Sapphic Ship - Tumblr Posts

lemme explain why i love karen x gretchen but specifically karen shetty and gretchen wieners because they’re so great

i’ve seen people say that the only explanation for shipping these two is that they’re … the “other two” but frankly that’s not a comprehensive or common explanation and it’s certainly not mine :3

the most simple way for me to put it is that, unlike 2004 karen and gretchen, 2024 karen and gretchen feel like teenagers in love. they’re cute and sweet and they care for each other.

whether it’s how gretchen calls karen and karen only “mama” or how karen clings to gretchen’s arm, i’m able to see how close they are. i’m able to see how they make each other feel included when regina casts them out.

karen has a unique brand of kindheartedness that fits gretchen’s anxiety. she makes gretchen feel special and loved and gretchen takes care of her. they compliment one another.

the idea that two of the plastics at northshore end up in an odd, yet pleasantly childish kind of love- that they have such genuine feelings for each other is charming and apparent, especially now considering the fact that karen, at least, is now (semi) canonically queer.

through even their most subtle actions, they show that they care about each other and provide the kind of love they both need in their lives.

they’re just cute and great. that’s why i love 2024 karen x gretchen.

i see these two and be like “i’m so normal right now” (i’m lying)

me after remembering that karen and gretchen were holding hands/linking arms all throughout the whole runtime of i’d rather be me whenever they were onscreen

i think uh gretchen and karen are gay and in love so here’s some of my headcanons about it :3

<3-before they got together, karen was incredibly clingy with gretchen and gretchen only (as i mentioned before, karen is just a very touchy person but gravitated toward gretchen)

<3-karen heard gretchen when she was singing “what’s wrong with me?” and went on a very long and heartfelt rant about how there’s nothing wrong with her

<3-that’s when gretch realised she had feelings for her best friend c:

<3-they literally share everything like if gretchen gets a coffee half of it will be drank by karen

<3-karen loses her things a lot so gretchen’s come to have extras always

<3-they make collaborative spotify playlists :3

<3-they’re always clinging to each other during sleepovers at regina’s and regina is a really big hater about it

<3-they had their first kiss after cady’s party

<3-gretchen was so upset about jason and karen was there for her the whole time

<3- “i dunno why you like him so much. you’re like…really nice and smart and pretty. but he’s so…not nice to you.” among other compliments

<3-gretchen could not believe that karen really felt that way about her

<3-she kinda just stared at karen for a few seconds

<3-they made out very passionately after that (gretchen kissed karen first even though she was terrified to)

<3-it took gretchen like a day after that to tell karen she actually liked her

<3-they were each other’s dates to the spring fling c: they weren’t official yet at that point

<3-when they started dating, karen asked gretchen, “does this make you or me the boyfriend?”

<3-gretchen calls karen “mama”, “(mi) amor”, or “kare-bear” if she’s feeling particularly corny and karen calls gretchen “gretch” always

<3-they have movie nights with regina, cady, aaron, janis, and damian and whenever someone picks a horror movie karen gets scared so easily that she just huddles up to gretchen the whole time

<3-gretchen absolutely loves karen’s big brown eyes like there might actually be nothing she loves more in the whole world

<3-karen loves biting gretchen like not in a sexual way she just thinks gretchen looks so edible she will bite her very softly all the time

<3-gretchen will absentmindedly do that thing with her thumb when she and karen are holding hands and it kinda drives karen crazy

<3-they do that cheesy couple thing where they rest their foreheads together like they’re about to kiss and everyone else hates it (affectionately)

<3-karen had feelings for gretchen for a while and made it painfully obvious but just never said anything

<3-gretchen is a lesbian (i’m kinda projecting with this one) jason was just her comphet fr

<3-karen is pan (this is semi canon/confirmed by avantika)

<3-gretchen has insomnia and often calls karen in the middle of the night just to hear her voice

<3-gretchen sometimes has panic attacks and karen is the only person who knows exactly how to calm her down

<3-gretchen picks at her cuticles and karen brings her colourful bandaids and holds her hands to prevent her from doing so

<3-gretchen gets quite jealous easily,, mostly due to being a very anxious and insecure person

okay . i’m done thank u for coming to my ted talk ^w^ (i have more please ask me about them if you want)

GRETCH CRYING FOR TWO HOURS AFTER IS SO REAL AND SO SAD 😭😭 MY POOR BABY . she probably thought it was yet another thing she screwed up but was so pleasantly surprised by karen wanting another date with her

i love fetchen so much it’s ridiculous

spare fetchen maybe ?

