Haii, guy, there's a pretty big idea that's been living lately in my head for a long time, so I finally decided to share it with you all. It's about Anchorstar dynamic because, oh boy, is it a complicated thing that begs to be analyzed.
Just a quick disclaimer: this includes both my personal headcanons and my own interpretation of their relationship.
To start with, the complexity of their bond comes from a whole range of factors, both external and internal. Beyond the challenge of "being in love with your best friend," there would also be social pressure, beliefs that clash with reality, and possibly even religious influences standing on their way. We also shall remember the time period they live in. Despite the sexual revolution in media and popular culture and society, they're at that point in history where both of them could easily have been beaten, ostracized, completely rejected from community for who they were.
Howard never really had a concept of "family" in it's traditional sense. Not before his mother's death, and certainly not after it. Because of that, I doubt he fully understands what people actually expect from him when they talk about getting married and having children (even though he thinks that he does). And honestly, I don't think settling down in a cozy family nest was something he truly wanted in the first place.
The idea of a future was more of a distant, abstract thought in his mind: sure, one day he'd marry some girl (preferably one who wasn't too talkative) have a kid, and in doing so fulfill his supposed "duty" to society.
But it was never something deeply personal to him.
Education and work were what truly mattered.
He never had any serious partners. Some women were certainly interested in him, but nothing ever progressed beyond a few dates. He never felt that spark. And whenever someone tried getting closer, he would immediately bristle like a porcupine.
Plunkett is far from stupid, and I think he was fully aware of how unusual his relationship with women was. He respected them, saw them as equals, but never felt any romantic or physical desire toward them. Howard preferred not to think about it. The more he thought about it, the further down the rabbit hole he would go.
Now, let's talk about Phillip.
In my vision, his family is practically the embodiment of the "American dream": a promising sportsman son, a beautiful daughter destined to become the perfect housewife, a caring and well-groomed mother, and a father who provides money for the family. (I'd also personally assume they're catholic, which only makes the situation between the boys even worse).
Overall, Phillip appears to be the perfect conformist on the surface - a product of his time.
Unlike Howard, Maude showed more interest in eventually having a family. He was getting ready to become a devoted husband and loving father, fully embracing the future that had been laid out before him. Being outgoing, cheerful, and, let's be honest, an athlete, he was naturally more popular with women.
I'd imagine he had significantly more dating experience, and from the outside it probably looked like his (?) dreams of marriage and family would come true without any trouble.
But.
There's always a "but." Otherwise, none of this would exist and we wouldn't be here discussing it.
Because even if we take all those relationships, plans, expectations, and social obligations into account, there's one variable in this equation that makes it impossible for either of them to build a traditional family and still be truly happy:
The closeness they built over years, decades of friendship is not something either of them could ever recreate in a marriage with someone else. They know each other completely. They see one another's true selves in a way no one ever could. Howard understands Phillip's mind better than Phillip himself. And Phillip knows Howard's as well.
Yet all the expectations imposed by society and their upbringing only force those feelings deeper into their chests, pushing them to hide them from the world.
But that's where the paradox lies.
No matter what happens, they always come back to each other. And once again, they allow themselves to be vulnerable with one another in the privacy of tight bedroom, the one place where they can truly be themselves.
Anyway, that's all I've got.
Thank you to everyone who actually made it through this wall of text (assuming such heroes exists)!!!
I've been toying with the idea of writing a fic based on these thoughts, so if that sounds interesting to anyone, feel free to give me a hint, leave a wink, or just throw a frying pan at me or smt
