#This chapter's fluff and pining with a heavy sprinkling of ANGST | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

alphawave-writes · 6 years ago

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Evil actions and good intentions chapter 4: One day, three autumns Sigma x Harold Winston

Synopsis: Harold desperately tries to hide his secrets from Talon, all the while pining over Sigma. He also gets a pretty sweet shoulder massage.

Read it here or on AO3. If you want more Sigma, check out my series ‘The universe sings’. If you’re hankering for fluffy Sigma x Harold oneshots, check out my other two fics ‘It’s lonely at the top’ and ‘Under the milky way’

It’s hard for Harold to convince everybody that he’s fine when all known logic dictates that he shouldn’t. Given the extent of his injuries, he should be bandaged from head to toe at the very least, unable to walk or move. Yet he runs and smiles without so much as a hair out of place, no scar or wound to be seen. The biting stares once reserved for Siebren are now given to him as well. They glare at him like he is a ticking time bomb, or an omnipotent god walking amongst mortals. A freak of nature. If only they knew he would never put anyone in harm’s way. If anything, he puts himself in danger by using his abilities so brazenly.

If someone were to ask him if he regrets his decision to save Siebren, the answer would be a resounding no. He is used to sacrificing himself for others.

He goes by his day, trying his best to get used to the eyes constantly pressed on his back. Siebren does his best to make him feel comfortable, and he appreciates the gesture, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that they’re searching him for something, stripping him down to the molecule until they find the answers they are looking for.

At least Siebren is by his side, laughing and smiling easily, grazing light touches over his skin like time doesn’t exist. Harold grins warmly as he looks up into his ocean blue eyes and feels years and years of affection well up to the surface, waiting to spill out of his lips.

One day, three autumns, his mother told him when he was young, obsessed with idioms of her homeland as he was obsessed with books. His father had flown off to America again, leaving him and his sister to stay with his mother’s family in Lijiang. She’s proud in that typical Asian tiger mom way, but beneath the surface, she missed her husband greatly.

Yí rì sān qiū, she repeated in her native Mandarin. When you miss that special someone greatly, you say this. When they go away, one day feels like the passing of three autumns. You stare out the window because every single second they are gone is too long. You cling to their memory, hold it close to your heart, and eagerly wait for their return. She clasped him on the shoulder and said, Do you miss your papa?

That was her word for his father, ‘papa’. She was mama, and he was papa—a compromise between her Chinese culture and his father’s American culture. He nodded eagerly, as all young boys did. I miss papa.

She smiled with grave melancholy. Yí rì sān qiū, she said. I miss him too.

If one day is three autumns, he cannot imagine how many eternities have passed since he lost Siebren all those years ago.

After Harold woke up from his coma, Siebren doted on his every whim and need, following him around everywhere. He makes Harold breakfast in the morning and reaches for the mugs in the high cupboard. It's all rather unnecessary but Siebren does it anyway. “You can never be too careful,” the astrophysicist tells Harold, the astrobiologist with an expert understanding of gorilla and human physiology. “I don’t mind helping you. It’s the least I owe you for saving my life.”

In the past, perhaps Harold might have told Siebren that he can handle himself quite fine, but present Harold is smarter and wiser and he also has the added knowledge that Siebren is an adept masseuse with strong fingers. A few stray thoughts of how Harold came to know this filtered into his brain and drew the heat up to his cheeks. He thinks he sees Siebren make a similar reaction when he makes the request for a massage, back when they’re alone in his bedroom, but it’s lightning fast, too quick for him to catch. Siebren quickly rounds up behind him and presses his fingers firmly into Harold’s wound flesh.

Even after all these years, Siebren’s touch is familiar. Comforting. Delicate.

Maybe he likes to get pampered, Harold convinces himself as Siebren undoes a knot in his back, drawing out a soft groan. Maybe he likes how easily he unravels by Siebren’s touch, transforming all the stress and guilt that rests on his shoulders into radiant heat. Maybe he likes the feel of hands on his body, the touches forbidden to him for so long, lighting a long dormant fire in the pit of his stomach.

After a few minutes, Siebren speaks, curiously out of breath. “You’re enjoying this.”

“And you’re not?” Harold smiles knowingly over his shoulder.

Siebren clears his throat loudly behind his back. Harold smiles mischievously.

“I’m an old man now, Siebren. I can enjoy a massage every now and then.”

“Yes, well at our age, I think we’re entitled to it,” Siebren chuckles. “Not that I would ever force someone to massage me.”

“Why not? I basically made you do it now.”

“It’s different when it’s you,” Siebren admits quietly.

Harold’s eyes widen. There’s a spark in Siebren’s voice, a breathy quality Harold catches that conjures memories of silken sheets and soft pillows and warm skin, all made more potent on the dark expanse of the moon. Harold keeps his gaze forward, a dark blush betraying his otherwise neutral expression.

Siebren uses the silence to concentrate further on the massage. His fingers tap out rhythmically on Harold’s skin, a piano tune playing on pliable skin. Siebren begins to hum under his breath, a ragtag jumble of discordant notes that make no sense on their own but nevertheless sounds beautiful from his lips. It’s strange yet haunting and very very Siebren.

“What song is that one?” Harold asks quietly.

Siebren stops humming altogether. He coughs loudly. “N-nothing.”

“I’ve heard you hum that one before,” Harold comments. “New song or new formula?”

Siebren goes unnaturally quiet as his hands retreat from Harold’s shoulders. Harold turns towards him only to find Siebren staring at the dust molecules in front of his face. His lips are pursed tight. He’s floating higher, eyes wide and haunted.

Harold cups Siebren’s face, steadying him as he floats down to the ground. He sees the clarity dawn slowly upon Siebren like the birth of a sunrise, gravity shackling him once more to Earth. The expression Siebren gives him is not a familiar one. His face speaks of ghosts, nightmares, and sleepless nights.

“Harold…do you trust me?” He asks slowly.

“Of course I do.” Harold doesn’t even hesitate. “Tell me.”

Siebren gazes deeply into Harold’s eyes for any signs of doubt but finds nothing but warm and summery emotions, kept tempered and dormant by the forces of Harold’s willpower. With a final nod, he summons the hyperspheres.

They float idly around his right hand, spinning in circles before fusing into one being. The dark matter within has coalesced into a bigger sphere, the components that hold them together crumbling away like dust in the wind. Harold stares into the void, sees time and space fold into itself.

Harold frowns. “What am I looking at?”

“Sshhh,” Sigma hushes. He brings it closer to Harold’s ears.

It’s only then that he hears the music, a violent clash of thudding pianos and dark whispers and Shepard tones constantly rising to the heavens.

“What…what is this?” He gasps.

“The universe’s melody,” Siebren replies. He stares at the orb, watching it hover above his hand. “Magnificent, isn’t it?”

It is, Harold admits to himself, but not as magnificent as Siebren right now, vulnerable and gorgeous at the same time, familiar and unfamiliar in every right way. “Is this what you hear all the time?” he asks.

Siebren nods. “This was all I heard after the accident. For years I thought it was the universe taunting me, enslaving me to be servant to its whims. Alone in my own mind, I was trapped, fighting for release. And then one day I saw it. The bridge between time and space, a wormhole tearing the fabric of reality apart wide enough that I may glimpse through. And there I saw infinite realities, infinite versions of myself warped and changed through the efforts of infinite realities. But it was only for a second. And it never happened again.”

Harold stares at the dark orb in front of him, his breath disappearing into the mist. Slowly, shakily, he raises his fingers to touch it. Pain spikes when he touches it, fading away rapidly when he retreats his hand.

The orb harmlessly floats from his hand into Harold’s. Siebren tilts his head to the side, eyes wide in rapturous adoration. “So you see what I have to do, right? If I can just figure out this melody, if I can just find the formula, I might be able to prove the existence of multiple realities. I could see far into the past and future, and glimpse at the beauty the universe hides from us. I could learn so much more.”

It’s times like this that Harold wishes he shares Siebren’s passion for the mysteries of the universe, but their ultimate goals always differed. Siebren searches for the unknown far off into the galaxy, while Harold searches for the hidden potential lying dormant within all living creatures. Siebren sees the beauty in everything that he can’t see and touch, but Harold sees the beauty in the present, the sunlight in an excited grin, the dazzling stars behind sky blue eyes, the supernovas that explode from a gentle caress.

It takes Siebren a moment before he catches himself. He hides his shy smile behind a closed fist. The orb dissipates into thin air. “I-I know this sounds like I’m insane. I know my mind is no longer whole, but I just know the answer lies here somewhere.” He stares forlornly at Harold. “I understand if you don’t believe me. It sounds ridiculous.”

Harold smiles as he places a hand on Siebren’s shoulder. “Of course it sounds ridiculous," he says before chuckling. "But then again, people thought Copernicus was ridiculous when he said the Earth revolved around the sun back in the day.”

“So you believe me?” Siebren asks, hopeful.

“If you believe it, I believe it,” Harold says. He squeezes Siebren's shoulder lightly. “I trust you.”

Siebren takes Harold’s hands into his own, gazing down with childlike eyes. Harold can feel the gentle hum of power within Sigma’s palm, waves pushing and pulling at invisible strings. He doesn’t pull back when Siebren places a quick kiss on his cheek. The patch of skin where his lips left their mark fizzled pleasantly with electricity.

“I needed to hear that,” Sigma admits with a whisper. “Verdante, Harold.”

Harold blushes as he glances down at their entwined hands. He wants more—tender kisses, small touches, soft words—but he doesn’t have the courage to ask for more. He sees the way Siebren brightens in his presence, the joy and relief of knowing a long-lost love has been resurrected. He doesn’t have the courage to commit and break Siebren’s heart again when he returns to the grave, even if it means he must deny himself his own selfish wants.

He is used to sacrificing himself for others. It’s familiar. Normal.

“Come on, tough guy,” Harold smiles. “I think I owe you a massage after all that.”

Siebren protests loudly, but it falls upon flat ears. He isn’t going to get away that easily, Harold smiles to himself.

Moira catches him when Siebren is away on a training exercise. An additional check-up, she claims, though Harold is quick to narrow his eyes. It’s been more than a week since that fateful mission, and she only approaches him now when Siebren must temporarily leave his side. The timing is almost a bit too convenient.

He’s not usually a cautious person, but Moira rubs him in all the wrong ways. There’s a coldness in her stare that speaks of cold clinical data and complete detachment. Years ago, he wouldn’t have thought anything about it because he intrinsically trusted people to be benevolent and kind. A lifetime’s worth of betrayals have finally taught him otherwise. Not a day goes by when he wishes to see the world in rose-tinted glasses once more.

“All my medical tests have been up to date,” he says slowly. “My last checkup was two days ago.”

