Dreaming Out Loud

helping your partner undress/into the shower after a night of drinking/during sickness

being the only one capable of calming your partner down during a stressful situation

sharing clothes or showers

routine kisses

dancing to some silly music at the crack of dawn

writing each other love-letters

holding hands or interlacing fingers even when it's inconvenient

helping each other deal with loss of family members (not only in the emotional-aspect)

creating a memorial for a family member

helping each other furnish or decorate each other's house if not living together

letting your partner have their own drawer/things scattered all over the place if not living together

driving through the city at night

being ok with your partner showing up at your house at 2am, for any reason, no matter how small

texting your partner late at night asking them to come over, for intimacy, or to cuddle, for comfort or to eat

using your partner's love language to make them feel loved

being really competitive during board or video games

or starting a discussion because you clearly let me win but ''it's because you'd never win otherwise''

gossiping about things you aren't supposed to tell anyone

falling asleep while cuddling on the couch

playing pranks on each other (sometimes in public)

purposely making lame jokes to try and embarrass your partner

inside jokes/innuendos at improper times

discussing marriage/kids

from @quartermera:

slapping each other's butts casually and, depending on the situation, trying not to get caught doing it

video call when you are away from each other

ranting to each other about people you dislike

cuddling while being busy with your own things (ex. watching videos, reading, gaming)

arguing about what movie to watch together

teaching each other things about each other's hobbies or cultures

watching each other do things

getting each other snacks and sharing them

studying together if you're students. and i mean it literally

discuss "Am I the Asshole?" posts

be honest if something your partner did hurt you

joke or have a serious talk about your future together

from @purlturtle

discussing what to make for lunch/dinner/what groceries to get

divvying out who does what chores, both on a general basis (i'm usually the one doing laundry, my wife usually does dishes) and on a case-by-case basis (when one of us doesn't feel like or cannot do the chore)

decorating together (and discussing if teal is a good color to paint the bedroom in)

receiving visitors together (and cleaning the place beforehand)

hanging out together, doing something together or doing something individual (but still being together in the same room because you want to be close to each other)

"you left the bedroom window open and now it's fucking freezing in there!"

negotiating different styles and wants (or even needs) for decoration, music, lighting, workplace design if one or more of them work from home etc

have date nights at home

take care of pets or kids or family members or neighbors

cuddle in bed together (but, and this is rarely depicted, not always sleeping in each other's arms or even in the same bed - my sleep is too light; I'd wake up each time someone moves close to me. other people run hot in the night and don't need other bodies in bed with them. people snore. people have different circadian rhythms.)

"have you taken your meds today? remember you wanted to stretch before bed!" (okay, this is the middle age edition, I suppose 😅)

stumbling over something you partner did around the home that you weren't aware of, or simply discarded socks lying around randomly.

breakfast in bed

"I'm so happy! Are you happy? We're happy, right?"

"This is the best day of my life!"

"They are happy tears, I promise."

"Oh my god. Wait. Are you serious?"

"You're pregnant?!"

"No way. Absolutely no way!"

"Since when were you planning to tell me this?!"

"I knew something was up!"

"We're having a baby?"

"You mean... I'm going to be a dad?"

"I'm going to be an aunt! Called it."

"Oh wow... wow. I don't even know what to say."

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Well... there goes our sleep schedule."

"I already love them so much."

"You're making a tiny human?"

"This is either the best timing ever or the worst."

"I've never been more terrified in my life."

"You seriously kept this secret from me for how long?"

"Our parents are going to freak out."

"I can't wait to meet them."

"A tiny version of you? That's dangerous."

"We made a whole person. That's absurd."

"Do we even know how babies work?"

"So... we're adults now?"

"Guess we're buying a minivan."

"We're really doing this."

"Okay. Deep breath. We can handle this."

"We are absolutely not ready."

"We'll figure it out."

"I can't believe there's a little heartbeat in there."

