#the parrot has HAD ENOUGH!!!!! (he is howling with laughter)

[definitelynotshouting]

Grian's like 2 minute bit in his latest Impossible Minecraft vid where he spawn-camps Skizz and Jimmy with active redstone literally has me on the verge of passing out from lack of oxygen HELP.... its the way they can only get out one word pleas and screams between respawns i stg i have not laughed this hard in MONTHS there is smth terrible and pesky happening on this server guys

[heavensentgohansrage]

Sunflower Marimo

PG-13, 4958 words

Fluff and Crack, Magical Seeds

AO3

So in this post on my main blog I gushed over this adorable work by @kingofalltsunfish​ and sorta made a promise to write it for her lol

It may have happened almost over two years ago, and the art itself is even much older than that, but I knew I had to do it.

Even if the outcome is all over the place for so many reasons, it’s better now then never.

Sanji has been howling with laughter for the last half an hour, as he keeps understanding more and more the reason behind Zoro’s strange behaviour.

Ever since returning back to the ship at almost the middle of the night, Zoro has refused to leave Chopper’s infirmary, where he has spent the night instead of the boys’ quarter. Then, all throughout breakfast, he proceeded in arguing with Nami about his mysterious need to turn the Sunny against the location of the sun - or, in words of people who actually know how direction works, to turn west - even though the Log Pose is directing to north-east.

Nami eventually agreed, even though he refused to give any explanation whatsoever. Then, it was only when he checked - through more than one window, because, you know, safety first - that the shadows outside were stretched in alignment with the ship’s structure that he rushed from the galley and through the short way that the infirmary created to the backside of the ship.

The crew’s excitement as they followed right after him was short, though, as it turned out he simply had to pee. Looking at each other, the group asked Franky to check if there was something wrong with the ship - although it did not explain Zoro’s secrecy about it - but he quickly found out that everything was just fine.

It was just then when Zoro finally went out, but slowly so, as he opened the door way too carefully, and even then took his time to look around, clearly making sure the ship was still facing the same way as he had asked for. Weirdly enough, it suddenly was not good enough for him to get out, but just shouted that they could now turn it back.

Before Sanji could tell him once more that Nami-san is not one to order around like that, though, Luffy stretched his hand all the way to him, assuring that he would make it quicker for him- and pulled Zoro’s shirt back to him without sparing him a moment to object.

Zoro, as usual, crushed right at Luffy and most of the rest, like Robin-chan, who Sanji had the utmost pleasure to pull away; but as he was bathing in the delight for having her thanking him that, suddenly he heard Zoro grunting.

The instinct to stand guard for his Nakamas overcoming any other nature of his as usual, Sanji cut his blessings off right away and turn to the Marimo-head, who was gritting his teeth and shaking with effort, although there was nothing visible to be affecting him.

Usopp and Luffy were arguing with one another, seemingly sensing nothing themselves, but Sanji activated his Haki anyway, in case some Devil Fruit power was casting on him from afar.

“What are you doing, dumb Cook?”

Sanji blinked back at Zoro, who, weirdly enough, looked completely fine as he was standing quiet and still. Had he seriously stolen his attention for nothing? Was it all just about some stupid bet he filled, considering Zoro never backs down from a promise he makes?

Sanji frowned. “You gotta be kidding me- you weren’t okay just a second ago! Just what’s wrong with you today that you’re acting more weirdly than usual?!”

There was a flash of realization in Zoro’s eye, and suddenly he was giving him the kind of smirk he always has when he uses Sanji to his advantage, although usually it is only for his amusement. “Me? I’m completely fine. You’re the one who imagines things. See?” He stretched his arms to the sides and walked backwards, as though to give Sanji a better look of his entire body.

But then he walked right into Nami, who had returned from the helm on the front of the ship to their side.

“Not only you didn’t watch your mouth that entire morning, but now you don’t even mind crossing others’ paths?!” She rebuked him.

“Yeah, how dare you running into Nami-san so carelessly?” Sanji followed with a yell of his own.

Zoro tsked and scratched his head in annoyance, but Sanji cared even less than the indifferent he would have been anyway about him being sandwiched between the two of them.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” She demanded, holding Zoro’s sides and turning him to her.

Zoro grunted again, this time like she was straining all the muscles in his body just by rotating him on his axis. Startled, Nami let go of him- but simply realizing her hands was like letting go of a swing that was spun 180 degrees, as in an instant he was turning his back on her, facing against the backside of the ship.

Everyone silently stared at him for a while, until Chopper started freaking out of the blue.

“Is it- Could it be- Th-that’s bad! Where’s the doctor?!”

“Calm down Chopper and tell us what’s wrong!” Usopp entreated him tiredly.

“Ahh, sorry!” Chopper circled Zoro, who still did not bother to change his position back, to be able to face him. “Zoro, yesterday when we split in the island and you wandered by yourself, did you come across sunflower seeds, or something similar, while exploring the island?”

“Yeah, I helped some old lady carrying her groceries, then the garden kept leading me to her backyards where there were flower plots, so it tempted me to try some. Why?”

Sanji felt a squeeze inside his stomach, but just like every time Zoro’s words affected him like that, he made himself to ignore it. He should know better than react that way to such an idiot who would not admit he got lost in a porch, for fuck’s sake.

“Then it is serious!” Chopper squealed and put both paws on his face.

Sanji patted him on his head, trying to soothe him as much as he could. “What it is then?”

“I’ve noticed the sunflowers here are a rare species of a clan-type.”

“Clan-type?” Robin parroted him with an inauspicious voice.

Chopper nods. “It is kind of plants which try to make other living beings to become like them instead of naturally reproducing. Luckily, this species is too weak to actually make a human into a flower, and maybe this is why the locals allowed themselves to grow them for their beauty. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t succeed to leave any effect at all.”

“Eh? But he still looks normal!” Luffy wondered as he searched for anything outstanding all over Zoro’s body, who was losing his patience by the minute.

“Didn’t you notice? As long as he sees it, Zoro can only face the sun!”

Sanji cannot help himself but losing it.

  -

  For the following days, Zoro spends even more of the day in the crow’s nest. He even stops looking for booze, too, as he has to make sure he drinks just as much as his body needs to deal with the amount of sweat he perspires during his workout, so unlike the first morning he will be able to hold it until the sun is down, when he finally can go out.

Since Nami asked Sanji so, he prepares breakfast for Zoro earlier than everyone, just before the sun is up, and delivers him lunch while everyone eats inside the galley.

Sanji understands it is serious, especially as out on the sea, the next battle can happen at any given moment; not only everyone will have to have Zoro’s back, the proud bastard will not even let them cover for him that easily himself.

In the meantime, though, he still takes advantage of that to make fun of Zoro every time. He cannot be blamed for not being able to stay quiet with a - now literally - moss-for-brain guy, who could not even figure out himself that the sunflower seeds he has eaten just before it all started were the reason for it.

As the sunflowers act the way they do because they know what is best for themselves, even without consciousness, that man is officially dumber than a plant.

“Enjoy your meal- unless you’re already full by photosynthesis,” he wishes him the first time he brings him lunch.

“It’s exactly noon, so make sure to warn us when you sense a Knock-Up Stream, South Bird,” he cheerfully remarks another time as he brings him a snack.

“Maybe you should consider renaming this one after Thousand Sunny instead,” he notes at one of the time he comes back to take the dishes, while Zoro was practising the movement of the 1080 Pound Ho technique with weights.

For the last bad pun Sanji actually has to dodge an attack directed at him, and each time it is still worth it. After all, if he has somehow spent the entire first day under the effect of the seeds facing the sun, which allowed him to find the right path back to the ship even later than usual, without getting his face burn- then at least Sanji can amuse himself by attempting getting his face red himself.

Although while not finding it as cute as it is amusing, of course. Not at all.

At any case, the rest of the crew takes their part in toying with the current member to get into an unfortunate situation, so Sanji is afraid he will soon run out of original good material himself - only Usopp, for example, has used up anything clever you could make with a comparison to the Sunlight Tree Eve -  but that until Chopper gets concerned about the lack of vitamin D Zoro will soon suffer from, as it is not clear when the effect will go away, and orders him to take his naps outside.

