rock n roll imagines 🎸

lou reed - flower child

lou and i were an unlikely couple. i was a dreamer, enthralled in everything around me; the good and the bad. i would spend my time soaking up it all slowly, so as to not miss any of it. i was a hopeless romantic too, so it was a wonder how we even got together in the first place with my shy, dreamy demeanor.

 he was a rock n roll poet, a partier, he smoked, he wore jeans and leather and didn't have a care in the world. or, at least that was what he wanted people to perceive him as. i knew the real lou. the lou who suffered from panic attacks at a young age, the sensitive guy with a passion for writing, despite how he battled with dyslexia. 

it was a warm day in the summer in new york, and i was spending a it in central park. i lay under a tree in a sunny patch that was quiet. not many people were in this area except for a mother breastfeeding her baby, and a couple sitting on a bench together. i was reading the selected poems of delmore schwartz. he had passed away a year ago, and that was when i became enthralled into his work. 

i had noticed a young man, clad in leather, sunglasses on and curly hair shining in the summer sun. i glanced over the pages of my book, trying not to stare for long but being so captivated by how he stood out. my long burnt orange dress and flower headband contrasted to his dark look. my book was resting on my knees upright, with my eyes peeking over it. he caught my stare, and i quickly averted my eyes to the pages of my book, a crimson flush making its way to my face.

"schwartz. good choice." the thick dark new york accent belonging to the young man spoke. he now had his leather jacket slung over his arm, and underneath he had a loose white button down shirt, tucked into his leather pants. 

"he was genius. i hope that in the future there can be more poets like him, although it seems not during dark times like this in the world." i frowned a little looking down at the grass. 

"all roads lead to rome and poetry. at least thats what schwartz said." he replied, smirking. he still had his dark sunglasses on. i reached out my hand to his face, taking them off. i couldn't really believe myself, making such a bold move. my lips parted slightly as i saw his face. not only was it beautiful, it was the face of someone who i knew. lou reed.

my friends loved the velvet underground's music, and each time i entered our shared apartment, their debut album was playing. lou was currently smirking at my dreamy expression. 

"i'm lou, it's nice to meet you." he said, i nodded, still slightly starstruck. "this is the point where you give me your name, doll." he laughed, and my eyes widened as the crimson flush returned to my face.

"my name is y/n but my friends call my daisy as a joke. they say it's cuz i'm a flower child." he smiled, taking my hand into a handshake.

"it's nice to meet you daisy."  he sat down on the grass beside me, propping himself up with his arms, one leg extended and the other curled. 

"ditto." i replied, staring at the clouds. there was a comfortable silence between us. it felt natural. i could feel lou's eyes on me, and i looked to my right toward the dark haired man. giggling, i asked,

"do i have something on my face?" to which he smirked.

"i was just wondering why you were so invested in looking at the sky."

"it's beautiful. it's like a blank canvas at this time of day. clouds move by it at times, but it mostly never changes. looking at the sky keeps me kinda balanced. it reminds me that despite outside factors, you can keep at peace. ya know?" he smiled at me, keeping his eyes on my face as i stared back toward the sky.

"yeah, i know what you mean." he replied and i grinned at this. we returned to silently sitting next to each other peacefully until lou spoke one more."hey... y/n, can i take you out? on a date, i mean?" he asked, playing with the sleeve of his white shirt. i turned toward him once again, a warm smile on my face that reached my eyes. 

"i'd love that." i replied. he stood up, offering me his arm which he took. we looked like an odd couple of people, but i didn't mind one bit. he took me to a café, where we chatted for hours until the sun set. as we sat on the balcony of the quaint little café, watching the glow of the sun and the mesh of colors blending and fading together in the sky. we left the café soon after, hand in hand. we stood out on the sidewalk, his slim body towering over mine. 

"i had a great time, lou. thank you."

"i did as well," he replied, taking my hand and scrawling a series of numbers on my skin."here's my phone number." i looked down at his handwriting on my hand, smiling as i traced the skin.

"i'll call you." i said, as we parted ways, then glancing down, i noticed his sunglasses tucked over the neckline of my dress. "wait! lou, i forgot to give you these back!" i took them in my hand, extending it toward him.

"keep them, doll. they're yours now." he winked and turned back around, walking away. i watched as he did so for a second, then i turned around, clutching the sunglasses to my chest. i was his flower child, and he was my rock n roll god.