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forabeatofadrum · 1 year

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Do you have zimbits fic recs? I’ve never really gotten into Check Please fic, but I just got Madison in the mail and now I wanna read more zimbits but don’t know where to start!

YOU GOT MADISON?????? ASAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHH!!! My order hasn't been shipped yet so no spoilers, but you ask and you shall receive. It got long, so I am putting it under a cut in no particular order. ALSO the new Tumblr post maker is absolutely fucking terrible and it took so long to format this because of it. The whole idea of creating "blocks" in posts is stupid and it doesn't function well ANYWAY FIC TIME.

Set Your Old Heart Free by IBoatedHere

Jack doesn’t find Bitty after graduation. They don’t kiss. Jack doesn't go to Madison for the 4th. They still fall in love.

It's a simple premise, but so well executed. I uhhh always cry at the end and I love to read Jack's thoughts.

when it’s over (you’re the start) by @whoacanada

Jack goes to sleep in Providence next to his boyfriend and wakes up in Montréal to discover he's been in a coma since 2009. Refusing to believe Samwell, Bitty, and the Falconers were all a dream, Jack tracks down the real Shitty, Lardo, Ransom, and Holster to find they’ve shared the same group hallucination for years. Now, they’re on a mission to find Bitty, the love of Jack’s non-existent life, and the only member of SMH they can’t seem to get in contact with.

What it says on the tin. It is a "what if" story and it is great.

i'll see you with your laughter lines by the_one_that_fell

Eric Bittle was fourteen when his soulmate died.

They'd never even gotten to meet.

This is a great story, but heed the warnings. It's an interesting spin on the soulmate trope, because yeah, you can argue that Jack died when he overdosed, even if it was just for a small moment.

like a handprint on my heart by the_one_that_fell

"Dude, we've got an over-competitive golf dad, a badass art freak, a pre-med lax bro on the verge of a breakdown, a chronically naked rugby player, a beat-boxing giant, and an itty-bitty, baking figure skater - there's no way we came together accidentally. This was fate."

"Or it's the normal progression of human beings making friends. Chill out, bro."

(Or, the one where no one plays hockey, but it still manages to bring them all together.)

I have so much to say about this story. SO MUCH. It once gave me a breakdown when I was feeling super lonely, cause the fic is about friendship. Zimbits is just a part of it, though. Everyone gets a moment to shine and it's so good.

don't you look charming (here in the eye of a hurricane) by @whoacanada

In 2009, Jack Zimmermann doesn't just walk away from his future, he packs a bag and runs.

ANGST ANGST ANGST!! This fic captivated me so much. I don't know what else to say!!!

My Words on Your Skin by There_Once_Was_A_Girl

Jack and Bitty have a unique soul connection, they can write back and forth to each other by writing on their own skin. They know each other long before they've ever met. But when Jack overdoses Bitty thinks he's lost the love of his life forever.

Just like the other soulmate AU fic above, this takes the soulmate idea and runs with it. What do you do when you believe the other is dead?

you’ve got my number by ambrosius

It’s not as if Jack was totally inept when it came to technology. He could handle his Tweeter (Tweety? Twits? Twitter? Did it really matter?) just fine and if he’s honest, he much preferred texting to calling most days. So when he gets added to a group chat full of strangers, well, he’s pretty sure he can handle whatever comes next.

This one is so good. I am a bitch for epistolary stuff and I am glad it exists.

Graduation Dayby IBoatedHere

It takes Jack 50 days to finally see what's been right in front of him for the past two years.

Groundhog Day AU, but make it Zimbits. Jack doesn't kiss Bitty when he graduates, and that's fine, right? Well, looks like the universe disagrees. Also this fic has a real good platonic Jackshit moment.

Will Wonders Never Cease by @porcupine-girl

Eric has landed his dream job: social media manager for the Providence Falconers! Not only does he get paid to tweet, for an NHL team at that, but it’s a job where he’ll be able to make good use of his magic - when nobody’s looking, of course. Everyone on the Falconers is a joy to work with… with the notable exception of Jack Zimmermann. Eric understands that Jack doesn’t like social media, but he could certainly be a little more polite about it.

Luckily, Eric has support from his Samwell buddies, as well as his best friend - a man whose face he’s never seen, and whose name he doesn’t know. They met on an online forum where witches can gather anonymously, since it isn’t safe for them to advertise their existence in a world where magic isn’t trusted. They’ve been friends for years now, but Eric is only just starting to realize that he might have deeper feelings for someone he can never meet face-to-face.

THIS FIC!!! Jenna, I don't know if you read my fic Ebb & Flow, but I mentioned this fic in the author's note, because it was a huge inspiration. It's a secret identity magical She Loves Me AU. It sounds bonkers, but it is so goooood.

if you're going through hell (keep going) by @whoacanada

Eighteen years ago, Samwell suffered the tragic loss of one of their most promising young athletes. Ever since rumors have circulated that the school is haunted by the ghost of Eric Bittle. At least, that’s the only way anyone can seem to explain why the locker rooms smell like freshly baked apple pie on game days instead of the usual, omnipresent hockey funk.

Now in the twilight of his career, Jack Zimmermann is facing his own mortality and the last item on his bucket list?

Return to Samwell and disprove the rumor that his long-dead boyfriend is haunting Faber Memorial Rink.

MAIN CHARACTER DEATH!!! WARNING!!! And not like the previous soulmate AUs where the one thinks the other is dead. Bitty dies and Jack moved on, but he has to face the past, because people claim Bitty's ghost is real. Jack decides to find out himself.

Inertia by @foryouandbits

At the age of seven, Eric Bittle is tackled so hard in peewee football, it feels as though he's been knocked into another dimension. At the encouragement of his father, he avoids contact sports until he receives a scholarship to play hockey at Samwell University. The result is the same: every check on the ice hurts so much that Eric hallucinates another world. Eric spends the rest of his freshman year attempting to prove himself to his captain and his coaches. He questions his worth, his talent, and his sanity, and in his search for answers, he uncovers long-hidden secrets that change everything he has ever known.

I loved this one. It is an interesting take on dimension travel and Coach in this story is so great as well. I highly recommend it.

Ice Crew Please! by @petals42

Jack Zimmermann was drafted first by the Providence Falconers when he was eighteen years old. He is good at hockey. Very good. His team won the Cup his second year and now, in his third year, they are looking good. Jack should be on top of the world. And some days, he manages to convince himself he is.

He’s not, of course.

Enter the Ice Crew.

AKA: The Ice Crew AU

This sorta!fic is a fic about friendship thawing Jack Zimmermann's heart. Jack realises he's kind of a dick towards the ice crew of the Falcs and so he gets to know them, including Bitty. It's a good fucking friendship fic.

All shall know the wonder by me, lol

When Bitty decides to skate on Sunday mornings, he didn’t expect to meet a nice, handsome man who cannot hear. The Sunday mornings lead to a deep friendship that slowly leads to more.

Yes, I am finishing this list with a shameless self-promotion. I have 28 fics on AO3, 27 of them being Zimbits (one Holsom) and this is my favourite. Yeehaw.

That's it for now. There's a lot more in my Check, Please! fic tag. Also, hi to the people I have @'ed. If y'all know the tumblr URLs of some writers mentioned on this post, lemme know so I can add them.

#ask #thelegendofjenna #i uhhh went nuts #fic rec

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cornsobsessions · 1 year

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It's the end of 2022 so here are my favorite fics that I read this year! These weren't all written in 2022, in fact many of them were not, but I did read all of them this year.

They cover a wide range of ratings and topics so please read any of the writers tags and content warnings before reading. a * means you need to be logged in to ao3 to read.

Anything in Italics is my thoughts.

1. consider the hairpin turn (do not choose sides yet) by jjcofeesa (@30samwiches) zimbits, holsom, shardo, pimms | 50k You are not in a car with a beautiful boy. You are in a car next to a beautiful boy. And in a car behind your ex. And in a car ahead of your best friend. If you're Jack Zimmermann, current World Driver's Champion, that is. If you're Eric Bittle, you're too nervous about your rookie season to be thinking about what the boys in the other cars look like. (You tell yourself you're too nervous, anyway. You do think about it.) If you're on Twitter, well. They're all beautiful boys, and you wish you could be in the car with them. I don't know when this became a comfort fic for me but I have read it several times now and it has been wonderful every single time

2. action painting, abstract in the making by unconventionalturtle (@watermelonmountaindew) zimbits | 35k A stolen painting. A forged painting. A mysterious blonde. That's how it all begins.Jack Zimmermann thinks he’s set himself up for a nice, simple life when he quits playing hockey and gets started on his degree. But for the grad student, and night shift security guard, the summer of 2015 seems to have other plans. A fun story about the gang and you get to learn about some cool paintings along the way!

3. Defining Expectations by cricketnationrise (@cricketnationrise) nurseydex | 32k When Will joins the team at Samwell Dictionary, he doesn't know what to expect about anything other than his job description. With the help of good friends (and good pie) he might just have a shot at defining his expectations.

4. Got Your Back Means I'll Get You Out by cricketnationrise (@cricketnationrise) bitty and shitty | 17k Bitty Comes Out. Shitty Comes To Get Him. heartbreaking, wholesome, and full of platonic love

5. getting used to letting go by jennycaakes nurseydex, farmer | 37k Dex was supposed to have a fancy job in some city upon graduation, but his plans changed once his uncle died and left the family home in Maine to him. Without immediate obligations of their own, Nursey, Chowder and Farmer follow Dex up there to help him clear it out and clean it up. The way this feels so true to life is insane

6. I Don't Know What I Would Do by specklesandflowers jack and shitty | 57k The adventures of first-year Shitty Knight and Jack Zimmermann and the beauty that is their friendship I love Jack and Shitty’s friendship so much and this was so fun to read

7. The Gay Favour by FightMeImSmall nurseydex | 43k “I need a favour.” Will said intensely to the group of people assembled before him. “Okay so last year my brothers were ragging me about going to a liberal arts college and just generally being dicks. Sibling stuff, and like, that was fine. But then Christopher was like ‘found yourself a boyfriend yet?’ like as a joke and I’d had it up to here with their shit and replied, ‘so what if I have?’ So now my family think I’m gay and expect me to bring a boyfriend to this big ole reunion. If I don’t bring one they’re just going to get worse.” His friends all blinked at him, surprise evident in each of their faces. “I’ll do it.” Nursey said slowly The OCs are amazing and it was just so fun to read

8. Breathe With No Air by bluflamingo parswoops | 25k After Jack kisses Bitty on the ice, Kent's attacked one night by drunk, homophobic hockey fans. He's got no memory of the attack, but that doesn't make it any less traumatic. Fortunately, he's got his friends to get him through, in more ways than one. Pain but its also so beautiful

9. got the feeling you're the right thing after all by bisexualnursey nurseydex | 74k Two and a half years after he breaks up with Dex to go to grad school across the country, Nursey runs into him again when he visits New York for the holidays. What starts as them just rekindling their friendship quickly turns into a whole other thing: a 100% no-strings-attached friends with benefits arrangement while they’re in the same city. Which is totally chill because Nursey is definitely over Dex. He swears. He’s going back to California soon anyway.

