your boyfriend a sneak peak (based on 'R.E.M.' by ariana grande)
drew knew dating a popstar was dangerous. one wrong move, and a whole album about his mistakes would hit the shelves in no time, but you were worth it to him. plus, he didn’t intend to make any mistakes with you.
the two of you had met about 6 months ago, and everything had been basically perfect. the type of perfect that had you slightly worried, but—for once in your life—you decided to just go with it. you had bad relationships in the past which left you with a deep mistrust when things were going well, but something about drew just made you feel so safe.
you knew it wasn’t easy dating you—not only were you a popstar (he was used to the fame anyway), but you over complicated things and just made yourself hard to love as a way of protecting yourself. in just 6 months, drew had taken those guards down—and even though it scared you to death—it was refreshing. life felt beautiful again, like you were finally seeing in color after years of living in black & white.
before you and drew met, you were so uninspired, so unmotivated that you were questioning if you even wanted to be in the industry anymore. you thought you had lost your touch. lost your voice. but, drew changed all of that. lyrics had been flowing out of you like a waterfall as the two of you had gotten closer.
your next studio album ‘sweetener’ was set to drop in two weeks. the name implying that drew had been the sweetener to your previously sour life. all throughout the writing and recording process you had left drew in the dark. it wasn’t because you didn’t trust him, or want him to hear your work. this whole album process had been so new and vulnerable, and it made you scared.
you knew you wanted to share at least parts of your album with drew before it released for everyone—the album was for him after all. so, one day, when the two of you had nothing else to do, you suggested a trip to the studio.
you and drew were currently on the couch of your apartment in new york city, he was watching something on tv while you indulged yourself in your current read.
“hey, baby? how about a little trip down to the studio?,” you asked, a soft smile on your face. drew just looked at you—almost like he didn’t believe you.
“the studio? you want me to come?,” he had always respected your decision to record alone, so when you offered to take him with you he was shocked to say the least.
“mhm. jus’ got a few things to wrap up before the release,” the look in his eyes already gave you your answer, but you awaited his response anyway. your big doe eyes distracting drew just a bit before he finally answered.
“yeah, of course, baby. let’s go. i’ll drive,” he said, a huge smile took over his face as he quickly stood from the couch, moving to grab his keys. you giggled as you stood after him, following him to the door to put your shoes on.
on the way to the studio, you told drew where to go since he hadn’t been there. his hand covering your thigh, fingers circling the soft skin with a featherlight touch.
once you had arrived and parked, you led him to the studio door, unlocking it with your key. once he stepped inside, he looked like a kid in a candy shop. he took in all the different computers, speakers, audio boards, and the glass wall separating it all from the artist. you made your way inside after him, closing the door, and taking a seat in a chair by the audio board table.
“this is incredible, babe,” he said, moving to sit in the seat next to you, “so, what’re we doin’ here?”
“i actually don’t need to wrap up anything,” you said sheepishly, “i wanted to let you hear some stuff before the album drops… if that’s okay with you?,” you were nervous to say the least, sure he had heard your other music that was already released, but none of that was about him. you felt like this album was the best thing you’ve made—it was everything you had been striving to create your entire career—so, yeah… there was some pressure on you right now. drew could sense it. gently moving his chair closer to comfort you, placing his arm around your shoulder and rubbing soothing circles into it.
“‘course i wanna hear, baby. wanna hear everything you make,” he said quietly. his warm smile made your heart skip a beat.
“‘kay,” you replied. your voice so soft it was almost a whisper. you moved to open the audio file of the song you had been most proud of. it was the fourth track on the album, and it had turned out exactly how you wanted it to. you called it R.E.M. to insinuate a dream-like state, and the instrumentals that accompanied it only added to the ethereal vibe of it.
you made sure your computer was connected to the speakers in the studio, so that drew could get the full experience, before hesitantly pressing play.
the dreamy beat had started playing, and there was officially no going back. drew just looked down, taking in the beat. he had a focused look on his face that made it seem like he was really listening—which he was.
