80s/90s imagines [Slow Updates]

River Phoenix - July Part: one

Life was perfect, or at least it used to be for Y/n and River. Now, things were just strained. Y/n had an amazing career opportunity, and River was doing great things in his.

Nothing in their life had changed, nothing in their relationship had ever changed since they started dating, since they moved in together.

Between parties with friends and gatherings with family there was hardly any alone time and everytime Y/n tried to talk to River, he brushed her off, and everytime he tried to talk to her, she did the same.

The two finally managed to pull out some time in their schedule to be around eachother but between the drinks they had with dinner while with friends and drinks River was having now, it made it impossible to talk.

"River…we need to talk…" Y/n said quietly from her seat on the couch across from River.

He shook his head, taking another sip from his drink, flipping through the book on his lap. "I'm reading."

"River." Y/n leaned forward, trying to get his attention. "Please."

He sat his drink down, closing the book, slowly looking up. He took his glassed off, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You want to talk? Then talk."

"River… I got a call from a movie studio a couple weeks ago… they want me to star in it."

River cracked a small smile. "That's great, but I sense there's something holding you back?"

"It's over seas…" Y/n held her breath as she waited for River to say something.

"Oh…" River looked down then back at her. "Wait, so did you take the job?"

Y/n shook her head. "No, no I didn't. I asked for some time to think…" She stood up, pacing back and forth slowly. "It's a really great opportunity, River. It's just, they want me to come next week… this is my last night to think about-"

"Wait- wait- wait-" River stood up, looking at Y/n, before crossing his arms as he too started to pace. "You've known about this for a couple weeks, you're just now telling me, and this is the last night before you have to give them an answer?"

Y/n stopped pacing, looking up at River, nodding her head. "Yeah… I kept meaning to tell you but we haven't had time to talk between dinners with you family, dinners with my family, dinner with both our families-"

"Are you blaming my family?"

"No, no. Of course I'm not, we see my family just as much as we see yours. I'm not blaming anyone, I'm just saying life has been busy… and tense."

"Tense?" River faced her. "Tense how?"

"Well, I just mean, if I try to talk to you, you ignore me but I'm also aware that I do the samething… it's been crazy, River."

River turned around, looking out the window at the rain falling steadily, with his arms crossed. "So, are you taking the job?"

"I- I don't know… I wanted to talk to you first." Y/n cautiously took a step towards River. "If you tell me it's a good idea, then I'll go… but if you say no, I'll stay."

River felt conflicted at the thought of her depending on him for an answer that had everything to do with her fate. But he knew the reason she didn't want to choose. "You're basing this on what I say? What if I say the wrong thing, huh?"

River sighed as he remembered what happened to her boyfriend before him. River and Y/n were always close and when she got the part for a movie that was being filmed in Canada, he was ecstatic for her. So was her boyfriend, he told her to go. In River's opinion, she killed that role but she never finished filming.

One night, she got a call from the police, saying her boyfriend was involved in a horrible wreak. She never got to say goodbye and daily lived with the grief of brushing him off the last time they talked because she "Really needed to get to filming."

Y/n shook her head, placing a hand gently on his arm. "Whatever you say will be the right answer, I know it."

"Y/n, you can't depend on me to decide your destiny. That's something you have to do for yourself." He faced her.

"But- River, I can't I don't know-"

"Oh, and I do?" He raised his voice, leaning towards her, looking shocked before he leaned back. "It's your own choice."

"Baby…" Y/n's eyes filled with tears. "If you tell me to leave, I'll go… but if you want me to stay, then tell me."

"What I want is for you to choose your own path, I can't be responsible for the things that happen if I tell you the wrong things." River says "I want you to say with me, I want to grow old with you but I want you to be happy, if leaving me is what would make you happy then I can't ask you to stay."

"River. Leaving you could never make me happy…never" Y/n wrapped River in a hug, tears falling down her face "I want to stay, I want to grow old with you and the thought of all that makes me happy, but the idea of extending my career does too…"

"So which makes you happier?"  River asked quietly