(what do u think their first kiss/confession was like…i love yearning)

!!!MORE FETCHEN HEADCANONS

note : this might not exactly be what you wanted it to be but I hope I understood the assignment well enough !!

⋆𐙚₊ the confession happened on a random day at school, Karen just very casually said she’d be willing to date Gretchen in a reference to a conversation they had about Jason

₊𐙚⋆Gretchen couldn’t even comprehend the words, asked Karen like three times if she means it in a friend-ish way or not

⋆𐙚₊Karen just said that she would like that if Gretchen was willing, then Gretchen went on with a 10 minutes long confession, she was SO cute about it

₊𐙚⋆it was a bunch of statements like how she liked Karen since she can remember, how much she adores her and all that, she’s very good with her words when she wants to be!!!

⋆𐙚₊they just decided to give the relationship a try since they both liked each other, and it worked out (obviously)! ₊𐙚⋆they went on a date the same day, just for a coffee, since they didn’t really need to get to know each other or anything it went really well, Gretchen was SO NERVOUS the whole time, Karen wasn’t stressed at all

⋆𐙚₊Gretchen payed for everything and refused to let Karen even consider any other scenario, they were NOT splitting the bill

₊𐙚⋆also it was Karen who initiated their first kiss! when their date was coming to an end and she was walking Gretchen home she just leaned in for a kiss, literally was nothing crazy, she did it like they kissed 30 times before

⋆𐙚₊they actually kissed once at the beginning of high school because Gretchen “didn’t want to start school inexperienced”, aka her smart-ass plan to get a kiss from Karen who really didn’t think much about it

₊𐙚⋆after the kiss she just went on with talking, Gretchen didn’t speak till the end of the date, she just said a tiny “bye” and shut the door super fast

⋆𐙚₊cried for literally two hours because of how stupid it must’ve looked, thought Karen will NEVER go out with her again

₊𐙚⋆to her surprise, Karen called her the same evening to say how fun it was and that they should go on more dates, she made A LOT of plans at once

⋆𐙚₊didn’t even mention Gretchen’s “strange behavior”, because she was the only one who considered it strange, Karen just thought she’s enjoying the silence as one does

₊𐙚⋆Gretchen kissed Karen the next day as soon as she saw her to “be even”

WOOHOO MORE FETCHEN

(i’m finishing a oneshot kinda thing for them soon 🫡🫡 look out for that guys)

there is NOT ENOUGH karen shetty x gretchen wieners on here, and every other platform (ao3). so here's my overdue contribution to the gay best friends to lovers of the 2024 plastics

only headcanons for now until i can write oneshots about them. (give prompts pls?)

# SFW | cutesy hcs

pre-dating! karen shetty x gretchen wieners

— karen always hangs at gretch's house after school

— sometimes it's just gretch having a full-blown rant session about guys and girls (mostly girls now)

— because gretchen wieners is bi! and starts to focus on girls more now that she dumped jacob

— also... gretchen probably has religious guilt

— and sometimes it's karen forcing gretch to do a tiktok with her

— gretch especially loves learning tiktok dances from karen

— they discovered that setting the a/c on the lowest temperature and cuddling is the best way to end a sleepover

— gretchen uses karen's arm as a pillow

— gretchen gets cold easily... so you know, back cuddles

— gretchen definitely likes karen's back cuddles

— but she likes it more when she's facing karen

— whenever gretch faces her, she overthinks whether to tell karen she's pretty because it might not be appropriate for the situation

— so karen initiates the praises instead; ranging from "you looked good with your shoes today" to "i like how you look at me"

— karen's voice slightly lowers when she's sleepy

— gretch accidentally calls karen "mamí" instead of "mamá" more than a few times

— and gretch plays it cool every time because karen doesn't seem to have heard nor realized it

— but karen DOES. EVERY TIME.