10. (simply having) a WTF christmas time by loud_as_lions * whiskeytango, wtf | 17k All the Ford siblings are home for the holidays. Denice’s brothers are more than a little surprised when their sister brings not one, but two men home for Christmas. Logically, they assume she’s dating one of them. Which one, though? Just so much love can be felt and the OCs are wonderful

11. write our names in the wet concrete by MyCupOfTea zimbits | 20k “Oh my God, has it? Been ten years already?” The Olympics are never without their fair share of drama, scandal, and movie worthy storylines. However, the 2018 Winter Olympics remains burned into the sports world’s memory especially bright. And the sports world, despite their somewhat recent retirement, includes Eric Bittle and Jack Zimmermann. I love the way this is written

12. I've been waiting for a lifetime, for a moment just like this. by pandabob parswoops | 25k It's Jeff's last Christmas hospital visit before he retires so Kent is determined to make sure that he visits everyone, little does he know that this visit will change their lives forever.Heart wrenching and beautiful

13. Your heart hurts, mine does too by the_p_in_raspberry zimbits | 19k Shitty had always thought that because of Samwell’s LGBTQ+ friendly rumor, if one of his teammates weren’t straight they would come out eventually, only waiting because they weren’t ready yet, but never waiting because they were scared. He could see now how his logic was flawed. heartbreaking and heartwarming, all at the same time

14. From the Ground Up by Rianne kent/omc | 167k Kent has a pretty good life. It’s been a couple years since the Aces last won a cup, but he’s still at the height of his career. He has an apartment with a stunning view over Vegas, a best friend who’s always dragging him to basketball games, a cat to cuddle with, and more money than he could ever spend. Everything is fine. So it won’t be a problem at all if he strikes up a friendship with that guy he meets at the All-Star party. ---- Tomas enjoyed the years he spent in Minnesota, but he’s ready for a new life in a different city. It means he’ll be even further from his friends and family in Quebec, and he’s not sure he’s going to adapt well to the desert. But he’ll have his new job to distract him, and he’s never minded the challenge of developing a new circle of friends and acquaintances. He doesn’t expect Kent Parson to be part of that.

15. mon pays by weneedtotalkaboutsherlock (@weneedtotalkaboutfic) zimbits, shardo, farmer, zimmerparents | 41k He didn't suggest they come to the cabin because he misses home, not really. At first, it was a senior thing between Shitty and him, one last weekend together before their final semester at Samwell, before graduation, before their lives inevitably change and diverge in ways Jack doesn't want to think about too much. Shitty suggested that Lardo and Bitty should tag along, and Jack agreed. Having them at the cabin… it was a good thought. He'd have them for his own, for a few days. But then, four became six, when Holster and Ransom heard about their plans, and cherry on top, the Frogs tagged along as well after that. So much for a quiet weekend between friends. snow filled shenanigans

16. four calling birds by wit (@parvuls) zimbits, shardo | 11k "You are now listening to Shits and Bits on Hub 98FM!" In which four radio hosts and one medical emergency result in Jack and Bitty co-hosting a show the night before Christmas Eve.

17. Friend Request by WrathoftheStag (@wrathofthestag) zimbits, shardo, nurseydex, fordtango | 26k When Eric Bittle was 18, he made out with 20-year-old hockey player, Jack Zimmermann, at an Olympic after-party. 25 years later, an unexpected friend request from Jack throws Eric for a loop. What’s a guy to do?

18. Time and Hearts by rickysims katyageorge, zimbits | 16k In 2002, a figure skater from Russia and a hockey player from Canada met at the Olympics. They fell in love. Jack and Bitty know that part. What they don’t know is what happened next and why Katya and George might not want to rekindle flame that went out 20 years ago.

19. Becoming Lardo by loud_as_lions * shardo | 9k Larissa was different with these boys than she was with anyone else. She had always thought that all the talk about finding yourself in college was bullshit, but these boys were making her wonder just how much of what she had previously believed might be changed by this place. An absolutely wonderful lardo character study

20. Like Our Own Private Island by imafriendlydalek * zimbits, shardo | 85kAfter Eric loses his spot on the SMH team and Lardo graduates, they're both left floundering with few options. So when the opportunity comes up to manage a cafe on a remote island in Quebec, it seems like as good a place as any to figure out their next steps in life. Even if it does mean he'll need to brush up on his French. The last thing Eric expects to find in a place like this, reachable only by ship in the warmer months or tiny little tin-can airplanes, is a town full of people who welcome them like family. Well, everyone except one: the enigmatic, irresistible Jacques Laurent.

21. Eric Bittle, NBC 10 by foryouandbits zimbits | 82k In 2009, Jack Zimmermann was drafted 2nd overall to the Providence Falconers. After a tumultuous first season in the minors, Jack returns to the NHL and is named captain within a year. Known to the media as the "hockey robot," no one seems to be able to break through the polite barrier that Jack has built — no one until Eric Bittle, newest intern at NBC 10. Bitty, interning as a requirement for his journalism degree at nearby Samwell University, forms an instant connection with Jack. Throughout the rest of the season, and the rest of Bitty's junior year at Samwell, the two grow closer while learning how to both trust each other and succeed in their respective careers. A fun alternate meeting AU

22. thinking outrageously (I write in cursive) by bumblegremlin (@bittysthesis) pimms, zimbits | 15k Jack was glad Bitty wanted a long engagement. It gave him time to address the very large, very pressing issue at hand. Eric Bittle was Jack Zimmermann’s fiancé. Kent Parson was Jack Zimmermann’s husband. A fun and funny fic in which Kent is a little shit and so is Jack

I read so many awesome fics this year and like last year making this list was very difficult! I can't wait to see what all you write in the future (or have written in the past) that I will get to read!

#i read a lot of fics over 10k this year sorry not sorry #i am not lying when i say narrowing this list down is so hard #my 'short' list is over 60 fics long and i read many many more #i hope you all enjoy and i can't wait to read more!#fic recs #best of 2022 #omgcp #check please #omgcheckplease

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gothlesbianlardo · 11 months

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MY BINGO

Rairpair Fic

Two Weeks by justlikeswitchblades

Rated: T

Pairing: Bitty/Ransom

one of the first fics that made me fall in love with bittyrans and it’s super cozy and sweet 🥰

Introduced You To A New Author

NHL!Bitty AU by @a-very-gay-disaster

Rated: N/A to E

Pairing: Bitty/Jack

nhl bitty is one of my favorite au’s of all time and sidney has become one of my favorite writers since I read this series

Character Study

How’s The Weather Up There by @goldasschains

Rated: T

Pairing: Bitty/Jack

a very fun au where bitty is tall and the thought of him being taller than jack is really cute and silly

Inspired You To Write

Reel Against Your Body’s Borders by halfabreath

Rated: G

Pairing: Bitty/Ransom

a favorite bittyrans fic of mine that inspired me to want to write bittyrans but also the pairing in general got me to discover ranzimbits especially because of bitty’s tweets and how much chemistry there is between the three of them

Best Worldbuilding

The State Of Being Alive by thitherstarling

Rated: T

Pairing: Ransom/Holster

idk if it counts as worldbuilding but the main plot involves ransom being drawn to holster playing a piano they found at a park and he comes to a realization that he is falling for his best friend

MORE FIC RECS

Genfic (No Ships)

A Little Loving In Between by @unacaritafeliz

Rated: G

Pairing: None

my favorite nursey-centric fic that takes place during his birthday throughout the years from childhood to post samwell

It’s Canon To You

Glow by @ivecarvedawoodenheart

Rated: T

Pairing: Ransom/Holster

honestly every holsom fic by this writer is canon to me 🥺

Underrated Fic

Amaranth by mnemosymnal

Rated: T

Pairing: Lardo/Camilla

idk if it’s underrated but every sapphic check please fic I’ve liked are underrated to me. but anyway this is the most beautifully written lardo/camilla fics I’ve ever read!

Main Character Is The Side Character

Ease Your Tension by @ivecarvedawoodenheart

Rated: T

Pairing: Ransom/Jack

so as you may know I am a big fan of any pairing within ranzimbits, and this jackrans fic is one of my favorites.

Short Fic (Under 1k)

Samwell Bridge, 11:11pm by @cricketnationrise

Rated: T

Pairing: Lardo/Camilla

I submitted this lardo/camilla prompt to cricket and I love it very much! 💕

Bookmarked Recently

Not What It Looks Like by halfdesertedstreets

Rated: T

Pairing: Bitty/Jack/Kent

in general I love everything this person writes but this fic may have given me a big soft spot for pb&j

You Weren’t Sure You’d Enjoy It But Really Did

I Watched It Begin Again by jacksbits

Rated: E

Pairing: Bitty/Jack/Kent

another pb&j fic that may or may not have made me like them. I also may have gotten emotional when rereading this fic.

Free

Snow Day by @a-very-gay-disaster

Rated: G

Pairing: Bitty/Ransom/Jack

I know this is the only ranzimbits fic that exists but it is the best fic in the world and I love them so much!

#ranzimbits #bittyrans #jackrans #holsom #lamilla #zimbits #pimbits #eric bittle #derek nurse #check please #omgcp #omgcheckplease

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justlookfrightened · 2 years

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Can I Ask You a Question?

Because I was thinking today about how questions that seem settled and hurts that seem healed sometimes come up again, even in loving healthy relationships.

“Hi, honey, I’m home,” Jack chirped as he pushed the front door open.

