I feel a lot of things that I don't like tonight, so I am going to tell you about one thought that crept up on me recently that was good in a way that took me aback.
I was thinking about my grandfather, my mom's dad. When I was sixteen, my mom and siblings and I went to stay with my grandparents while my dad was in Iraq (...again). It was a really stressful time, and a lot of unpleasant things were happening, like Grandpa dying from leukemia.
I was in high school and homeschooled, doing video lessons. Every day started with a Bible class, which meant singing a couple hymns along with the class on screen. They would have one of the boys in class lead the singing, and they never sang in keys I could hit.
So I would be in the living room every weekday morning, caterwauling out the day's hymns, and Grandpa would come in from his room, which was just a hallway away, and say with complete sincerity, "I hear angels singing."
I always felt kind of...well, not quite embarrassed about that, but I was painfully aware that my singing was not good, that I could do better, and I didn't deserve such a remark. After all, he had one daughter who's a coloratura soprano and two others who are also excellent singers, and yet he's telling his unmusical, untrained granddaughter that she sings like an angel. He was just saying it, right?
And I don't know why I was thinking about this recently, but it suddenly occurred to me: he really did like it. The point was not whether I was good at singing (and I wasn't). The point was that it was his granddaughter singing and he liked hearing that because...he loved her. And "I hear angels singing" was another way to say that.
And yeah, that sounds completely simple and obvious, but I guess I'm not used to thinking of things from that angle? without trying to argue myself out of it? and somehow it seems a very novel idea to realize that being valued not for doing everything just right but because one is simply loved is a real thing? like in real life? like a thing that can happen to me? I guess? if that makes sense?
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Charles officially introducing Max as his boyfie to his family... im sorry i just read a fic that goes like that and it's so soft i think i died
Aww I love soft Lestappen. I am sure Charles' family would be happy with Max, he seems like really good boyfriend material 🥰 I imagine Arthur and Lorenzo would be amused because they've heard Charles talking about his rivalry with Max for so long and now he is on his arm and they are being all soft with each other.
Just throwing out this tiny little random drabble (not exactly about Charles introducing Max to his family but more about him wanting to introduce Max) :
“What do you think of this shirt?” Charles holds a navy shirt up in front of him so Max can take a look. It’s one he’s worn a few times before, nice and simple.
“Blue?” Max grins, “Of course it is perfect”
“Really?” Charles frowns as he takes another look at the shirt in his hands, “Maybe I should pick something else”
“You look good in anything” Max hums as he lays sprawled out on the bed watching Charles fuss around, “so I don’t know why you are so stressed”
“I’m not stressed” Charles mumbles, it’s meant to come off as care free but even to his own ears it sounds rather defensive, “I just want to at least look good”
“At least?”
“Nothing” Charles shakes his head and goes back to the wardrobe. He’s pretty settled on the navy blue but it gives him chance to try and compose himself. He knows he shouldn’t really be so het up about having to go to another family occasion alone. He’s done it enough times. It's not even that big a deal, some distance cousin's engagement party. It’s selfish to want to have Max with him but he so wants to be one of those loved up couples that spend the evening making lovey eyes at their significant other.
“Tell me what’s wrong and maybe I can make it better”
Charles closes his eyes and melts back against Max’s body as the Dutchman hops off the bed and wraps his arms around his waist.
Max has come so far. So, so far. And it really is beautiful to see. The Dutchman is more at ease with who he is now. He’s not afraid of being open with Charles. Not afraid to kiss Charles. To touch Charles. To love Charles.
But in secret.
Which is fine. Charles knows it’s fine. He doesn’t need everyone to see their love in order to know it exists. He experiences it, he feels it, he lives it. It’s just -
“Nothing” Charles smiles. If there is one thing he isn’t going to do it’s push, “I am just not in the mood for a party, I would prefer to be with you”
“You don’t have to stay long” Max leans into Charles’ neck and kisses up the length of it slowly, “I’ll be here waiting when you get back.”
“I know” Charles tilts his head to the side so Max can slot in easier, “It’s … yeah… it will be fine. I am just going to have a shower. The sooner I get there the sooner I can be home.”
Charles makes sure to give Max a kiss before wiggling out of his arms and scooting through to the shower.
It really is all fine. Charles will go to the party, people will tease him about being perpetually single and then he will leave and fall into bed with Max who will make him forget about everything else.
The Monegasque makes quick work of showering and changing. The navy blue shirt gets put on and it looks fine. It doesn’t really matter what he looks like anyway, most eyes will be on the happy couple.
“I went for the white so we don’t match” Max grins as Charles walks into living room and sees his boyfriend smoothing down the creases of his shirt, “Do I look okay?”
“Where are you going?” Charles’ heart is racing but he’s not sure if he’s getting ahead of himself.
“To an engagement party” Max takes a deep breath and lets the tension out of his shoulders, “As long as you want me to come”
“You want to come with me?” Charles still feels like he’s missing something.
“I want to come with you” Max steps close enough to circle his arms around Charles’ waist, “I don’t want you to be yourself” Max leans in and presses his lips against Charles’
“You don’t have to come” Charles feels choked up all of a sudden, “My family will all be there and my ..”
“Friends. I know” Max soothes his hands up Charles’ arms, “I think it is about time I met them all. Don’t you think?”
