#also pardon whatever i'm doing but i'm really just trying different styles out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nightswithkookmin · 3 years

Text

A quick lesson on ships

Because why not??😌

No but seriously, bare with me, I'm trying to answer your questions. Sit if you have to. Hehe

Uban Dictionary defines shipping as this:

A term used to describe fan fictions that take previously created characters and put them as a pair. It usually refers to romantic relationships, but it can refer platonic [sic] ones as well. (Just think of “shipping” as short for “relationSHIP”.) 9 Apr 2015

Ships can be platonic or romantic or both.

There's fictional ships and non fictional ships too. You ship two people you want to be in a relationship or who already are in a relationship or who you suspect to be in a relationship- perhaps due to queer baiting, ship baiting, romance baiting etc.

In the shipping fandom, there are two sects of people. Those who are Proships those who are Antiships- antis are ironically considered part of the shipping community because for some reason they are always in shippers business💀

Antishippers are those who oppose a particular ship or shipping in general (more on that later.)

Proshippers are well- Pro ships.

Pro-Ship

A term mostly used in fandoms, but can stretch outside of this to include original characters. The core belief is that shipping two fictional characters, no matter if they are family, share ages gaps, considered to be unhealthy, or show blatant signs of being abusive or other generally unsavory behaviours, are valid in a fictional setting.

Pro-Shippers or "anti-antis" are also known as "rainbow meaties" and will use 🌈 + 🍖 emojis together often in their bio on twitter or other social media platforms- usually within fictional settings.

These shippers reinforce the idea fiction is separate from reality and shouldn't be confused with the other.

‘Anti’ is short for ‘anti-shipper’ or ‘anti-[ship]’.

Kindly read through this thread to get the gist of it.

III

Shipping non-fictional individuals is a subset of Proshipping, in my opinion, known also as alternative shipping- as far as my knowledge on it goes.

As with fictional shipping, alt ships have their antis too. People who disagree with shipping real couples in a romantic way for whatever arbitrary moral reasons they have and who feel entitled to go out of their way to correct, stop, police and punish such shippers.

Then there are those who although may be pro real people shipping think they have the right to tell others how they should ship and to what extent they can ship.

Others too prefer to ship real people platonically because they view romantic shipping of real people as problematic.

So to answer your question on Anon's post- there is no such thing as a Proshipper who is also Anti shipping. Thats oxymoronic. Perhaps they might be platonic shippers who are anti romantic ships but not necessarily romantic shippers themselves.

I don't think there's anything wrong with preferring to ship platonically. It is when they assume by virtue of their false sense of moderacy that they are better than others that shit starts to get funny.

Those shippers are delusionally confused beings with a supremacist imperialist complex rooted in ignorance and absurdities.

I usually walk by those quietly. keep it pushing. Gotta mind my business somehow even though most times I just want to pull their hair and bite them and shit😭

I try to keep it classy.

Lord knows I try.

You are either pro ship or anti ship. There's no in between. Those shippers who are shippers but claim they are not are nothing but fraudulent, fake us, simps trying to bamboozle their way through life- pardon my Swahili.

There are a lot of anti shippers moonlighting as shippers in this fandom. It's fascinating.

Personally I think those people are either confused or their desires to appeal to other Anti shippers must have morphed their brains into ass dick hybrids.

Anti shippers in general are notorious gatekeepers, gaslighters, bigots, high key sanctimonious and often have a cis white westernized sense of morality and ethics through which they fliter others and expect everyone and everything to conform to.

They impose their values on others, their ethics on others, resort to manipulation, policing, intimidation and bullying to impose their will etc.

Within shipping, there are those who are Proshipping yet anti certain ships. Most Tuktukkers are anti Jikook. And assume anyone who isn't a tuktukker is equally anti Tae Kook and so go ahead and exhibit anti behaviours towards them.

Think of such groups of shippers as Proshippers with a preference for particular ships if you will.

There are Pro shippers who also feel some kind of way about Shipping real life people or alt shipping.

Here's further resource to help you understand what proshipping is

If you are intolerant with other shippers choice of ships or style of shipping and you traumatize them for it that's Anti shipping. Especially if you feel entitled and justified to traumatize others because you take a higher moral status over them.

You can be proship and not like how certain people, how they go about

Simply walk away, click off, mind your business. You are not the only adult in these streets and leave people to do what interests them.

I think for as long as I can remember, I've always been a proshipper and I ship both platonically and romantically, fictionally and alternatively💀

Some themes in fiction are a hard limit for me such as the R word, pedophilia, incest, child abuse- I just can never find the entertainment in those topics and will struggle through such themes.

But others believe it's just FICTION and those fictional characters aren't really dealing with the imaginary struggles we read about.

Yall do you sis.

I don't really know why people make a big deal of it or try to demonize the concept of shipping as if it were something strange or mysterious- just keep your moral values to yourself. I am not your mother's daughter. we were not raised in the same households.

Then again I think it all depends on the different cultures and social backgrounds we all come from and how entitled, supremacist or imperialist they are.

For Yoonmin, I shipped them romantically but didn't think they were a real couple at all. I just romanticized their interactions and found humor in it. At the back of my head I was expecting them each to one day find husbands or wives and go their merry ways and even harbored the thought they each could very much be in serious romantic relationships with others.