"I already have dad jokes prepared."

"You know this kid is going to be spoiled rotten."

"I'm never financially recovering from this."

"We should probably start acting responsible."

"I love both of you already."

More: Reactions to… Masterpost

Kissing their cheek

Kissing their lips

Kissing the back of their hand

Kissing each fingertip

Kissing on the nose

Kissing their chin

Kissing their neck

Kissing their jawline

Kissing their collarbone

Kissing their shoulder

Kissing down their spine

Kissing on their lower back

Kissing their stomach

Kissing their abs

Kissing the bottom of their feet

Kissing their knee

Kissing their inner thigh

Kissing their outer thigh

Kissing their biceps

Kissing the top of their head

Kissing their throat

Kissing their chest

Kissing their belly button

Kissing their hipbone

Kissing their hair

Kissing their forehead

Kissing above the eyebrow

Kissing their earlobe

Kissing behind their ear

Kissing their closed eyelids

perfectionism - never being satisfied

honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive

devotion - can turn into obsession

generosity - being taken advantage of

loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others

being dependable - always depending on them

ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless

optimism - not being realistic

diligence - not able to bend strict rules

protectiveness - being overprotective

cautiousness - never risking anything

being determined - too focussed on one thing

persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative

tidiness - can become an obsession

being realistic - being seen as pessimistic

assertiveness - coming off as bossy

pride - not accepting help from others

innocence - being seen as naive

selflessness - not thinking about themself enough

being forgiving - not holding others accountable

curiosity - asking too many questions

persistence - being seen as annoying

being charming - can seem manipulative

modesty - not reaching for more

confidence - coming off as arrogant

wit/humor - not taking things serious

patience - being left hanging

strategic - coming off as calculated

being caring - being overbearing

tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot

eagerness - coming off as impatient

being observant - being seen as nosy

independence - not accepting help

being considerate - forgetting about themself

fearlessness - ignoring real danger

politeness - not telling what they really think

reliability - being taken advantage of

"Oh."

"Oh, I didn't mean, like, ok..."

"Nothing happened here, right?"

"So, that almost happened..."

"You were really about to kiss me, weren't you?"

"...Were we just about to do something stupid?"

"Why did you stop?"

"Tell me you felt that too."

"Okay, wow. That was close."

"You leaned in first."

"I panicked, alright?"

"I thought you were going to kiss me."

"I wanted to."

"Don't look at me like that."

"So we're just going to pretend that didn't happen?"

"Right. Cool. Totally normal."

"My heart is beating ridiculously fast right now."

"If someone walked in right then, we would've had some explaining to do."

"You hesitated."

"We need to stop having moments like this."

"If I kissed you, I don't think I'd be able to stop."

"I almost ruined our friendship just now." (or made it better...)

"Can we talk about what just happened?"

"Can we never talk about what just happened?"

"You know, for a second there, I thought you were finally going to do it."

More: Reactions to… Masterpost

“Hey, where is that puddle of… blood coming… from…”

“Wait, wait, give me… Give me a second, need to…”

“Huh? No, no, I’m good, I just… Need a second…”

“Oh, shit wait, I’m gonna—“

*wordless sound of a body dropping*

“I’m not feeling too well… Shit…”

“Wait, give me a sec, I’m seeing stars… Oh, shit—“

“No, go ahead, I’ll catch up in just a second…”

✮ "Stop trying to act tough. You're shaking."

✮ "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

✮ "Hold still--I know it stings, but I have to do this."

✮ "You scared me half to death, you know that?"

✮ "I've got you. You don't have to hold yourself up anymore."

✮ "Just breathe. In and out. I'm right here."

✮ "You're going to need stitches and I swear, if you say you're fine one more time--"

✮ "Don't argue with me right now. Just let me help you."

✮ "I'm not going anywhere, so stop telling me to leave."

✮ "Can you squeeze my hand? I need to know you can hear me."