Luffy and Usopp get bored of it quickly, as the sun moves too slowly for the direction Zoro’s head leans to noticeably enough, but Sanji still manages to entertain himself with trying to guess the time according to the direction Zoro’s head is tilted to.

But that also means he stares at him more as he sleeps, and perhaps Sanji does more damage to himself than good while suddenly noticing how beautiful Zoro’s face are, once he is too peaceful to distract Sanji with some sort of annoyance. It even exposes some of his soft side he usually does not show, well hidden behind the stiffness the usually carries himself with.

Sanji is reminded of one of those rare times, where they got stuck with each other as circumstances made them split together from the rest of the crew; as they walked by a small waterfall, Sanji’s eyes caught a small rainbow it created. He got closer to make it illuminate over his hand, and only by luck Zoro was still not that far away once he raised his head to look for him. He called him, intentionally to warn him to not drift away- but was then surprised when the swordsman not only was marvelled once he noticed Sanji’s his finding, but was interested enough that he got closer to take a better look, touching Sanji’s hand in the process. Sanji somehow avoided jerking away, but it did make his gaze to lock on the full exposure of Zoro’s long, moss-green eyelashes as he was looking down. The way their arcs were as perfectly round as the sincere, more unalloyed than his katanas smile stretching beneath them caught Sanji’s breath. He had seen him smiling astonishedly like that before, like when they arrived at Water 7, but had never thought he would have ever care to share it with him.

Then the singular hazel eye looked back at him, which may have carried less variety of shades than a rainbow, but the natural phenomenon still had nothing in comparison to the depth and strength of the overall tone.

Okay, that is it, he should stop wasting time on bittersweet memories and focus on important issues, especially those which will actually grant him happiness, like making drinks for the ladies.

He manages to actually lose those previous thoughts in his new occupation, that he even manages to not pay attention to Zoro as he leaves a drink beside him, and passes him to Nami and Robin- the only targets that should matter.

And that is why it takes another whole day for anyone to notice that he became the one according to whom Zoro’s body changes the angle it is facing, overcoming even the sun’s position, whenever he is near him.

  -

  “Best. Development. Ever!” Usopp cries, rolling on the ship’s lawn while holding his sides.

“How the hell having our Swordsman losing control over his body is a good development?!” Nami scolds after him.

Luffy, who has been crossing the grass back and forth just like Usoop, suddenly clashes into the other- but it does not stop the two of them to bark out in yet another wave of laughter.

“We should find a yellow ball on the next island to throw at the Marines so he could fight them,” their Captain finally suggests.

“Great idea, so very helpful,” Nami sighs as she walks up to the duo to give them their justified punches.

Sanji has never had any special thought about his hair, really - unlike someone else’s, it is actually a completely normal one - but that situation makes him to actually wish it was not yellow.

Not that it means he plans to dye it to anything else, of course.

“Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?!” Chopper waves his arms helplessly, and jumps for a good effort. “It can’t be about Sanji’s hair resembling the sun!”

Zoro groans. “Either way, Cook- why don’t you go there too so I can give them a piece of my mind too!”

“Tch, good-for-nothing Marimo.” Sanji lights up a cigarette as he remains standing. “Now I won’t be able to stand close to either Nami-san or Robin-chan, for who knows how long, in case you’ll hurt them accidentally.”

“Won’t happen as long as you don’t give me a reason to try going after you, Ero-Cook.”

Sanji jumps in front of Zoro at once, pressing him against the wall with his foot on his chest. “You mean you actually won’t even try to control yourself when you have a lady in view?!”

Zoro holds his leg and tries to shove it off of himself, but that also means he has to try incline to another way; as he is physically not able to face a point even a little skewed from the one Sanji is at, an attempt like that is clearly utterly impossible- or at least looks to be as painful as trying to twist one’s hand beyond its maximum flexibility point.

Sanji smirks triumphantly. “Well, at least you finally won’t be able to ignore the truth anymore while it is standing right in your face.”

“What truth? That your women-obsession is a much more ridiculous sickness than mine?”

“What was that - ?!“

 “ - Didn’t you hear me? I told you to stop it!” Chopper, in his grown Heavy Point form, comes to stand aside them and force Sanji to step back. “I finally figured it out- it’s adrenaline!”

“Huh?”

“His body can't absorb light, so it searched for the next closest thing- something that drives itself to accelerate energy creation through cellular respiration, and I think it found it in the rush of adrenaline Zoro has been triggered to experience during all the times you angered him recently. You’ve teased him more than everyone when you came every day to bring him his meals.”

“That might be true,” Brook comments, “but when we tried earlier, Zoro was back to being attracted to the sun whenever Sanji was gone out of his sight. Even while searching for alternatives, it still doesn’t solve the original problem.”

“That’s true,” Chopper nods, “but I still think that it’s still progress. Soon his body will understand that the best way to get energy is through food alone, and will teach itself to get over that added instinct, just like there are a lot of instincts the human body forgets as we grow up.”

All the while they discuss this, Zoro has his eye closed so he will not have to stare directly as Sanji, who knows that he will not be able to get on with it for long himself. While he is currently not the one to be stuck in a state he cannot get away from, it can soon be him if Zoro will start finding things he could use to his disadvantage, like that time he caught him off-guard by the waterfall.

“Anyway, I’ll go hang back at the galley, where I better keep staying out of the zone of staring creepers,” he declares as he starts making his way back to the kitchen, even though it is too early for any dinner preparations.

“Like having to look at your swirly eyebrows the entire day doesn’t creep me out,” Zoro murmurs as his body spins in accordance with Sanji’s advance, which Sanji senses on his back way too well. Another roar of laughter commences, but is cut short as Sanji finally closes the door behind him- living the two boys in the direction of the sun fully exposed to the Swordsman’s range of attack.

Sanji puffs out smoke in relief. Being away from a compassionless eye constantly following and judging him, now he can finally think clearly: while he does not turn down Chopper’s speculation completely, Sanji still has a feeling there is something else that Zoro’s instincts connect between the sun and himself, even if not the shared colour.

Going over any association he has about the sun which he can somehow be also linked to him, he finds quicker than he would think an idea with a considerable possibility, and he is not happy when the solution he comes out with intensifies it on his face.

Unless he comes out with a better idea, though, or somehow he will be miraculously proven wrong even before that- he knows he will have no choice but to try it.

  -

  He waits until the next day’s sunrise, since the last dinner’s attempt has proven that Sanji still affects him even after the sun has sunk completely below the horizon, to the point the cook had to go out of his own kitchen to let him eat in peace.

While Zoro technically can get around with his eye closed whenever Sanji is visible to him, his lack of sense of direction for sure will take a disastrous turn.

Chopper volunteered to carry his next meals - Luffy tried to too, but everyone was too smart than letting him touch food that is not on his own plate - and Sanji hopes that it will not be the only excuse to not have to see Zoro, well, just about ever again in case he is wrong.

Sanji takes his morning preparation slower than usual, but inevitably, the time eventually arrives.

Despite peeking inside his pack of cigarettes, to make sure it is not empty, he throws the one he has smoked until that moment without taking a new one; he will have to face this situation head-on.

Getting out, he moon-walks his way to the crow’s nest.

Probably sensing him in advance, Zoro is standing where he can match the line of the sun, shining through the window, while having his back to the entrance when Sanji makes its way through.

“There’s no need to test it again every day, so just leave,” Zoro asserts.

Sanji sighs, as he for once wants to listen to Zoro so much. “Not before I try something I’ve thought about.”

“And since when do you have good ideas?”

Sanji crosses his arms. “When I rescued you from Crocodile’s cage? When I delayed Enel’s ark by attacking his engines before facing him? When I opened Enis Lobby’s Gates of Justice? Starting to find a pattern yet, human-plant? ”

A few beats pass, but finally Zoro’s shoulders slump with a sigh. “Fine, you have good strategies, but only when you’re unseen. Isn’t that part of the pattern too?”

“There’s no point if I don’t return to the light again, as much as you hate it.” Sanji rounds Zoro to meet a suspicious, unwelcoming eye that hopefully only hides the truth he has once witnessed from it, back at the waterfall.  “Supposedly.”