In similar ways, I shipped Minimoni and Vmin.

You can ship a pair romantically and not think at all that they are actually REAL.

A lot of jokers ship Jikook romantically and don't assume they are real. Just as a lot of people shipped say Elena and Stefan romantically even though Paul was married.

Some shipped Elena and Damon too due to their unscreen chemistry and even felt they could be a thing- that was before later it was revealed they had started dating in real life. Even that I was holding on to my Bonnie x Damon fantasies because Bonnie was my bias and I shipped her with everyone romantically- of course I didn't expect any of those ships to manifest into something because it was the character I was shipping not Kat herself. To this day I still love her onscreen chemistry and friendship with Damon and don't see how people could wish for it to be more than that😭

It was beautiful as is. Not everything should climax into sexual intercourse.

But if I felt at some point any of her ships had crossed into alternative ships I would have jumped on those and supported it whole heartedly.

If you assume a pair are a real couple and dating in real life that's alt shipping- a lot of alt shippers suspect a ship is real and that's why they ship them.

There is no such thing as platonic alt shipping.

And for me personally, because I believe Jikook are a real couple and have made that cross over I don't ship any of that pair romantically with other members anymore.

It's bizzare to me to ship someone I know has a partner romantically with anybody else- I make exceptions for Vmin of course💀

I know JK is side eyeing me but I don't care.

I want Tae to be happy too😭😭😭

Tae just wants his bestfriend and soulmate😭

It's too much😭😭😭😭😭😭

He stays shooting his shots🤣

Jimin Harem is real🤭

I must admit, I catch myself slipping on Vmin and Minimoni every now and then- old habits die hard and they don't make it easy 😫

But that don't mean I think Vmin is dating. THAT WOULD BE WILD.

Summary

Proshippers can be Platonic or Romantic shippers and you can ship a pair romantically and not assume they are real at all.

Anti shippers are just assholes trying to beat their values down people's throats.

Alt shippers don't ship their OTP with other players romantically.

I don't know what you mean by Jinkooker...

Do you ship Jinkook romantically or think they are real?? Sis...

Maybe you just ship them platonically or casually.

I ship all the ships platonically.

Especially all Jimin"s Tae's ships. I'd let my self flirt with the idea of romance every now and then.

JK's ships don't make sense to me as ships.

As nonplatonic ships I mean.

I'm fascinated each time I see a hardcore JK x any member ship besides Jikook swearing up and down JK is screwing Namjoon🤣🤣

I hope this helps??

GOLDY

75 notes · View notes

ms-indifferwnt · 3 years

Text

I'm Cold (Lee Donghyuck x Reader)

"I'm cold"

"And?"

"Can't you give me your jacket or something?"

"Can't you accept my proposal and marry me already?"

In which Prince Donghyuck's parents are forcing him to get married and he decided to propose to the first girl he sees to shut his parents up

Genre: Prince!Lee Donghyuck x Maid!Reader, Angst, Fluff, Arranged Marriage (kinda), Slowburn

Warnings: Curse words, Suggestive (I'll add more if there are)

Word Count: 2.6k

Notes: Chapter 2 of Im Cold. Dont be shy and drop and ask, I love answering them hehe

Prev / Chapter 2 / Next

"And she said No" Donghyuck huffed taking a swig of his alcohol, while the boy opposite him started laughing at the story, "Don't," he says pointing a finger at him "Don't laugh at me, Mark Lee"

He snorts and takes a sip of his drink before replying "Well you deserved it, did you think she'll agree?" he pints out and sighs, running his fingers through his hair "You're fortunate enough that she didn't refuse your advances in front of everyone"

Donghyuck groaned and glared at Mark "You're supposed to be on my side"

"I'm on nobody's side"

"What a lucky bitch nobody must be"

"Think about it, other than the maid of the royal family, she has a life of her own, with people she adores and people who adore her right back," he points at Prince Donghyuck's chest "You suddenly pulling that stunt, is only making it harder for her, so be a little bit more," he thinks of the right word "Sympathetic"

Hyuck nods, playing with the liquid in his glass as Mark stands up to leave "Don't leave me," Hyuck accuses "Stay here till the sun rises"

"And why should I do that?"

"Because if Jeno and Jaem find out they're going to yell at me, if Renjun finds out he'll laugh at me, Chenle and Jisung are underaged to drink and Lucas Hyung is talking to his Fiancé"

Mark raises an eyebrow unamused by the younger's words

"Y/n is asleep on my bed," he answers honestly this time, relenting to the older's stare "I told her to sleep there and made an excuse that my parents might walk in and wonder why she is asleep on the sofa, so I waited till she slept before leaving her there to rest, you know like a gentleman"

Mark hums and sits back down "And what do I have to do with this?"

"I can use you as an excuse as to why I'm not in the room"

"Ok," Mark rolls his eyes and nods "Then why ask me to come here at Eleven in the evening if you just wanted her to be alone in the bed?"