✮ "You're running a fever on top of everything else. Of course you are."

giving them food without them asking for it

randomly bringing them flowers

holding a door open for them

pulling out their chair for them

guiding them with a gentle hand on the small of their back

making them lunch to take to work with them

fixing their clothes or hair

giving them a massage

talking casually about a shared future

showing them their appreciation for them

waiting at home to say hello when they come in

paying complete attention to them

giving them a casual, but thoughtful compliment

writing them a love letter and hiding it for them to find

showing them something that reminded them of their partner

humming a song to calm them down

giving them a quick kiss whenever they pass each other at home

casual grabbing their hand and swinging it back and forth

let's pretend i didn't start writing this three months ago... i tried to make this extra long to make up for my hiatus :)

also, happy pride, everyone!

"am i reading this wrong?" said in a low tone, for only the other to hear

"i saw you looking at my lips," said teasingly, to gauge the other's reaction

the fraction of a second where their faces are just close: lips ghosting each other's, taking this moment in, almost waiting for one to give in first

in the middle of a heated conversation

an emotionally charged embrace, pulling away and realizing how close their faces are, and leaning in

one brushing hair out of the other's face, the featherlight touch (or any light touch tbh)

a simple "can i?"/"can i kiss you?" because consent is important!

"can we stop pretending?"

a barely audible, "come here"

one is concerned for the other (physical injury, emotional conflict, etc), and they respond with "you always make sure i'm okay," maybe a "why?" then the air changes

"show me what you want."

one leans in and pauses, to which the other responds with some grounding gesture (a touch/"please"/a slight nod/etc) to communicate their own desire

orrr they lean in, slightly panic, and move back, to which the other pulls them in (lightly) by their arm/coat/collar/cheek/belt loops/etc

"you talk a lot." while the other is mid ramble

"you have no idea how long i've wanted to do this"

the first kiss being messy and impassioned, then the second being softer and more familiar, as though their minds are catching up with reality

"you really can't see it, can you?"

the energy shifting right as one openly glances at the other's lips

(and maybe a laugh, "what?" as the other person does this)

(Ok but, 5, 8, and 10 are my faves, tag me!!)

By @me-writes-prompts

"Can we do that again, please?"

Person A and Person B sneak away from their friends because they kept teasing them about how they should have already had their first kisses. They kiss each other in the end(definitely because they wanted to, for so long)."

"Your lips are so soft."

"You taste so good." (A bit sexy, this one lol)

"You're so red, are you okay?"

"I can hear your heart beating, relax."

Person B takes Person A on a date, as "friends". But they later end up confessing their feelings and making out.

Person A is nervous when Person B leans in, so they back away a bit. Person B tells them that 'it's okay, we don't have to do this if you're not-', but before they can finish, Person A kisses them.

Person A end up confessing their feelings when they are drunk, they didn't expect Person B to reciprocate their feelings. A has difficulty believing them, and B kisses them to prove it.

First kiss as childhood best friends(who were separated), and then first kiss as adults.

"How are you so good at kissing?"

"Did we really just do that?"

⊹ What do they want vs what do they need. these should not be the same thing. what they want is the surface goal ( the job, the person, the revenge, the answer.) What they need is the thing underneath that they can't name yet. The story is what happens in the gap between those two things. if they're identical your character has nowhere to go.

⊹ What are they wrong about. Not morally wrong necessarily. just. what belief do they hold that the story is going to test. What assumption do they make about themselves or the world that turns out to be incomplete? A character without a wrong belief is already finished. They have no arc, give them something to learn even if learning it hurts them.

⊹ How do they talk when they're nervous. Do they go quiet or do they talk too much? do they deflect with jokes? do they get weirdly formal? do they ask questions instead of answering them? the way a person behaves under pressure is who they actually are. And it should be different from how they behave when they're comfortable.