“Eh - ?” Zoro opens his mouth to utter, luckily, and by that makes the task easier for Sanji, as he can immediately use it to grab his face and meshed his own mouth to his.

Zoro tries to hum something, but Sanji has to make sure he acts as thoroughly as possible before he is thrown away through the window, and with each press of lips tries his best to make a profound contact, so the instinct holding Zoro captive will not be able to miss it.

Once overcoming his initial surprise, Zoro starts to react back with just as much force, not willing to let him take full leading so easily.

Instead of relief, like any normal person would feel for the cooperation, Sanji actually enjoys it. Thanks to becoming breathless, though, he does not have to face the painful temptation stretch it further than needed.

He somehow remembers then that he should check the results, as it was nothing but an experiment, and start jumping between different spots around Zoro.

“What the hell?” Zoro gasps, his head moving back and forth as he tries to catch a glimpse of him.

Grinning, Sanji stands right behind him and shifts him around. “It worked!”

Zoro blinks, but then stares out of the window he is now facing, which is finally not the wrong one to him, but just another window. A smile that only a free man can make is slowly drawn across his face, and he even releases a rare laugh that pulls at Sanji’s stomach much more than it should.

“How did you know what to do?” Zoro asks him.

Sanji slowly lets go of Zoro, eyes darting elsewhere. He clears his throat and lights up a cigarette, at long last.

“Unlike what Chopper said, I don’t think I annoyed you to the point your instinct will see me as a trigger to create energy, but that your body made it figure out that this is a human body, and you need the sun mainly for warmth- although it is something you get more effectively by a contact with someone else.” Sanji walks over to a window, although not one where the sun is seen; he is not that cold. “I’m the one who happens to touch you the most, during our quarrels, so I figured that was the reason you fixed on me, so I wanted to make sure you felt my warmth as effectively as possible.”

“Body warmth, huh…” Zoro mutters behind him.

They fall into silence, which Sanji desperately wants to get away from, but has no idea how to get out. Going near Zoro, ironically, has become intolerable.

“No, it’s both,” Sanji suddenly hears the other man says behind him, following by footsteps coming closer.

Sanji takes a long drag on his cigarette, and closes his eyes.

“Whether I liked it or not, you’ve been central in my life on this ship. All the times you got me to heat up, you influenced me to train even harder. I don’t depend on it, but by this point, it is almost as vital for me as the sense of Nakamaship I’ve developed."

Sanji huffs. “The point was that you’re a muscle-brain anyway.”

“Shut up, dumbass. I’ve simply persisted to one specific path - ”

This time, Sanji snorts.

“ - which made it hard for me to see alternative ones,” Zoro finishes explaining his insight, although a bit too annoyed for someone who has experienced one. It is not like Sanji want to ruin this moment for Zoro, but he has to get back on track, right after messing with their status quo.

This is how they communicate, and this is how it shall stay. Being able to fantasize a much more meaningful future with him than with anyone he has ever attempted to attach himself to does not matter.

“But since you keep trying multiple ones for no reason,” Zoro suddenly continues, “maybe combining to find a balance it will make you finally stop pretending like another person is better than you just by being born with the right set of milk glands.”

Sanji snaps his eyes open at that, forgetting all about his discomfort he has felt until just a second ago and coming forehead-to-forehead with Zoro. “Oi, just because you don’t appreciate that doesn’t mean you can talk about it like its speciality is unadmirable like that green head of yours.”

“It doesn’t matter what it is- you can keep pampering women, if it makes you happy like cooking for anyone regardless of gender. But you can’t let this cost your self-worth.”

The smoke from Sanji’s cigarette blocks his view, so he takes it out of his mouth for now. “Well, you did help to raise it during the last few days while I was constantly reminded of that stupid mistake you’ve done on a whim that I’ll never do, and I don’t see how cherishing women is beneath that. Then what do you suggest?”

“Blocking your path and see what you do about it.”

Before Sanji knows it, Zoro’s palms are on the back of his head and he is being pushed forward until their lips meet again, though this time for something simpler that still leaves the both of them frozen to their spot for the few seconds it lasts.

Shocked, Sanji tries to connect the different points that brought them to this- because if he has kissed Zoro to help him break through the seeds’ effect, Zoro has to have his own legitimate reason for this. He may not be dumb enough to force him like that to stop his so-called women problem, but it is too surreal for him that it could be what it looks to mean. How could anyone want him and yet trust him so much that they will not care about his admiring attitude toward others?

But Zoro’s eye, while not looking at him as tenderly as one would expect from someone with sentimental meanings behind this kind of action, is assuring it in his own way by staring at him with his frank, unreserved expression.

“Finally it looks like I'm the only one who was warmed,” Zoro smirks as he trails his fingers on Sanji’s burning cheeks.

“Shut up, shitty bastard,” Sanji murmurs as he flicks his hand away, but ultimately let Zoro’s fingers to comb some of his shiny hairs.