"She slept at Eleven!" He shot back "she was on her phone for two hours, giggling to herself, whoever she was talking to is making her all giddy"

"Maybe she has a boyfriend or talking to her friends how dumb their prince is," Mark added "that's why she wouldn't accept you, none the less, at least try to be a bit more considerate on how she is feeling"

"Morning" was the first thing Y/n heard when she woke up, don't get her wrong, she wakes up early cause of her job, but she also knows that the prince rises even earlier cause he loves the sunrise and when she opened her eyes that's where he was, by the window, letting the sun coat him in light making him glow, his black hair styled to perfection, his dress shirt wrapped snugly against his body, the tailor did a splendid job on this one, his trousers and unbuttoned blazer giving off a casual look. For a moment she sat there in awe, he was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking that it takes all her strength to look away "Go get ready, we're returning home after breakfast" he points at a dress beside the bed, that she hasn't noticed, and we have the prince to blame for that

The dress was a red, more pastel-like, giving off an innocent vibe, Off-shoulder vintage style is what she would describe it "What about that dress, Prince?"

"It's yours," He said and looked at her "If anyone asks tell them I gave it as a gift to you on your birthday" she blushes and shakes her head, opening her mouth to speak if only he didn't cut her off "Gifts are meant to be accepted, love, so accept the dress, it's yours now"

Just as he spoke a maid entered the room bowing to the prince "Your Highness," She faces Y/n and immediately recognizes her, it was one of the new maids in Prince Donghyuck's Kingdom, She remembers to cause this girl was supposed to be under her wing "Milady"

Y/n gasps and looks at the girl in shock "Hana" She says and shakes her head

The prince walks towards Hana, petting her hair, "Speak casually to her, it's alright" He smiles and nods at the dress "Take care of her, see you in the dining hall my love" he says, taking her hand to kiss her knuckles and leaves the room

Y/n looks at the younger maid who looks at her in awe "Pardon me for my rudeness, Milady,"

"Y/n is fine"

She smiles "Lady Y/n, you of all people know how loved the prince is" she squeals excitedly "everyone in the palace were so excited with the news, so many girls envy you you know"

Y/n smiles softly "The prince and I aren't really dating" she replied and shook her head

"Milady please don't be so modest," She says and stood up to take the dress "wow such a pretty dress," she breathed "Where did you get this Milady?"

She sighs and stood up "The Prince gave it to me" she replies and Hana immediately assisted her "I'm ok, you don't have to help me"

She pouts "It is my job"

Entering the dining hall all dressed up in the dress is Y/n's first, she looks at Prince Donghyuck who smiles and nods as Prince Jaemin stands to greet the new incomer

"Y/n" he smiles and takes her hand to kiss her knuckles "You look lovely," HE praises "Is that from Hyuck?" A shy nod leaves her and Prince Jaemin smiles slyly at the boy who was watching him and the girl, Jaemin raised a hand and waved him off, Yes, I know she's your bride I won't do anything, it meant.

But in all honesty, Prince Donghyuck was just watching to see if Jaemin was about to do anything that isn't approved by Y/n, he was just worried. She hasn't even agreed to marry him yet.

Prince Jaemin squeezes Y/n's hand so she'll look at him "Don't be shy Y/n," he replies and a smile coats his features "I'm sure Hyuck told you to wear that cause he was excited the secret is out and he can spoil you"

Y/n's eyes widened opening her mouth to speak but Prince Jaemin spoke first "He said this was a gift on your anniversary" he said excitedly leading her to her seat beside Prince Donghyuck

Prince Lucas nodded "What did you get him Y/n?

She was about to reply only to be spoken over by Prince Donghyuck "Can you not?" he asked Prince Lucas, wrapping a protective arm around her waist, making her flinch as he leans down to whisper in her ear making it look like he was keeping her close "Don't say a word"

She obeyed

Arriving at the palace a little before noon she was greeted by Maids and butlers, ready to assist Prince Donghyuck in whatever he might need

He holds her hand, "follow me" he instructed and lead her through the palace and people, "mother says this is your room now" he informs and sits on the bed

"My prince" she quickly denies and shakes her head "I cannot accept, this is insane"

He laughs and shakes his head "The room is yours, get some rest, my parents took the liberty to fill your closet" he replies and stands up against the door, his hand on the door "Get some sleep, you must've been stressed" he opens the door and leaves

Y/n watches him leave still not done disagreeing with The Royal Families instructions, it wasn't fair, she and the prince aren't dating, they're not engaged, she doesn't deserve this

She sits down on the bed to open the drawer on the white vanity beside her and gasped, in it were different designs of accessories, she couldn't help but become completely enchanted, taking them one by one to examine them.

A beautiful (birthstone) ring was the first thing she saw, taking it and examining it, watching the intricate details swirl and curve around the ring. Next, she saw a pretty and plane necklace, it was a diamond gem, a choker sized necklace that if she wore the gem being pressed right between her collar. While holding the necklace she stands, going to the closet to see the overwhelming amount of dresses, taking them out to carefully inspect and admire them placing one after the other on the soft mattress of the bed, finding comfort on the cold floor right at the floor of the bed, she leans her head against the matress as she thinks, I have to tell them.