— one time it happened, they were with the whole friend group (regina, cady, janis, damian, aaron) and karen acted like she was busy on her phone to save gretchen the embarrassment

— the group still noticed though, the slip up and the acting; regina wasn't as surprised honestly

— ever since then they had been plotting to get them to realize their feelings for each other; regina and cady agreed to play their secret wingwomen, led by damian (regina gave up after the first few weeks because the two were just too hopeless)

— karen and gretchen don't realize their feelings until college

— speaking of college, they're roommates! (along with cady but girl's always at regina's place)

— still not dating at this point though, just having very normal homoerotic crises about their best friend

— it was driving gretchen absolutely maddd

— didn't help that karen was popular with the crowd

— as a result of overthinking, gretchen ended up ignoring karen; karen took a while to notice though

— by the time she did, gretch has curled up in her bed, all swollen up from crying all weekend

— karen had pink flowers to give gretchen that night

— karen dried gretchen's eyes first before confessing (my karen shetty gentlewoman, gentle giant agenda)

— karen only kissed her hand, knowing that gretchen was at a place where she needs to take it slow or else she'll get overwhelmed with things again

— that night, gretchen slept on karen's chest

— the gang arrived the next day to spot them cuddling, and took pictures for future purposes

well, that was longer than what i initially had in mind BUT IT HAD TO BE SAID.

i NEED more of them please im begging

★˙ ̟ karen x gretchen/fetchen fluff in which gretchen drives a tired and slightly drunk karen home after the halloween party <3

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as the commotion of halloween night fizzled out and the people began to drain out the front door, karen couldn’t help but cling to gretchen, her energy draining by the minute. she felt herself stumble over her heels with every step, her eyelids fighting the urge to droop.

when the party is ostensibly over, gretchen takes her hand out of instinct, leading her out the door, down the steps, and to her car.

“are you okay to get home?” gretchen asked just a moment before karen nodded while taking a dizzied step forward, her body betraying her pride. gretchen steadied her with gentle hands on her shoulders and a quiet chuckle. “i can drive you.”

with a sigh, karen just mutters, “yes, please.”

gretchen led karen around each dimly lit space to the bathroom, knowing the taller girl’s home like the back of her hand. in front of the room’s rectangular mirror, gretchen reached for the mouse-eared headband atop karen’s head, slowly pulling it up and off of her. after resting it on the marble countertop beside them, she brushed a stray curl from karen’s eyes, giving her a look so soft that it made her exhausted heart flutter.

she couldn’t help but smile as karen resisted sleep, running a cloth underneath warm water. karen squeezed her eyes shut as gretchen dragged the cloth along her face, slowly removing her makeup.

before karen knew it, it’s over and she’s able to flop into her bed, about to close her eyes when-

“you’re not just gonna sleep in your costume, are you?” gretchen asked, placing a hand on karen’s waist. “why not?” karen mumbled into plush blankets.

“c’mon, mama. change really quick.” karen rolled over to face gretchen, pouting before reaching up to be pulled toward her closet.

“gretch,” karen whispered, slowly combing through oversized t-shirts as if her parents were home, “can you stay the night? my family’s gone.” while changing her clothes, she glanced over her shoulder to monitor gretchen’s reaction.

“huh? why?” gretchen asked as karen laid down beside her, draping an arm over her thighs. “i dunno. i just…don’t wanna be by myself,” karen muttered, looking up at gretchen with a sparkle in her eyes that she can’t help but say yes to.

placing a gentle hand atop karen’s head, she just whispered “okay,” as she combed her fingers through the taller’s hair.

gretchen continued to look back at karen tucked under the covers and checking her nails as she fished through various items in karen’s closet.

“hey, kare,” gretchen hesitated for a moment, “can i wear one of your shirts to bed?” karen nodded, mumbling a confirmation. “i dunno why you’re saying that like you don’t wear my stuff already.”

gretchen chuckled to herself, struggling not to make her awkwardness audible.

right. why’d i do that?

a strangely empty silence falls over the two as gretchen begins to undress, removing her black jumpsuit and replacing it with bare legs and a white t-shirt that reeks of karen, her sweet perfume permeating gretchen’s senses.

gretchen walked toward karen’s bed, part of her expecting, hoping that karen would have fallen asleep by the time she arrived. but she hadn’t. somehow, she seemed even wider awake than she was when they first got back.

she took care to attempt to slide underneath the velvet covers with some degree of finesse so as not to disturb karen’s fidgeting. it doesn’t work as well as gretchen hopes, karen craning her head to face her and giving her a heavy smile before squeezing her weakly.

with a sigh, karen’s face became burrowed into gretchen’s clavicle, softly nipping at her skin and bringing gretchen’s heart rate up so high she becomes scared that karen can hear it. she tangled her legs between gretchen’s, a wave of calm rushing over them both, gretchen shifting her focus onto the candle she’d bought for the taller girl a few months before.