“Ah, yes, but this is a psychiatric examination,” Moira says. “You have been through a rather unfortunate accident. It is standard practice here in Talon to perform psychiatric examinations of all our personnel after any traumatic event.”

“Siebren hasn’t had an examination,” Harold points out.

“He shall have one after you. Now, if you will please join me?”

He’s got no choice but to follow. The choice she gives is an illusion, he thinks morosely.

She doesn’t take him to the medical bay where Dr. Irvin Laszlo’s office is. She doesn’t take him to her own office next door, pristine and professional apart from a few anime figurines on her shelf. Instead, she leads him down to the lower levels, past keycard-encrypted doors to a single, dark room.

It smells of decay and disuse, bringing back memories of Horizon One and the torturous loneliness he felt at Horizon Two afterwards. There are no windows, the only light coming from LED lamps above. The only items in the room are three plastic chairs, two facing the third, which stands beneath the spotlight. Moira takes her seat on the first. The second is occupied by a man he’s never seen before with sandy skin and a short spiky haircut similar to Harold’s own. She gestures for him to sit in the third, already scribbling notes on a clipboard with her other hand.

He glances into the shadows and thinks he spies a pair of eyes gazing upon him, but Moira clicks her fingers impatiently at him. The mysterious man presses a button on an old tape player. It’s analogue. Antique. Untraceable.

“This is the psychological examination of Subject: 31,” the mysterious man speaks with a British accent. Tones of his native Indian can be faintly heard. “We are here to examine his mental wellbeing after the failed mission at Cape Town.”

Moira steeples her fingers. “Tell me, if it’s not too much for you, what happened that day?”

There’s something wrong about all this, but he’s not sure what. Is it the stranger, Moira, or that insufferably dehumanizing nickname? He suppresses a frown and wills himself to sound calm. “I was on the mission with Siebren. The men in our contingent had killed all the poor omnic soldiers.”

“You feel sympathy for them?” She asks.

“Well, they are people, even if they’re not necessarily living.” His lips pull tight as he remembers the explosion. “Even if they are criminals, they didn’t deserve to die like that.”

Moira makes a note, scowling to herself. The stranger perks up. “So what happened after?”

Harold frowns. “I would think that’s common knowledge. The omnics all suddenly blew up after a countdown. If Siebren didn’t react fast enough and shielded the both of us, I would’ve probably perished with the rest of the team.”

He hopes his lie goes through undetected but the stranger glares with the intensity of a solar flare. “Surely that wasn’t all that happened, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, thinking about it logically, the omnic corpses were found scattered all over the base, meaning you would have been engulfed by flames on all sides. And even if you happened to be in an area where it can be easily blocked in one direction, that doesn’t explain how you got all burned up and Sigma escapes without a scratch.”

“I can’t answer that,” Harold lies. “I’ve never been in combat before. I was disorientated to say the least.”

“So why did you offer to go anyway? Talon gave you no combat experience. You had no reason to go.”

Harold bristles. “Siebren could have been in danger.”

“So could you.”

“Rather me than him.” Harold feels his face go flush with worry. He lowers his head. “Or anybody else for that matter," he quickly adds. "I know I’m living on borrowed time. I might as well give that time to someone who needs it.”

The stranger leans back in his chair, his posture casual but his eyes firm. Moira scribbles something. “We have reason to suspect Subject: 31 has been involved with Sigma in the past, Sanjay,” she tells him.

The stranger known as Sanjay smiles, as fake and plastic as the chair he sits upon. “So that’s what it is.” He turns to Harold. “Is this true?”

The realization dawns upon him far too late. He stands up from his seat, eyes wide. “This isn’t a psychological examination, this is an interrogation!”

“Sit down, please,” he orders.

In the darkness, a shadowy figure is disturbed from their place by the wall. The dark shine of a pair of shotguns stares back at Harold, crossed menacingly over the figure’s chest. In the back of his mind, Harold recognizes something about this person, but he doesn’t want to test his luck. He lets out a breath and slowly sits down, keeping his gaze firmly on Sanjay.

“Would you like me to repeat the question?”

“It’s fine,” Harold sighs. He glances at the section of the wall where the dark figure once stood, now gone without a trace, a dark whisper in the wind. He turns his head to Sanjay, his eyes still fixated on the wall. “…A long time ago, before the incident at Horizon One, we were…in a relationship.”

“Could you clarify?” Sanjay asks.

“Do I have to?”

“Only if you want to.”

Harold takes a quiet breath. “A romantic one,” he admits. “But that was only back then. Not anymore.” The words sting far more than any flesh wound.

“But you would say you are still close?”

“I think so. We are friends.”

“And you’re sure Subject Sigma—sorry, Dr. Siebren de Kuiper—” Sanjay says the name like it’s a foul aftertaste, “—you're sure he feels the same?”

His whole life has been built on him being observant and perceptive; he’d be a fool not to notice Siebren’s actions recently. He notices the secret little glances when Siebren thinks he’s not looking. He notices the soft smiles, sweet words desperate to escape a warbling throat. He notices the tender affection in Siebren’s touches, full of love and hesitation. He knows Siebren is falling for him again, but he doesn’t do anything about it. A part of him wants to be the one to capture Siebren’s heart all over again.

“I’m sure he does,” Harold says finally. As something more than friends, he wordlessly adds.

They ask him a few more basic questions about his stay, but everyone knows they won’t get anything out of him. He’s given a short debriefing, which is essentially an official reprimand for illegally accompanying Siebren on the mission. Fortunately, Moira has mercifully handwaved the incident away, not that Harold feels very fortunate. He really doesn’t want to owe anything to her.

He slowly stands up from his seat and is escorted out by Sanjay. In the middle of the hallway Siebren leans besides a wall, wearing a blue and black bodysuit that clings to his form. It’s athletic gear, Harold’s mind explains, even as his eyes inevitably trail downward. The bodysuit leaves very little to the imagination. It takes all of Harold’s willpower to keep his gaze level on Siebren’s face.

“Did it go well, Harold?” Siebren asks expectantly.

He wants to say something, but Sanjay is next to him, and the door is still open behind him. Moira waits within the room, pen primed in her hand. Harold forces a smile. “Nothing special,” he lies. “Just a standard psych examination.”

Siebren smiles, none the wiser. “Good to hear. I’ll see you for dinner after, correct?”

Harold smiles back, faltering when he feels Sanjay’s presence beside him. He turned to him. “Could I have a word alone with Siebren? Just for a second.”

Sanjay gives a look to Moira, who only tilts her head. He nods slowly. “Take your time,” he says, before returning to the room, closing the door behind himself.

Siebren frowns when he sees the stern expression on Harold’s face. “What happened?”

“Don’t…” Harold pauses, before adding, in a whisper, “don’t tell them how I saved you on the mission. Just say you put your barrier out. I did nothing.”

“Harold, you want me to lie?”

“Please, trust me,” he pleads.

Siebren’s eyes search Harold’s, for what he doesn’t know. Answers, Harold guesses. Clarification, Harold hopes. Whatever Siebren sees, it’s enough to make him frown. “If you say so,” he whispers, patting Harold once on the shoulder before opening the door. He takes a step forward, pauses in the doorway, and looks over his shoulder. “Take care, Harold."

Harold lets out a breath he doesn’t even realise he’s holding, brushes his hands on his clothes, and heads for the elevator. He presses a button on the wall, waits for the door to close. His heart pumps wildly in his chest, not in excitement or love but in fear. Thinking back on the previous few minutes during the interview fills him with a deep feeling of dread, but even he could not point out what made him feel this way.

Harold waits patiently in his bedroom. He sits on the edge of the bed, staring into his worn and wrinkled hands. He pulls the sleeve higher, gazing at the veins and arteries that runs down his arm. He flexes his arm, squeezes his fist tight, and watches as his blood vessels begin to glow. He stretches his hand out wide, shaking with effort, the glow dripping up his palm to his fingertips. He tries to maintain the light but the cold chill crawls under his skin as fatigue sets in. After three seconds, his arm drops limply to his side. He props his left arm up with the right and tries again and again to maintain it. With every attempt, his flesh loses a bit more colour. After the tenth attempt, he's forced to stop.

He asked Siebren to meet him here after dinner—to talk, he said. To tell the truth of his abilities and give some clarity for what happened that day, Harold wanted to say, but he feels the eyes on his back with every step he takes. It has to be here, where privacy is as assured as it can be.

Maybe while he’s at it, he can tell Siebren that he knows how he feels about him. That he feels the same way. That maybe they can start their romance anew.

The time that they agreed upon came and went, and Siebren was nowhere to be seen. The clock ticks on and Harold can’t help but wonder what happened. Siebren is usually a punctual person, and always leaves a message of his whereabouts on the few occasions he is late. Impatient concern grew in his lungs. His mother’s words flutter in his mind. Yí rì sān qiū, she whispers to the wind. One day without him feels like three autumns. You miss him.

I love him, his own voice corrected. He’s surprised by the conviction in the tone, like it's an assured fact. A universal truth.

Half an hour later, the door slides open. Harold sits up expectantly, his heart leaping out of his chest. Siebren’s smile is soft and full of relief and breathtaking. Harold is ready to hold Siebren tight and kiss him fully on the lips, but he falters when the door opens fully to reveal the forms of Moira and Sanjay.

“Subject—Dr. Winston,” Moira corrects, “we’ve been looking at your scientific work, and after some discussion, I think we can offer you a full position in one of our sister organisations.”

Sanjay pulls a piece of paper from a folder and hands it for Harold to read. It’s a pamphlet for a shining metropolis. Young adults frolic about, carrying books and computers as they sit in the shade of a tree or walk by the many stone paths. They smile widely to the camera, the rest of their faces hidden behind intricate golden masks. The writing is all in Arabic, but he recognizes it to be a university.

“The Ministries of Oasis have been looking for new scientists to join its legion. After seeing the research you two have been producing here both in the present and the past, I think you both shall be a good fit.”

“Both?” Harold asks.

Siebren smiles. “There is a position open for me at the Ministry of Physics. Who knew that Dr. O’Deorain is the Minister of Genetics for Oasis? How funny the world can be sometimes,” He chuckled. “I must say, I’ve always wanted to visit. And it certainly beats being holed up here, does it not?”

Harold cannot respond. Sanjay is staring at him intently with the kind of withering gaze that unravels weak men. He turns his head to Moira, forcing a polite smile on his face. “I'm afraid you have a misconception about my career. Though I also have a background in physics, my specialization is in biology and animal science.”

“The Ministry of Biology is also looking for new recruits. I believe you will work quite well there,” Moira states. “Of course, these positions I’m offering are not for free. You will have to compete with other scientists with equal pedigrees for these positions. It is highly competitive. I can give my recommendations to help you out, but the rest is up to your skills and intellect, and of course how well you do the interviews. But I can safely say you have a very good chance of getting in should you take this opportunity.”