She sighs softly, this was all new and stressful and even if the gifts were beautiful, she feels guilty, these weren't for her they were for Prince Donghyuck's Fiance, she frustratingly ran her fingers through her hair, and closed her eyes at the on coming headache

She didn't mean it, she only meant to close her eyes for a minute, to only rest for a couple of seconds, she didn't mean to be cooped up in the room for a two hour nap, she didn't mean to fall asleep still holding the necklace that when Prince Donghyuck entered to ask her if she wanted to accompany him only to see her asleep, she didn't mean for him to lift her and place her under the covers, she didn't mean for him to clean up the mess she made while she explored the room, she didn't even know it happened 'till she woke up

Opening her eyes and realizing that this wasn't where she fell asleep, she sat up in shock, what happened? who entered the room? Somebody cleaned up? She got cut from her thoughts when she noticed a letter on the vanity table from the prince herself

Dear Y/n,

I hope you didn't mind, I placed you on the bed, you'll get a stiff neck at the position you were on. Rest well, You deserved, the whole ordeal must've been stressful, I know you wanna talk to me, I have a free schedule later around 7 pm, eat dinner with me and lets talk

Lots of love,

Lee Donghyuck :)

Y/n's mouth drops open in shock, he was the one that placed her on the bed, did he clean to? please tell me the prince didn't clean up the mess she made. She stood up only to be greeted by Hana as she opens the door

"You're awake, Milady" She smiles and sorts through the closet before Y/n could even process what was happening "Prince Donghyuck has suggested this to be your outfit for the rest of the day Milady"

She blinks, "Um, no thank you, I'm ok with what I'm wearing" She says and moves to go out the door when Hana stops her

"Milady you can't be seen wearing the same thing twice," She reasons holding the dress up so she can see

Y/n examined the dress, it was simple more simple than the red vintage dress she was currently wearing, it was a long dress hat would reach her ankles, the material light and seemed light and cottony, sleeves reaching the wrists, and a cute bow by the collar. It was just a simple casual sundress that had its own belt, she nods and sighs "ok fine, I'll go change"

She walks through the halls of the palace, going to the tea room, where Hana has informed her where Prince Donghyuck was. Upon arriving she realized that not only was Prince Donghyuck in the room so was the Queen and someone she hasn't seen a long time

"Donghyuck where is Y/n?" the queen asks and looks by the door, making Y/n hide behind the door, "Should we fetch someone to get her?"

Donghyuck was quick to shake his head and deny his mother's suggestion "She's probably asleep let her rest"

The boy she hasn't seen in years smiled happily at the conversation "Hyuck sounds like a caring fiancé its amusing" he laughs and teases Doghyuck with a sly grin "is she the one wearing blue by the door way?"

Y/n froze around the same time, Prince Donghyuck and the queen turn their heads to look "Y/n?" Donghyuck asks

Revealing herself, cheeks slightly tinted red at being caught she bows in greeting "I'm sorry," she replies looking down in embarrassment

Prince Donghyuck stands to hold her hand and land a kiss on her knuckles "Don't be, my love" he says and leads her to sit beside him with her still frozen from the nickname and the action, "Did you sleep well?"

the boy from earlier giving her tea "I have honestly never seen Donghyuck so smitten," he teases and smiles at her "Nice to finally meet you, Lady Y/n"

She shakes her head and stands "No please, Lord Taeyong" she quickly denies "Don't address me by a title have no right over"

A smile lands on his lips "I like you" he says and pats Donghyuck's back "I approve if her, good job" he stands and bows "I'm afraid I shall keep you calling that Milady, it suits you" he winks and Donghyuck, gently pulls Y/n to sit down "Your Highness" Taeyong speaks to the Queen "After you, I think the two of them would like to have the room for themselves"

The queen giggled, nodding "Oh Taeyong, I was just about to suggest that, you're a lot like my brother in law has anyone ever told you that?"

"I'm afraid so, My Queen" he laughs "He is my father" was the last thing you could hear from the conversation before it faded away and into the hallway

Y/n wasn't paying attention to the Marquees or the Queen only to be focusing on the prince, his blazer long forgotten on the coat rack, but his simple french-cuffed-two-unbuttoned-buttons style was mesmerizing, she realized they have matching colored tops, she blushes slightly

"Are you still adamant about not marrying me?" he wakes her from her thoughts

She blinks then nods "Yes, this isn't meant for me, My Prince, this was for your Fiance and i can't take it"

He sighs and examines her "Two weeks"

"I'm sorry?"

"Give me two weeks of your time and after that I'll tell my mother myself"

"What? No, We have to tell her now"

"Listen, you said you don't want the royal family to suffer because I can't tell her I don't want tp get married yet, right?"

She bites her lip, not answering

"Right?"

"Yes" she whispers

"Then give me two weeks, to figure out a way to tell her how we broke up so you can be free and no one will ask why, and so I can use it as an excuse as to why I wont find a new bride anytime soon"

"What excuse, My Prince?"

"I'll be too busy trying to get over you to find one" he smiles and she tries her best to suppress the warmth of her cheeks at the sight

"That won't work"

"Better than the family getting ridiculed, so, will you give me two weeks my love?"