“Same to you, asshole.”

  ~~~

  Finally able to enjoy the sun properly, Zoro thinks back to the period of his life as a wanderer, where many times he had to walk under the warmth of the sun with hunger eating him from the inside.

Later, soon after joining Luffy’s crew, not only he did not have to worry about that- but he could actually build muscle more effectively, with no worry that his body would resist it- all thanks to one pesky, obnoxious cook coming abroad.

Even if there was a proper way to truly return him the favour, Zoro is not one to express that deep kind of gratitude directly, obviously, but since he happens to be the first one to get back to the ship from a stroll, for a change - even while the sun already barely presents in the sky - and only Sanji is there, as he stayed to look after the ship, he still wants to communicate it somehow.

He finds him leaning against the railing, watching the sea, and does not turn around as Zoro gets closer. The latter embraces him from behind with one hand, and turning his hair aside with the other so he could mouth the skin behind his ear.

Sanji sunk in a sharp breath, but his voice is mostly levelled when he speaks. “Are you bored?”

Despite Sanji is still uncertain about what they have started, as it is still too fresh for him- Zoro keeps being patient about it as usual: “No.”

“Then what's that about?”

Zoro smirks into his skin. “Isn't it clear by now? Disturbing you is always too tempting.”

“I thought you prefer doing that by picking on me until we start fighting.”

“Maybe, but that's when your mood is neutral.” He slowly nips his ear shell. “Now you're peaceful.”

Sanji is right by most probably figuring out that Zoro does not really have romantic moods, where all he wants is to be the man who initiates nice settings. He is a spontaneous kind of guy: he lets life lead him to find in a new island’s market something that the cook would like to receive only by a chance, and will not pull him to a place with unconventional, noteworthy settings, whatever that counts as, as letting it naturally occur around them is much better.

Just like waterfall creating a rainbow.

But when something reminds him of Sanji, he simply cannot help but look for him, no matter whether they end up trying to tear each other’s throats - and no matter what, there are still times where the cook makes him see red - or other behaviours that have to do with their proximity which feeds his satisfaction.

Because, as great as watching the sharpness in his eyes every time he uses an opportunity to drive him up the wall- being absorbed in the warmth of his smell and taste is quite remarkable, too.

“Sun's coming down,” Sanji mentions latterly.

Zoro hums into his shoulder agreement, even though he could care less about it so long Sanji is still there.

[styleandsin]

BEST FICS OF 2017 there have been so many amazing fics posted this year, i couldn’t possibly include them all (or read them all), but these are 25 of my personal favorites that i have read! i’m really looking forward to reading the ones i have yet to get to from this year and all the wonderful fics that will be posted in 2018! :) happy reading everyone!

Go Nowhere Tonight by objectlesson (12k)

As always, the easy nonchalance with which he treats the rumors hurts, stabs Harry in the gut, twists the knife. Because it is hard for Harry; it’s hard to know people think they should be or are together because he wants that. Wants it so fucking badly, and it would be one thing if he could just silently quarantine that part of himself and pine secretly, but instead he’s faced with fictionalized accounts of his and Louis’s nonexistent love life and photoshopped pictures of them being coupley every time he’s on the internet. It is hard, and the fact that it supposedly isn’t for Louis functions as proof that it’s unrequited. “It’s gonna be a rude awakening for them,” he starts, gazing into his empty glass, “when we eventually come out but are dating other people. No one likes being half-right.”

—

Or, the aftermath of a very tense dinner party.

That’s How I Know by allwaswell16 (17k)

Louis Tomlinson has just landed his dream job, coaching soccer at Augustus University. When he moves into a new house near campus, he meets his very fit new neighbor, English professor Harry Styles. Although their first meeting leads to an instant mutual dislike, the more Harry gets to know Louis, the more he likes what he sees.

Or the one where Harry’s African grey parrot spills his dirty secrets to his very hot neighbor.

we’ve got to get away from here by suspendrs (23k)

“It is my understanding that you are the most comprehensive member of this agency in the field of extraterrestrial life, is that right?” the agent asks. He’s trying to sound calm, but Louis can tell he’s shaken as well.

“Um, I guess so,” Louis says, glancing over at the man in the blanket again.

Suddenly, Louis’s blood runs cold. There’s something off about the man, something in his gaze, something Louis can’t put his finger on. It’s terribly unsettling, but excitement bubbles in his gut.

Or, Louis is an FBI agent who likes to think himself a paranormal expert, and Harry is the alien that somehow ended up in his office.

<!— more —>

Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by sincewewereeighteen (26k)

“Another car has stopped at the beginning of the carpet. People are going to collapse any time soon, and Louis knows why.

Harry Styles has just arrived. And Louis. Well. Louis is a grown man. He curses himself a hundred times for even letting his heart race in his chest. He knew they were bound to meet tonight. What the hell is wrong with him?”

Or: the one in which Harry’s having his big movie debut and Louis sings on its soundtrack.

rivers ‘til i reach you by embodied (29k)

Louis can’t begin to understand how he’s always this close and still can’t manage to make Harry his. He stands up and gets another beer. AU. Louis studies astronomy; Harry studies Louis. They spend their summers on the water and it shouldn’t be complicated (spoiler: it is).

Swallow My Words by YesIsAWorld (32k)

Senior year is stressful. On top of balancing school work, family, and friends, Harry’s lacrosse team is vying to win the state championship, he’s not sure where he’s going to college yet, and he has a secret boyfriend that no one can know about.

Love is the Right Place by chelseafrew (33k)

They met when they were seven and five. Louis was a new kid in a new town and Harry was a blind kid in need of a friend. They hit it off immediately, each of them exactly what the other needed. Over the years, friendship turns to more. Just as their romance blossoms, however, Louis gets an offer which promises fame and fortune far from home. Will they be pulled apart or will their love survive?

Life Was a Song, You Came Along by rainbowninja167 (37k)

It’s embarrassing how long it takes Louis to recognize his own song. Niall had sung it as a bright, hopeful love song, and that’s honestly how Louis had always assumed it should sound. But this new voice, slow and rough, stripped of any backing instrument, has infused the lyrics with just the tumultuous mix of fear and defiance that Louis can remember so clearly from the night he wrote them. It’s not a comfortable thing, to feel like someone is singing all your secrets back to you.

Louis is a songwriter trapped in a lie that could ruin his best friend’s career. Harry owns a record store, distrusts everyone in the music industry on principle, but loves Niall Horan’s newest album. A modern retelling of Singin’ in the Rain.

Looking Through You by allwaswell16 (41k)

Just as Louis and Liam were starting out in the music industry, writing and producing for up and coming artists, a fateful meeting with new pop singer Harry Styles changes everything. Four years later, just as Harry is set to embark on his next world tour, a drunken confession causes a rift between once inseparable friends. As Harry tries to make sense of his feelings for Louis, he begins writing his next album to express them as it may be the only way to break through the walls that Louis has built between them.

Be with me so happily by BriaMaria (42k)

Harry Styles may have had his doubts at first, but by the time the gates to the elephant sanctuary came into view he was one hundred percent positive. Louis Tomlinson hated his guts. Like hated, hated. Like loathed-him-on-sight hated.

From what Harry could tell, he hadn’t even done anything close to insulting enough to warrant the disdain that was Louis Tomlinson’s default expression whenever he looked at Harry. It really wasn’t fair. Especially since he’d been lusting after the man from the second he’d laid eyes on that pretty, pretty face with those pretty, pretty eyes.

Or … the one where Harry Styles has a bad reputation and a heart of gold, and Louis Tomlinson wishes he wasn’t so enchanted by boys who looked like Disney characters and wore shirts with bumble bees on them.

[aka Louis is the director of the Styles Elephant Sanctuary and really doesn’t want to babysit his funder’s spoiled lay-about son for two months]

tangled up in you by missandrogyny (45k)

Harry blinks once. And blinks again. And says, his voice dangerous: “Niall, did you get me a mail-order bride?”

Because what the actual fuck. It kind of looks like Niall’s just purchased a person. For Harry.

Niall blinks back at him for a few moments, before throwing his head back and howling with laughter. Harry throws a pillow at him. Hard. “No, what the fuck, Harry.”

“A prostitute then?” Harry also doesn’t want a prostitute.

“Of course not!”

“A stripper?”

“No!”

Damn, he’s running out of ideas. He settles for launching another pillow at Niall’s head. Niall bats it away easily, still laughing. “Stop!”

“What did you get me, then?!” Niall must hear the tinge of hysteria in his voice, because he’s pulling himself together, trying to stop himself from laughing.

There’s still a big grin on his face, though, when he says, “I got you a professional cuddler.”

A professional…what. “What?”

The Little Things That Keep Us Going by panda_bear21 (46k)