Sometimes he couldn’t believe this was his life: a berth on a team that welcomed him even after he blindsided them with his coming out last year, a condo that felt more like a home than ever since Bitty moved in permanently, Bitty making something that smelled delicious in the kitchen …

When he was 18, he never thought he’d be allowed to have this.

“In here,” Bitty responded unnecessarily.

Jack headed that way, pausing to drop a kiss on Bitty’s head where he was bent over his laptop on the counter. The laptop, the three saucepans on the stovetop, the mixing bowls stacked in the sink all added up to Bitty trying to perfect a recipe for the cookbook. There were probably three pies in the oven, each with minuscule adjustments in their ingredients. Good thing Marty had that barbecue tonight.

“I’m gonna go shower,” Jack said. “Maybe watch something in the den.”

“Mmm,” Bitty hummed, before he pressed a key and looked up. “I’m sorry. How was the workout?”

“Good,” Jack said. “Back to skating next week.”

“That’s great, sweet pea,” Bitty said, eyes already shifting towards his notes.

“I’ll let you get back to it,” Jack said, hefting his bag on his shoulder.

Once he was clean and comfortable in sweats and a threadbare Samwell T-shirt, he flopped on the couch and started flipping through his streaming queues. It still felt weird to sit and do nothing in the middle of the day, but everyone — the athletic trainers, his personal trainer for the summer, even his therapist — agreed that rest was important.

His stomach rumbled and he remembered food was important, too, but he didn’t want to get in Bitty’s way. Maybe he should get a mini-fridge for the den? That way he could keep some protein shakes in here.

Before he could make up his mind to go look for food, Bitty was coming in with a plate piled with chicken tenders and corn and tomatoes salad.

“I did them up in the air fryer,” Bitty said. “I know you’re hungry after training.”

“Thanks, Bits,” Jack said, accepting the plate and taking a bite out of the top tender. It wasn’t quite the same as a real fried chicken tender, but Bitty used some spice blend that added a little flavor, and they were healthy enough to eat a couple of times a week.

Jack was profoundly grateful that Bitty and Nate had come to an understanding this year.

“Uh, Jack? Can I ask you something?”

Jack set the plate on the coffee table and looked at Bitty, standing near the door, hands twisting in a dish towel. This might be more than wanting him to decide whether the apple pie was better with a half teaspoon or a full teaspoon of nutmeg.

“Sure, bud. What’s up?”

“Promise you won’t be mad?”

Jack took a breath. The first time Bitty was afraid to say something after he moved in was when he took Jack’s car to the market and came out to find a scratch on the door. Jack had been confused; it wasn’t even Bitty’s fault, but even if it had been, it was simple to fix. It had made Jack angry a little — at Bitty’s parents, because he had to learn that fear somewhere, right?

“Of course not,” Jack said. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out.”

“And you won’t laugh?”

“I don’t think so,” Jack said. “Unless you’re going to tell me a joke?”

That weak attempt at humor fell flat, as Bitty’s gaze fell to the towel in his hands.

“It’ll be fine,” Jack said. “But you have to tell me what it is.”

“That’s what Lindsey said too,” Bitty said.

“Lindsey?” Jack repeated. “Is this something you talked about in therapy?”

“Sort of,” Bitty said. “Yes. I made a joke, then she asked what I meant and … yes, we talked about it.”

“Okay,” Jack said. It didn’t sound too serious if Bitty had joked about it, but Bitty did use jokes as deflection. “Why don’t you tell me what you said?”

“She asked what I was doing this weekend, and I said I was going to hit the gym,” Bitty said.

Jack nodded, because he and Bitty had spent time working out together almost every weekend since Bitty moved in. Jack always felt calmer in his skin after physical effort, and Bitty seemed to as well. And, well, they both seemed to like the way the other looked when they were sweaty and flushed. Post-workout sex would have gone a long way towards making the effort worth it even if Jack hadn’t enjoyed the exercise.

“Okay,” Jack said. “What was the joke?”

“I said I had to make sure to keep my athletic physique so you would still like me,” Bitty said, now looking at the sofa cushion to the left of Jack’s thigh.

Jack took another breath in, then settled himself back against the sofa, consciously letting his arms fall open at his sides. He’d promised not to be angry, and he didn’t want Bitty to think he was.

“Do you really think that?” Jack said. “Do you think I would lose interest — that I only love you — because of your body?”

“No, of course not!” Bitty said, stepping more fully into the room. “Don’t be silly. It’s not like my body could ever even compare to yours!”

“That’s not the point,” Jack said. “I love you, and I love your body, and, yeah, I think you’re hot. But that’s because you’re you. I thought you liked working out together.”

“I do, really,” Bitty said. “I just should have said that to Lindsey. It was just a joke.”

“It’s never ‘just a joke,’ Bits.” Jack leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. “There’s always something behind it.”

“I know that’s what Shitty says,” Bitty said.

“But it’s true,” Jack said. “Do you really think I only love you for your body?”

“When you put it like that, no,” Bitty snorted and finally sat down.

“You do have a beautiful body,” Jack said.

“Not like yours,” Bitty said.

“I need to be strong for my career,” Jack said. “It’s not vanity. And you and I both know chances are my body will be damaged in some way by the time I’m retired. Will you love me less?”

“Of course not.” Bitty sniffed. “You’re gorgeous, you know that, but that’s not why I want you. And I know it’s your job. Until a few months ago, it was kind of my job too, if I wanted to keep my scholarship. But I don’t know how long I can keep it up, not with the job and the book and my YouTube channel.”

“I never said you had to.”

“No, not in so many words,” Bitty said. “But look at you. Look at your family. Your mom is an icon, your dad looks like he could still play. … You don’t want someone who looks like the ugly duckling.”

It was Jack’s turn to stand up.

“First, you could never be an ugly duckling,” he said. “No, first, my dad could not still play. His knees are shot. But even if he could, you wouldn’t be the ugly duckling, and I’d never make you feel that way. Neither would my parents. I don’t care if you lose all your muscle or gain 50 kilos or whatever. I was the ugly duckling — that’s what gossip magazines called me when I was a kid, and my parents always loved me because I was me. I love you because you’re you. And I’m not angry, but I guess I am a little hurt that you think I wouldn’t love you as much because you don’t have an NCAA athlete’s conditioning schedule anymore.”

“So you’re saying you’d never body-shame anyone?” Bitty asked.

“I’d hope not,” Jack said. “People come in all shapes and sizes.”

That’s what maman had told him when the other kids teased him about his weight.

“You sure about that, Mr. Eat More Protein?”

“What?” Jack sat heavily on the sofa again. “That wasn’t about you … about your body. That was about hockey.”

“About my body … me … playing hockey.”

Shit. Jack knew he’d been an asshole to Bitty when Bitty was a freshman. If he’d had any doubts, Shitty had been pretty clear on more than one occasion. But whenever he apologized, Bitty always waved it off, said it wasn’t necessary.

“Are we doing this now?” Jack asked, when he found his voice.

“What do you mean?” Bitty said.

“I mean, will you finally let me apologize for the way I acted at first?” Jack said. “It wasn’t about you —”

“You said, it was about hockey.”

“And me, and my anxiety about whether I’d ever make it.”

“And now that you have it’s all fine?”

Well, no, Jack knew his anxiety would never really be fine. But before he could say that, Bitty continued.

“I know that in your mind, it was about the team, and about you,” he said. “But what you said was about me, when I was new on the team, the smallest guy there, with Ransom and Holster calling me a fainting goat and saying they should make a play of it. But at least they acted like they liked me off the ice.”

“Do … do you think I don’t like you?” Jack asked, because this was a rabbit hole he has not expected to fall down today.

“No, of course not,” Bitty said. “I know you love me.”

Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

“But I know you didn’t like me at the beginning,” Bitty went on. “You didn’t like me until I became an asset to the team.”

“No,” Jack said. “I mean yes, you did become an asset to the team. But that’s not when I started to like you.”

“No?”

“No. It was checking practice,” Jack said. “You hated it. You’d nearly faint if I pushed you, even when you were in full pads and I didn’t even have a helmet on. But you kept getting up, you kept showing up. You were so determined, even though it was clear that you probably should have been in therapy then. You were — you are — so strong. And then when you voted for me for captain, even after your concussion — that was so generous.”

“As if anyone else could be captain,” Bitty sniffed.

“You did pretty well,” Jack said.

“Hush, you.”

“No,” Jack said. “You need to know what an incredible person you are. I’ve told you before, I am sorry for the way I treated you. It was wrong. And I’m sorry I never realized that it might make you feel insecure about your body.”

“C’mon, Jack, we both know I don’t have the usual body type for a hockey player,” Bitty said. “Just like I wasn’t much of a football player.

“No excuses, Bits,” Jack said. “It’s good you’re getting therapy. I know I’d be in a lot worse shape without it. But please know I love you. I love your body because it’s part of you. I’ll always love your body no matter what, because it will always be part of you.”

“And I’ll love you when I have to help you off the couch, old man,” Bitty said. “Sorry for — ” he waved his hands — “all this.”

“No, I’m glad you told me,” Jack said. “You still want to go to the gym tomorrow? You don’t have too.”

“Are you crazy?” Bitty said. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

Or read on AO3

#zimbits #omgcheckplease #omg check please #my fic

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transwicky · 22 days

Text

Ngl I want more characters in check please to have glasses. Besides Holster, who wears contacts, and Ford, who is the manager.

There should be more.

So I'm doing this.

SMH:

Bitty? Needs glasses

He literally doesn't realize it until mid sophomore year when Dex asks if he has glasses bc "you shouldn't be that close to your phone, Bitty." This is after an ENTIRE YEAR of Holster and Ransom BOTH telling Bitty to get his eyes checked, and then Shitty hearing them and also telling him this. He never goes until it gets mentioned to his mother during Winter Break that "oh, it's just the boys telling me to go get my eyes checked while home." (Coach is, in fact, the one to drag him there, and not Suzanne. Turns out Coach wears reading glasses.)

Tango and Whiskey? Glasses.

Tango forgets to wear them like all the time and gets (gently) bullied/hounded/reminded to wear them (literally a coworker of mine is like this which is hilarious bc I work at a glasses/eye dr place. The bullying is "where are your glasses?" "My car" "lotta good they're doing you there, huh?". She laughs and half the time actually grabs them.)