“It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?” Siebren smiles.

Harold cannot smile back. In the past he would leap at the opportunity, but he’s not blind to the world anymore. He sees the glimmer in Moira’s eyes, the tight jaw on Sanjay’s face, and knows they see something he doesn’t. They see the bigger picture, the grand scheme of things. Him and Siebren, they are just cogs in a machine, chess pieces in a game.

Every bit of self-preservation tells him to refuse but one glance at Siebren quells their reservations. If this really is danger, he won’t let Siebren go alone. He will protect Siebren however best he can, even if it means going into the belly of the beast. He’s spent a lifetime away from Siebren, and he can’t bear to be apart from him. Not again.

“A wonderful opportunity,” Harold says blankly. He turns to Moira. “Do I need to prepare anything for the trip?”

Moira smiles genuinely for once, her eyes crinkled with what appears to be amusement.

It's not long before Moira and Sanjay finally leave. As soon as they’re gone, Harold shuts the door behind Siebren. He opens his mouth to say something, but Harold approaches him swiftly and holds him in a crushing hug. He feels Siebren stiffen for a few seconds before relaxing. Harold feels a hand trails tenderly over his upper back, mapping stars and constellations. His eyes flutter from the sensation.

“What’s with you, Harold?” Siebren asks, concerned. “Are you alright?”

Harold doesn’t respond. He just clutches tighter, burying his face into Siebren’s shoulder, inhaling that deep scent of sugar and pine nuts that clings onto Siebren’s clothes. As Siebren chuckles quietly, a ditty hummed under his breath, all Harold can think of is the strength of the arms holding him, safe and strong and warm.

Just this once he’ll be selfish, he tells himself, as he nuzzles into the junction between Siebren’s neck and shoulder and feels a lifetime of autumns shed their leaves beneath his feet.

#Overwatch #Sigma #Sigma overwatch #Siebren de kuiper #Harold Winston #Sigrold #This chapter's fluff and pining with a heavy sprinkling of ANGST #I'm building up Harold's lore as I do this #My Harold Winston lore research is paying off I swear #He's hiding a secret that could be potentially dangerous but you gotta wait for that reveal #On a completely different note Sigma gives GREAT massages #Gravity powers + pianist fingers = perfect masseuse #Harold is...OK #He's too gentle #But very enthusiastic about massages #Harold Winston is half Chinese I stand by it

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bts5sosempire · 3 years ago

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as yours (iv); no break

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: sukuna ryomen x reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 2,252

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: fluff, comedy(?), college au, mention of gang fighting/ involvement, sprinkle of angst (future updates), idk what I might miss.

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: "as a child, you have harbor a massive crush on Itadori Yuji; it wasn't until that college happened you dared to ask him. Trying to give him a letter, the one who you ended up giving to was no other than his no-good twin brother, Sukuna Ryomen."

chapter 3 ✿ chapter 5

After weeks of pining after Honoka Shimei, with your help, Yuji finally got her to be his girlfriend. You smile sadly as you type a 'congratulations' to him with tears blurring your vision as he shots frantic messages about his happy he is. You look at the time on your phone and see it is near 4 pm; you had promised Nobara and Maki that you would go shopping with them on the weekend since you haven't seen them lately. With slug movement, you drag yourself to the front of your closet and pull out the best kind of clothing you own.

You slap on the clothes and apply light make-up but go heavy on the concealer to cover your dark under-eye bags that have been plaguing you for weeks on end. Checking your phone, you see Yuji's messages on your notification screen and slide them away, telling yourself you will answer him later when you can. Take a few more minutes to make sure you get all your things; you left your room and bid your family farewell, and will return home later.

"This dress is pretty!" Nobara exclaimed; she chose another color of the same dress before running to the changing room with Maki telling her to slow down and take her time. You only sit quietly on the leather couch, drinking your smoothie, looking out the shop window with your mind occupied.

Maki checks in on you and notices you weren't engaged throughout the whole time when you got out of the house; you usually would be a chatterbox with her and Nobara, but you weren't. "Something on your mind?" Maki asks, overseeing your expression. You pop out of your bubble and laugh at her with a sheepish smile for being caught.

"Nah, just been trying to make sure that I don't forget any homework assignments or forgot to do any of them."

"The whole point we're out here shopping together was to forget that we have assignments and tests coming up," Maki crossed her arms over one another, seeing how your eyes shift down once you're lost in your head again for a brief moment. "You've been down in the dumps for the longest time (Name); the group, we all knew that you haven't been yourself but didn't want to bring it up for your comfort." Maki then walk over to you, seeing you avoiding looking at her, "Tell me, what's bothering you?"

You actively chew on your straw out of a nervous habit you acquired as a child. "It's nothing." You mumble out.

"I swear if this is about Yuji again, I'm about to have a problem with him on sight." The way your bottom lip just quiver gives it away, and the older senior heaves a sigh. "First, it's Yuji, then Sukuna, and now Yuji again. You have a problem with them, don't you? Now, are you going to tell me?"

Maki stares at you, waiting for you to relent and tell her. You shift around on the couch, trying to use the space that never felt so small before when you first sat down. After a few more minutes, you finally spoke to her.

"He finally told me he liked someone at our college for a while a couple of weeks back, and I've been helping him get with her." You took a deep breath, trying to bottle up the distress pooling up. "And they're finally dating now." You let a sad, pathetic scoff of disbelief and quickly dab your sleeve at the corner of your eyes to make your makeup smudge-free. "I didn't mean to ruin your guy's day like this, shit," this time, you're fumbling with yourself and stuttering over words.

"I am gonna beat his ass when I see him." Maki angrily looks off to the side, then back to you. Maki was one of the people who told you that Yuji isn't good enough for you, but still seeing you so hung up on him stirred some dark forces that even surprised her, but she pummeled it down.

"Don't beat him up for my sake Maki; I already decided to let go of him. I was thinking that helping him get with his girlfriend would be my final gift and parting from him, as a friend of course." If you couldn't be any more lovely in Maki's eyes, she would say that Yuji missed out on something good in his life. "Plus, me crying and grieving about my feelings for him is normal at this rate. Once it's done, it's done. Or should I say, it's like burying the hatchet?" Oh yeah, Yuji is missing out.

Nobara came out of the dressing room, showing the dress off as she made her presence known. Tiny flowers and sparkles accompanied her as she twirled around for you and Maki to see.

"Keep this between us for the moment; I think the group is tired of me moaning about Yuji. I'll tell them when I'm ready." You whisper to Maki, who gives a quick nod in return.

After shopping, you sit under a shade umbrella near the roadside. Looking to the right, a fast-food chain is located a few feet away, where Nobara and Maki had run off; you could mutely make out their sound and argument about what they were going to get. You took out your phone and saw a few more text messages from Yuji. You open the messenger app.

Saturday, November 23rd, 2022

[You: Sorry that I couldn't answer, I'm out with Nobara and Maki for the day. -Sent: 6:04 pm]

[Yuji♡: Oh, that's fine! I need your help with what to wear for date night next week. So text me back when you can, okay? I want it to go perfectly with Shimei! -Sent: 6:05 pm]

[You: Yes, sir! ;) -Sent: 6:05 pm]

Looking at Yuji's name, you finally decided to edit his name and edit the heart out and just left his name as plain 'Yuji' before hitting the power button to close your phone. Stuffing your phone inside your bag since you didn't want any more distraction from him, you eye the oncoming cars on the road and decide to play with how many vehicles and colors are out there.

As you were playing 'red cars, green cars, ' someone stopped their motorcycle next to you. They turn their helmet head in your direction and rev the engine a few times to get your attention, and it is undoubtedly accomplished. You couldn't make out their features through the dark tinted glass of the helmet, and when they did, it was no one else than Sukuna.

If you wish for the ground to swallow you whole, you want it to right now.

Sukuna parked his sleek red and black motorcycle on the side road; he took off his helmet and shook his head to let his hair loose before combing it back with a free fingerless glove hand. He then set his helmet aside.

'Is he trying to be sexy or something?' Flew into your mind. Shaking your head at such a thought, you shouldn't be thinking about that (when you're going through some turmoil).

Sukuna makes his way toward you in a full swagger, the typical leather jacket and combat boots on the go. A biker guy. You notice a few ear-piercing he got on each ear, but you never saw him wear it around the campus. And another thought occurred to you that he does have some practical side to him when it comes to some morals, you guess.

"Fancy seeing you here, Spitfire, " Sukuna swung himself over the railing and sat in a chair across from you. His usual smirk adorns his lips. Sukuna puts his feet up on the table, waiting for your reaction.

You couldn't help but return the gesture of your pettiness whenever he's around. "Has your mother taught you any manner of putting your feet up at the table?" You snark back at the man who cock his head to the side. Sukuna eyes you like he did in the classroom, seeing you wearing a long sleeve dress in the middle of autumn, where the weather is perfect. The dress is long enough to cover your knees, and he didn't know that the dress you wore had a somewhat deep neckline that shows the cleavage partially for the eyes and mind to wander, as it's the tightest around your chest. Sukuna rakes his raspberry eyes up to focus on your face; the light makeup you put on brings out the tone of your dress. His eyes travel to your hair that's in a simple style, but it goes back to your eyes. Something about it just struck him that he couldn't shake off, but he decided not to ask, so Sukuna just dropped it.

Sukuna: "Have you seen Yuji's girlfriend? A pretty thing that she is."

You: "You're not the first to talk my ears off, Bakakuna. So you're going to bed her too?"

Sukuna: "Bakakuna? That's new. And no, I'm not; what kind of older brother would I be if I set up a bad example for the younger one?"

You: "That's rich coming from you."

Sukuna peers at your expression and notices that it is hard as steel. But if he looks more arduous enough, he would've seen how dim your eyes are. He pushes his feet off the table and leans across the table towards you. "Aren't you at least bitter that you're not his chosen one?"

"Why would I be?" You retorted back, arms crossing over another. You peer back equally into these hypnotizing blood orbs of his.

Sukuna then scooted closer and closer towards you until half a foot were left in space. If people were to look at every angle, they would mistake you and Sukuna for almost kissing one another. But you held yourself in place as his breath fanned across your face, the tingly scent of spearmint entering one of your senses. "I thought you would at least throw a fit or beat his girlfriend up, seeing you have no problem with that Mino girl. You care about him a lot then suddenly don't anymore, so I wonder it was strange."

"Listen, what I had for Yuji doesn't concern you," zero down on Sukuna; you tilt your body forward and close the few gaps, "just mind your own business."

"Little Spitfire," Sukuna suddenly drops his tone to deep gravel and husky. Goosebumps raise on your neck, which you weren't even aware of, but his voice caught you off-guard. "You're getting too close to me; I might kiss you. That sweet cinnamon vanilla scent of yours is rather enticing. Also, no, I won't mind my own business because Yuji is just a dumb brat who is blind to pretty things and is missing out. I wasn't joking when I said you're my type; loyalty and honesty don't come very often these days."