Harry wakes up in the hospital, unable to remember his children’s first steps, their hugs, their stories. Or the soft way their babysitter always used to smile and laugh with him.He knows he’s not recalling something important, a lot of things that are important. But he wants to know what they are so incredibly badly… wants to know why his heart is set ablaze, warm and fluttering, every time Louis looks at him.

Love’s Truest Language by summerwine (48k)

The first part was meant as a joke. He didn’t really expect Harry to buy anything. It was just Louis’ way of softening the ‘get the fuck out’ blow.

“Where’s your order forms, then?”

“I don’t want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him.

Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

We’ll Be Seamless by dinosaursmate (52k)

Green reblogged an old photo of himself. It was from back in October, a Halloween special. A pulse shot all the way through Louis because this photo was his absolute favourite, and it had taken the rest of the year for him to wean himself off of it.

Green was on his knees, arms stretched out in front of him with his fingertips digging into the surface of his bed. He was wearing a pair of cat ears on his head, his curls falling forward. His back was arched, and in the foreground of the picture, Green’s bum was high in the air, a long, black cat tail sitting neatly between his cheeks. — Louis spends all his spare time scrolling arty nude blogs on Tumblr but amongst them all, Green is his favourite.

Here, There, and Everywhere by harioandlouigi (54k)

Louis was in a rut. He was still living in the same small Texas town he’d hated all his life, he was about to graduate with a degree he’d never been interested in, and he was hooking up with a guy he didn’t even like just because it was probably his only chance to be with another man.

And then someone else’s overindulgences triggered a series of events that lead to where Louis is now, touring the world as a roadie for Harry Styles.

I Walk the Line by Awriterwrites (55k)

Professor Louis Tomlinson is the leading researcher in his field. Harry Styles is Louis’ recently hired grad assistant. Sparks fly between them but something doesn’t add up when it comes to Harry, and Louis is determined to find out what.

What happens when everything Louis thought he knew comes crashing down around him? Is he doomed to repeat his past mistakes? Or will he learn to follow his heart and find a way to forge his own path, alongside someone he’s not sure he can trust, but who might just be the best thing to ever happen to him.

Never Let Me Go by loveisalaserquest17 (55k)

“Harry! I’ll tell you what,” Louis exclaims, clapping his hands together. There’s a big grin on his face. “If both of us are still single by your thirtieth birthday, we’ll marry each other.”

Harry’s head snaps up, eyes widening. “What?” Harry and Louis have been friends forever, but they couldn’t be more different. One night, with a little too much alcohol, they make a pact to marry in ten years if they’re both still single. Now, one month before the deadline, Louis is willing to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up with his best friend. But is he, really? | Loosely inspired by The 10 Year Plan

Falling For Me Won’t Be A Mistake by Rearviewdreamer (58k)

Harry is married to his job and so overworked that he doesn’t know how to stop. All it takes is a forced Hawaiian get-a-away, the warm tropical breeze of the island, and the most beautiful, elusive man he’s ever seen to make him remember what living is like outside of work. Well, that, and the little souvenir he accidentally takes home with him.

Don’t Want Shelter by FullOnLarrie (76k)

Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…When Hurricane Nicole threatens the coast, they end up stuck together in their families’ old vacation home that they begrudgingly co-own.During the storm, and in the months after, they’re both forced to reevaluate their history and what they mean to each other.

Perfect Storm by cherrystreet (80k)

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

through struggles, to the stars by thedeathchamber (80k)

Louis is a Starfleet captain trying to find his place in the universe. Harry is a prince just trying to do what’s right.

A Star Trek-inspired AU.

Pour Your Heart Out by hrrytomlinson (92k)

Louis is his soulmate. Or at least Harry thinks he is. Louis feels the same as Louis. But there are a lot of people named Louis in the world and this Louis might not be the Louis. It’s besides the point though, because Harry knows he can’t allow himself to get close to any boys. He just can’t and he’s told himself this multiple times. He has to simply stay away from Louis Tomlinson. But he can’t. Harry Styles can never stay away from Louis Tomlinson. It’s physically impossible for him to.

Resist Everything Except Temptation by domesticharry (100k)

The lethargic sound of heels clicking against wood resonated across the sea. Footsteps descended the staircase, every assured step creating a menacing aura as it grew closer. Perspiration gathered along Louis’ palms as the rhythmic sound halted in front of him.

“Captain,” Malik greeted.

Louis watched out of his peripheral as Malik’s boots shuffled back a few steps. Sweat matted the hair along the nape of Louis’ neck as he waited for something to happen. He felt as if a sharp blade was twisting his gut as the silence became tangible. There was a metallic slide of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, the sound startling Louis out of his cocoon of sterile shock. His shoulders jumped as the tip of a blade flattened underneath his jaw. Louis’ distorted reflection stared back at him in the polished metal. Engraved rose petals twisted his appearance as they crawled up the length of the sword. The sword lifted and took Louis’ chin with it.

Standing in front of Louis was Captain Styles.

Or the one where Louis is the commodore’s son who is forced to become a part of Harry’s crew when he is captured.

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove (124k)

five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.

now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.

(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)

Your Mess Is Mine by amory (176k)

Louis is the father to the most brilliant little boy in the world who is all Louis really needs, or at least that’s what he tells himself. Harry is a gorgeous boybander fresh off a two year break and a massive scandal that’s left him a little broken and more than ready to move on.

They fall in love.

[kokkoro]

Violet Blue (9/15)

General wolf rules for life: Eat. Rest. Rove in between. Render loyalty. Love the children. Cavil in moonlight. Tune your ears. Attend to the bones.  Make love. Howl often.     Clarissa Pinkola Estes

or

being moms is hard, being werewolf moms in the suburbs is even harder. (read here on ao3)

June

4:37am

You wake up on that early morning in June to Clarke pulling herself reluctantly from the bed, shifting aside the thin sheets and the gentle grasp you had on her shirt. You open your eyes only briefly, blinking once, twice, before shutting them again as Clarke shuffles her way over to the bathroom. You roll towards the scent of her, listening only because there’s no way you can’t. It’s the hum of the exhaust as Clarke no doubt misses the switch for the light... the flush of the toilet and then the rush of the faucet. The bathroom door squeaks and she pads quietly back, bare feet and soft, and when she lifts the sheets to settle back in you sigh.

Despite the heat you can already feel, she hooks her leg around yours, her skin warm, and tugs your shirt up until the palm of her hand rests tenderly over your ribs. She exhales, and you feel it over your skin as she shifts to find the comfort she lost. You peek at her through the curls of your hair, studying the subtle flare of her lashes over her cheeks.

“We should get up soon.”

“Shhh…”

“Clarke--”

She burrows, ducking her head, tucking it under your chin. Her legs coils more securely around your ankle, tangling but also keeping you in place.

“If we want to get the most out of the morning--”

“It’s too early for this,” she mumbles into you.

“You said--”

“Shhh...”

“Clarke.”

She doesn’t answer. Her eyes are closed and her breathing steadies and you stay still. When she finally decides to speak a few long minutes later, you dip your head close, your lips brushing the crown of her head.

“Everything’s packed and fine and just...” She breathes out. “Give me twenty quiet minutes in bed with you before the chaos starts, that’s all I’m asking.”

“Clarke.”

“‘Clarke’ me one more time and I’m kicking you out of bed.”

“Love,” you say instead, soft. A rumble deep in your throat, and you feel the warmth of her sigh against your neck as she nuzzles further into you.

5:15am

You get up first, used to the schedule as you are, leaving Clarke behind in the mess of your bed and tangled up in sheets. You have a pot of coffee going in seconds, sipping at your mug as you do a quick run-through of the few bags left on the kitchen table. Everything is where it should be. Blankets and a change of clothes, some bug spray and towels, ziplock bags for your phones and other items. Diapers. There’s a point where it becomes being ‘over prepared’, but you wouldn’t know that even if it hit you in the face.

You’re finishing packing up the cooler when Clarke finally decides to join you. She kisses your cheek, a part of her absent and running on auto-pilot, still dressed in just that t-shirt she wore to bed and you stare after her as she pours herself a cup of coffee from the pot.

You close the lid of the cooler, reaching blindly for the latch until it locks with an muted click. You follow after her, step for step until you’re pressed up close to her back, your hands at her waist. She laughs softly, spills a little bit of the coffee onto the counter as she goes to take a sip and you kiss the side of her neck.

“Lexa,” she says, and you can hear the smile in her voice.

“Hm...?”

She sets aside her mug, turning, and you lift her up just enough to place her gently on the countertop, hands slipping under her shirt, unsatisfied until you can feel the softness of her skin under your fingertips and your chest flush against her. Between her legs you feel at ease, content with the rush momentarily forgotten and you kiss her languid and slow. You’re eyes are closed and her lips are familiar and warm and the urge doesn’t stop.