#7dream #chenle #donghyuck imagines #donghyuck x reader #haechan smut #jeno #jaemin #jisung #lucas #nct #nct127 #23nct #princeau #royal!haechan #royal7dream

193 notes · View notes

becausethathappens · 3 years

Note

Will you please write a super angsty fic where Link is freaking out because he thinks the wedding vows he has written aren't good enough and Rhett helps him go over them and make corrections and says they're perfect but also, just says the vows he would say for Link if it was them like it should've been because he's heartbroken and Link can tell but their hands are tied and they don't know what to do so they soldier on without saying a word, but wordlessly communicating lifelong love and misery and everything, maybe comfort as well?

i'm really really sad and i can't shake it off and i really want some good angst and hurt/comfort and i really love you, maura, you're awesome

I don't do unhappy endings, anon. I'm confident you don't either. In fiction or otherwise. So, pardon this if it’s not what you expected.

Please enjoy? This was done a little hastily to share it with you (and I should be writing other things per usual) but I've had a rough week and I want to hopefully make someone smile. (I have way angstier stuff in the drafts and I will be sure to get those out eventually, too.) You’ll feel better soon. 🤞 Thank you! 💞

-———————-

now or forever

4k - Rhett writes Link vows.

If you were my boy, Blue

I’d bathe you in honeys (sp?)

I’d sing write you a love song

I’d shoot you a star**

If you were my boy, Blue

There ain’t nothing in this life I wouldn’t give

From my heart, to my toes, to my fingers, my nose (**)

Whatever it takes just to watch you live

continue to ‘ ’ grow with you like a vine ‘round a rose

If you were my boy, Bue

I wouldn’t want you all for myself

There’s no star bright enough to match your lightin’

In sickness, blue, so certainly while we have health

Hand in hand, no longer fightin’

What’s destiny (**)

You and & me

If you were my boy, Blue

I'd marry you

Thank God for Rhett. Giving him, delivering him, blessing him with Rhett.

Link is in the middle of a spiral (what he’ll later recognize as a panic attack) when Rhett arrives, the eve of his wedding. Bailing him out of this with pen, paper, and a smile.

Link has always been good at improv.

Though Rhett tended to find the words to start. These were his own vows and Link has been putting time to sit and start them off for weeks. Now that he has to, he’s dumbfounded, despite being deeply in love.

Amidst all the planning and chaos, writing his vows was such a given that Link left it as priority sixty-seven on a list of many more.

Unfortunately, even as busy as they’ve been, that list was shredded with the “who gifted what” tracking sheet (both literally, accidentally, and figuratively) back around the bridal shower and it’s been anarchy ever since.

So he thanks God for Rhett, who’s here, to stop another needless disaster from happening.

That same generous God, however, watches him plagued with thoughts of utter devotion at Rhett’s willingness to drop everything on a weeknight and rush over to help Link find his words.

His lyrics, really, is what Link has in mind. Since they used to write songs together and this felt much the same. He’s been floundering all night and now that Rhett’s here, he knows he’ll at least get what he needs done. Even if it’s not all he wants, right now.

That same God seeks judgment on his every decision or flinch against His will, for any reason, to spite him.

For this reason.

He wants to smush Rhett’s face and kiss him. Deeply. He doesn’t.

Even if there were sometime in the past that he could get away with a platonic smooch, now he can’t. He simply could not prevent that from escalating.

So, he merely tightens his grip on the wrinkled scrap paper in his hand and scrunches his eyes.

“Why can’t it be you up there…” Link bemoans, loudly, in his frustration.

Rhett’s eyes widen, in horror, and Link slams his other hand at his mouth, rolling his eyes. “Not like - I mean - why can’t you go say my lines for me. You’re so much better at this kinda thing.”

“Let me read what you’ve got,” Rhett says.

After some review, Rhett sighs, not unkindly and sits down next to Link. “Let’s just talk through what you’re trying to say because, yeah, this reads like liturgy.”

“Ain’t is supposed to? It’s in a chapel!”

“What do you like about her?” Rhett asks, ignoring his nitpicking. “Christy?” Rhett stares at him, waiting, too upset for Link to chastise but clearly wanting to.

“She’s patient,” Link says, reminded by the similar. Rhett folds over the book to an open page and clicks the pen in his hand, writing that down. “A-And she’s kind. Like considerate, ‘specially with babies and little animals. Sh-She does this thing where she immediately drops to their eye-level to make sure they don’t feel unheard or seen. Probably ‘cause she’s always been so tall…”

Rhett’s still writing.

“Then when I’m sick, she forces me to rest. You know I hate that,” Link says, voice rising a little, at the memory. “But you know I need that. You won’t be the last to make me stop and smell the roses or take a break, once in a while.”

“Her hair, write, her hair - the way it looks in the sunshine. Like warm caramel with flecks of gold. She’s a vision, an angel. Especially when she’s wearing all white, like,” Link says, pausing to point to Rhett’s undershirt and pale grey sweats. “Makes blondes look ethereal-like, always has.”

“Oh, and her voice. Sometimes, the way her accent catches, well, you know she don’t like to sing like us, never has, but when she says certain things, asks a question the right way - it’s music. The way it harmonizes with my answer, reminds me of singing, reminds me of us.”

Rhett keeps writing, quiet, and focused.

After a short time, Link can’t stop and wants to crane over to see what he’s come up with. Rhett hands it over after crossing a final “t” somewhere on the page.

“Those’re good, Link, but I think you need to keep closer to what I wrote, leave out the stuff about me.”