"You're such an entitled-"

"AH!" Nobara shouted, which caused you to split away from Sukuna instantly and leave your sentence hanging. Much to Sukuna charging, he was enjoying the closeness you provide. Sukuna slowly pulled himself back and sat across from you again, aloof as his facade, but his focus was on you, who was suddenly flustered like a blushing bride on a wedding night.

'Oh? How cute.' Sukuna thought. Fierce the next minute, then puppy at the next second. But the act of being caught was probably the outcome of your sudden reaction change, which he isn't going to forget anytime soon.

"What are you doing here, Sukuna?!" Nobara accused, pointing the finger at the peach-haired man, who gave her a nonchalant shrug. "We're you trying to make a move on my precious daughter?!"

The man once again gives her a shrug, "Can't a free man just do what he wants without the people acting like they're the law?"

As if Nobara wanted to beat the man up, she was already rolling up her sleeves, "You don't touch my precious daughter and act as if you're a saint."

Sukuna: "Thank you for acknowledging my good gracious."

Nobara: "I didn't say you were good!"

Sukuna: "Father told me to focus on the good parts only."

The more Sukuna teased Nobara, so she wanted to throw him to the moon and shoot a few rockets his way. They were bickering back and forth with endless remarks about one another (with Nobara on the losing end, of course), so Maki had to stop it.

"By the way, (Name), I have a proposition for you," Sukuna jumped over the railings back to his bike as he was ready to put on his helmet; Sukuna flashed you a genuine smile. "Be my girlfriend, will you?"

'HUH?!' Thunder cracks above you, Nobara, and Maki. You three were shocked in sync, with no words coming out of your mouths.

Sukuna chuckles at your guy's expression and drives his motorcycle off.

"H-He smile?!" Nobara once again shouts, this time at Maki but is pointing to the direction where Sukuna left. "And he asked (Name) out too?!"

"You think I don't know?!" Maki shouts back, but Nobara is in denial. Nobara grabs the collar of Maki's shirt and starts to rapidly shook her back and forth.

You were still in shock and thinking about when you would catch a break from the twins. But at the moment, it made you forget your problem with Yuji.

#anime #sukuna ryomen #jjk x reader #masterlist #jujutsu kaisen #jujustu kaisen x reader #jjk toji #jjk sukuna #jujutsu kaisen ryomen #jujutsu kaisen yuji #will add more tags later #sukuna x reader #sukuna #jjk fanfic

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strwrs · 4 years ago

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Here’s my AO3!! I’ll be posting all my writings there from now on. (I deleted all of my fics from Tumblr as of June 7th, 2022.)

I hope you enjoy my stories, and I would love to know what you think, whether you leave a comment on AO3, reply to this masterlist, or send me a dm or an ask (anonymous or otherwise). Even just a smiley face and a heart would make my day.

It’s Cold Outside | AO3

created for @/starwarsfandomfests’ secret santa event (2021)

characters: luke skywalker, leia organa, han solo (with a lil sprinkle of owen lars and beru whitesun)

summary: luke, leia, and han come back to their home after their first-day-of-winter tradition of seeing new york city from the top of the empire state building

warnings/tags: modern au, winter, death mention (brief and not graphic), veeerrryyy light angst (as per the previous tag, but again, it’s brief), platonic fluff, friendly banter, platonic cuddling, found family

word count: 1k

Heavenly | AO3

pairing: obi-wan kenobi x gn!reader

summary: as night falls over tatooine, two lovers sit on the sand and reflect upon their journey

warnings: vague depictions of guilt/low self-esteem, soooooft, fluff, there’s just a LOT of love in this story, it’s very self-indulgent :)

word count: 1k

Soft Here | AO3

pairing: obi-wan kenobi x gn!reader

summary: just some lazy-morning obi-wan fluff

warnings: fluff, waking up together, they smooch...it’s all sfw, too!

word count: 1.2 k

Quiet | AO3

characters: darth vader & f!reader

preview: “Your thoughts are loud.” Darth Vader’s deep, monotone, and mechanical voice echoed around you as its owner turned around, hands behind his back. “Too loud.”

warnings: allusions to force choking (but no one is actually choking), forced inability to think, forced inability to speak, intimidation, taunting

word count: 484

Closer | AO3

pairing: obi-wan kenobi x f!reader

summary: you meet obi-wan on the roof of the jedi temple

warnings: soooooooooooftness omg so soft, playful banter, they smooch, this one is all sfw!

word count: 996

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop | AO3 — WIP

main pairing: obi-wan kenobi x f!reader

main characters: obi-wan kenobi, f!reader

summary: a sweet, modern coffee shop au

warnings/tags: 🚨18+ only🚨, soft, fluff, light angst, mutual pining, alternate universe, happy ending, sexual tension, sexual desire (no smut)

current word count (as of chapter 2): 4.4k

Made in the A.M. | AO3 — COMPLETED

this story is inspired by this lovely blurb by @zinzinina

main pairing: obi-wan kenobi x gn!reader

main characters: obi-wan kenobi, gn!reader, mentions of anakin skywalker and other jedi

summary: three intertwining short stories about Obi-Wan and Reader sharing precious talks in the morning... and falling more and more in love.

warnings/tags: soft, fluff, light angst, mutual pining, friends to lovers, eventual romance

word count: 9k

All I Wanted | AO3 — COMPLETED

main pairing: sith!obi-wan kenobi x f!reader

main characters: sith!obi-wan kenobi, f!reader, plo koon, ki adi mundi, anakin skywalker

summary: you're a jedi—trained to radiate light. he's a sith lord—doomed to embrace darkness. you want him, and he wants you...but is it enough?

warnings: 🚨18+ only🚨, alternate universe, enemies to lovers, mutual pining, sexual tension, sexual desire (no smut), canon-typical violence, major character injury, major character death, grief, heavy angst, hurt no comfort, blood, vague depiction of suicidal ideation, use of the word “mutilation” (not graphic. the event is vague and not directly described but has to do with limb amputation), see each chapter for chapter-specific warnings!

word count: 12.6k

Dreams of Peace | AO3 — WIP

main pairing: obi-wan kenobi x f!reader

main characters: obi-wan kenobi, f!reader, anakin skywalker, gui-gon jinn, maul, yoda, padmé amidala, sheev palpatine (derogatory), mace windu, droid!oc, trandoshan!oc

summary: you’re an orphan living on the streets of mos espa, haunted by your past, until a chance encounter with jedi master qui-gon jinn thrusts you into the unknown world of the jedi order. within that world, you find family and purpose, but you also find enemies and war, along with strange dreams and even more peculiar feelings for the man that’s been by your side this whole time. as a galactic war rages, will you have the courage to be vulnerable with those closest to you, to be the jedi you were born to be? or will your fear of loss hold you back?

warnings: angst, slow burn, oblivious pining, mutual pining, major character death, canon-typical violence, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers (will add more as i write if i need to!)

current word count (as of chapter 7): 39k

Luke’s Best Friend | AO3 — COMPLETED

main pairing: luke skywalker & f!reader (platonic)

main characters: luke skywalker, f!reader, force ghost yoda, han solo, lando calrissian, chewbacca, leia organa, tiny child ben solo, grogu

summary: A collection of stories about Luke Skywalker and his best friend, (Y/N), ranging from the Galactic Civil War on. Join them as they experience laughter and hope, mystery and heartbreak, on their lifelong quest to maintain balance in the Force.

side note: it’s very cheesy <3 it’s the first thing i wrote after 4 years and after really getting into star wars!!!!

warnings: light angst, best friend stuff, revisiting memories, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence, the cheesiest cheese i have ever written in my entire life

word count: 20.5 k

#*masterlist #star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars masterlist #obi wan kenobi #obi wan kenobi fanfiction #sith!obi wan kenobi #darth vader #darth vader fanfiction #luke skywalker #luke skywalker fanfiction

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openheartfanfics · 3 years ago

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Newly Added Fics

July 2 - 8, 2022

BRYCE X F!MC / F!OC

Best Asked Questions - @peonierose 📱 ☁

Bryce and Luna have very important questions to ask. Feat. Keiki Lahela [Wedding]

Cake By the Ocean - @peonierose ☁

It’s cake testing time. Though there might be a little miracle sprinkled in there. [Wedding]

ETHAN X F!MC / F!OC

102 Days of Smiles - @genevievemd 📚 📷

[extended: wip] One post a day, for 102 days, with something that made our new bride smile.

Bullseye - @genevievemd ☁

It’s Ethan and Gen’s first date night as an officially married couple, and they spend the entire time flirting. [Date]

Don’t Let Me Down - @sandovalse ☁

Rewrite of diamond scene in book 1, chapter 1. [1.1]

Doubts - @liaromancewriter 🦚

Harsh words from a patient has Cassie questioning her abilities as a doctor. [1.7]

Father and Son - @storyofmychoices ☁

Ethan enjoys a quiet moment with his son. [Domestic; Family]

Finally - @coffeeheartaddict2 🦚 Ⓜ

Post Naveen resigning up until Naveen’s recovery from Ethan’s perspective. [1.15; Pining]

In a Name - @jamespotterthefirst ☁

Almost everyone who doesn’t speak her native language pronounces her surname wrong. Everyone except for the famous Ethan Ramsey.

Moonlight - @liaromancewriter ♥

Ethan and Cassie spend a weekend at Naveen’s lake house before starting their new jobs. [In Water]

Open Heart Book 1 Rewrite - @ambraambrose 📚

[extended: wip] Series with extra scenes and rewrites of events from book 1 [1.1]

The Part 1 - The doctor is in - never meet your hero, right?

Our Faith Caught Up in Flames - @txemrn ♥

After a brief disagreement at work, Ethan insists that date night continues; but Tatum has a secret she's not ready to divulge if things turn hot and heavy. [Getting Kinky; Domination]

Partners in Villainy - @inlocusmads ☁

After averting an ethics hearing, Ethan and Jane discuss about the future over a spot of brunch.

Risky Business - @jerzwriter 📱 ☁

Kaycee sends Ethan an intriguing proposition.

The Beauty Inside - @headoverheelsforramsey 🎭

Ethan feels bad for sharing his burden with Meera. [1.8; Office]

ETHAN X M!MC

Happy Pride - @peonyblossom ☁

Ethan and Sydney get home from a pride parade and talk about their experiences being part of the LGBT+ community.

Perfect Family - @peonyblossom ☁

When Ethan comes home from work, he revels in his nontraditional, yet perfect, family.

TOBIAS X F!MC / F!OC

50 Days of Love - @openheartfanfiction 📚 📷

[extended: wip] Just 50 Days of Adelaide showing love to many different things.

