For Those Who Don't Know, My Ask Box Is Open. Send Me A Simping Softness Prompt, And I'll Write A Short

" i... sometimes, i guess i kinda wish you could see yourself through my eyes. " for the prompts thing :]

For those who don't know, my ask box is open. Send me a simping softness prompt, and I'll write a short sbsp ficlet for you. ✰

this one is very fluffy. thank you for the prompt! :D ficlet below the cut.

Squidward exited the Bikini Bottom Auditorium, feeling a tad sour. The recital had gone alright, but there was no doubt about it: he had been upstaged. All the other performers played their instruments like gods amongst fish. Their pieces were vibrant, electric, and unique -- you could practically feel the audience hanging onto every note.

Squidward, with his mediocre talents, couldn’t compare. Despite how hard he had worked on the composition of his piece, despite all the sleepless nights spent bent over his desk … he was clearly still no match for the other musicians. And that stung.

Blinking back tears, the octopus entered the auditorium lobby, and steeled himself for the inevitable. This was always the most painful part. All the other musicians usually had families, loved ones, or friends waiting up on them, ready to shower them with flowers and gifts, for a job well done.

Squidward very rarely had anyone waiting for him in the lobby -- so he was certainly surprised to find a familiar face, standing next to the drink machine, holding a massive bouquet of flowers between two yellow hands.

“Spongebob?” said Squidward, pushing through the crowd to get to the little poriferan. “You’re here?”

Spongebob peered up at him with his massive blue eyes, and smiled. “Of course!” he chirped. “What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn’t come to your recitals?”

A brilliant red blush spread across Squidward’s face. It was true: a little while ago, he finally bit the bullet and asked Spongebob out on a date. They saw a scary movie, got a lot of popcorn … and Spongebob hid behind Squidward’s arm the entire time. Which was nice.

But still, they’d only been dating for a month, in absolute secret. Bikini Bottom was a nosy town, and the second it got wind of their relationship, all eyes would be on them. So, the two agreed to keep their relationship under wraps … at least for now.

Yet, here Spongebob was, in a darling little suit and tie, holding a massive bouquet of flowers -- in public. Squidward sighed. This little sponge would be the death of him.

Taking the bouquet carefully, Squidward chuckled. “I didn’t see you in the crowd,” he said.

“I was sitting behind a really big whale,” Spongebob confided. “But don’t you worry! I heard every note!”

Squidward smiled, softly. “I didn’t think you knew about it.”

“You left the invitation on your coffee table,” Spongebob said, then pouted. “Why would you keep it from me?”

Squidward hesitated. In truth, he was afraid. His musical talents still left much to be desired, and if Spongebob (his boyfriend!) was going to come to a recital, Squidward wanted it to be amazing. Sensational. Dazzling. Not … whatever tonight was.

The octopus sighed and looked away, awkwardly. “It’s nothing,” he muttered softly. “I guess I just wanted you to see me at my best, and I’m still not … there, quite yet.”

Silence. When Squidward looked up, Spongebob was frowning, his arms folded across his chest. “Squidward Tentacles, I’m surprised at you!” he nearly shouted, earning a curious look from the others in the lobby. “Give yourself some credit. I thought you sounded great tonight. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! Honest.”

Squidward felt his hearts jump, doing happy little twists inside his chest. “You really mean that?”

“Of course!” said Spongebob, giving him a thumbs-up. A blush trekked across the sponge’s cheeks. “I ... sometimes, I guess, I kinda wish … you could see yourself through my eyes.”

Squidward smiled. He’d been doing that a lot lately, with Spongebob around. “Oh?” he said. “And what do I look like, through your eyes?”

Spongebob grinned, stretching his arms out in excitement. “A superstar!”

Something like lightning coursed through Squidward’s system. Superstar … superstar … superstar. Laughing, the octopus leaned down and planted a soft, chaste kiss on the sponge’s lips -- much to the shock and awe of the others in the lobby. When he pulled away, the sponge was beet red, and terribly flustered.

“Squidward! You -- you kissed me!” exclaimed the sponge. “In front of people!”

“I know. I was there,” said Squidward, walking briskly towards the exit doors. “Let’s go, Sponge.”

Happily, Spongebob trotted after him. They exited the Bikini Bottom Auditorium together, reveling in the cool evening current, just as all hell broke loose behind them. Apparently, Mr. Krabs had set up a betting pool on the two of them -- and apparently, a lot of Bikini Bottomites would be losing a lot of money tonight. But it didn’t matter.

Because Spongebob was humming Squidward’s piece, softly below his breath. And for now, that was enough.