“Stuff about you?” Link asks, having spoken in a stream-of-conscious style, Link forgets most of what he even said

Rhett looks away, shakes his head.

Distracted by the desire to read the rest, Link abandons the lingering questions he has about Rhett’s suggestion and response.

“These are great, man, thanks,” Links says, pushing a soft hand into Rhett’s side.

His eyes scan to the bottom where Rhett’s added a few lines about the journey, the marriage, all the ceremonial aspects of the day for him to close with, but then something more.

Something about him.

Rhett catches him catch it and looks further away. “I know Christy pretty well, too, y’know. Y’all are just alike, in that way. She might need some back-up vows, to have and hold.”

Link reads them.

“You know, just in case.”

Link looks up and tries to laugh.

He doesn’t laugh.

He goes back to reading them.

Rhett shifts uncomfortably, touches the back of his neck, and shuts his eyes.

“Rhett, these ’re…”

“I know, bo, you can forget ‘em,” Rhett excuses, still not meeting Link’s gaze. “You want me to… I can rewrite the others on a different - I can turn the page and write ‘em there so you can just…”

“Hey, hey,” Link interrupts him, mad at Rhett putting down his best friend, and eager to explain his actual thoughts. “Rhett, these are perfect. These are… I’m sad I can’t say anything as nice in return to you.”

Rhett finally looks up to acknowledge that and their gaze heats and lingers.

“Not that I…” Link stutters to clarify. “Y-You’d have to be a - if that’s something that was gonna - you know - if that was gonna work…”

His mind does it’s usual jump to a visual for the worst case scenario depicting the implication he stumbled across. Him out eight grand on the wedding. Not to mention a wife, a family, a future, a faith -

a friend -

Link gulps, pushing that back away, pushing them both forward, in his estimation.

It’s too much to bear to think about for another second. When he glances at Rhett, he can’t get a read on his face what he thinks about it, and that’s scary enough for him to want to abandon the concept altogether.

“Christy’s gonna love them.”

It’s enough, saying his fiancée's name, to ground him again. Enough to make it okay for him to grab Rhett’s palm and squeeze it in thanks, between them.

Rhett’s made his choice to give up on film school.

Link’s made his choice to give up on whatever schoolboy obsession he has with monopolizing all of Rhett’s days and nights.

He’ll stick to the days or every other weekend, however they can still fit time together, is fine by him. This ceremony, tomorrow, feels as much about his graduation from friend to husband, and all that that entails.

They’re adults.

They both know there’s a lot of sacrifices to be made and this feels like the first time he’s really acknowledging how hard they’re going to be to make. He hopes they’ll still see each other.

He hopes their kids will get along.

He has a lot of hopes.

All of them involve Rhett.

There’s a lot he should write down for when Rhett finds his own bride to wed.

Link notices, suddenly, that Rhett is crying. The same part of him that's nearly broken the headwind of these conflicting emotions turns back to comfort him.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Link soothes, realizing he’s also still holding Rhett’s hand.

“‘M sorry,” Rhett intones, the words bubble up and out of him simultaneously, sounding like water draining in a filled sink. “And the night before your wedding, good Heavens.”

“Hey, I’ve been crying all week,” Link says, waving a hand at the stress that planning a wedding has kept put on him. “Nothing I haven’t seen in the mirror.”

Rhett laughs, rubbing a thumb over his own thigh in a way that brushes upwards against the place Link’s clasping his hand. Link nearly pulls his hand back, thinking Rhett’s trying to get him to sense his want for space, but when he meets his eye it’s clear he’d like nothing less.

“I think I’m just -” Rhett starts to say, trailing off. The light from the lamp on the far coffee table is the only thing on in the room. Link drops his gaze a few inches to try and see more of Rhett’s downturned eyes as he hems and haws. He squeezes their hands together, again, this time clasping it more firmly, still pressing Rhett’s large palm down from above. “I think I’m just a li’l jealous, is all.”

It’s the quietest admission he’s heard from Rhett since he told him he failed their chemistry mid-term in eleventh grade.

Link is also so lost at the innocence of the admission that he can only think of follow-up questions. “Of me?”

Rhett looks at him for a long, long minute and finally, when Link’s gaze remains confused for the whole length of the pause, he shakes his head, no.

Then he waits.

He waits for Link to realize what he means.

But he’s still waiting when Link, oblivious, moves onward trying to comfort Rhett, instead of understanding him fully.

The tension in the room is palpable as Link talks, but only to Rhett, it seems. Only Rhett pictures air bags being deployed in a car safety video as metal hits cinder block. Only Rhett moves his hand, though it’s all it takes to dislodge them from each other completely.

“I know you’re gonna make an amazing husband some day.” Link is saying.

Rhett’s hand aches where cool air now surrounds it.

“I know your wife is gonna get to hear you say such wonderful things about her.”

Rhett wipes his hand of the misunderstanding on the cotton of his pants.

“I know she’s gonna say the same kind of things about you, when it’s your turn up there.”

Rhett mourns the idea that this would ever be requited.

“I know she’s gonna love you, just as much as I do, so she’ll have plenty to say.”

Rhett looks away, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes.

“I’ll make sure she has plenty of ideas where to start.”