New Adventures - @jerzwriter 📷 ☁

Tobias makes weekend plans, and Casey isn't all that happy about it. Will it stay that way? Join their friends as they watch their adventures unfold.

Play Time - @jerzwriter ☁ Ⓜ

A lazy day off leads to unexpected changes in plans when Tobis breaks out a bingo card.

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfic #open heart fanfiction #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x mc #playchoices #playchoices fanfics #playchoices fanfiction #newly added fics

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apocalypticgargoyle · 4 years ago

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𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐌 𝐈𝐈𝐈 ↟ 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞

↠ summary: After receiving a few letters from your previous accomplice, your withstanding in Techno's home is questioned.

↠ fantasy au, slow-burn romance

↠ pairing: c!Techno x fm!reader

↠ tw: angst, mentions of blood, slight manipulation, fighting, language, knives, language, a lil fluff

↠ wc: ~2700

↠ previous chapter ↟ make a request ↟ create the next moodboard

this post contains an image of a letter. if you find it difficult to read, here is the transcript.

The wind howled against the cabin, snow beating against the shutters to make the structure trembled as if it was battling the cold like you were. The heavy blanket around your shoulders served as an anchor from your intruding thoughts as you attempted to self-soothe. The fire blazing in front of you was your only consoling friend as you debated whether or not Techno would make it back during the storm.

In your gross self-pity, you wondered if he even would want to come back. You had been living like a parasite in his domain for weeks, relying on him as your wounds slowly mended. How many times had he stayed up to cool your fevers, or told you to sit down when you had been on your ankle for too long? When would it be too much for him? When would he want you gone?

You had never had another person before. Sure, Dream was your friend and partner, but the two of you lived independently of each other. Techno had gained your respect and trust within a short amount of time and you hated to admit that you liked having him around.

But was it the same for him?

You pulled your knees to your chest, hugging the fabric tighter around you as you dug your nose into its velvety coloring. It smelled like Techno, a mix of pine and sage. It quelled your neediness for his presence. You debated whether or not your worry was because of your obsession with his impression of you, or the fact that he was the first person that had let you rely on them.

The blizzard grew stronger with each passing second, and you were a hairline fracture away from throwing on a jacket and searching the snowbanks for him. Your mind darted to if packing your belongings and getting out of his hair would be the option. Clearing out before he had to tell you to leave seemed almost like the better idea; the possibility of gaining back your independence secretly made you melancholy.

With that, the image of Dream came to you. In the summers when the two of you were hunkered down against a rotting log looking for one of the King’s enemies, you could practically smell the sunlight on his skin. His freckles would darken, and his blond hair would shine as if it were a ray in and of itself. If you let yourself, you could feel his green eyes on you, watching as you would dip your knife in a tranquilizing agent if your target were to be delivered alive. He would always wander into your root cellar, running his fingers along the hanging rosemary and strands of lavender.

He would always pitch the idea of poisoning the King and running away to grow mushrooms in the forest together. For most of your time as accomplices, it seemed like the perfect life but as his brain became infatuated with the poison of power and majesty, it seemed a distant fantasy only to be left for the wind.

The door opened abruptly, Techno stomping out his boots as he kicked the entranceway shut. He shook the snow from his clothing, and you pushed yourself to stand. He grabbed one of the candles, using it to light a few of the others beside the door and blowing into his cold hands for more warmth.

You approached him, leaning on the doorframe as he pulled off his cloak. “You made it back,” you chirped, hoping to mask the utter relief washing through your body. His ruby eyes flashed to you, a softness in them that warmed your heart.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, reaching one of his hands out to you to angle the cut on your face towards him. He inspected that cut at least three times a day and if you would let yourself indulge on the thought, it might have just been an excuse to touch you.

His fingers were cold against your jaw, but you had to restrain your urge to lean into his gentle touch as his eyes grazed over the cut. “Better,” you answered with a light sigh. He looked as if he were holding back something from you, something that was plaguing his conscience.

He pulled away from you reluctantly, digging into the bag he had tossed on the table. His knuckles were red from the cold, the stack of letters in his hands appearing almost pure white. There were specks of blood sprinkled on the edge of the stack. “We found another mercenary searching for you,” he let out a soft chuckle. “I know what to look for now,” he mumbled; a small ode to you. The pair of you stared at the envelopes in his hand. “These are for you,” he added, holding them out for you. There was a seal on the last one, the design mimicking the symbol on your shoulder as it wrapped around the letter ‘D.’

You swallowed, hesitantly taking them from him. He watched you carefully as you examined them, your hands shaking from the anticipation of what was in them and why there were so many. “Did you read them?” You asked; the pads over your finger tracing over the broken seal of the top one.

He shook his head. “Only enough to find out they were for you,” he assured. You trusted that fact. “I’ll leave you alone with them. I need to clean up anyway,” he illustrated, eyes scanning you as you stared down at them. He seemed to have a hesitancy to him as if he were reluctantly giving them to you, wanting to know what it meant for your future.

You nodded slowly, unable to find more words as you threaded the dark green ribbon binding them together through your fingers. Your stomach churned, knotting together as if you were awaiting punishment.

As you sank into one of the chairs, Techno left your side wearily, looking over his shoulder at you before closing the door behind him. You opened the letter he had already seen after counting at least eight letters in the stack. Your mind got fuzzy after eight. The seal was dusted with soft gold. You had always found random flowers to give the appearance of wealth and prestige to your letters when you were sending them back and forth to each other. You figured that it was real gold this time since the color didn’t stain your skin while you brushed over it.

Your heart hammered in your ears, thumb drawing against the blood that had seeped through as you read his words, his voice whispering in your ear with each curl of his handwriting.

The next letter sounded similar, detailing what had become of some of your old teams and idols. He had removed the mad King’s advisors, flushing them with his own. Each word you read weighed heavy on your heart until you figured you couldn’t take any more of the venom in his ink. The sickening nature of him begging for your return made your nerves flip. He was an old friend of yours, brought up through the orphanages as your twin practically, but that didn’t mean you trusted the man that he had grown into being. The boy you had once known was now in shreds, held together by the façade he was hiding behind.

You stood, throwing the letters into the fire and standing back, breathing rigid into your chest. Your ankle began to ache, but you couldn’t seem to bring yourself to look away. With Dream’s threats, you knew you had to leave.

“He calls you ‘hemlock,’” Techno mumbled, his voice coming out in a questioning tone, hesitant of overstepping the unspoken boundaries the two of you had set for each other. He played with his fingers, back pressed against the wall behind him as he avoided stepping into your space. He gave you an emotionless look as if refusing to show his true feelings on the situation. You weren’t sure what he thought of you after diving into that letter. “Almost like you’re some kind of…” he paused, chewing on his lip as his eyes fell to the hardwood floor and then back to your gaze. “Malice,” he finished.

Your mouth grew dry, feeling small and vulnerable in front of him. You inhale deeply, attempting to steady your nerves. “It’s always been some kind of joke for him,” you responded. You weren’t sure if you were defending Dream or fishing for Techno’s assurance.

He nodded. “It’s not very funny, is it?” You shook your head quickly, suddenly finding it difficult not to cry. It had been too long of a day for you. Techno watched you, surveying eyes waiting for you to ground yourself.

He took a few steps, sitting down and motioning you toward him. You silently took a seat at his feet, eyes trained on the fire in front of you as his scent surrounded you. You crossed your legs, taking a deep breath once again. His hands moved into your hair, softly running his fingers along the crown of your head as he separated your short locks. His touch was gentle and calming, brushing against your ear as he braided.

You closed your eyes, letting him relax you and bring you back from your frizzled edges. He was quiet while he worked, your mind silencing to only focus on his fingers. You could swear that you had never felt more at ease than you did then. “Thank you,” you whispered, voice barely audible, worry that if you spoke louder he would hear the extent of your distress.

His hands moved to your shoulders, finished with his words as his fingers rolled against the knots forming. You settled your cheek against his hand. “I’m not going to ask for an explanation,” he began, his thumb pressing between your shoulder blades in a sensitive spot. You focused back on the flames, eyelids feeling heavy. “But I need to know if you’re okay.”

You mulled over his words as he loosened the tension weighing on your mind. “I’m okay.”

⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫ ⸫

The next morning, you were setting your plates on the counter, listening to Techno chop wood outside. The front door clicked open in a rush, a man stepping inside and throwing off his hood. His brown eyes bore into you with a wave of lingering anger you recognized in the eyes of someone when you had been on the other end of their blade. He was increasingly tall, like Techno, but his features were more child-like and innocent, apart from his eyes.

He went after you, lunging for your body as you swiveled out of his path, grabbing onto the knife beside you. Your fingers gripped onto the back of his collar, pinning him to the table with a loud thud. The blade was resting against his throat as the two of you panted, him from being caught off guard and you from being dormant for so long.

He gritted his teeth as you pressed the blade tighter to his neck. “Who are you?” You bit. His Adam’s apple bobbled against the metal as he swallowed, catching his breath.

“I see you two have met,” Techno called, a tired look in his eyes as he spotted the man beneath you.

The brunet chuckled, the sound coming out more like a frustrating example of fear than a true laugh. “I like your new guard dog, Tech,” he mumbled, spitting at you. You pursed your lips, striking the blade against his cheek to draw a bit of blood and making him wince.

Techno rested his shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms. The man’s hand reached to brush the collar of your shirt to the side, his eyes focusing on the branded symbol on your shoulder. His breath was warm against your chest as his expression changed. You continued to glare at him. “It really is her, isn’t it?” He muttered, betrayal evident in his tone. You searched his face as his eyes met yours.

“This is Wilbur,” Techno stated, moving towards the two of you. You pulled away from him, letting him up as Techno stood beside you. Wilbur’s hand reached up to brush away the line of blood trickling from his fresh wound.

Wilbur straightened up, digging into his pocket to pull out a wadded-up piece of paper. He unfolded it slapping it on the table where he had just been laid out by you. Bold letters spelled out the terms of your arrest and the price on your head. There was a crude drawing of what you used to look like staring back at you as you took half a step behind Techno’s arm.

Wilbur stiffened and it hit you. He wasn’t actually after you rather than worried for Techno’s safety. Concern was painted across his face at just how close the two of you were standing as he gestured to the Wanted poster. “I’m not sure what she’s told you, but I know I’m right,” he pleaded. It struck you that the two had previously discussed trading you into the authorities. You weren’t surprised, mainly because before you knew Techno, you would have done the same. “Think of the money. You could actually retire. Give up babysitting-“

Techno cut him off. “No,” he answered flatly, shocking you. “We’ve already talked about this.” You stepped back, leaning against the counter to relieve the weight on your ankle. Techno peered over his shoulder briefly, as if feeling you step away from him.