when i was asleep (sleep)
you’re such a dream to me
you watched as drew’s expression softened. he looked back up at you, wide-eyed, to find you already staring at him in anticipation for his reaction. he didn’t say anything while it was playing, just listened intently, looking back at you every so often so you could visibly watch his heart melt.
before you speak, don’t move, ‘cause i don’t wanna
wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up (don’t wanna…)
wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up
boy, you’re such a dream to me
boy, you’re such a dream to me
excuse me, um, i love you
drew’s soft chuckle rings through your ears, his beautiful smile leaving an imprint on your heart. he still doesn’t say anything, just taking in all the beautiful melodies and adlibs you conjured up in this masterpiece of a song.
i’ll get you out my mind, mhm, i tried to
but i just want to stand and yell
i will never dare to tell
think i heard some wedding bells, shh, keep it to yourself
is this real? (is this real?)
drew’s head snaps up at the last verse—wedding bells? his heart had never felt as full as it did in this moment. he leans over—arm still around your shoulders—and gives you a gentle kiss on the cheek. his mind now clouded with not only your soothing melodies, but images of your wedding—you walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress, flowers everywhere, slipping a ring on your finger, and making you his forever.
i could buy you anything, but i cannot buy you
before your boy gets smart, i would never try to
you know i’m thinking to myself, "what happened, why you?"
but when i see you in my dreams, psh, i knew
you know how to treat it, you know how to eat it
you know how to beat it (i know how to keep it)
the good housekeeping seal
(bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum)
‘the good housekeeping seal’ is a term for a ‘stamp of approval’ commonly known amongst celebrities. it means a product has been tried, tested, and determined a good product. the line made drew laugh, as if he had gained the ‘stamp of approval’ from you. he laughed on the outside, but inside, his heart fluttered. you had opened up a little about past relationships, and the fact you considered him one of the good ones meant a lot to him.
the song finally came to a cinematic end, your vocals carrying the beat to a close. drew didn’t even know what to say—it was phenomenal. everything about the song was perfect, he could only imagine how the rest of the album sounded…
“y/n… that was—holy shit, that was phenomenal, baby,” he turned his chair so he was facing you head on, his hands coming to rest on top of your knees.
“really? you liked it?,” you asked. your bright eyes made drew swoon. the fact you thought he wouldn’t like it amazed him.
“liked it? it was heavenly. i felt like i was floating,” he smiled, getting all excited to share his thoughts with you. it warmed your heart to see him passionate about something you were so passionate about.
“and the adlibs in that back were just amazing. everything felt like a dream,” he continued.
“yes! that was the goal. i wanted it to feel almost surreal because… well, because that’s how you make me feel,” you looked down as if you were nervous to say the last part. drew brought his hands to your cheeks, pulling your face back up to face his.
“listen y/n… before i met you, i thought my life couldn’t get any better– i had movie contracts i would’ve killed for a couple years ago, friends i never thought i would have, i was working with directors i never dreamed would even know my name. i thought i had it all. life seemed exciting and promising, and i saw everything in vibrant color… at least i thought i did. i never knew how dull my life really was until i met you. these past 6 months have been unbelievable, and now i can’t even imagine how i was satisfied with the life i had before you…,” his blue eyes stared right into yours, admiration consuming them.
his words felt so sincere, something you haven’t heard in a long time… maybe ever—you just lost it. tears began to fall from your eyes. drew’s soft hands immediately moving to wipe the salty drops away.
“i love you… so much,” your words were broken by soft sobs. drew pulled you into him, his tight embrace giving you more comfort than you knew was even possible.
“i promise, baby, i love you more,” he said softly, running his hand down your back, slowly rubbing up and down to calm your cries.
once you finally pull apart, redness staining your cheeks. drew looked at you with the softest eyes you had ever seen, and you weren’t sure he was even real at this point.
“so…,” a breathless laugh escaped you before continuing, “wanna hear some more?”
“c’mon baby, you already know my answer,” drew smirked, moving back to put his arm around your shoulders to listen to the next track you played.
track 2. title: ‘blazed’.
TAGS .ᐟ @drewsswifeyy @drewrry @frankoceanluvr11 @dearestmillls