“hold my hand, gretch.”

and of course, gretchen concedes.

she can’t help the way their hands fit together so perfectly. she can’t help the way karen’s teeth feel against her neck. she just can’t help that she loves her best friend so much. because god, how could she not?

as karen drifts to sleep, gretchen giggles under her breath, twirling thin strands of her dark hair between her fingers.

“your costume was really cute tonight, kare. we…kinda matched.” gretchen muttered, stringing her thumb along karen’s knuckles. “we did?” gretchen feels karen’s warm breath against her as she asks. “yeah. cat and mouse.” karen takes gretchen in, just for a second.

“hm. that’s so cool,” karen mumbles. “it’s probably, like, meant to be.” she continues, before returning to nibbling at gretchen’s neck.

karen presses gentle kisses to each spot she bit, forcing gretchen to take in deep breaths. and then her eyes widen at the sudden memory that she’d forgotten to buy regina anything for the holiday. and then she remembers, too, that karen is right there next to her- drunk and tired, but still there.

karen’s bed is so comfortable, her body so warm that it pulls gretchen right back to where she is. there with karen, she feels everything melt away.

karen soon falls into sleep, the rhythm of gretchen’s pulse lulling her to rest as she lays on her chest. when gretchen sees karen’s eyes fluttering shut after the long hours she’d spent awake, she allows hers to do the same.

for a few hours in the night, everything will be perfect. everything will be okay. karen is huddled into gretchen’s arms and, god, she looks so beautiful even while she’s struggling to stay awake.

“you should go to bed, gretch,” karen yawns. “you’re so tired.”

karen’s right and gretchen knows it. she never has to chase karen for her to pay attention.

everything’s fine, at least for tonight. and gretchen revels in karen’s warmth, leans into her touch as if she’d been stuck at sea and karen was the one who brought her to shore.

karen was sweeter than the candy they’d collected every halloween for years. for the first time, gretchen thinks that if every halloween can be like this, she loves the holiday just as much as karen does.

fetchen club we need to talk about this more.

canon fetchen kiss,,, so cute and silly. i feel like i just got hit by a semi truck

i’m adding fetchen to this sorry op.

i always imagined that when karen came out to gretchen she made her pinky promise not to tell anyone. they were in their sophomore year and she had just realised she liked girls and she trusted gretchen more than anyone else and gretchen takes it very seriously. she’ll tell people (cady, for example) that karen’s slept with 11 people but she won’t explicitly say that karen likes girls.

also. karen primarily clings to gretchen. she just thinks gretchen’s so nice and soft and warm and good to hug and hold hands with. gretchen loves it because she hates initiating anything of the sort.

some random mean girls 2024 head canon because of the pink colored brain rot i have <3

-aaron is the "sorry, i was asleep" friend. always uses that as his excuse for not replying, and its never a lie. almost never responds to a text in a timely manner, and when he does the gc BLOWS up to celebrate

-janis used :3 and X3 ironically so much that its now instinctual to her. it is no longer ironic, despite her claiming it totally still is

-gretchen believes that pinky promises are sacred girl code agreements that CANNOT be broken. she often spills secrets, but if a pinky swear is involved her lips stay completely sealed

-damian and regina get along really well and everyone is shocked at first until they realize just how perfect it is. they love gossiping and debriefing on the latest niche internet drama, especially pertaining to mua influencers. (both religiously quote "and you did it at my birthday dinner" and no one else understands what it means)

-cady cannot cook to save her life. she's tried so many times and something always has to go wrong, even if it isnt her direct fault. she's slightly better at baking, but only if theres box mix involved

-regina is gets into literature and writing post bus, especially because she started reading to pass time while she was healing from the accident. eventually she realizes that writing poems + journaling helps her get out her emotions in a healthier way and express herself without screaming. she definitely takes a creative writing/ap lit type class senior year

-janis and damian love terrorizing children on fortnight and roblox, and they do it for hours on weekends whenever they can. janis has had to ban evade roblox too many times to count. damian somehow doesn't get banned 9 times out of 10

-janis is extremely particular about how she portrays her music taste, and will claim to hate anything she isn't 'supposed' to like. regina does the same thing, but with songs that are the exact opposite to janis' taste. both listen to the music they say they hate in private, and their close friends know this but pretend they dont to keep the girls happy

-aaron isnt just a token straight, but also a rare member of any group gathering. its a 50/50 chance that he shows up to any event he's invited to, but everyone loves it when he does make it

-karen is super clingy and loves physical touch, and gretchen appreciates it because its reassuring to her and makes her feel cared about. regina catches on, and even though she doesnt particularly enjoy physical touch, she gives gretchen the occasional pat on the back or side hug

more fetchen headcanons ^___^ bcuz i’m bored

(could be dating or pre-dating. frankly it works either way.)