(You could kiss her for years and if you had all the time in the world you’re sure you would try)

A little bit of the morning light finally inches its way into the kitchen, through the windows and onto the counter and when you glance at the clock on the microwave, your face tucked near Clarke’s neck as the two of you attempt to catch your breath, a part of you wants to ignore it. A part of you wants to lean back in for her lips and forget there’s things to be done and plans to be had and you allow yourself the indulgence for just a second longer before pulling back out of reach.

Clarke hops down from the counter, runs a hand through her hair, a faint smile holding her lips and flushed, and reaches for her mug.

“Kids?” you say and all she does is nod, offhand, brushing her thumb over her bottom lip.

She looks up. “I’ll go get changed.”

Clarke takes her mug of coffee with her upstairs and you head out to the car with the bags and the cooler. The air is light, the ground soaked with last night’s rain, and the earth seems to breathe easier because of it.  The morning sunlight catches the dew, sparkling, and the birds chirp to wakefulness and you stand there in the driveway after stuffing everything into the trunk, staring off down the road and the empty yards of your neighbors.

You don’t know why, but it makes you feel a little homesick, and you shut the hatch with a shove and head back inside.

It’s quiet, the kitchen empty, and you make your way upstairs, careful about making too much sound. You find Clarke in Lily and Madi’s room, voice soft and nonsensical as she lifts Madi from her crib, cradling her gently against her chest. Your daughter scrunches her nose, presses her face against Clarke’s shoulder and relaxes again.

The door creaks as you open it a tad wider and Clarke turns, smiles fondly at you. “The car all set?”

You nod, moving over to Lily’s bed and pulling her from among the blankets and her stuffed animals. She whines, not opening her eyes although annoyed at the disturbance, but much like Madi, she finds the crook of your neck and settles among your scent.

You shift her in your arms, holding her with your right as your reach out for her stuffed wolf with your left and then follow Clarke out of the room. You have the both of them buckled in the car, Lily with her wolf and Madi in her blankets sound asleep again, and then head back inside for the rest.

It’s a process. Jack sleeps heavily, and you carry him down to the car with little trouble, Clarke behind you with Danny, and then you make one last trip inside for Aden. On the way out, Clarke grabs her little satchel with the keys and locks the front door behind you.

“Where we goin’?” Aden mumbles, rubbing his eyes as you buckle him in between Lily and Madi. You comb your fingers through his sleep spiked hair, and his eyes droop at the touch.

“On an adventure,” you answer with a smile and he nods absently. You don’t think he listens.

Clarke hands you the keys after you finish, leaning in to kiss you out there in the driveway. It’s just lips, but you feel the sun at your back and Clarke warm at your front and you pull away only after a quick peck to her cheek.

You pull out of the driveway just after six o’clock, the windows rolled down to let the air in, and you know this is only the start.

8:06am

You pull into the parking lot of this little diner off the interstate in the middle of nowhere just as the kids begin to wake. They yawn and stretch, coming back to life slowly but surely in the backseat. Lily’s stuffed animal tumbles down to the floor of the car and you watch in the rearview mirror as her bottom lip puckers and her eyes water and a pitiful whimper comes to life in the back of her throat.  

“Baby,” Clarke says, shaking her head. She watches from the passenger seat, turned around as you pull into a spot near the front. You can see her amused smile out of the corner of your eye, her soft laughter and the gentle coos that follow. Lily whines as she reaches for her animal, but the booster seat keeps her in place.

You’re both out of the car the second it stops and you pull the keys free. The kids are eager to stretch their legs after a couple long hours in the car and their steps are excited if a bit uncoordinated. You can hear their stomachs growling from a mile away, and the look you receive from the older woman manning the counter when you all wander your way into the small diner is nothing short of shock.

Two regulars seated at the stools with their mugs of coffee and this morning’s paper glance over their shoulders as your entourage files in and you take a second to smile kindly at the lady behind the counter.

“Is it alright if we use your restroom?”

The lady chuckles. “First door on the right just around the corner.”

All seven of you pile into a booth near the back after a successful trip to the bathroom and the lady, Margaret, meets you there (‘Marge for short’ she tells you, and you’re partly proud and embarrassed when four out of five children parrot the name loudly back to her).

The kids get different flavors of milk and it comes in little paper cups with straws. Clarke orders a bloody mary and you get a small cup of coffee for yourself and not too long later there’s a platter of sausage and blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs with slices of bacon. Toasted bread and the little cups of jelly spreads the kids pick through in the wire basket at the end of the table.

You wipe away dribbles of syrup and smushed blueberry stains. Clarke sits across from you, helping Madi scoop bits of egg onto her spoon.

“Love,” you say, and Clarke’s eyes shift to you for just a moment before returning back to your daughter.

“Lexa,” she teases.

You see that little curl to her lips, those curious glances she can’t help but take afterward, and you wish she wasn’t so far away. Clarke seems to understand though. Somehow. She places the spoon down after Madi has finished and braces her forearms on the table, leaning over the expanse and you meet her halfway. The kiss is nothing like this morning, soft and brief as the kids go about their own thing around you, but you feel it there in the pit of your stomach and it’s nothing short of heavenly.

9:49am

It’s a challenge to get the little ones back in the car after breakfast but it's a task you can Clarke tackle with gusto. They’re restless with excess energy from the food and you manage to burn some of it out in the parking lot. You only have two hands and they are full as Danny and Jack pull you in the direction of the picnic tables outside on this small patch of grass near the side of the building. They run circles around it as you wait for Clarke to return from paying the bill.

You catch the scent of her on the breeze before you can see her, soft and thick, honey overlaid by the ‘fresh mountain air’ detergent Clarke likes to buy. Her hand finds the small of your back, a greeting, return, before she slips your card into the back pocket of your shorts followed by a light pat. You turn to find her with Madi on her hip and Lily holding tightly to Aden’s hand as they meander around the area looking for flowers and bugs.

You decide to give them a good thirty minutes before the parking lot starts to fill with families and local business, to get the energy out of their systems. It's you and Clarke on the little bench and your lap is a mess of flower petals and plucked grass, some of which manages to make its way into Clarke’s hair though you’d deny any part in it.

(there are five other pairs of hands you can blame it on and they always look far guiltier than you)

You’re back on the road not too long later. The wind from the highway rushes through the interior of the car, the kids settled in their seats and Clarke has stopped shooting you these pointed stares as she picks out the petals from her hair, letting them go out the window. You glance in the rearview and you seem them, hair tousled and in their face but content, captured by the wind and the smells and the way the earth moves around them.

12:51pm

The moment Aden recognizes his surroundings, the dense cluster of trees on either side of the long familiar road, you see him perk up there in the backseat between Lily and Madi, looking past and out the window with that wide-eyed kind of wonder. Lily turns too, pushes the hair from her face to see better, and you return your attention to the road trying not to smile.

“Are we there yet, momma?” Aden asks again, but the excitement is tenfold now that the connection has been made.

“Soon.”

“We made it!” Jack says almost immediately afterward, hearing only what he wants. There’s the telltale noises of him tugging at the strap of his seatbelt, leaning as close as he can to the open window, which thankfully isn’t much.

“Soon,” you repeat, but you don’t miss the sound of his exaggerated intake of breath, filling his lungs with the smell of the woods.

“Danny, hands in the car please,” Clarke says beside you, eyeing the rearview mirror.

The road curves, cutting between trees. Houses are near non existent this far deep into the reservation. The campground about thirty minutes back is the last human contact you’ll hopefully cross if you steer clear of the hiking trails that lead up to the mountain peak.

You drive until the road stops, until the pavement crumbles to dirt and tufts of grass and all that’s left is this field and the line of trees far out in the distance. An abundance of flowers, mostly dandelions, is scattered among the tall grass, spots of yellow peppered between weeds like stars.

The air is crisp here, a bit colder even with the summer sun, but you find it’s just about everything you need.

You cut off the ignition, tucking the keys under the seat, before opening the door and hauling yourself from the car. When you slide open the side door Danny’s face greets you. She holds out her arms expectantly and you undo the seatbelt, lifting her up from under her arms and placing her gently on the ground.

“Stay with me please, Danny,” you say, moving the seat up and reaching back for Madi. Her fingers grasp for you, mumbling her impatience, and when you manage to free her she latches onto your shirt and doesn’t let go. You settle her on your hip.