Whiskey wear contacts because he looks like a nerd (he does not, he looks hot as fuck, he could get anyone in them)

Ransom STILL HAS GLASSES.

I ain't here for that Ransom No Longer Has Them thing. He wears contacts 50% of the time, especially for hockey. He and Holster know the cheapest place in Samwell to get decent glasses. They made a spreadsheet together.

Dex HAS GLASSES

His eyesight is just an issue bc of slight astigmatism so he does not wear them sometimes. Especially in hockey bc he doesn't want to break them. Glasses are Expensive.

Nursey needs them but doesn't realize it.

He thinks everything is normal. He, like Dex, has some slight astigmatism, and it's only in one eye (pretty common, it turns out), so he doesn't fucking notice.

Ollie and Wicky both have glasses

Wicky has some shitty ass eyesight. Literally the worst eyes on the team. Even Ford is horrified.

Ollie has some pretty bad eyes too but it's mostly astigmatism that's the issue for him. He is pissed about it.

Hops has glasses

His eyes are pretty fucking shit and he wear contacts for sports.

Bully SHOULD have glasses

They don't match the vibe so he doesn't wear them and everyone yells at him for it

Louis used to have glasses

He had LASIK before going to Samwell.

Johnson had them but never wore them ever at all in his years at Samwell

"It's not important to the storyline."

Part 2 for the Falcs coming later

#omgcp #I'm a little bitter over this

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parvuls · 1 year

Note

you said ask you about your olliewicks headcanons so im asking you. -bittysovenbetsy

neither of them was entirely sure of their sexuality before samwell. they hooked up at a kegster that first time - it was wicks's first kiss with a dude, and ollie had only ever gone to second base (with some band kid from his hometown). there's tub juice involved but all in all it's surprisingly uncomplicated in the morning.

it doesn't start out too serious. at first they were bros, and then they started hanging out outside of practice, and then they were kissing, and then they... continued hanging out outside of practice? they're pretty chill people. their date night is studying at founders and then getting burgers. one time ollie gets them tickets to a bruins' game and they take the train up to boston and it's like, the height of romance. wicks fistbumps him for it.

they never meant to hide it from anyone - they kind of assumed the team would catch up on their own? because they spend so much of their time together? but then they didn't? so they just carried on with their lives because, man, honestly, their teammates are cool but kinda scary dramatic. chances are they'll end up on the swallow or some shit and that's just unnecessary.

speaking of: for the majority of their college years they're both sure bitty knows. bitty is their fellow frog, he's their queer peer, they're bros. but what actually happens is: bitty asks where they're going when he sees them dressed semi-nice one night (i.e. in something other than sweats) and they say they're celebrating their anniversary at jerry's, and bitty assumes they're speaking in some weird bro code (who celebrates an actual anniversary at jerry's???). a misunderstanding ensues.

they only find out he doesn't know when he comes out (with jack zimmermann. wicks says he knew it; ollie says he's full of shit. they both think jack's got major balls for going about it like he did, though). there's A Conversation about it all at the start of their senior year.

the conversation goes: "wait... y'all...???" "yup." "since WHEN?" "like, the beginning, bro." "...???" needless to say, bitty did not know. it takes a while to sink in.

he doesn't tell the rest of the team. because honestly, it's kinda funny in retrospect. but he does read their newsletter, and when they hike across new zealand, jack emails them and asks to see their photos.

they're not super close with anyone else on the team. wicks is pretty tight with his friend group from home and ollie is the few-close-friends type. wicks was in drama club his senior year of high school, though, so they end up good friends with ford when she joins the team. they usually hang out on the weekends they don't have a game.

wicks is the one to formally propose. he doesn't even have a ring or a speech planned - they've been casually talking about maybe making a road-trip down to vegas and eloping along the way - but then they're kissing the ice, and saying goodbye to samwell, and he's struck with a (rare) sentimental moment. ollie doesn't even fistbump him as a response. it's a whole moment.

they adopt two dogs and then another, years later, who only has three legs and can't see well with one eye. they go to new zealand again for their tenth anniversary and make sure to email the photos to jack zimmermann. and they live happily ever after.

#olliewicks #omgcp #omgcheckplease #this is late but honestly? it was super fun #I don't play around with side characters very often #text #headcanons #ollie x wicks

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slapshotsandscones · 1 year

Text

Jack comes out to his parents as transmasc at 13 years old. His parents are so supportive. Alicia immediately takes her son shopping, because "If you're going to wear men's fashion, you're going to do it right." Sadly, that doesn't really stick, and Jack still has the horrible fashion taste of a white jock, but he does get clothes that work for him.

At that point, Jack was playing coed hockey. But a few years later, Jack's reaching the age that he has to join a gendered team if he wants to play competitively. And Bad Bob knows his son, and his drive, so he sits him down for a talk. He essentially tells him "If you want to play hockey seriously and competitively, it's going to be hard, I won't lie to you. But you absolutely have the drive and skill, and I will support you every step of the way. No hockey club is going to want to be the place that denied Bad Bob's son the chance to play, and I know you might hate that, but I absolutely will use it against homophobes."

And so Jack continues playing hockey on mens teams, with the support of his parents. And it does suck sometimes, because people aren't nice to those different than them. But Jack loves hockey enough that it doesn't matter, so he powers through.

Then the Q happens. Jack may be closer with his father, but the pressure of being a trans athlete adds to his anxiety, along with the whole thing with Kent. The overdose still happens, and Jack still quits hockey for a while.

But eventually, he comes back to sport he loves so much. He starts off by teaching. This is how he finds out that his dad has been working on a charity for queer kids to learn to play hockey in an inclusive environment. He becomes a coach for the organization, and relearns how to love hockey without all the transphobia and pressure that made him quit in the first place.

Then Samwell happens, and honestly its really refreshing for Jack and Bad Bob both for Jack to be playing competitively in an inclusive environment - the Samwell hockey team takes the "maybe more" part of the "1 in 4, maybe more" slogan a bit too seriously. It does take the rest of the team an embarrassingly long time to realize Jack is trans though, outside from Lardo. He's had top-surgery at this point, and you can see the scars: the team is just oblivious.

And then suddenly college is over. And Jack thinks that hockey is probably over for him, because the NHL isn't that inclusive. But then he gets a call from George Martin, who's seen how he plays, and thinks its time for Hockey to modernize. And Bad Bob immediately jumps right back into the fight for his son. After all, you don't tell hockey royalty that his son can't play when he's good enough to be scouted. (George and Bad Bob become fast friends - Jack is mildly terrified.)

And so Jack becomes the first trans player in the NHL, thanks to an incredibly supportive dad and a very dedicated GM. He and Bitty still have their mid-ice kiss, which still garners a lot of attention because it's two men kissing at center ice, even if everyone already knows Jack is queer.

And slowly but steadily, the NHL becomes more inclusive, all because Bad Bob Zimmerman loved his son enough to fight for him.

#jack zimmermann #bad bob #bob zimmermann #george martin #slight transphobia tw #trans jack zimmerman #trans headcanon #🏳️‍⚧️#trans author #omgcp #omg check please #lancerambles

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mkaugust · 2 years

Text

@oknutzyweek

Day 5 (Thursday July 21st): Harvard

Summary: approx. 1400 words. The Sweater Weather & OMG Check Please! crossover no one asked for (except me; write what you wanna read!) *Spoilers for OMG Check Please! Year 4* I don’t know if this timeline is quite right (no one tell me if it’s wrong) but I think FinnLo and Bitty would’ve been in college at the same time. So here’s a little something of them playing against each other and the consequences of Finn and Logan having a little think after playing against an openly queer hockey player.

If you haven’t read Check Please! read it here it will improve your life!

Eric had been a little distracted all game, and as the captain of a college hockey team trying its best to get a championship this year, he really couldn’t afford to be so distracted. ‎‏‏‎

The problem was the Harvard team. Well, actually the problem was two specific players on the Harvard team. They had both been watching him so closely all night and it was more than a little unsettling. One of the players, Tremblay, was known for time spent in the box for fights, and Bitty was definitely not interested in dropping the gloves tonight. Especially when he had no idea what it was that they would be fighting about. The other player, O’Hara, was not as aggressive of a player as far as Eric knew, but he was definitely much bigger than Eric, so he was still keeping an eye out for hard checks.

For the whole first period, Eric was repeatedly distracted by paying attention to where the two players were and making sure they weren’t getting close to him or his teammates in an aggressive way. By the end of the period, Eric realized that they were mostly watching him from the bench, not the ice, and they weren’t watching other players on his team in the same way. Nothing concerning had happened during the game yet. He spent the first intermission willing himself to relax and focus on the game.

During the second period, he tried his best to ignore the stares. Instead, he found himself quickly distracted by observing their interactions with each other on the ice. Tremblay and O’Hara were on the same line and they were absolutely electric to watch. The way they communicated so easily, and seemed to always know where the other was, every pass connecting like their sticks were magically linked...it was every hockey player’s dream to have a linemate they connected with like that.

It reminded Eric of playing with Jack. Oh.

Samwell won the game, no real thanks to Eric as he certainly didn’t play his best while so distracted. His teammates didn’t seem to mind, too happy with their own playing for the night. There was some light chirping in the locker room during the second intermission (Ollie had said “come on Bitty you know I like your eyes on me”) that Eric knew was actually said out of concern more than anything. His team was protective of their captain after all. It was enough to get him to refocus, for real this time, and he managed an assist to a goal in the third. One more in the last five minutes of play by Whiskey and they had won.

When they lined up to shake hands with the other team at the end, Eric decided to take a bit of a risk. He was giving all the players standard handshakes and brief good game exchanges, until he got to Tremblay. Tremblay, who had had his eyes glued to Eric since before they lined up, watching him closely, and who was standing very close to O’Hara, their shoulders pressed together through most of the lineup. Eric noticed they kept finding each other, like there was some magnetic draw that kept them touching at all times. When Eric got to Tremblay, he leaned in to tap their helmets together; they were of a close enough height for it to be easy and look casual. Anyone watching would think they knew each other and were greeting an old friend. Eric hoped Tremblay understood and would take it for what it was; an acknowledgement. I see you. I’ve been there too. You’ll be okay.