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-karen absolutely loves physical touch . this is semi canon but physical touch is her love language

-yk what else is her love language? biting. karen is a biter through and through . it took a while for gretchen to get used to it but now she thinks it’s the cutest thing in the world

-karen is so gentle with her bites tho . it never hurts gretchen and she absolutely adores it because it means karen genuinely really likes her

-karen loves the most random parts of gretchen’s body . her shoulders and her eyebrows come to mind

-if gretchen’s wearing a tank top, trust her shoulders will be covered in faint lipstick marks by the end of the day

-karen sometimes struggles to focus in class because she’s wondering what gretchen’s doing

-gretchen buys literally anything and everything that reminds her of karen . she later gives her those things as gifts

-karen always sends gretchen songs that remind her of her. this results in gretchen listening to the same song on repeat for days on end

-sometimes karen gets distracted while doing her homework and draws little stick figure versions of her and gretchen in the margins getting up to various shenanigans

-karen lowkey thinks gretchen is the hottest person she’s ever met but like she couldn’t explain how even if she tried

-gretchen sometimes pulls karen in by her belt loops if she needs her attention

-karen loves gretchen’s singing voice . she sometimes asks gretch to sing her random songs when she’s over at her place

-they share food and drinks to the point where neither even have to ask . like if karen gets a snack after school, the first thing she’ll do is offer gretchen a bite before even taking a bite herself

-karen remembers literally everything that’s ever happened as long as she’s known gretchen . despite this, she does not remember off the top of her head how long she and gretchen have been friends

-half of gretchen’s closet is just clothes karen’s left at her house . gretchen sometimes wears karen’s clothes absentmindedly

-that said, gretchen starts dressing very differently during senior year. karen is very attracted to this change. (i’m just a futch gretchen liker)

-between eighth grade and freshman year, karen and gretchen got matching promise rings. after regina commented negatively on them, one continued to wear hers longer than the other.

sorry for leaving you with fangst (fetchen angst) at the end .

karen shetty wouldn’t mind being in love with a girl if it didn’t mean being in love with gretchen wieners.

gretchen wieners wouldn’t mind being in love with karen shetty if it didn’t mean being in love with a girl.

sometimes i think about how fetchen went on a ferris wheel and presumably a carnival of some sort together. it was a date and nothing and nobody can change my mind!!!!!!!!!!

while i’m writing i just want to share my opinion. i know you guys love that

i find it so unfortunate that fetchen wasn’t made canon </3 avantika and bebe are both queer actresses who are willing to play queer characters so it’s such a missed opportunity in my opinion. maybe it’s just the massive fetchen shipper in me but i feel like it seriously would’ve been really really cool if there was a canon sapphic ship in the movie between two named characters. this is a thing i will think about for a really long time.

★˙ ̟ fetchen: love drunk

stupid little fetchen drabble while i work on something else that’s also fetchen related!!! i keep thinking about pre-dating drunk fetchen dynamic at a party so here u guys go!!!

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gretchen can’t help but feel a little disoriented, what with the bass pumping all around her and the alcohol in her system practically coursing through her veins. the chatter of her classmates that surround her drill into her head as she takes another shot.

i miss karen. where’d she go?

and then she feels someone take her by her shoulders, leading her into a half-empty room. well, as empty as a room could be in the midst of a houseparty. she’s met with karen’s stupidly pretty, smiling face. it almost looks like she’s glowing.

“gretch!” karen yells over the music. “i needa tell you a secret!” karen’s smoothing her hair before she’s cupping gretchen’s face in her hands, her touch warmer than ever. she’s already giggling before she can say another word.

what’s she trying to say?