On the other side of the car, Clarke steadily works her way through the rest. Jack first and then Lily, followed lastly by Aden, who attempts to help and only serves to prolong the process, his fingers small compared to Clarke. You meet Clarke by the back of the car, opening the hatch one handed and it swings wide and up. Clarke helps you with the cooler, placing it in the dirt near the foot of the car.

You take out one of the backpacks next, handing it off to Clarke so she can sift through the pockets to find the bug-spray. Jack and Danny practically shove themselves forward, well aware that once they’re done they’re free to explore to their heart’s content. Within reason of course.

“Arms out, eyes closed,” you say as you place Madi down.

Madi’s hand holds fast, and instead of fighting her for your clothes, you cover her face with your hand, knelt beside her and light as Clarke quickly goes over her with the bug-spray. Madi sputters comically after you pull your hand away, and you take a moment to fix her little shirt so it's no longer bunched over her belly.

“Lily, baby,” Clarke says, and you look to find your daughter’s shoulders scrunched and her arms crossed, nose wrinkled.

“No,” she mumbles, “I don’t like it.” The sound of her L’s is open and a little slurred and Clarke reaches out, squatting down in front of her.

“This will help.” Clarke runs her fingers through tousled bangs. “We don’t want a repeat of the park.”

“No,” Lily says and Clarke sighs. “Stings.”

“Not if you close your eyes.” Your wife gently coaxes Lily’s shoulders to relax, rubs her thumb over a plump cheek. She gestures in your direction. “Here, momma will help. She wouldn’t let anything happen to you, would she?”

Lily shakes her head and you melt, holding out your free hand which she takes, gently patting Madi on the back with the other, shifting her to make room in your space. Lily steps close and you give her a small peck on the cheek.

“Deep breath,” you say, taking one yourself, and she copies. “Eyes closed.”

You cover her face like you did with Madi, over her eyes and mouth and Clarke takes the opportunity presented. It’s over and done with in seconds and when the sun meets her eyes again, Lily blinks.

“Good?”

Lily takes a moment, bringing her arm up to her face and scrutinizing. She sniffs once and then lets it fall, scowling at the smell. She picks up her right foot and then switches to her left. Finally she nods, satisfied. “Good.”

Madi’s grasp slackens and you give them both a push out towards the field, standing finally. You glance at Clarke, who smiles back at you, exhaling this a breath that stirs the strands of her hair.

“Gets easier every time,” you say.

Clarke shakes her head.

“Mommy!” Jack exclaims, barreling out from the grass, tripping on something and rolling. He finds his feet again, giggling as he clambers back up and stumbles into Clarke’s legs.

“Yes, Jack,” Clarke says with a smile that makes you weak, her hand on his back

He grins, all teeth. You can see the wilderness in his eyes, alight and indescribingly wolfish, and you hope that part of him never fades.

“We gotta go!”

“Go where?” Clarke asks as Jack takes her hand and pulls.

“That way!” and he points, far off towards the trees.

7:37pm

You eat snacks in the back of the car as the sun sets. Out beyond the treeline, the sky painted this warm orange hue as the light peaks over the top of the trees. It’s a sight to behold and you find yourself watching it amidst the commotion.

The far seats are folded down to make more room for all of you, the kids scattered about the blankets, ravenous as they chow through their sandwiches and chug little juice-boxes. Their eager to return, and with the moon an ever present reminder, you know it’s only a matter of time.

Their energy is relentless. Even Lily, who usually takes to the excitement with a certain amount of trepidation, seems to buzz out of her skin. Maybe it's the familiarity of the wilderness, the smells and the wind. But when the sandwiches are whittled to crusts and the juice boxes are sucked dry, they’re back out and eager to make the most of it.

12:00am

You return to the field when the moon is still high. The heat of the day has gentled, this midnight breeze that casts itself across the field, bringing with it a relief to the humidity of the day. The grass has already collected dew and it wets your paws, sticks to the coats of the little ones as they bumble tiredly onward, Clarke urging them with gentle nudges of her nose.

It’s no secret they’re exhausted. They amble, these small bounds made to cover distance until they tire and slow once again to a sluggish trot. It’s easy to keep pace with them, and sometimes you stop walking altogether, watching the group of them alongside Clarke as they make their way through the grass. They gravitate towards her, walking close and comforted by the presence and she’s careful not to knock into them by accident.

Some of their energy returns when they spot the car and the open hatch, loping forward. Jack tries to make the jump, but fails spectacularly, landing on his side in the dirt with a huff after barely missing the edge. He picks himself up, shakes off what little pain there was and whines his impatience.

You go one by one, picking them up in your mouth by the scruff and depositing them into the back of the car. Clarke joins them first, hopping up into the tailgate. She circles once, twice, and then plops down among the pups with this deep sigh.

After one last quick check of the area, you follow. The car wobbles with the added weight, but none of your family seems to care. All the kids are too tired to shift and they remain smushed together in this ball of fur and tiny paws. Clarke’s tail thumps against the bed of the car when you finally settle behind her, your muzzle propped up on her side. She whines softly, lifting her head to lick the side of your face and your eyes droop, blinking as you watch the pups already halfway asleep.

Outside crickets chirp and just beyond the open hatch you see the light of fireflies flicker in and out among the darkness.

2:58am

You wake up somewhat disoriented and you shut your eyes and rub your nose into Clarke’s fur. Once you’re awake though it’s difficult to return. You pick yourself up at gingerly as you can, shaking, and little bits of grass and dirt dislodge and scatter. There’s a small bag of your things behind you that you pick up between your teeth and place carefully just by the edge before hopping down from the car.

The shifting is familiar, the feeling of muscles and bones pulled taut and then releasing. You stretch languidly, arms over your head and twisting your back, and you let out this satisfied groan when something cracks.

You unzip the bag as quietly as you can, pulling out a t-shirt that you slip on over your head, the dirt and grass cold under your bare feet. Clarke wakes not too long after, and you see her head pop up from the jumbled mass of tiny fur bodies.

“Clarke,” you greet her and she snorts quietly, shaking her head. She untangles herself, pushing the blankets over the pups as best she can with her nose before joining you outside.

You wait, sifting through the bag for another shirt, though the second you feel her lips against your jaw you forget about anything else. Her hand finds the plane of your stomach under your shirt, rests there.

“Did I wake you?”

“No,” she says, reaching past your idle hands for a shirt of her own. Clarke shifts away, pulling it down over her head and then moves forward to search for some underwear. She hands you a pair when she does.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

You watch her run her hands through her hair, there in early dawn barefoot and still warm from sleep. You press yourself close to her back and breathe.

“Should we wake them up?”

You shake your head, your chin on her shoulder and your nose against her neck. “If we leave now we’ll miss traffic.”

“I can drive”

“Only if you want to.”

She’s silent for a moment, patting your cheek. “Where are the keys?”

“Under the seat.”

“Original.”

You snort. “Who’s going to steal them, Clarke? A bear?”

Clarke rolls her eyes, pushing against you and you let her go (but not without a kiss to her cheek and you catch the smile she fails to stop). She walks around the car to the driver’s side as you close the hatchback without waking the kids. You join her up front, sliding into the passenger seat as she digs blindly under the driver’s side for the keys. She finds them eventually, inserting them into the ignition and starting up the car.

Those first few hours on the road are quiet besides the wind. You right arm dangles out the window, reclined in your seat and Clarke’s hand held tightly in your own.

[thenewnio]

My version of The New Majorika!

See here: https://thenewnio.tumblr.com/post/187193062083/ojamajo-doremi-animals-ep-3-the-new-majorika

Majorika looked at herself in a mirror, sighing: She was no longer the same. "Was I right to let them do it?” She sighs again.

The New Majorika!

It was a Wednesday afternoon. In the shop, the girls were already starting to work, the news of a new veterinarian having been spread throughout the neighborhood. A crowd rushed inside the shop.

"Excuse me ! Do you have any kittens?"

"I'd like you to treat my dog, he's sick..."

"I’d like to complain about this parrot..."

In the incessant hubbub in the shop, it was difficult to manage so many people.

When the owner of the shop appeared for the first time that day, silence took over. Customers were visibly terrified because of Majorika's appearance.

The latter could not refrain from asking “What?”

Panic immediately broke out. Only Doremi and the others kept calm as they watched, stunned.

Aiko took matters into her own hands. “Hey! This lady’s the owner of our shop! She's not gonna hurt‘cha!”

But no one took heed as people ran out with their pets. 

In a few seconds, the shop was already empty, with only a few hairballs lying on the floor. Doremi still had a comb in her hand. Hazuki was practically paralyzed.

The girls turned to the witch, who looked down at her feet.

“Majorika, it's decided, you're gonna change your look!”

No sooner said than done, the girls prepared new clothes for their witch.

Hazuki, used to the frilly dresses her mother bought her, made such a dress. Aiko chose a rather sporty style; Momoko a very urban and casual outfit; Doremi just chose the same clothes as those she herself wore.