Rhett pats Link’s leg, in camaraderie, and nods.

And that’s it. They shoot the shit, they make a plan to meet up at a donut place for the groomsmen’s breakfast to thank them for their help, before the ceremony, and they’ll talk things through if Link’s feeling jittery still. Then Rhett’s gone.

It’s not until the next day at eleven on the dot (everyone has an agenda to follow and every moment is accounted for) that Link understands Rhett’s pain.

His mother straightens his tie and flattens the edges of his suit. “You’ll wanna know I heard Christy looks like an angel in her dress, from the girls upstairs.”

“Those actual angels you been talkin’ to, Sue?” Rhett jokes, where he’s twisting his cummerbund around every so often, bored.

“Very funny, honey,” Sue ribs back. “From the cousins, Beth and Hailee Sue. Remember they’re friends with the hairstylist you got to do the curls for Christy’s hair, today? She was over last night getting Christy ready for bed with how to wash and dry it a special kind of way. They were there, too.”

Link starts to tune her out, since there’s a lot on his mind, but then she says more.

“She says the hairstylist was talking about how jealous she was of Christy, all night, getting to marry you,” Sue relays.

“Oh, mama, please,” Link dismisses. The compliments he’s been getting have felt faker than the toupee on his uncle Bruce. That girl has never even met him. “I’m the only person here people should be jealous of, who would be jealous of Christy,” he says, trailing off, muttering his reasoning as he did. “Marrying a trainwreck like me.”

Link looks up in the mirror where some of his friends continue to mingle in various states of undress. Rhett is already dressed, however, and staring straight at Link like he’s been caught with a hand in a cookie jar.

Link’s about to ask what’s wrong when he remembers his words. Then looks again over the planes of Rhett’s face.

Last night’s words slam back into his mind and Link’s mouth drops open.

The church organ belts out an opening flurry of notes before Canon in D begins playing loudly through the sound system built into the rafters above them. Link looks up to see one of the church staff at the door instructing them to join the bridal party to line-up.

Link’s mom dashes off to where she’s paired with her nephew, Link’s favorite cousin, to be escorted down the aisle.

Rhett sees Link’s face rushing through a wash of emotions from a distance, he nods to the staffer in silent understanding that he’ll handle it, and then they’re alone.

He walks up to Link and takes his hand. He squeezes it.

“Hey, you gotta go. We gotta go. It’s showtime,” Rhett insists.

Link looks around like a bomb went off, since in some ways it did, and he doesn’t know what to do.

Rhett seems to pick up on that. He squeezes Link’s hand again.

“I’ll get over it, Link, it’s okay,” Rhett whispers, on the verge of desperation.

That confirmation is enough to fully shatter Link.

Only for a moment.

The music continues and Rhett keeps his hand hold.

They are adults. They are in love. They have to marry.

None of these things can be helped.

“I’m gonna be so jealous of Her, too,” Link whispers back. He squeezes Rhett’s hand one last time, as they part.

They leave.

They walk straight.

They part again.

Until later.

They move houses and cities and states.

They move mountains, inside and out.

They move together.

Much later.

They join again.

They run crooked.

They return.

To one another.

Link has spent years worrying a ring that means too much to too few people.

In the beginning, when he cries himself to sleep at what he thinks has been the mistake of a lifetime, it’s His talisman. It reminds him of the expectations upon this life he’s made.

As the years pass, however, the adherence to the bogeymen of their childhood’s rules wears thin. It starts to strictly represent love and patience.

Sacrifice.

It begins to feel like a burden. A representation of what’s been lost, not what’s been found.

He contemplates taking it off, but believes that to be a betrayal of all that it stands for to the people he stands for.

Then, one day, (surely mid-spin) he hears Rhett tell a story about wanting to change his ring.

He watches the silver twirl as Rhett explains.

He believes he was rushed into a certain type of marriage and a certain type of life by a certain type of person.

It’s a life that he’s grown to love but the ring represents a union forced by custom and not one that’s grown through devotion.

His ring reminds him of that too often to be good for him.

Link twists his again at the admission.

So, Rhett’s thinking about replacing the ring.

Link returns home that night in a stupor. He’s sure he said one too many things to Rhett to emphasize how wild it felt to hear him talk about changing rings.

Any memories of that day, their wedding, bring up a rush of emotions that he’s never been good at sorting through.

Today’s admission makes him feel the same spur to make use of idle, betrothed hands he feels when he cleans the fridge.

He wants to clean the slate.

He finds an old DVD copy of their wedding ceremony that he paid to have converted from miniDV some years ago. Now he struggles to find a place to watch that DVD. How quickly time has flown by.

Eventually, he ends up in his son’s room - no one’s home for the remainder of the night but he and Christy - now, he’s sitting on a bean bag, squinting at the game console’s controller trying to get the joysticks to move to “play” on screen.

The ceremony bursts to life and, like it was yesterday, Link’s nerves fizzle awake.

About halfway through the video, Christy finds him like that and sits down next to him in a thwump absorbed mostly by the stuffing of the chair.

They watch themselves smile happily at each other and Christy takes his hand.

“Should I be happy or scared to find you alone watching this on a Saturday night?” she asks, wryly, squeezing his palm.