Wilbur shook his head in disbelief. “They’re going to continue to look for her. It’s not safe.”

Techno shrugged, indifferent towards the look Wilbur was giving him. It made you sick to think of the divide you were causing. “We’ll get her name changed then.”

You raised your eyebrows as Techno chuckled, moving to finish your job as Wilbur looked between the two of you. “Yeah, and how are you going to accomplish that?”

Without a beat, Techno replied, “I guess I’ll marry her.”

Your breath hitched, facing flushing a deep red, but before you could reply, someone else barged in; a blond panting slightly as he doubled over to catch his breath. The two men looked upon the boy, waiting for him to stop wheezing. “Tommy, go home. It’s not safe here,” Wilbur commented. His gaze shifted to you. “Techno’s harboring a murderer.”

So, this was Techno’s famous Tommy; a boy barely older than sixteen and tall enough that he could knock your head off your shoulders with a flex of his elbow.

“Wilbur, we can’t give her up. Who knows what will happen,” he groaned, standing up and putting his arms above his head. You wondered just how far he had run to get to Techno’s. “You weren’t there when we found her.” He looked to the side, giving you a half-wave as he attempted to steady his breathing. If they weren’t discussing such intricate matters, you would have giggled at him.

Instead, you cleared your throat. “I’m leaving soon anyway. There’s no need-“

Techno interrupted you. “No. No one’s going anywhere, okay?” He sighed. “Obviously, we can handle ourselves. If not, at least let her get back on her feet before you excommunicate her from my house, Wilbur,” he adjudicated, his tone quipping as if to suggest that Wilbur’s opinion on the matter wasn’t holding water. “Tommy’s right anyway. You don’t know what it was like.”

Wilbur chewed the inside of his cheek, glaring at you. You felt hot and uncomfortable under his gaze as if he were hexing you secretly. He sighed, grabbing onto Tommy’s arm as he brushed past you, knocking into your sore side. “One wrong move and I’ll kill you,” he stated. You could tell he wasn’t normally such an antagonist, and you respected his devotion to Techno.

You nodded. “I’ll let you.”

Tag List: (to be added, please follow this link :))

@udontneedtokno @cyanflowers @more-like-reyna @deepestofwaters @sparkletash @aroyaldarknessbr @camerondiaz48104 @madsbbg @victory-is-here @valkyrieidunn @cdizzlevalntyne @simpforblockguys @ribbitsworld @victoria-a567 @miiilliiee @thegirlwhowritesawksh-t @roryann04 @book-of-anarchy @lightdreamy @hiccupofttea @wreny24 @deepestofwaters @exenestea

#technoblade x reader #techno x you #techno fanfic #techno x reader #techno au #technoblade au #technoblade fanfiction #mcyt x reader #mcyt imagine #mcyt x you #mcyt x y/n #tw blood #tw injury #tw knife

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floppityalpaca · 3 years ago

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Kiribaku Fic recs Pro hero/Time - skip AU

Post #2 - Pro - hero/Time - skip Masterlist

HELLLLOOO!!! It’s me again with another fic rec list. When you first start reading there’s always the first bout of canon - compliant post - kamino nightmare fics; they are like the FOUNDATION of krbk fics I think. After that first round I really got into pro hero AU. Personally I’m a big lover of heavy angst, specifically hospital angst and so pro hero AU were usually able to deliver. Without further ado here are some of the great pro hero fics I’ve read!!

!!CW!! This also means that some of these may be explicit (smut), those will be marked with E.

Injury

PTSD

Near death experience

Possibly MCD

Explicit

(note: some of these may overlap with the ones in other lists - the first 3 are already in the classics post)

!!PLEASE ALWAYS READ TAGS!!

The fool’s rush @chonideno - 40k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666944/chapters/31393317

“Because that’s not what friends do” - shared apartment fresh post - grad thats all I’ll say. “They were room-mates” What else is there to say?! Pining idiots with a sprinkling of angst.

Freshly Ground Coffee @arxaris - 19k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21303890/chapters/50731340

slow it down (go easy on me) @newamsterdam - 27k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11738184/chapters/26450931

Broken Bridges @Deathbelle - 68k E

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14888358/chapters/34479846

whew this was a big one. pro hero reunion 6 years later. yes they are still pining oml help these people. Beautiful plot, beautiful characterisation and overall great story building with establishing pro hero setting

Harder to Breathe [Series] @ellieb3an - 31k

https://archiveofourown.org/series/724899

Kiri dealing with the PTSD after being struck by a quirk.

What can I say, I love hospital angst although please always read tags!!

Stargazer @maplefudge - 3k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22703401

//Wherein every single Christmas, Kirishima and Bakugou queue up for hours to buy food. Bakugou hates it (not really).//

Superrrr cute one shot christmas pro hero.

AHHH maple!! They are one of the first authors I fell in love with starting out, she nails their characterisations and has such diverse writing going from super cute tooth decay fluff to bawling angst. Check it out!

Once more unto the breach @nivo - 5k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9850688

//When life gives you lemons, remind it that you have nitroglycerin. Poor fucker never stood a chance.//

INJURY FIC!!! OF COURSE another fic with hospital angst, lots of feels, found family and overall a great fic!!!

don’t count on me to let you know when @newsamsterdam - 15k E

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948695

Stay with me @GaHooligangirl - 18k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23053621/chapters/55137466

Six Page Spread @indigonow - 85k ongoing E

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11978106/chapters/27091083

Be Patient @Deviance - 2k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18529324#main

//Kaminari groaned. “Why are you two like this?” He demanded, pointing at where Bakugou was stretched out over the couch with his feet in Kirishima's lap. “Why don't you just date already?”

Kirishima sighed. “One day, guys. We will one day.”//

SUPER SUPER cute one - shot. I love the characterisation, and I can just see this happening so vividly.

the thing i wanted to say @Ellieb3an - 2k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14848223

Bakugo is sick and arrives at Kiri’s apartment after his shift soaked after their last awkward encounter.

This will always have a special place in my heart. I MEAN SICKFIC + pining + dramatic rain + misunderstandings WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR?! SUPPPERRR CUTE.

Afteraction @dandelyre - 3k E

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26591287

//Katsuki leans down and mouths at Eijirou’s neck.

“You almost died on me today,” he growls. “You owe me an apology.”

“S-sorry,” Eijirou says.Katsuki bites down.

“Sorry’s not good enough. You better show me how fucking sorry you are.”Eijirou’s hands fly to his hips, thumbs digging in hard enough to bruise.

“Anything you want.”//

Okay this is mostly smut BUTTTT it’s also emotional stuff tied in AND near death experience like WHATTT that’s right up my lane.

ALWAYS READ TAGS!!

Just in time To Save Life @Obssessed_As_A_Coping_Mechanism - 8k E

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25761151

This one has a similiar theme to Afteraction but has a bit more plot and goes into more detail of the fight. I really really love this one, it’s super realistic and portrays vulnerability very well and all the other angst emotions. Super good.

Unwaivering @CityEscape4 - 12k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30215208

HOLY MOLY!! One of my favourites yet again, okay maybe like basically this whole list is my fav, BUT this has a special place in my heart. It’s amnesia + hospital angst + near death experience like yallll right up my alley. I think you guys are starting to get the hint exactly what I like ;)

Whatever You Need @Trenchcoatkitten - 13k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33055198/chapters/82052356

Fresh grad, though not yet quite pro heroes yet. A friends to lovers “oh no but I can’t ruin our friendship but you know friends cuddle right? RIGHT?”

You’re only relevant until you get older (they’re gonna talk about me over and over) @futurehearts - 10k

you're only relevant until you get older (they're gonna talk about me over and over) - Chapter 1 - futurehearts - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Cute pro hero 5+1

i don’t wanna think anymore @Dreaming_of_Fairys - 5k E

i don't wanna think anymore - Dreaming_of_Fairys - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Sad baku bad day at work; comfort sex.

This was soooooo good. The raw emotions were displayed SO SO well and it HURT. Defs worth a read.

breaking ground @Qitana - 4k

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32307910

Baku in hospital coma, short, sweet and so angsty. A look into the possibilities of what would happen if one of them died considering their risky jobs as heroes.

SPB @writingboom - 10k !!MCD!! ☁☁

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24098842/chapters/58009105?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_468061375

HOLY MOLY NDJNFJEWLNQFNLCN THIS IS HANDS DOWN BY FAR THE SADDEST PIECE OF WORK I HAVE EVER READ IN THE HISTORY ON AO3.

Before you go ahead PLEASE READ THE TAGS!!! This is not for the faint hearted I am whole heartedly serious, I am one of those people who can not for the love of me cry even when reading mcd but GUYS I came VERY CLOSE. This is literally 10k of pure pain/angst but for you angst loving people out there like me this is absolutely unforgettable and one of my fav fics just because they delivered the EMOTIONS SO WELL, IT IS NOT EASY TO MAKE ONE CRY! This is absolutely beautiful, stunning, heart - wrenching and I love it so much. If you don’t mind MCD PLEASE give it a read!

GroundRiot’s Biggest Fan @FoolishFortuna - 5k E

GroundRiot's Biggest Fan - FoolishFortuna - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

This was light - hearted and super funny and kind of fourth wall kind of thing going on. Like oh this is him reading fanfic but this IS a fanfic holy cow MY LIFE is fanfic. Something light to read after all this heavy angst :’)

Also is is VERY explicit READ TAGS!!

aaaAAAAAD THATS A WRAP! I’m certain there’s more out there, I’ll have to search for them later. If you’ve noticed, there are a lot re - occurring authors in these recs, A lot of widely known fics are from common authors and the way I got to searching for more fics was usually reading one fic and then going to the author’s page to check out all their other one’s. This is a GREAT way find new fics to read especially if you really liked the one you just read. This is all to say, I will definitely be making a krbk author introduction/most famous works page, look forward to it!!

HAPPY READING!!!

#boku no hero academia #kiribaku fic rec #fic recs #bakugou katsuki #kirishima eijirou #archive of our own #ao3 #krbk #happy reading #my hero academia

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shiningloki · 4 years ago

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Trials Of Pleasure - Chapter 3

Trials Of Pleasure - Chapter 3/8

(LOKI X READER / PRINCE HAL X READER / SIR THOMAS SHARPE X READER / CAPTAIN JAMES CONRAD X READER / DOCTOR ROBERT LAING X READER / ADAM X READER / JONATHAN PINE X READER)

You want Loki. You always have. You admire his magic. You crave the power he has. But most of all, you want to be his pleasure slave.

After years of unsuccessfully trying to summon Loki, you turn to dark magic. It works and you manage to bring Loki to you. He’s impressed by your dedication and talent but angered at the way you summoned him. For that reason, Loki is going to make you prove that you are worth all of this trouble. He’s going to see just how willing you are to submit to him and his sexual desires. To do that, he’s going to put you through a series of trials to see if you have what it takes to be his student and his toy.