Charles nods, not quite trusting his voice if he were to talk right now. His heart is fluttering and there are butterflies in his stomach.
“I’m ready. I promise” Max interlaces his hand with Charle's, “Come on, if we don’t go soon there won’t be enough time to show me off to everyone”
Max grabs Charles' coat and helps the Monegasque into it before grabbing his own and leading Charles out of the apartment.
Charles can't stop grinning as Max keeps their hands clasped together. The Monegasque's fingers tingle with excitement as it hits him that they really are holding hands in public for the first time ever.
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missing you (jung wooyoung x reader)
something wooyoung holds dear to his heart are your facetime calls while he’s on tour. seeing you on his small phone screen helps him feel grounded.
each call is a reminder that he’s one night closer to having you back in his arms.
[tuesday - 12:45 am]
“hi woo!” you smile at your phone, you watch the small screen as he struggles to prop his phone up.
“y/n!” his eyes light up at the sight of you, feeling himself let the stress of his recent days leave him.
“how are you? how was the show?” his smile illuminates, making the screen feel brighter than it was. not that you minded.
“it was amazing! you should’ve seen the crowd, i swear it was our loudest show this whole tour!” you laugh to yourself, his happiness feeling contagious.
“i wish i could’ve been there, maybe i can go to your next home show.” his eyes light up when you mention a home show.
since the tour began, wooyoung has been counting down the days until he can come home to you. while he loved being on the road and seeing the world with his friends, he loved the feeling of being close to you just a little more.
“one more week,” he told you, holding up one finger. you smile to yourself, knowing the countdown all too well.
“one more week,” you repeated, completing the same action.
wooyoung smiled at you, blowing a kiss, as if to give you something to hold on to until he got home.
“it’s getting late, you should get some sleep,” he could see your exhaustion as you wiped your eyes.
“normally i would say no, but you also look like you could use some rest.”
“yeah, yeah. i’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“okay. i love you, woo.”
“i love you more. goodnight!” he hung up before you could argue back.
[wednesday - 2:14 pm]
“—and then she had the audacity to act like it was my fault!” you looked down at your phone while you walked to your car, seeing wooyoung roll his eyes at the mention of your coworker.
“i knew there was a reason i never liked her,” you giggled at the sentiment.
“you’ve never even met her.”
“okay? but you don’t like her and she ruins your day, therefore i hate her,” he had an almost matter of fact tone in his voice.
you get in your car and prop your phone on the stand, putting your hands up as if to balance it once you have it in place.
“you look like you need a nap,” he tells you as you start the car.
“funny enough, that’s exactly what my plans were for when i got home,” he puts his hand to his forehead, giggling
“it’s almost like we brainwaved. like we’re connected or something,” you couldn’t help be laugh.
“i’m gonna go so you can focus on driving. i love you,” you nodded.
“okay, i love you too.” he smiled, blew you a kiss like he always does, then hung up.
[saturday - 8:37 am]
“you do know that if you don’t get up within the next five minutes, you’re gonna be late, right?” wooyoung usually never called this early, but he knew if he didn’t, you would’ve been late to your saturday shift.
“i don’t even know why i agreed to come in today, you think it’s too late to change my mind?” he nodded.
“i told you to tell them last night, but someone didn’t want to listen to me,” you glared at him, while he laughed.
“it’s not that i didn’t want to listen b—”
“but?” he teased.
“whatever,” he laughed again.
“now get up before you’re late and then you call me about how your boss was mad because you were late,” you tossed your phone to the side and he playfully gasped.
“did you just throw me?”
“do you want me to get up?” you laughed.
“my bad, carry on.”
wooyoung stayed on the phone with you all the way up until you pulled into your work’s parking lot.
“okay, i have to go. i literally have a minute before i’m late.”
“have a good day, i love you,” you smiled at him, and held up three fingers.
“i love you too. three more days!” you yelled excitedly.
“three more days,” he smiled brightly, and blew you a kiss as part of his routine, then hung up.
[tuesday - 5:54 pm]
you ran around yours and wooyoung’s shared apartment, trying to make sure there wasn’t anything out of place. you had been cleaning since you woke up, but couldn’t help but feel like the place was still a mess. you were wiping down your kitchen counter when you got a text from wooyoung
woo☀︎ ; i’ll be home in a few minutes, i can’t wait to see you!
your eyes widened and you looked around the apartment.
“this’ll have to do,” sighing, you typed out a quick response, and ran to the bedroom to change into something other than sweatpants.
about five minutes later, you heard keys coming from the door. you took a look in the mirror, before stepping out into the living room, waiting for wooyoung to finally get the right key to open the door.
to say wooyoung was excited to see you was an understatement. the second he opened the door, he threw his bag to the side and ran to hug you. he spun you around and covered your face in kisses.
“that’s it, i’m never leaving you behind again. you’re coming with me every time i go on tour,” he told you as he put you back down.
“i don’t think they’d allow that,” you giggled. you tried to pull out of the hug, but he wouldn’t let you.
“i can just put you in my suitcase, how are they gonna know?” he laughed and kissed your forehead.
“whatever you say, woo” you leaned your head on his chest.
wooyoung rested his head on yours, sighing contently. he was finally back home.
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