Of all the girls, Onpu had chosen the outfit that would best suit: An emerald green tunic and blue denim pants, which made Majorika seem more human than witch. This set was chosen by all the girls wholeheartedly.

Now it was necessary to change the witch’s hairstyle.

This time, Aiko had the best idea: Letting Majorika’s hair down, and adorning with a small frog-shaped barrette as a reminder of the witch’s frog form.

It no longer really looked like it did before.

Even Lala had to undergo these transformations; now, whenever she assumed cat form, she wore a collar with a bell and a ribbon at the end of her tail.

Momoko insisted on adding her personal touch: she removed Majorika's earrings to replace them with a small earring like the one she wore herself on her left ear. Thus, the old witch looked like a girl in her twenties.

Well, almost.

“And there you go!” Said Onpu-chan. “You no longer look like a witch and it suits you very well! I’m sure you’ll attract a lot of people.”

The young actress assumed an impish air. The girls exchanged an eloquent look and the witch felt uncomfortable in these new clothes.

In the girls’ free time that followed, Majorika always wore the same clothes.

“So, you still haven't changed?“

“Well, I didn’t dare... After all, you girls went through a lot of trouble...”

Momoko immediately bolted. "Wait, where is she..." started the witch.

"She'll come back, we trust her!" said the girls, smiling radiantly.

Aiko, with a leading nature, suggested that everyone get to work. And that’s what they did. As soon as they reopened the shop, the crowd returned, along with the ensuing hubbub.

"Who is that lady over there?"

“I think she's the owner...”

“Really? But she looked so gloomy before...”

The chatter about the owner did not end, and Majorika did not know how to react, especially with the fact that whenever people talked about her, she sneezed, which made all this unbearable. The words echoed in her head. Already very busy with the debts she owed to Dela, she couldn't take it anymore. What to do now?

“Enough already!” she finally shouted.

Everyone was silent, as this was the first time that Majorika had made such a crisis in the shop. The latter could not bear such humiliation and rushed headlong into the backroom.

Sitting in an armchair, legs curled up on the seat and her arms around the knees, the witch wept.

The girls wanted to go see her to find out what was wrong, but Onpu held them back by saying that she needed to be left alone.

After a few moments, Majorika got up, her face red, exhausted by so many tears.

She went to the mirror, and looked at herself. "Look at me..." she thought. "Is this the appropriate outfit for a witch? It looks nothing like me."

She consoled herself by criticizing her modest clothes. This lasted for the rest of the day.

That evening, the girls closed up shop and finally went to see their mistress. She turned, gave them a dark look and shut herself in her room.

Doremi rushed behind her to knock on the door with all her strength. “Listen Majorika, we didn't think you would be so uncomfortable in those clothes!“

“That has nothing to do with it! I was humiliated! These clothes just aren’t suitable for a witch!”

Onpu, with her usual confidence, and rushed towards the door to give Majorika reason. “Listen, in the human world, they say the habit doesn’t make the monk, so suitability to a witch doesn’t matter one bit. These people didn't make fun of you, they were actually surprised that you had changed so much in such a short time. They thought you were nice to see, so it was the pressure that turned you upside down, right?”

The witch’s eyes widened. Her back was glued to the door so as not to let anyone in. A smile appeared on her face.

“You're right, I behaved differently than usual. Beg pardon, girls...”

She opened the door to the girls waiting for her, eyes shining with tears. They all hugged at once. A moment later, however, Majorika broke away from the fray to give orders: “But what are you even doing? You haven't even cleaned up my shop! Come on! Get rid of all that dog hair! I want to raise enough money to repay Dela! Hurry!”

The girls howled with laughter. Momoko was writhing as the scene was comical.

"What? What?!” asked the witch, concerned with this outcome.

"Definitely, you will never change!” They all knew in their hearts.

...

This fanfic was taken from here: https://odoremi-animals.skyrock.com/

I hope all you French-speakers enjoy. And to English-speakers who know French, feel free to make your own translation!

[kingsofchaos]

Based on the most recent gtav video, how about an au where the fake ah crew has to move on after jack and Geoff die on a mission, so now Vagabond is the reluctant leader of Ramsey's lads who've always looked to the Gents for leadership.

And Ryan has always been Geoffs attack dog, never a leader, so he has extreme difficulty reigning in Gavin Michael and Jeremy, who are all trying to figure out how they function as a group without its leaders. Ryan has to now figure out how to /be/ a leader, so what type of leadership will actually speak to the lads in a way that they’d even listen to?

(Alternate‘everything is terrible forever’ option here)They’dthought they were dead. There was a moment there where they’d reallythought it was over, thought Geoff and Jack had gone out together,gutting the crew in one fell swoop. The job had been sideways fromthe start, too rushed, too many loose ends, a disaster was almostinevitable. They’re just lucky it wasn’t worse, lucky it wasn’t asbad as it looks, so when Geoff and Jack are stable the Fake AH Crewhold an intervention. Bully their bosses out of the city, tell themthey aren’t welcome back until they’ve had a proper holiday, freeform any stress or danger. Neither Geoff nor Jack are particularlykeen on the idea but the rest of the crew are entirely too proud ofthemselves.Atleast until the moment Ryan realises that he’s meant to step up andbe the responsible portion of the inner crew in their absence which,no, thank you. No. Absolutely not. There’s been a mistake. It’s notthat Ryan can’t be a leader – the Vagabond was incrediblysuccessful all on his own, and he did his time bossing about variousguns-for-hire – it’s just that he knows exactly how undesirable thejob really is.Thereare some who think Ramsey has it made, dream of taking his role asking of the city’s ruling crew, but Ryan doesn’t truly envy hisposition for a second. The Lads are barely controllable on a good dayand unless he’s the victim of one of their stupider pranks Ryan’shonestly never been interested in trying. Is often barely more thanan honorary Lad himself, egging them on and grinning into his mask asGeoff tears at his own hair in frustration. So perhaps this is karma.Perhaps this is why Geoff took one look back at them on his way toboard the plane and could only laugh and laugh. Because this? This isRyan’s hell.TheLads have always looked up to the Gents, and of course that extendsto Ryan as much as Geoff or Jack but that fond admiration meansnothing now. Normally the Lads respect Ryan just fine – the wholecrew’s pretty friendly and Ryan’s more than earned his place, thepush and shove between them is all camaraderie and good times, but thatwas before Ryan was declared boss. Before he was given a role theyall relish in torturing Geoff over, before he became The Man. The oneto rail against, to undermine, to cast as the villain any time commonsense must prevail over idiocy. There’s no chance in hell they’rejust going to sit back and make it easy.Ryantries to just be himself with more authority and they spend the weekmimicking him like deranged parrots. He tried to yell them intosubmission and they simply shout back at him completely uncowed;between Geoff and Michael they’re all so desensitised to yelling itbarely registers. He turns to dog training manuals and almost winsthem over with various treats rewarding good behaviour, until theLads remember that they are, in fact, grown men who can source theirown treats. Ryan even tries, as a last resort, bringing out themenace of the Vagabond in an attempt to rattle the little bastardsbut barely makes it through the first sentence of his carefullyworded speech before they’re howling with laughter.Thesupport crew do absolutely nothing to help. Well, no. They continueto be the consummate professionals keeping this whole ridiculousoperation afloat, thank you very much, but when it comes to Ryan’smisery they’ve got nothing to offer. All vague hums of sympathy whenhe comes around to complain as though they’re not treating this shitlike the best kind of reality tv. Full of commiseration and freeadvice like they they don’t all have money riding on every possibleoutcome of this farce.Inthe end Ryan just gets on the Lads level and plays dirty; retaliatesto every prank with something far worse, refuses to engage when theytry to wind him up for their amusement and stops trying to emulatethe way Geoff leads. When they become too much he hurls pointed looksof complete disappointment at Jeremy, sends Michael on endlesstedious milk runs and flat out sits on Gavin for almost two hoursuntil he gives in. Ryan comes up with jobs that are so odd andentertaining the Lads can’t bring themselves to miss out on, andmaybe their laughter at the oddity of Ryan as their boss never reallyfades away but it simmers down to amused looks and shared grins andfuck, so long as they’re listening it’s close enough.Ryan’sterm as leader is a pretty equal spread of calm, careful planning forhilariously extravagant jobs and bouts of unmitigated despair full ofcreative insults and disturbing threats; I don’t care how prettyit is Gavin, if you don’t put it back where you found it i’ll shoveit down your throat; Try it again you purple-haired little goblin Idare you; Michael if this place is burning when I get back I willfill your Adder with everything you love and drive it out to sea. Itis, without a doubt, the longest three months of Ryan’s life, barabsolutely nothing. There are moments he enjoys, sure, but the secondGeoff and Jack return Ryan goes on a killing spree, wreaks havoc in abank and carefully promises the Lads that whatever duty was placed onhim not to strangle his charges for intolerable impudence has beenwell and truly lifted.