Your mission is to deliver pleasure to Loki’s “friends” throughout history. You’ll have to find them, please them, fuck them.

Who are they? The Prince. The Baronet. The Soldier. The Doctor. The Musician. The Spy.

Loki will send you to the time periods, you’ll need to find them. Will you be able to survive the peril that comes with searching for these men? Can you give them enough pleasure to prove to Loki that you are worthy of being the woman who warms his bed? Or will you get lost in the timelines without your magic and a way back home?

Start from Chapter 1

Previous Chapter

Master List

~ ~ ~

Chapter 3: The Baronet

Word Count: 4655

Summary: Now that Hal’s trial is complete and you feel a bit more confident about this whole thing, it’s time to start the second trial...and come face to face with the warning Hal gave you

NSFW, SMUT, DOMINANT THOMAS SHARPE, EXHIBITIONISM, MIRROR SEX

1899

You were thankful that when the portal spewed you out at your next location, you didn’t land on your back. Instead, you stumbled out onto a snowy path. Immediately, you felt a chill running through your body, despite the thick dress you were wearing. It was night time but the moon was covered by heavy, gray clouds that were sprinkling thick snowflakes around you. The ground was damp, and while the snow was not incredibly high, it was still soaking into your boots.

You turned around and watched the portal shut behind you, the faint image of Prince Hal waving at you disappearing. You mourned for a moment and hoped that whatever Hal would do in the future, he would do it remembering you. Because of course, you could not forget him.

You straightened your back and looked around the clearing you were in. There were trees behind you, the path you were on leading straight into the thick of them, but the path also led ahead of you too into the open road. Considering the cold and the time of night, you weren’t too keen on heading into the depths of a forest. Instead, you picked up the bottom of your dress and began walking the road ahead of you.

Maybe it wasn’t your best idea.

Your dress was quickly dampening from the heavy snowflakes. Am I going to be wearing wet clothes in every trial? Still, you pushed on. The cold was getting to your skin, though, and it was making it hard to walk. The darkness was intimidating and you tried to ignore the sound of wolves howling in the distance. There was no sign of anyone or anything for miles.

( CONTINUE READING HERE )

Fic requests are CLOSED! Be sure to check out my AO3 for more Tom Hiddleston and Loki angst, drama, fluff, romance, and smut!

Like what you see? Support me on ko-fi!

Want to be added to my tag list for my one shots or for “Trials Of Pleasure”? Send me a message, an ask, or leave a comment letting me know you would like to be added!

“Trials Of Pleasure” Tag List: @lehuka123 @rorybutnotgilmore @bellening @ragnarachael @bellesque @jessip1ier @winterfrostsarmy @myraiswack @hanyasnape @kiliskywalker666 @delightfulheartdream @imnotrevealingmyname @erisofmischief @kellatron55 @lady-crowned-with-stars @sherala007 @sheris532 @theatrelove3000 @like-a-wildfire @theimaginier @playing-the-villain-baby @lokisimp-3000 @khadineberry @hufflautia @hiddlesgoddesses @memenerdlover @han68000 @is-it-madness @fantasy73writing @littletime67 @itsthedoctah10 @lokislastlove @lowhostrikesback @ciaodarknessmyheart @tom-ben4ever @sallymagnoliaposts @ladyfluff @darrenthehappyhedgehog @maxsaturdayhatesnarwhals @from-hel-i-with-love @whyispistashanuttaken @burning-in-my-hell @kimanne723 @anti-social-realist @ornella0910 @lotus-eyedindiangoddess @villainousshakespeare @newprincessbrat @rjohnson1280 @tinyglamdramaqueen @p0tat0nug @thedarkreapersblog @molly-morris @dontgivedeath @ravenclaw5606 @deaddetermined @elisabethvanroseblood @outlawangel2020 @incoherent-excitement @xx-lokiizsmexy-xx @crystalkitty33 @burningarbiterheart @loki-yoursaviourishere @vipervixxen @emmacolband @jooordanharrrop @little-moonbeam-666 @lokis-leah @wolfsmom1 @nms224 @lizzlethal @valkirsif

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neonlaynes · 5 years ago

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tagged by @tracy7307 @darlenealdreson @letshargroovetonight @highon85 @wrecked-fuse !! doing some small blurbs under my picks ^o^

Rules: Copy/paste and bold your fic preferences because why not, gotta choose one (near impossible, but go with your first gut instinct), and tag someone again.

slow burn or love at first sight

give me that lovestruck pining straight from the beginning, babeyyyy

fake dating or secret dating

both of them: yeah so this is totally not going to develop into anything

narrator: so that was a fucking lie.

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers

enemies to lovers also is great but Only if they get to know one another and strike a tentative friendship before realizing.......hey wait........we mesh together so well.........heavy handed, stolen looks at one another.........

but also best friends to lovers because of the shared ripe history and knowing that they will generally stick through thin and thick for each other...but add some spice to the mix!!

oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance with correspondence

there is something strikingly beautiful in the yearning created from distance, and especially seeing the characters through the lens of say, written words or the comfort of their voice, or even video calling - so maddeningly close yet so far

hurt/comfort or amnesia

bro I Cannot choose..........because for amnesia they can fall in love all over again and for hurt/comfort it’s just a Classic go-to at this point, but my heart cannot take hurt only, it must be swaddled in comfort....

fantasy au or modern au

the idea of royalty/magic/magical creatures set against expansive kingdoms and forests and springs, with adventure and discovery abound and a dash of romance sprinkled? sign me tf up

mutual pining or domestic bliss

another one where I cannot choose!!! how could I. mutual pining makes mutual realization all the more sweeter when they come together, and domestic bliss is like walking on cloud nine simply spending time with one another at home.......definitely warms my heart!!

smut or fluff

I love both equally but I get a lot more emotional and excited reading tooth-rotting fluff in public let’s just say

canon compliant or fix-it fic

it’s a feat to skillfully craft around canon imo! and who’s to say that a fix-it fic wouldn’t be canon compliant if the ends are loose enough? ;)

alternate universe or future fic

AUs 100% all the way bc it is so so lovely to read how no matter which universe and whichever way, these two characters will find one another !!

one-shot or multi-chapter

there is a certain thrill in going along for the ride, especially if I catch the updates early on and look forward to updates in my inbox; also I tend to lose my place especially if the one-shot is very long

kid fic or roadtrip fic

oh no.......you’re stuck in a car for an inordinately long time with this other person that you may be a little (a lot) in love with......whatever shall you do............

reincarnation or character death

when character death is written so hauntingly well, I truly appreciate it but I am Weak and would like if it was temporary and/or reversible...

arranged marriage or accidental marriage

how do you........accidentally marry, besides a wild night in vegas? genuinely curious!!

but arranged marriage ties into fantasy AU back up there; rival kingdoms that seek a truce in wedding their children...at first they are not receptive to the idea At All but spending time w one another and sharing each others’ cultures n castles n markets etc.........mayhaps........Romance!

high school romance or middle aged romance

I like reading about high school romance bc it’s not something I have experienced and brings about a sense of nostalgia for simpler times!

time travel or isolated together

snowed in!!! sharing a bed!!!! cuddling under the covers for warmth!!!! if I am interpreting this correctly!!!!

neighbours or roommates

as much as I love roommates, distance makes the heart grow fonder. give me neighbors that are wary of each other first, but one or both of them are struck with unbridled lust and try to find out as much as possible about the other party without being too obvious, taking every chance to visit them, slowly but surely romance blooms............then they move in together.

sci-fi au or magic au

growing up I was never hugely infatuated w sci fi but you know what I /was/ bonkers over? magic. make one or the other do grandiose gestures of magic for the other in an effort to woo them. or person A so devoted they give up part of or even all of their magic to save the other........exquisite.

bodyswap or genderbend

cannot have enough of bodyswap!! admiring the other’s body to their heart’s content...seeing THEMSELF.....telling the other what their own body likes/craves.......;))

angst or crack

cause I love to mchurty

apocalyptic or mundane

is it really so mundane, when I will never tire of reading for the umpteenth time how they came home from a long day of work, ate a hearty dinner together, and shared thoughts in bed, whisper quiet, before drifting off in bliss, legs tangled under the covers?

a loooot of people have been tagged already so this is my cue to say if you would like to, feel free to say that you’ve been tagged by me and go go go !!!

#I left the blurbs vague but honestly #was thinking of harringrove the wholeeeee time #tag meme #rambles #harringrove #imagine ur OTP

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puppy-the-mask · 6 years ago

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Aight fam, I gotchu

@crippledtrashcan

Here’s some Fic Recs for ya, these are mainly some of my favs and ones I could think of off of the top of my head but I’ll give a quick run down (as far as I am aware none of these have been canceled/abandoned/dropped and all of them are on AO3)

Love? I Think Not - Kassykins - This one is an Action Romance with Yandere mixed in for some added angsty craziness, I was following it as it came out and HOLY SHIT was I enamoured! Reads is a badass. This one focus’ on the Fell bros with the Horror bros also playing a staring role, it’s a sweet romance that got my brain a ticking with theorizing and analyzing the chapters as time went on. There is no smut, only mentions are implied. Finished (with a sequel)

Love? For Real? - Kassykins - Said thrilling sequel; this one is set 10 years after the first when the world decides to get back on it’s bullshittery, it’s fluffy as all hell in the first bits though. Romance turned Angsty Action. This one includes the Horror bros, Swapfell bros, and the Fell bros. It’s also got some uh... scenes in it so if you aren’t comfortable with smut then skip over those sections like I did, in my personal opinion it’s 100% worth it. FINISHED <cries in happy>

Siren Song - NinaBeena - THIS ONE IS A GOTDAMN RIDE AND A HALF LEMME TELL YA-! Another badass reader but this time she becomes a siren. A word that comes to mind is ‘Gritty’, it’s got angst, lots of it, and violence (not all of them are like this I swearXD) but the satisfaction I got from reads recovering a bit from where she used to be and just- Moray, he’s the best. This one is a classic universe (kinda) And is Ongoing

Panic Room - coco_finny - RECOVERY/ANGST, there’s panic attacks and talks of abuse, it’s heavy I’m not gonna lie, even I’ve had to pause and read something else before diving back in, (ie, right now I have my place saved in its own tab) but it’s so good especially with how reads slowly gets back up and does her best to keep on moving towards recovery. There is fluff sprinkled in and I think it’s safe to say that Rus is a slut for hugs/cuddles in this one. It’s set in a SF universe with Reads as their Maid. Ongoing