“Great playing against you, Tremblay. Hope we cross paths again soon.” Eric took the time to say, carefully looking him in the eye and giving him a reassuring smile. “Thanks, man. Good game.” Tremblay mumbled before looking down and back up quickly, his face carefully neutral but his eyes clearly saying something a bit more. They nodded to each other and Eric turned to O’Hara.

O’Hara, who had also been watching Eric through the whole line up, and whose expression had turned thoughtful, if a bit anxious. Eric reached out to shake his hand like he had done with all the other players, but also made sure to press his other hand tightly to O’Hara’s other arm, enough for O’Hara to notice the touch as what it was; an acknowledgement that he had been seen as well. “You and Tremblay are good together,” Eric told him, hoping he was reading the situation correctly. Based on the blinding smile that suddenly overwhelmed O’Hara’s face, he was pretty sure he had gotten it right. O’Hara gave Eric’s hand an extra squeeze before he released him and Eric saw him reach to grab the back of Tremblay’s jersey at the same time. “Great game, Bittle. See you around.” A last smile and they nodded at each other, moving on before anyone would have noticed anything different from their interactions with other players.

Eric left the ice feeling hopefully for the two Harvard players. Maybe he would find a way to reach out discreetly, see if he could offer support in some further way. For now, he focused on celebrating the win with his team and looking forward to calling Jack later. Watching Tremblay and O’Hara had reminded him of how good it felt to play with Jack, and he intended to tell Jack all about how much he missed it.

______

Some of their teammates were downstairs having a few beers, commiserating their loss, but Finn and Logan had both decided to relax in their room and maybe get to bed early. At least, they had both made excuses about being tired to their teammates before heading up, but Logan was increasingly aware that there was something they weren’t talking about. And that Finn was working himself up to say something, and Logan was trying to talk himself out of running away from the whole thing, pretending he wasn’t absolutely terrified.

“Samwell is a great team, don’t you think? They played hard.” Finn broke the silence.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah I was really impressed with um... their captain.”

“Yeah, he played well. Seems to be a really... cohesive team, you know?” Finn sounded hesitant, like each word was a test. “Must be hard... being a, um, queer hockey player?” Logan looked up quickly to meet Finn’s eyes and found that he was watching him very carefully. Logan nodded, but didn’t say anything, waiting.

“But he’s got a great team, right? Like, if they made him captain, they must be supportive right?” Finn went on. Logan nodded again. Finn looked down and started fidgeting, twisting his fingers together over and over.

“Logan, I...I think I need to...no, I want to tell you something. Can I tell you something?”

Logan moved to sit next to Finn on his bed, not able to tolerate the distance anymore when Finn was so clearly nervous. “You can tell me anything,” he said, barely louder than a whisper, holding his breath a bit without realizing.

“I think I’m probably bi...” Finn said the words so softly Logan wouldn’t have been able to hear him if he hadn’t been sitting so close. Logan reached a shaky head out to touch Finn’s hand, intending to still his fidgeting. Finn jumped slightly at the touch and turned his head to look at Logan, finally.

Logan hadn’t realized how close they had gotten until he was looking Finn in the eye, suddenly able to feel Finn’s breath on his cheek. “Okay,” Logan spoke the word on a breath out and Finn’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment at the sound.

“Logan...” Finn whispered, clearly a bit surprised at how close they had found themselves. Like magnets, they seemed to always be drawn together. They inched closer, their foreheads touching.

“Finn...” Logan responded. And then his lips were on Finn’s, his hand reaching up to cradle his face without him realizing he had decided to do so, and Finn was responding quickly, his hands already tangled in Logan’s hair, pulling him closer.

Logan didn’t know what this meant, didn’t have a label for himself, didn’t know where this would go from here. But he knew what he wanted and Finn was clearly saying he wanted the same thing. There would be time to talk, time to work this out and decide where to go from here. For now, what mattered was that they had found their way to each other again, that they had finally broken through the issue they had been dancing around all this time, that they had given in to the pull like they always were meant to eventually. Like magnets.

#o'knutzy week 2022 #omgcp #omg check please #sweater weather lumosinlove #finnlo #finn o'hara #logan tremblay #eric bittle

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wetwellie · 4 years

Text

It’s christmas season now so let me give you an au to chew over: Eric Bittle is Santa.

Like think about it: Eric Bittle: Goody Bag King. He would run around year after year tirelessly making sure that everyone has at least one gift. (well, the ones that are deserving. But Bitty isn’t super judgemental, so there’s not a lot of people on his naughty list) He also encourages people to leave whatever baked good out for him. Most people do the traditional milk and cookies. Bitty just wants to see more people baking, it’s one of his favorite things to do in his little spare time. There’s also no elves. Instead there is...an entire workforce of semi-living toys? That doesn’t sound much better in terms of labor, but I swear Bitty never overworks them. Senor bun is in charge. Bitty adores his job so much, which is why it broke his heart a couple decades ago when he noticed an extreme change in christmas spirit. It’s not that people are becoming ungrateful, it’s that he doesn’t really know how christmas is celebrated now a days. The last time he actually observed christmas firsthand was 1913. It definitely has changed. People don’t sing as many carols, and they ask for increasingly complicated gifts. What is wrong with a stuffed animal? What are oreos and why aren’t people baking anymore? So Bitty decides to do what he always does when he feels a disconnect with the world, he joins it for a couple years (”a couple years” being something like, 30 or so years). Suzanne Bittle and her Husband from Madison, Georgia believe that they are adopting a 12 year old boy. And Bitty absolutely adores them.

He spends the next 6 years working hard from his new home, and relays the information to Senor Bun whenever he can. He absolutely loves Georgia with its heat and it’s peaches and its rustic way of life. It’s definitely a big change from...well...the north pole. It actually gives him a bit too much of a culture shock at first. He practically begs his parents to let him do SOMETHING with ice. Bitty takes to skating like he took to baking and toy making: like a motherfucking champ. Along the way, he learns a lot of things about Christmas. For many, it’s lost the heavily religious undertones in exchange for images of himself...or what everyone down south thinks he looks like. Jolly? yes. Wears lots of red? Yes. Rosy cheeks? Yes. Full laugh? yes. Enjoys Coke? Eh sure why not. Large old man with a big ass beard? uh... no. never. He looks more like those elf depictions than anything else. Some of the traditions he’ll miss. There’s a lot less horse-drawn sleds and a lot more, “tie an inflatible inner tube to the back of a 4 wheel drive and drag someone behind it in the mud/snow”. And there’s a lot more collectible ornaments and less fruitcake. There’s hallmark movies that tug at Bitty’s desire to someday find some sort of love for himself, even though that’s impossible. And perhaps his favorite thing that has changed with this century of Christmas: Mariah Carey

Holy moly. After hearing that song Bitty made sure to look at Mariah’s biggest desire for that year and get Senor Bun on that stat. She deserve’s the very best. Michael Buble is definitely strong in his heart too. Bitty wishes that he could send an endorsement to those folks. “Santa’s favorite music” it would say. If he slipped a note in Beyonce’s present one year saying “Christmas Album maybe??? :DD”, she kept it to herself. But a boy can dream. So the years pass and he get’s this “live like a human” thing more or less in the bag. Until he is trapped in a closet by a couple of assholes on the football team. Bitty has to spend the night in there, no one able to hear him. What’s worse is that he knows where everyone is, and what they are doing. The football douches are currently sitting in the parking lot of a wal mart drinking shitty beer and laughing about how they hope Bitty doesn’t ever get found.

He sees his dad telling Suzanne not to worry, because the team called him to tell him they were gonna bond with Bitty tonight. Suzanne is so thrilled that Bitty’s “finally getting some friends at school”. And Bitty curls in closer to himself and wonders what will break her heart more: seeing Bitty like this or knowing that he still hasn’t found his place. Probably both, he thinks. With no one around him, he decides the best thing he can do is rest. He plants thoughts of sugar plums and pecans and jam into the minds of those he loves. He’s saved by a janitor named Rudy. Bitty knows his full name is Rudolph, but he refuses to acknowledge this. Not at a time like this, and probably not ever. And his parents, of course, move him to a new school. That was that, he was supposed to start new and “put the past behind him”. It’s not that easy, though. In all his years, he has never felt more helpless. Bitty can’t understand how there are people in the world like that, but now he can’t stop seeing them in the eyes of far too many people.

He can’t bring himself to be so exceptionally cheerful after that, so he sort of switches to autopilot for a while. While he seems fine on the outside, nothing is getting to him. He has basically shut down. The toys that he chooses to make are a lot less personal, he doesn’t bother checking the naughty and nice list. It doesn’t change the first time, or even the second time usually. So what does it matter? The gifts will get to where they go. And during the following christmas, he doesn’t even bother to eat the cookies left out for him. He just chucks the presents with sub-par wrapping under the tree and moves on to the 300 millionth house that night. When he gets to the homes of the football team, however, he might have buried their entire tree in coal and set their alarms to blast nickelback. Bitty can have spite. It’s Christmas morning and people are...confused. Not ungrateful, just confused and worried. Did everyone truly ask for a deck of playing cards for christmas? Or a stuffed rabbit? Or a tiny polar bear toy with a candy cane striped sweater? Because that’s really it as far as gifts go. It lacked any type of personal touch. Children might have cried. Bitty feels like a failure and is refusing to get himself out of bed. “Don’t you want to open the presents under the tree?”, Suzanne asks. “I don’t really feel like I deserve presents this year.” “Eric Richard Bittle, you are the boy that deserves the most in the whole world” Bitty doesn’t respond to her, and buries himself deeper into his blankets. He hopes that he can just sleep until the next year.

#omgcp #check please #au #eric bittle #this is the crackiest thing I've ever written #wipitgood #oh god i forgot about this one #Bitty knows all when he comes to samwell #but he keeps stuff to himself learns to find his holiday cheer by coming into his own

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forabeatofadrum · 1 month

Text

Just Some Guy (9/9) - COMPLETE

AO3

–

Epilogue

MATT

My mum is loaded, so I can afford to take a gap year to travel. I’m going to America with John and Leslie for a cross-country road trip for a couple of weeks. I will visit the Cordero family, of course. John bemoans that the city of Samwell doesn’t exist in this universe, or something, so we’re making a stop at Providence since that’s ‘the next best thing’ or whatever. Leslie really wants to see Ohio for some reason. Apart from that, we have no concrete plans.