“gretch…i love you so much.” gretchen feels karen’s touch become just a little lighter. “like, i love you more than i love halloween; and-and butterflies; and fluffy, little dogs.” gretchen finds herself lost for words.

she loves me.

the second part of karen’s statement spills out of her, “and guess what! sometimes, i really, really wanna kiss you. like, on the lips.” karen seems to be unable to stop tittering. it takes a second for gretchen’s brain to catch up.

she wants to kiss me. wait, what?

“and y’know what else?” karen adds, “i wish i could date you. like, i love you but as way, way more than friends! like…i love you like how a boyfriend loves a girlfriend! but you don’t-” she’s tripping over her words as gretchen remains silent. “you don’t love me like that! and it kinda sucks really hard!”

gretchen opens her mouth to speak faster than she can think of a response but karen unknowingly cuts her off. “anyway! i’m gonna get another drink!” karen’s still smiling almost dreamily, her tongue between her teeth as she begins to walk away.

she wants to kiss me.

everything karen had just said hits gretchen like a truck. she takes karen’s hand before she can go any further.

i think i wanna kiss her.

so gretchen does. she’s unsure of where to put her hands or if she should even adjust them at all, terrified to make the wrong move. for once, she forces herself to make another bold choice, one that serves herself and nobody else. nobody else but karen.

she cups karen’s cheeks in her hands and steps a little bit closer- it’s all so much. the room is spinning around them both, although gretchen can’t tell if it’s the dizzying sensation of kissing her best friend after she’d basically told her she was in love with her or if it’s just the booze. maybe it’s because karen tastes so strongly of vodka.

they kiss until the need for air stabs at their chests and then they do it again and again and again. karen’s lips are soft and her arms are wrapped gently around gretchen in such a way that drives her insane. her own arms have moved down, now hooked around karen’s neck, wanting her even closer.

for the first time, gretchen’s stopped caring about the people around her and what they might think- what jason thinks. she’s kissing a girl who just so happens to be karen. karen just so happens to love her. this is the feeling she’s been needing, she’s sure of it.

when gretchen pulls away, struggling to catch her breath, she’s again met with karen’s stupidly pretty, smiling face.

god, she’s so pretty.

i think i love her too.

can you please make fetchen group dynamic headcannons? how the group interacts with/reacts to them 😍

YES OMG :3

~ janis and regina are bitter haters through and through. they’ll gag when fetchen kiss in front of them and comment stuff like “break up” or “delete this” when they post each other. it’s all in good fun of course but rejanis are the biggest haters ever.

~ MEANWHILE cady and damian absolutely love karen and gretchen’s relationship. if there was a fetchen fanclub they’d be co-presidents.

~ when cady first met the plastics, she thought karen and gretchen were already in a relationship. cady’s arrival was, in part, the catalyst for them getting together for real.

~ pretty much nobody in the friend group was surprised when they started dating . nobody except for aaron . he doesn’t see it coming at all

~ aaron is very supportive tho . he’s new to all this gay stuff be nice to him

~ they have movie nights as a group and karen and gretchen always get the couch to themselves no matter whose house they’re at . regina’s advocated for a rotating system but it hasn’t stuck .

~ they made a promise to exchange gifts for valentine’s day every year in a secret santa-type fashion. they have two rules. price limit is $25 and karen and gretchen cannot be paired up . they’re simply too insufferable

~ when they go on group trips of any sort, damian is the resident fetchen photographer he captures their cutest moments and does it damn well

~ every year, gretchen commissions the whole friend group to plan karen’s birthday party and every year, the parties are absolute hits

~ fetchen angst in which gretchen can’t help but be jealous of how quickly karen takes to cady.

karen’s always clung relentlessly to gretchen…and then the new girl from kenya upended it all. gretchen sees karen holding cady’s arm the way she’s always done with her and, for some stupid reason, everything comes crashing down around her and she feels the corners of her eyes prickle with tears.

then again, she’s always felt this way. she’s always hated it when karen was touchy with other people. not to sound selfish or anything, but she always wanted something that belonged to only her and karen.

maybe she just wants karen to belong to her.

she hates knowing that karen wants to be just as close with other people as she does with her. it’s not fair. first, karen’s holding cady’s arm and what next? what if gretchen gets replaced? what if karen wants someone else to be her best friend?

it has nothing to do with the fact that gretchen loves karen so much it physically hurts when she thinks of her being with someone else. it couldn’t be- they’re not even together.

it’s just the principle.

i hope you guys think of me as the one and only president of fetchen nation. i don’t know that anybody thinks of fetchen as often and as autistically as i do. just wanted to put that out there .