Link doesn’t know what to say. He’s caught up in Rhett’s bygone script being spoken on screen. Words about Christy and about Link that were not their own, declared loudly in front of the congregation.

“I don’t know,” Link admits, shrugging. He doesn’t. He squeezes her hand back.

“You wanna tell me what’s eating you?”

Link hesitates, but relents. He wants that clean slate, after all. “Rhett’s getting his wedding ring replaced.”

“Replaced?” Christy asks, balking.

“Replaced, yeah,” Link responds, sure he didn’t misspeak.

“With what?” she asks.

“Oh, some new one. Fancy thing, very cool, made of trees or something. Honestly he wears the other one, the slick black one more than his wedding band half the time. He says it feels like the old one? It’s the kind of ring you get in a bauble at a vending machine crank. So, he wants a new one.”

“Jeesh,” Christy says, making a face at the screen. The camera catches Rhett stealing glances at the couple, then at the crowd, beaming at all with unbridled pride.

“Wouldn’t you be mad if I did that?” Link inquires, still baffled at the idea.

“Well, no, but don’t you love your ring? Heirloom and all that,” she says.

Link cringes. “Yeah, yeah. Honestly, I do.”

“So?”

“So, I still kind of want to and I’m not sure what that means.”

They watch the screen together.

“Do you wanna stay married?” she asks, in a small voice.

“Yes,” he breathes out.

There’s a long pause.

“To me?” she asks, her voice even smaller.

“Yes,” he breathes in.

She squeezes his hand, her confidence built back up. She begs him to join her.

“And him?” Christy whispers.

They both look the screen, the lens centered on the two of them, but their gaze is mutually torn to where Rhett stands wiping a tear from his eye at Christy reciting the last of the vows that he wrote her. Wrote him. Wrote them both.

She squeezes his hand again.

“Yes,” he breathes out.

She leans her head on his shoulder.

“You should probably get another ring, then,” she jests. “We shouldn’t have to share everything.”

The slate is clean.

There’s a lot he wants to say to Rhett about it, but just as before, he’s relied on Rhett to give him the right words to say. So, instead of words, he starts wearing Rhett’s ring.

Then, a new one, when he realizes he can match him separate from the other, all told. Have something of Rhett’s, all to himself.

In his unspoken push towards something more, their hands now match along with their steps, as they walk forward.

On the last week in July, they get ice cream at the fifth place that month to mistake them for husbands, but the first one he hears Link crow an affirmative in response.

Rhett waits for him while he triple-tips the cashier (for the guess) and pays for their cones.

“Bad joke,” Rhett says, softly, but firm.

“Who’s kidding?” Link parries back, a smirk dancing it’s way across his lips.

Rhett watches him with a wistful look of disbelief.

“Link, we’re married,” Rhett warns him.

Link shrugs. “I know. I’m just waiting for you to figure that out and minding my ice cream here, all right?”

He’s got a mouthful of vanilla bean and extra cookie crumble, the next second, so his vow ends there.

Later, at home, Rhett startles Jessie awake when he fully realizes Link’s words.

He shakes her awake. He shakes them both awake.

“I’m in love with Link,” he says, like it’s a confession.

She kisses him because so is she. So are most people.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

Rhett repeats himself.

So does she.

They stare at each other under the cover of silk and moonlight.

“We’re married,” Rhett whispers, touching his hand to hers. Their rings clink, new and shiny.

“Yeah, and so are we,” she whispers back.

They fall asleep smiling.

The next day, Rhett sneaks up behind Link while he’s working and causes him to spill his cup of coffee. He gets the stink eye for only a minute because it’s the same length of time he can stand Link’s grumpy mug before he has to swoop down and kiss him on the lips.

“You figured it out,” Link says, grinning.

“I did,” Rhett chirps as he kisses Link more.

They take a car to their house. It’s filled with their love and the history of it; before, during, and after.

“What’s this?” Link asks, dazed in their post-sex glow, naked and alive.

He spots an old chord book of theirs from last time they wrote music.

“Oh,” Rhett says, bashful. “I came looking for you here this morning, hoping you slept over again, but, uh,” Rhett stalls, looks away and tries to take the songbook from Link’s hand. Link pulls it far enough he can’t reach. “You were already at the job.”

“And?” Link asks, using his spry, sinewy body as an advantage to slink away from the bed out of Rhett’s grip. He still has the book in hand.

“Those are your vows,” Rhett explains.

Link looks down and squints, confused. These aren’t the vows that Christy read at their wedding. He’s seen that video only a few months back and is sure of it.

“Our vows,” Rhett whispers, explaining further, at Link’s puzzled look.

“It’s a love song,” Link notes, marveling at the gesture. What it means to a young version of himself that once felt like they had surely cut out and mourned the possibility of this - all of this - ever happening. To have that thought coexist with the image of a nude, hulking tree trunk of a husband laid before him smiling up adoringly felt panoptic.

“So are you.”

Link begins to cry.

“Play it for me.”

Rhett wipes his cheek.

“Get my guitar.”

They sing twice more that night, always in harmony (not always in lyric), then spend the rest of their lives together doing much the same.

#things i wrote #@anon #i hope you are doing well soon #💙#rhink

37 notes · View notes