What will I do afterwards? I don’t know. I can go to university, like Luis, Scott and Sam. I can try to find a place where I can enrol in February. Or I could look for a job, like Ryan and Arnold.

We’ve graduated. Our entire life is in front of us.

John tells me not to worry, since my story will be over anyway. That’s so weird, because I feel like I am only just at the beginning.

I tell him that.

“No, really, man, this fic will be over in a couple of paragraphs,” he says back, “Around 300 words left!”

As usual, I don’t know what he means. The two of us are walking up a flight of stairs. We’re visiting my mum. She moved to a new flat in Camberwell and there’s an extra room. I will move in here after I come back from my road trip, because I like the idea of living in London and I miss my mum.

We leave the stairwell and go through the door that leads to my mum’s floor when I see someone in front of one of the flat’s doors.

This guy is on his phone, leaning against the wall. He’s wearing a floral top and jeans. A large bag is slung over his shoulder and he’s holding a huge water bottle in his other hand.

I didn’t recognise him for a second, with his hair loose like that and with a casual look, but it’s Baz Pitch.

What the fuck? What is Baz Pitch doing in my mum’s hallway?

He hasn’t noticed us yet, too engrossed in whatever’s on his phone. We pass him without a word and quickly enter my mum’s flat before he can notice us.

“Mum?” I yell out.

My mum emerges from the kitchen. Her hands are covered in flour.

“Yes, dear?” she asks.

“Why is- I mean, there’s a guy loitering around at number 61!” I say. Does my mum even know that’s Baz Pitch, the Pitch Heir? Even I had troubles recognising him and I just spent 8 years in the same class as him.

“Oh, that handsome young man?” my mum laughs, “The neighbours joke that he haunts that door day and night! They should just give him a key already.”

“… They?” I ask, but I can already feel the dread building up.

“His boyfriend lives there,” my mum says lightly, “I haven’t actually seen him yet, since I am often at work, but I know that he lives there with a friend.”

Baz Pitch’s boyfriend.

That means…

Simon Snow.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

End notes:

Hey yo it's John Johnson here. The author told me I have the privilege to write the last author's note but also who are we kidding? We all know it's still the author putting the words in my metaphorical mouth. ANYWAY supes thanks for reading. Watching Matty grow up from a strapping young lad to a full-blown adult has been a real treat and I hope you liked seeing his story unfold as much as I did. Or maybe not. I mean, brah, I was part of it lol. (Can I make Matty meet Jack and Bitty? How does this work? I mean, I also already met Kurt Hummel in another fic of the author, so everything is possible.) But yeah thanks a lot for reading. I can tell you the author absolutely loved writing it and sharing it with you.

It's so funny, cause chapter 8 was the last one, but then Annie letraspal made some gorgeous fanart (which is linked in this chapter) and the author realised it'd be really fucking funny if Matt hadn't entirely gotten rid of Simon and Baz yet.

MCD's story is definitely over. I told him so myself. Yet, there are some small snippet of his future you might like to know. Like, don't spoil this for Matt yet, but he and Leslie won't last. Boo. Or fun fact, did you know I actually spoke to Baz regularly? LOL. Lmao even. Matt never knew, so neither did y'all, since it wasn't relevant to the plot. I did mention in a blog post on the author's blog that I think he's fit, but bet y'all didn't see coming I was friendly with him. And yeah, Simon and Matt (and Penny) are neighbours now, but no worries, Matt will continue his uneventful life in ignorance. The dude won't know Simon's moved out to Hackney Wick till idk a year after??? I might tell him sooner, but as I mentioned before, gaslighting my bestie for the narrative is a treat.

All this to say that the world of Carry On.... carries on, even without Matty giving you a glimpse into it. Apart from what I mentioned above, I have no fucking clue what's next for him and therefore neither does the author. Or is it the other way around??? Do I only not know because she doesn't know??? I should ask her. But even so, feel free to keep Matty Chris D. (thanks Dre for the name, I was gonna do a shout-out to you in the fic itself but it never fit oop) in your hearts. I definitely will. Stay 'swasome everyone and have a good day. - J.J.

#carry on #snowbaz #story: just some guy #holy fuck I wrote #2024 #multichaptered

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doggernaut · 2 years

Text

It’s late when they get back to their hotel, the floor quiet as Jack pulls the keycard out of his pocket and swipes into their room. If Jack were still playing, their hallway would be filled with the sounds of exultant hockey players, high off of a playoff season overtime win, chirping each other across the hall and slamming doors. But Jack’s GM now, and he always makes sure his assistant books his room on a different floor.

The room is dark, illuminated by the lights of the city, visible through not-quite-opaque curtains. Bitty should have turned on the entryway light before he left for the game. He hadn’t counted on getting back this late, or drinking just enough to make everything seem just a little off balance. He trips over his own feet and sways into Jack, steadying himself against Jack’s left bicep.

“Easy, bud,” Jack chuckles, and Bitty can tell Jack’s already starting to loosen his tie as they stumble their way to the bed. Jack won’t turn on the light, not now, but Bitty’s eyes have begun to adjust.

Bitty leaves Jack to undress while he cautiously approaches his own suitcase. “Oof,” he gasps as he bumps his shin against the dresser.

Jack snickers. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for something to sleep in,” Bitty whispers. “Can’t see a darn thing in here.”

“Leave it. Just come to bed.”

Bitty knows what that means. Lord knows Jack must be tired—his job is more mental than physical now, but he still takes his hockey as seriously as he ever did—but they’ve got one kid-free night in this hotel before they head back to Providence for the next game in the series, and Jack clearly wants to take advantage of it.

Bitty steps out of his pants and pulls his jersey (“Zimmermann,” always and forever) over his head, depositing it on the treacherous dresser. “If you’d’ve told me twenty years ago that I’d be celebrating a win by going to bed with a chubby old man, I’d have told you that sounds about as likely as going to bed with my hockey captain,” he quips as he crawls into bed beside Jack. “Who knew it’d be the same guy?”

“Hey,” Jack says. “That’s not fair.” He pauses, considering. “I mean, the first part is accurate, but who are you calling an old man?”

Bitty snickers. “Honey, those rookies out there are technically young enough to be our kids. I think we officially crossed that line a while ago.” He stretches out against Jack, pointing and flexing his toes against Jack’s calf and wincing at how tight his own right calf feels. He’s not as limber as he used to be, even with the yoga class he tries to make it to once a week.

“Were we ever that young? Or that dumb?” Jack asks. Bitty knows he’s thinking of the boys who were still at the bar when they left.

“You’re right,” Bitty agrees. “You were never young. You’ve been an old man since the day we met. You just look the part now.” He pokes Jack’s belly, softer now that Jack’s job description no longer includes “working out for hours every day.”

Bitty had thought Jack, of all people, would take the aches and pains and extra weight that came with aging harder than the rest of their old Samwell crew, but it’s Shitty who’s self-conscious about his thinning hair, Bitty who can’t quite get used to the fine lines around his own eyes that become more prominent with each passing year. Jack, out of all of them, seems more himself than he ever has. Steadfast and centered and calm in a way he wasn’t when he was still playing hockey. Jack’s still anxious by nature, worries about their kids and his team and their aging parents. But even if he’d never admit it, Bitty knows there’s a peace that’s come with no longer feeling like he has to live up to a legacy.

“Speaking of our kids, did my parents ever send any updates from home?”

“Your mom texted at the beginning of the third period,” Bitty says, remembering. “After they finally got them in bed. Apparently your dad let them have two desserts. So we’ll have fun dealing with that new expectation when we get home.”

“It’s fine,” Jack murmurs. “It’s summer vacation.”

Bitty bites back a smile. Forget being married to Jack Zimmermann; his twenty-year-old-self would never in a million years have guessed Jack, of all people, would be the parent who condones second dessert. “That’s what your mom said your dad said.”

“Are you saying I’m turning into my dad? You’re ruthless tonight. A few drinks and the truth comes out, eh Bittle?”

“Don’t we all turn into our parents at some point, though?” Bitty wonders. “Lord knows I spend enough time yelling at college football refs on TV.”

“I knew Ellie didn’t get that from me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Bitty demurs. Launching a Southern-tinged tirade at the ref who made a bad call at her brother’s first hockey game? Couldn’t be his daughter.

Jack is silent beside Bitty, and Bitty wonders if he’s changed his mind about what he wants to do tonight. Could be that the long day and post-game festivities they hadn’t planned on attending have finally caught up to him. Now that he’s in bed, Bitty’s definitely feeling the weight of the day settle over him. So Bitty rolls onto his back and lets himself melt into the mattress. He closes his eyes as Jack draws quiet breaths beside him but it’s a ruse, designed to throw Bitty off balance or maybe give himself time to muster a second wind, because Jack’s shifting beside him now, relaxation clearly the last thing on his mind.

“Can an old man do this?” Jack asks, and before Bitty can reply, Jack, in one swift motion, slips a hand under Bitty and rolls him on top of him so they’re face to face. A giggle, unbidden, rises up form Bitty’s chest and Jack clamps a hand over his mouth. “Shh. You’ll wake the neighbors.”

Bitty lightly bites down on Jack’s finger before dissolving into more giggles. “Mr. Zimmermann, you really should not have gotten me drunk if you wanted this to be quiet.”

“Funny, I seem to remember being the one to warn to you not to have that third drink,” is Jack’s dry response.

“Ugh. We’re gonna be useless in the morning.”

“It’s not morning, yet,” Jack says, hand drifting toward the waistband of Bitty’s boxer briefs. They’re chest-to-chest, a favorite position of Bitty’s because he likes to see Jack’s face. Especially during playoff season. Jack’s playoff beard is more salt-and-pepper than it used to be and it does things to Bitty.

They’re alone, in a slightly uncomfortable hotel bed, and whatever twenty-year-old Eric Bittle thought a romance with Jack Zimmermann might entail, he was wrong. It definitely didn’t look like this. They’ve grown into this, together, and it’s better than any fantasy.