⊹ What do they find funny. this one sounds small and it is not small at all. Humour is worldview. What makes someone laugh tells you what they value, what they're afraid of, how they handle pain. A character with no sense of humour is just flat. even the gravest person finds something absurd. find the thing.

⊹ What are they ashamed of? not their tragic backstory. their actual shame. The small ugly thing they would never say out loud. The time they were a coward. The feeling they pretend not to have. The desire they think disqualifies them from being a good person. Shame is where the most interesting character work lives and most writers skip straight over it :(

An incomplete list of powers that can be used for good and evil.

amalgamation – ability to merge existing creations

attack powers – blasting, shock waves, object projection, fire breath, laser vision, etc.

creation – ability to create out of nothing

dream manipulation – ability to change dreams

echolocation – ability to determine locations through reflected sound waves

elasticity – ability to stretch their body in any way

element control - ability to control the elements

emotions manipulation – ability to manipulate the emotions of others and themselves

empathy – ability to feel and replicate the emotions, moods, and temperaments of others

energy absorption – ability to absorb energy from people and objects and use it

enhanced physical skills – like senses, stamina, strength, accuracy, intelligence, speed, etc.

fear inducement – ability to evoke extreme fear and horror in others

flight – ability to fly

hypnosis – ability to hypnotise and manipulate others

immortality – not being able to die

immutability – not being able to get altered by outside forces

invisibility – impossible to see

invulnerability – being immune to all forms of physical harm

knowledge replication – ability to replicate the knowledge and skills of others

levitation – ability to levitate in the air

magic – conjuring things

mind control – having control over another’s mind

omnilingualism – ability to speak and understand every language

portal creation – ability to create portals for transport

psychokinesis – ability to move energy and matter

reality warping – ability to manipulate reality

regeneration – ability to rapidly heal

replication – ability to replicate people (including themselves) and objects

self-detonation – ability to self-explode

shapeshifting – ability to change their appearance

telekinesis – ability to move objects with their mind

telepathy – ability to communicate through their minds

teleportation – ability to instantaneously travel

temperature resistance – ability to survive extreme temperatures

vocal mind control – ability to control people with their voice

x-ray vision – ability to see x-rays

More: Hero & Villain Masterpost

☽ checking your phone and not registering the time. checking it again. still nothing. putting it away anyway

☽ the half-smile you do when you're trying not to cry in public

☽ looking at your hands during a hard conversation instead of the person

☽ laughing at something right after you say it like you surprised yourself

☽ going to say something and then deciding not to and the moment is gone and it's too late and you think about it for three days

☽ the way you hold your breath without knowing when something's loading

☽ saying "no yeah totally" when you absolutely did not follow what they said

☽ the very specific tired where you're staring at a wall and your face just. stops doing things

☽ nodding while on the phone even though they cannot see you

Here a some ways on how your characters could become/could've become friends.