-sincerely, your beloved president 😁

also. i’ve been thinking a lot about fetchen making out softly . which is why i’m posting art tomorrow . so look out for that if you guys also enjoy Fetchen Making Out Softly 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

~ me when i remember i’m an artist and can draw fetchen making out if i want to :3

~ fetchen fluff in which karen learns that gretchen plays guitar and begs her to play something.

one warm evening, karen sifts through gretchen’s closet, looking for something nice for gretchen to wear and, maybe, for her to borrow. instead, she finds two beautiful, spotless guitars- one acoustic, one electric. she quickly connects the dots in her head.

so, she practically runs out of gretchen’s closet.

“gretch! you can play the guitar?!”

gretchen is taken aback by karen’s enthusiasm and reluctantly confirms her suspicions. karen’s gasp of pure joy almost surprises gretchen even more.

“can you play me something?!” karen’s eyes are sparkling and she’s smiling perhaps wider than gretchen had ever seen her smile before. so what could she do besides oblige despite the fact that the thought of messing up a song in front of karen made gretchen want to come up with a plan to fake her own death?

so gretchen does. she pulls her acoustic guitar out of the closet and starts to play- a special song that she’d written all by herself.

gretchen’s voice is beautiful, almost hauntingly so, with the perfect amount of rasp to it. karen almost melts when she hears her.

karen absorbs every lyric, loves the way gretchen seems to get lost in her music. she sings about a love that she cherishes but feels deeply undeserving of- one that would change everything should she dare to embrace its true nature. at least, that’s what karen gets from it.

karen’s right. gretchen didn’t know it, but when she wrote the song she had exactly those feelings in mind.

gretchen’s song ends before either realise it’s over. “my beautiful butterfly,” is who the final lyric is addressed to.

gretchen expects karen to laugh. to make fun of her for writing something so sappy and dumb. instead, her jaw is hanging open and her eyes are wide. “that was so awesome. gretch, how are you so good?” karen asks.

karen thinks gretchen is awesome. something about that makes gretchen feel warm all over.

later in the night, karen’s gaze lingers on the hair clips she’d taken out minutes before. they’re molded in the shape of monarch butterflies. her heart skips a quick beat.

karen had never noticed how much of her clothing had butterflies on them until now.

Hey!! How do you think Karen and Gretchen got together?

oh boy i’m about to YAP.

i think karen and gretchen had both had mutual feelings for each other for YEARS but dealt with their feelings in different ways.

gretchen had had feelings for karen since at least eighth grade/freshman year. the majority of this time was spent in denial of her feelings. for a long time, gretchen struggled to even acknowledge the fact that she liked girls, both because of insane internalised homophobia and the fact that she saw what had happened to janis after she came out. she never wanted the same thing to happen to her. she tried for a long time to convince herself that the love she felt for karen was normal for any straight girl to feel for her best friend. never mind the fact that she sometimes caught herself imagining karen in jason's place when she was with him.

karen, on the other hand, had always been a lot more open with her sexuality. in a way, being the “slut” of the group afforded karen a lot more room to experiment and explore herself than gretchen or regina had. unlike gretchen, karen often thought about her feelings for the other. it was insanely simple for karen to understand that she had romantic feelings for her best friend. her attitude toward it was what would happen, would happen. she didn’t go out of her way to make her feelings known. karen knew she was happy just staying friends with gretchen because all she wanted was for her to be in her life.

fast forward to their junior year and everything changes so fast. cady moves to north shore and joins the plastics. her arrival is, in a way, the catalyst for karen and gretchen confronting their feelings for each other.

gretchen breaks up with jason (maybe dumps is a better term after the way she ate him up) during junior spring fling and karen truly could not have been happier that her friend is finally breaking things off with this guy that clearly didn’t care about her. after a little while, the lights and the music get a little overwhelming for gretchen so karen goes with her when she goes outside to get some fresh air.

they talk and talk and talk, so much longer than they expected to and, somehow, their conversation shifts to jason. to gretchen and his breakup that had just taken place and for a while, gretchen doesnt speak. instead, while they’re sitting together on the steps outside the gymnasium, gretchen kisses karen. and karen kisses her back.

they reenter the dance unsure of the state of their relationship but so, so happy. now, they know for sure that they have each other and that’s more than enough.

that night, karen sleeps over at gretchen’s place.