Also on ao3

#omgcp #zimbits fic #ficlet #future fic #older!zimbits

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hashtagdex · 2 years

Note

#10 or #34 with nurseydex 🤫

thank you em!! i love you i hope you like it <3 (also read on ao3)

Number 10 is Tequila Shots by Kid Cudi

Gotta take a minute, y'all, traveled far

Feelin' somethin', no, I can't ignore my instincts

[…]

Something 'bout the night that keep me safe and warm

Just me, the universe, and everything I think

If there's one thing Nursey knows, it's that time flies.

It feels like yesterday that he stepped foot on the campus at Samwell for the first time for the Taddy Tour, fresh-faced with quiet excitement thrumming under his skin as he took in Faber, the Quad, Founders. And now he has moved back into the Haus after summer break for the very last time.

This is it. This is senior year unfolding in front of him with every breath he takes and there's nothing he can do to slow it down, no matter how deep he digs his nails in.

In nine short months, Nursey is going to graduate and stumble into his post-college, adult life with a degree and no real plan of what’s next or where he’ll end up living. He knows his moms would love it if he moved back to the City, but he’s fallen in love with Boston to the point that the clear-cut definition of the City that he came here with has started to blur.

In nine short months, Nursey will never have to rush to class after practice or worry about his thesis again. He'll never lace up his skates in his cubby at Faber between Dex and Chowder again. He'll never glare daggers at the Lax frat across the street again, however half-hearted they may have become since Whiskey has cozied up to one of the probably-Chads. He'll never wander the Quad to drop down into an obscene pile of leaves to the sounds of Chowder’s gleeful laughter and Dex's grumbling complaints again. There will be no new batches of freshmen to haze or teammates to chirp. No more brunches or late night milkshakes at Annie's.

In nine short months, everything Nursey will have known for the past four years is going to change and he really isn't ready for it.

Maybe he'll never taste Dex's—or Bitty's, he supposes—baking again or wince at Chowder’s random, painful-looking splits or fine Farmer and him for some insanely saccharine PDA. For all he knows, come graduation, he'll lose sight of the rest of the Frogs and it'll be just him wherever the fuck he ends up.

The universe seems to hear him—the back door cracks open, through his thoughts that threaten to spiral again, and then it's Dex’s voice saying, "Hey, Nurse."

Nursey cranes his neck around to find Dex’s head peeking out through the screen door, illuminated softly by the warm yellow porch light Nursey left on when he came out here an hour ago. The sight of him settles something in Nursey’s turbulent chest. “Hey, Cap,” he shoots back and even in the dim light, he can tell Dex flushes at the nickname. Nursey’s stomach swoops pleasantly. “What’s up?”

Dex shifts his weight. “Mind if I join you?”

Being alone is probably not going to do him much good right now, Nursey figures. And he’s come to realize that something about Dex’s company makes him quiet, deep down. “Nah, go ahead.”

With a little grateful smile that Nursey can’t help but return, Dex steps outside onto the porch entirely, a bottle of beer in each hand, and pushes the door shut with his hip. He doesn’t sidestep that one creaky floorboard on his way over to Nursey.

The crickets are chirping and a comfortable breeze brushes past them as Dex plops down on the top step next to Nursey, close enough for their knees to knock together. Nursey doesn’t move away, doesn’t focus on the point of contact, doesn’t focus on the warmth of Dex’s skin against his. Instead, he accepts the bottle Dex passes over to him.

“It’s a really nice night,” Dex comments and fishes the Falconers bottle opener Jack left them last year out of his pocket, then leans into Nursey’s space a little to pop his bottle’s lid off. Nursey hums in agreement and watches Dex crack open his own bottle before he slips the opener back into the pocket of his shorts. It really is a nice night; the leftover warm summer air of the day sits on his skin like a gentle blanket and the sky above is clear, dotted with twinkling stars that Nursey could spend forever searching for patterns in. Dex probably knows a lot of constellations “What’s got you thinking so hard out here?”

They clink the butts of their bottles together and Nursey lets the question sit in the night air between them as they both take a swig. “Oh, you know,” Nursey says with a sigh and a vague back-and-forth tilt of his palm after he’s swallowed.

Dex bumps his shoulder against Nursey’s. “Enlighten me.”

“It’s just,” Nursey starts, then sighs again. No point in hiding it, not with Dex. “It’s all changing.” Next to him, Dex stays quiet, but Nursey knows he’s got his full attention. It’s his way of encouraging someone to keep going, he’s learned. “We’re seniors. This is our last year here, our last shot to make this memorable and go out with a bang, I guess. Who knows where we’ll end up after graduation, if we’re even gonna be in the same place. We just got back from summer break today, preseason hasn’t even kicked off yet,” he scuffs his shoe against the wood of the step below, “but I can’t help but miss everyone already.”

“I get it,” Dex replies after a moment and Nursey can tell his brows are drawn together when he sighs. “While we’re being honest, I’m wondering if I’ll even get to be a good captain. Like, what if everyone who voted for me last year was wrong and I crash and burn, you know? What if I can’t lead us back to the Championship?”

“Hey,” Nursey cuts in immediately, getting Dex to look over at him as he takes a drink, “you’re gonna be a great captain. You fight for us and with us and that’s what matters. Everyone respects you here.”

Dex offers him a small smile. “Thanks. And you know what?”

Nursey hums. “What?”

“We may not be able to stop this, but not everything’s going to change either,” Dex tells him, bumping their shoulders together again. ”No matter what happens or where we’ll end up, you’ll still have Chowder and me. Frogs for life, remember? And besides”—then there’s Dex’s pinky finger, bumping into his on the wood of the step between them; Nursey hooks his around it—“not every change has to be bad, right?”

“Right,” Nursey replies. He moves his ring finger over Dex’s, squeezing once, and Dex squeezes back without hesitating. “Anyway, sorry for being a bummer.”

Dex shakes his head. “Don’t be. I’m glad you trust me with this,” he says with a sincere look on his face and links another finger with Nursey’s.

“Sap,” Nursey throws back around a grin and revels in the half-hearted eye roll he gets in response. “But thank you. Really.”

The smile Dex gives him is small, gentle, real. Nursey loves it. “So, is there anything you’re actually looking forward to this year?” Dex asks.

Nursey hums and as he thinks, he takes a big sip of his beer. He could swear he sees Dex track the way his Adam’s apple moves when he swallows. “I’m gonna throw the best Kegsters yet.”

“Oh God,” Dex replies and slips on a fake look of concern, but a grin is cracking through anyway. “Do we need to bring back Nursey Patrol?”

“Fuck you, man,” Nursey shoots back with a laugh. They got rid of Nursey Patrol a year ago; Nursey’s gotten a lot more responsible with his tub juice intake. He doesn’t end up on rooftops anymore, anyway. And, well, Louis needed it more. “It’ll be a mad chill Halloween Kegster and I’m thinking about a throwback one? Like, with an Eighties theme, you know? It’ll be dope and I will get you to dress up.”

Dex laughs into his bottle, the sound reverberating in the neck of it before he takes a drink. “We’ll see.”

“We’ll see that I’m right. You’re the captain, you have to dress up too.” Nursey decides to count the grumbling coming from Dex at that as victory. “Oh, and I got some cool classes lined up that I’m excited for,” he adds.

“Yeah?” Dex prompts, “Like what?”

“Y’know, a couple poetry ones,” Nursey replies. “I’ll spare you the details, but one of my favorite poets is actually teaching a class this semester and I managed to get in, so that’s chill. There’s one on contemporary American poetry, too. And a workshop with that same poet.”

“That sounds cool,” Dex tells him and Nursey hears the I’m genuinely happy for you in his voice clear as the night sky above. “Don’t overwork yourself, though, yeah?”

When Dex goes to link a fourth finger with Nursey’s, Nursey turns his hand palm-up and intertwines their hands completely instead. This is far from the first time they’ve held hands in the last few months, but the other times were all platonic. At least Nursey thinks so. But tonight feels different. Charged, in a way. Like they’re standing at the cusp of something. Something more than this if they want it.

Nursey really wants it, so he pulls their hands onto his thigh as he says, “Sure, Dex.” He knows that Dex is going to be there, no matter what, with a freshly baked pie—or whatever else he’s baking that day, purely coincidentally—in hand to remind Nursey to take a break every now and then. He offers Dex a smile that Dex returns with a squeeze of their hands. “Is there anything you’re looking forward to, Cap’n?”

The flush that calling Dex any variation of captain procures will never get old, Nursey thinks. He wonders, briefly, what the skin would feel like under his fingers, his lips. “I know I said I’m nervous about the whole captaincy thing,” Dex starts, says it like he still can’t quite believe that he’ll get the C sewn onto his sweater in a week, “and I am, but I’m also kind of excited for the new freshmen. You know, getting to meet them and see what they’re like.”

“Oh, chill, yeah, definitely.” Nursey runs his thumb over Dex’s skin, where he knows a cluster of freckles sits at the joint of it. “Who’s gonna give them the tour of the Haus?”

Something shifts in Dex. When he catches Nursey’s gaze, Nursey can tell he’s even more vulnerable than before. Like he’s started to pry his ribcage open for Nursey to see. “I was thinking you, Chowder, and I could do it? Together.”

Nursey smiles, holding Dex’s beating heart in his palms. “Yeah, that’s chill. Can I show them the bylaws behind the boiler in the basement, though?”

Just like that, Dex’s gaze turns suspicious as he squints at Nursey. “I mean, sure. I guess?” Dex pauses for a moment and chases the look away with a drink of beer. “I was also thinking about maybe making a pie or two. It’s not a goodie bag, but you know. As a welcome thing.”

Nursey barks out a laugh. “Man, you’ve really turned into Bitty.”

“It’s a nice thing to do!” Dex defends, brows knitted together, but Nursey can tell he’s not seriously offended. “And it would feel weird to have this be the first year without one.”

“Chill, Dex, I’m just messing with you,” he says. He knows his voice is oozing with fondness; they’re lucky Whiskey is across the street and Chowder’s not here yet to fine them. “Do you know what you wanna call them yet? Because they’re gonna need a nickname.”

Dex sighs. “No fucking clue,” he admits, then immediately raises a warning hand before Nursey can even open his mouth. “Don’t even think about suggesting anything lobster related.”

“Rude,” Nursey complains and if he wasn’t busy holding Dex’s hand right now, he’d probably clutch his chest in mock offense.