"School & Childhood" Friends

Sitting next to each other on the first day of class

Being assigned as lab/project partners

Having the same teacher and complaining together

Sharing school supplies

Being the only two people who don’t know anyone

Riding the same school bus

Getting seated alphabetically near each other every year

Being in detention together

Letting the other cheat off of them

One person defending the other from bullying

Meeting at recess or on the playground

Competing on the same academic team

Being roommates in college

Always sitting next to each other in the library

Staying up late talking in the dorms

Helping each other study before exams

Meeting during orientation week

"Family Connections" Friends

Their mothers/fathers being friends

Being cousins close in age

Growing up as neighbors

Family friends who vacation together

Parents arranging playdates

Siblings introducing them

One family helping another during hard times

Their families attending the same religious or community events

Becoming friends because their kids are friends

Meeting at weddings or family reunions

Dating each others' siblings

"Neighborhood & Everyday Life" Friends

Living in the same apartment building

Seeing each other walking dogs every day

Sharing a fence/backyard

Helping shovel snow or carry groceries

Meeting at a local park regularly

Frequenting the same café

Running into each other during morning commutes

One person helping after a car breakdown

Being regulars at the same store

Sharing a laundry room in their apartment building

"Work & Professional Life" Friends

Starting work on the same day

Complaining about the boss together

Working late on the same project

Covering shifts for each other

Sitting beside each other in the office

Traveling together for work

Bonding during training sessions

Accidentally getting trapped in endless meetings together

One mentoring the other

Quitting the same toxic workplace

"Shared Interests" Friends

Joining the same sports team

Playing in the same band

Meeting in an online game

Joining the same fandom

Taking the same art/music/dance classes

Going to the same gym

Meeting through cosplay or conventions

Attending book clubs

Participating in hobby communities

Posting in the same niche online forum

Volunteering for the same cause

Meeting in a run club

Following each other online

"Through Other Friends" Friends

“You two would get along”

Becoming the last two awake at a party

Mutual friends inviting both people repeatedly

Being added to the same group chat

Becoming friends after a breakup divides the friend group

One friend “adopting” the quieter person

Meeting through double dates

Their two friend groups mixing with each other when two people start dating

Becoming roommates through mutuals

"Random Coincidences" Friends

Missing the same train

Being stranded somewhere together

Wearing the same outfit or shirt

Reaching for the same book in a library

Accidentally texting the wrong number

Dancing next to each other at a concert

Sitting together in the airport during a delayed flight

Sitting next to each other on the train/plane

Getting stuck in an elevator with each other

Meeting on holiday together

One person dropping something and the other helping

Surviving an embarrassing moment together

Laughing at the same thing no one else noticed

"Funny & Unexpected Situation" Friends

Mistaken identity leading to conversation

Fighting first and later becoming close

One stealing the other’s seat

A shared hatred of the same person

Both pretending to understand something they don’t

Meeting because of a lost pet

Becoming friends after a minor car accident

One person overhearing the other say something unhinged and agreeing

Meeting through a heated conversation in a comment section

Accidentally attending the wrong event together

Competing against each other and gaining each other's respect

More: Friendship Masterpost (Prompts & Advice)

I know theres a lot of cliche's that exist in rivals/enemies to lovers and other variations of the trope. I made a list of ways I don't see as often (and ones that I've seen pretty often) to spark ideas. I think combining a few of these would yield the best results! Let me know what you come up with!

Sitting on the same couch

Sleeping on an air mattress (only bed or both refused to sleep on the floor) that slowly deflates

Assigned to be partners for a project/presentation

Assigned to clean up something together (detention, class, community service, etc.)

Brushing knees accidentally under the table

Locker neighbors

House/apartment/condo neighbors

Road trip

Car road trip

Car road trip where they’re scrunched in the back together

Plane trip where they end up on the same plane, in the same row, side by side

Handcuffed together (for fighting, on accident, challenge, etc.)

Snowed or stormed in together

Stuck in an elevator

Lock breaks on the door, locking them in a room without windows

Forced undercover as a couple

People mistaking thought they were together and it works for one of them

Found Family Caretaking

“You look tired. If you still can't sleep in your room, you can crash in mine.”

“Nope. Sit. You're hardly even capable of standing. I got you.”

“Was that your dad?” “Yeah.” “Come here. Ssh... It's okay.”

“Hey. Quit talking about yourself like that, or I'll kick you.”

“You know it's okay to let us carry your weight for a bit, right?”

“I made food, left it on the stove, but I can get you some now if you need it.”

“Let me get something to clean that up, yeah?” “Thank you...” “Not for that.”

“Hey, um... I heard you crying and like... Do you wanna talk about– Oh, and you're hugging me. Um. Alright, yeah, okay. This is fine. Let's sit down.”

“Not hungry.” “Don't care, you're eating something.”

“Come on, we made a blanket fort.”

“Sorry for all that yelling. Come on, let's go for a walk, yeah?”