“I was thinking of maybe actually going with Eggs, but I’m not sure yet.” Dex scrapes at the soggy label of his bottle for a moment before he turns his gaze back to Nursey, a soft smile on his lips. “I’ll figure something out. I don’t have to do it alone, right?”

Nursey smiles back. “Right.”

They fall silent then, with only the endless chirping of the crickets nearby mingling with the sloshing of the beer after occasional sips breaking through.It’s nice, being close to Dex like this. He really does make a fundamental part of Nursey just quiet; he manages to slow down his racing thoughts just by being here, manages to pull and keep Nursey in the present with him. Above, the stars twinkle on and as Nursey keeps running his thumb over Dex’s skin in nonsensical patterns, he thinks he really should ask Dex about any constellations he knows sometime. Just to watch his eyes light up the way they do when he talks about things that mean a lot to him.

Once Nursey’s bottle is empty, he sets it down next to his feet on the step below and clears his throat, angling himself a little more toward Dex. “Hey.”

Dex hums in acknowledgement, then tips his head back to get the last of his own beer out and leaves the empty bottle on his other side before he turns to Nursey with a quizzical look on his face. “What?”

“Is there something you haven’t done yet that you wanna do before college is, like, over for real?” Nursey asks, still calmly playing with Dex’s thumb.

“You mean like a college bucket list or something?”

Nursey shrugs. “Kind of, I guess, yeah.”

Dex doesn’t say anything for a moment; it looks like he’s searching Nursey’s face as he thinks. “Well,” he answers eventually and Nursey’s pretty sure he’s not imagining the nervous edge that’s crept into his voice, “there’s this guy I’ve liked for a while—”

“A guy, huh?” Nursey interrupts, a grin at home on his lips.

Something’s undeniably been growing between them over the summer. It probably started shortly after winning the Championship with Bitty, most likely, but it’s definitely blossomed over the summer. They’ve been clearly flirting over text ever since they left for break and that started to bleed into almost daily calls too. Not to mention all the Snaps they’ve sent each other after Nursey successfully pestered Dex into downloading the app within the first week. And if Nursey’s saved one or the other goofy, nostril-up or shirtless Snap Dex has sent him, then that’s nobody’s business but his own.

“Oh, you know, he’s so clumsy, it’s ridiculous,” Dex says and even though his voice is teasing, Nursey can still hear the fondness in it. “At the end of last year, we were at the dining hall for breakfast and he tripped over his own two feet and spilled his fucking cereal on one of Farmer’s teammates.”

Nursey cringes at the memory. The poor girl was drenched in milk with colorful froot loops hanging in her hair and dropping down onto her shoulders. If looks could kill, Nursey for sure would’ve dropped dead on the spot right then and there. He apologized to her profusely for a solid two minutes, even offered her his sweater. She still glared at him the next time Dex, Chowder, and he showed up at a party at the volleyball house a few weeks later.

He bumps into Dex’s shoulder and allows himself to linger there for a beat, his skin pressed against Dex’s shirt sleeve. “You’re an asshole.”

The laugh that tickles out of Dex is beautiful, Nursey wouldn’t mind hearing it over and over. “But he’s also really pretty. And kind and funny and smart. He always brings me a coffee to class if practice runs too late for me to stop by Annie’s.” His gaze drops to his own feet as he bites down on a grin, but he can’t fight the flush flooding his cheeks. Nursey figures it’s going to be a permanent thing now. Not that he minds; it’s cute. Dex brings his eyes back to Nursey’s and adds, “Today, I helped him move into the Haus and I almost caught my foot under a step going upstairs because I was staring at the way his arms flexed in that tank top as he carried a box.”

There’s only a faint recollection of this in Nursey’s mind; he remembers something like a dull thud and Dex swearing behind him while they were both hauling up heavy boxes of books, but he was too preoccupied with the thought of how bold Dex’s freckles are now after being exposed to all that sun over the summer. That’s not really news to him, what with all the Snaps and all, but seeing them in real life right in front of him when Dex’s grinning face greeted him earlier did throw him for a loop.

“He sounds like a real catch,” Nursey says, smiling. He’s aiming for chirping but lands about a mile north of it, squarely in lovestruck fondness.

“Yeah, he really is,” Dex agrees in a sure voice. Still, Nursey sees his nerves drawn all over his face, tucked between his freckles. “I think he likes me back and I’ve really wanted to kiss him for a couple months now.”

Nursey can’t keep his own heartbeat from picking up as he leans a little further into Dex’s space, presses their knees together a little firmer. “Why haven’t you?”

“Well, I mean, I can’t just assume, right? There’s also a chance that I’ve read it all wrong and he doesn’t actually like me,” Dex reasons, serious like Nursey isn’t absolutely fucking gone on him for everyone to see.

“You haven’t,” Nursey says decisively, “Read this wrong, I mean. He’s just been waiting for you to make the first move.” He lets this sit between them for a moment, lets it linger until Dex is smiling at him, collects his own courage. He’s never felt more unchill in his life. “So if you really wanna kiss him, you should.”

Something on Dex’s face shifts until he looks almost giddy. Nursey feels it too, swooping low in his stomach and pumping in his chest. “You think so?” Dex asks, leaning closer to Nursey still.

“Yeah,” Nursey confirms with his eyes glued to Dex’s lips now, the air charged and crackling between them as he bridges another few inches, “yeah, I think so.”

Nursey’s heart threatens to leap out of his ribcage, right into Dex’s palms, as they both move in closer and closer, his eyes flutter closed when he feels Dex’s quick, warm breath on his skin.

But then Dex stops, a maddening fraction of an inch away from Nursey’s lips.

“You do know that I mean you, right?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, but it’s enough to get Nursey to huff out a laugh. This is so like Dex and Nursey is so fucking into him, it’s ridiculous.

“Yeah, I got a pretty good idea,” he assures him, lips pulling back into a smile, “so, are you gonna kiss me now or what?”

That’s all the reassurance Dex needs before he finally, finally crosses the last of the space keeping them apart and Nursey finally, finally gets to press his smile against Dex’s.

Dex sighs into the kiss, almost like letting go of a breath he’s been holding for a long time, like he can finally breathe freely now. It takes all of Nursey’s brain power to keep from smiling too wide and breaking the kiss too early.

The thing is, Nursey’s thought about this. He’s not ashamed to admit he’s spent a sizable amount of time wondering what it would be like to kiss Dex, what kind of kisser Dex would be, where he’d put his hands on reflex. He pictured it happening at a Kegster, urgent and a little clumsy with hands under shirts; as a natural progression of a reunion hug after break, desperate and hard like they’d die if they didn’t, arms wrapped tightly around waists; after winning the Championship again, a little too much teeth and a lot of giddiness with sweaty palms cupping faces. He even pictured it happening just because, at the Haus kitchen table, in one of their rooms while a random show or movie plays in the background.

He didn’t consider it would happen like this, out here on the back porch at night after pouring their feelings out, their joined hands sitting on Nursey’s thigh. He wouldn’t have it any other way, though.

When they pull back eventually, after another kiss or two or three, Nursey’s thoughts are swimming with Dex, Dex, Dex. Nursey’s pretty sure he’s never been prouder than he is when he sees that Dex needs a second longer to open his eyes.

If he’s being honest, Nursey really wants to get up and climb into Dex's lap right now, feel his hands on his back his hips his thighs, link his own hands behind Dex's head as they take each other apart kiss by long-overdue kiss, maybe even push his hands into Dex’s hair now that he’s let his curls come in a little more. He doesn’t, though, not this time. He wants to do this right. There will be plenty of times for that, he thinks. Hopes.

Instead, he clears his throat and says, "For the record, that would've been my answer too."

"Good," Dex replies with his voice still a little raspy, all self-satisfied and smug, and Nursey has to admit that it looks good on him.

It's not roaming hands on his back, but when Dex untangles their fingers and cups Nursey's cheek so gently with one hand and leaves the other high on Nursey’s knee, pulling him into another kiss, he couldn't wish for anything else.

They kiss again and again, slow and sweet, chasing after each other’s lips if they dare to move away a little too far. By the time Nursey’s hand is splayed against Dex’s side, Dex moves his own to the back of Nursey’s neck to keep him there, as if there’s anything at all that could convince Nursey to stop kissing him anytime soon.

But then Nursey shifts, trying to get a better angle for their next kiss, and knocks over the bottle at his feet. It tears them apart and they watch it roll down the stairs with the repeated clang, clang, clang of an empty glass bottle until it lands safely in the grass below. When they turn back toward each other, they can’t help but laugh.

“Did I mention that the guy I like is a massive klutz?” Dex asks, sounding dazed. He’s got a dopey look on his face that Nursey’s absolutely obsessed with.

Nursey huffs out a laugh again. “Shut up,” he replies, but it’s lacking any and all heat.

“Make me,” Dex teases and Nursey just has to lean in for another lingering kiss and then, because the way Dex hums into it is so addicting, one more.

He gathers all his willpower to pull back after a third one and stays strong even when Dex chases after him again. “Do you wanna go on a date with me?” he asks, dragging his eyes back up to Dex’s when they threaten to get stuck on Dex’s lips once more. The lips Nursey now knows what it feels like to kiss over and over.

With the hand that’s still on the back of Nursey’s neck, Dex runs his thumb over Nursey’s skin there, scratching softly at his hairline. He wonders if Dex can feel the faint goosebumps, can feel what he does to him. “Yeah, that’d be—” He clears his throat again. “That’d be chill.”

“Chill,” Nursey repeats, but decides to leave the chirping for later. A laugh still escapes him as Dex rolls his eyes in response. “I’m gonna romance the hell out of you.”

“I fucking hope so,” Dex shoots back, then lets his eyes drop down to Nursey’s mouth again. “Does that mean we have to stop right now, though?”

“God, no,” Nursey replies and cups Dex’s jaw with the hand that’s not on Dex’s side and reel him back in.

As they kiss again and again and again, to the sound of the crickets and with the stars twinkling above, Nursey pushes his hand from Dex’s jaw over his shoulder until he can spread it between his shoulder blades to hold as much of him at once as he can.

Senior year, Nursey finds, doesn’t seem so scary after all.

#omgcp #omgcheckplease #nurseydex #dexnursey #derek nurse #william poindexter #somehow this has ended up at 4100 words. idk how.#i got carried away!!! as always #i hope you like this em i love you!!!#my writing

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