Dirty Laundry - popatochisp - Fluff, so much Fluff. Rus is a fucking disaster and I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I WANNA SMOTHER HIM IN HUGS AND CUDDLES OH MY STARS- Ahem, excuse me 6w6. Anyways! Set in Swapfell dirty laundry follows Reads and Rus as they teach him how to adult (while also both falling for each other HARD). Also Black is an overprotective bastard child whom I wanna smack with a newspaper until he skitters away into his stalker hole. Update: I adore all 3 and there is now a bonus sequel (idk what to call it- it’s more good content though!). Finished

Bones, Picked Clean - lulu-writes - ITS BACK AND I AM LIVING FOR IT! I don’t know how much I’ve gushed about it but uh, it updated today and I just about screamed when I got the update. It’s one of my all time favs from when I first started getting into fanfic and that statement still holds strong! It’s a multi-skele scenario that (so far) has featured the UT, US, UF, SF, and HT bros. The most notable part being that Reads met the more... difficult skels first ;3 I used to think about that concept a lot before finding it and I absolutely ADORE how it was done! Sweets gives me life bro, and so do half the other skeletons in this fic. It’s fluffy as all hell and while it has its Action and angst moments it’s mostly fluff and schenanigans/amazing coincidences. Ongoing

Thunderstruck - MeAndMyGaster - So. Much. Pining. I Swear. To. The. Stars. Holy Shit- I love them. This one has more than moderate angst but it also has fluff and schenanigans. This one is a peculiar multi skele in that it only focuses on one skeleton, (our favorite~) Edge, And Only has 2 Sets of brothers present (UT & UF) ALSO DOOMY IS IN THIS AND I LOVE HER~! It takes a bit for her to show up but she does, I swear! I love this interpretation of Edge, he’s not the type we’re used to messing with. He’s not as bombastic with his reactions, giving me more mellow vibes over all, but worry not, he’s still a tsun. In this one Reads is a bit all over the place. She’s weird/crazy in the best of ways as well as being outgoing and overall pretty great (Edge agrees so it’s obviously true). Ongoing (another one of the 3 from my last post, THAT CHAPTER HOLY-!)

Fur a Good Time Call - popatochisp - Fluff, so much fluff, all the fluff. (With a nice pinch of recovery) When you think of Soft Horrortale- THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK OF. Reads works at an animal shelter that Sans decides to volunteer at and they hit it off from there. Paps is a shippy sibling and I’m right there with him, wishing I could just- push them together with a ‘now kiss!’ But instead I was sitting back yelling at my phone for the pining goofs to just kiss already. Finished

BEatingU - CuddlyCorpse - THIS ONE! This is the one I picked up today while surfing my feed looking at skeletons (how all the good fics are found, just look at Thunderstruck!) It’s Horrortale And it has some spoopy themes. There’s references to some not so nice things such as abuse while also being a bit more graphic in others, like violence/torture (it sounds so much worse typing it out, it’s good I swear!) Reads is a 3rd grade teacher that has the pleasure of having Francine, Sans’ adoptive daughter, as her student. As with all of these there’s romance in the air and, in this case, stalking to be oblivious to! It’s a bit of a mess but I like it. Update: So I haven’t read this one in awhile but I’m pretty sure there are smexy times? So if you’re sensitive to that just make sure to check tags! Ongoing

Six Skeletons, One Maid - RaccoonSinQueen - I know you know it, I just couldn’t not put it up here, it updated today and, once again, for the hundredth time, HOLY. HELL. Paps had me howling at one point and that ending?! Ohhhhhhh Lordy me I am ready for what happens next. This one is a multi-skele situation that includes the UT, US, and UF brothers with visits from the Gaster and SF bros, Ongoing

Their Wings - Castel - This one was finished fairly recently and takes place in the AU Heavenfell. In this one the reader is Frisk as they traverse the underground, the skeletons following along the way. HEAVY ANGST AND VIOLENCE UP THE WAZOO FOR THIS ONE, it’s not for the faint of heart. I’m currently re-reading it and almost cried knowing what was going to happen (ooo, cryptic~) and I’m just waiting for what I know will happen next. It’s graphic, but there’s amazing art for some of the chapters along with an epilogue comic on the tumblr bearing the same name as the Universe it takes place in (Heavenfell-au), it also has other parts on AO3; the last episode and the epilogue

Road to Garden - MightyLioness - also re-reading, road to garden is a Swap universe but that’s not all! It’s also set in a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. I fricken love it. In this one Reads is nicknamed Sugar and boy howdy is it for good reason! Sugar is, to put it lightly, INSANE. She is amazing and badass all while laughing like a maniac and being strong as all hell. It’s got references all over the place as well as art from the author and overall I just really like it. It gets Angsty (I legit cried at one point, it got me to that point) and is full of action so I always savor those small moments, the fluffy and comedic bits. Ongoing(?)

Housemates - YinYanChan - A multi-skele with a college freshman reader, Reads moves in looking for a quiet place to study without the humdrum of college dorms around her. It’s got UT, US, UF, SF and more? Also there’s a professor, who is amazing, I wanna be like him. ALSO BLUE HAS A BIG BROTHER MODE I ADORE THEM! Also, quick reminder to those of you who forgot the biggest life rule of all, don’t steal another man’s Candyland. Ongoing

The House Next Door - BattleMaiden13 - workaholic Reads gets some new neighbors and with time we meet her brothers and they are so vicerally siblings I swear. ALSO! The skeles Have Pets And I love Black’s pet. Bear is the best and not even doomy can change my mind. UT, US, UF, SF with an appearance from Mobtale (the one with Lil’ Pup). Ongoing

Bitty Hunt - Rnd_Injustice - THIS IS WHAT GOT ME INTO BITTYS-! Reads is a rare adult bitty who remembers who she was as a human, something completely unheard of as all memories of the bitty’s life prior is erased from theirs and everyone they know’s mind. The skeles move into Read’s house and she does not like this one bit (heh)... until she does of course. UT, US, UF, SF, HT her being smol does nothing to stop the skels from falling for her, no matter the size nobody is safe from Y/n. Ongoing has a secondary fic called ‘Bitty Hunt Schenanigans’ filled with POV switches and requests

Incoherent Screaming - Insanity777 - Angst, she just wants to be left alone but skeletons keep pulling her right back. Reads is running from her traumatic past, right out of the grips of one set of fillanges and right into the open arms connected to another. She tries to recover but mostly she’s just tired. Heavy topics and angst in this one. UT, US, UF, HT, And visits from SF and the G!Bros. Ongoing (?)

Skeletons and the Damsel - Accailia66 - multi skele with UT, US, UF, and FRESH (! I don’t mention it but Fresh is on my alternative favs list. I don’t think about him much but heelez are my jam, or would be if I had any) reads finds herself homeless when Sans Classic stumbles upon her and takes her in, her agreeing to work for her room and board by cleaning around the house and getting groceries. This reader is timid and definitely the Damsel type (hence the name) there’s also a secondary series with AUs and such but I can’t remember what it’s called off the top of my head. Ongoing (?)

Make the world Afraid - theragingprophet - In this one there are two types of monsters, Undergrounders and Surfacers as well as Humans. Not long after the monsters came out of the mountain Surfave monsters such as vampires, werewolves, and succubi came out of hiding as well. Reader is one such surface monster, with some of her closest friends being a pair of skeletal brothers from the Swapfell clan ( I can’t remember if this is one that used fell clan and such but I’m using it here). There’s also HT, US, UF, UT, MT(with lil’Pup), UL, and presumably more that we just haven’t met yet. Ongoing

Pets aren’t People - Skalicia - I really love convoluted plots ok? This one is set in a universe where the AUs are split into clans that were all instantaneously thrown into one universe. Because of this influx of new monsters they ended up enslaving humanity and over the years they basically became either workers or pets, reads is first introduced in a pound/animal shelter where skeles picked her up. She is intelligent, can fight, is a mage, and knows how to talk but chooses not to after discovering that humans couldn’t do that unless they were the pets of wealthy individuals. I’m trying not to spoil anything but ye. Shit hits the fan after a bit and this one really gets my brain working trying to figure out what’ll happen next. UT, US, UF, SF as well as OT, FS(?), And What I’m gonna dub SH (Sunna’s Home). Ongoing (?)

AND!!! For anyone who happens upon this list that took (check time)... nearly two hours (gsksnwksb) that isn’t Trashy-

Skeletons Conflict - Crippledtrashcan - A multi-skele fic with an anime protag Reader, she’s as adorable as she is successful. The story is fluffy as FUCK with the UT, US, UF, joining our lonely reads with nicknames abound. One of my personal favorites is Red/UF!Sans’ ‘precious’ I just find it endearing, they’re all a bunch of cute fluff balls and I love them. Also also, with an reverse harem anime protag comes anime cliches such as falling on a girl into an inapropriate position (=w=)b it’s good and trashy never fails to make my heart skip a beat. -Was Taken Down-

Bonus:

The Priestess and the Soul Gaurdians- FireflyKisses - ongoing(?)

You’re Broke? They Break Bones and Break Bank- Trash_McTrash - Ongoing(?)

To be wed - MsMk - Ongoing(?)

Sooner or Later You’re Gonna Be Mine- Staringback - Ongoing (?)

It Feels Better When I’m Dancing (Remake) - BGSunni & Optima_chama - Ongoing(?)

Cheshire Kitten - AriesAscending - Ongoing

Eight Skeletons and a Mage - GalaxyBrownies - Ongoing (?)

A Cursed Rat and Some Monsters - denzelfire - Ongoing

A Mouse Among Skeletons - Duchess_Aquarius - Ongoing(?)

A Tour of my Heart - StripesnBooks - Finished (with a possible sequel)

Aggre(g/v)ation - Llama_Goddess - Finished

Anatomically Correct Soul - Sagoberattare - Ongoing

And Now It’s Crystal Clear - nighttimelights - Finished

And Then There’s You - MunRitter - Ongoing

Apple Juice and Coffee - Rochesa - Ongoing

#casual conversation #trashy holy shit #i tried to keep it to only a handfull of fics #but then as i was writing about one i’d think of another good one and have to add it and it just kept growing #i sleeby #*snores in fangirl*#writing this out was a little disturbing cause i never realized how much i like the yandere and angsty action with violence and gore till it #outweighed the number of fluff fics #and i feel like i made some of them sound worse than the already are but alas #autocorrect is the only thing making this legeble so thats something for morning me to fix ^w^

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galadrieljones · 6 years ago

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A Funeral: Chapter 13 (Arthur Morgan x Mary Beth Gaskill)

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption 2 | Pairing: Arthur x Mary Beth | Rating: Mature

Content: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Touch-Starved, Humor, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Angst, Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Fake Marriage, Epiphanies, Backstory, Banter, Deep Emotions, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Arthur to the Rescue, Forests, Abduction, Angst, Heavy Angst, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Sexual Content

Summary: To help her process Sean’s death, Mary Beth asks Arthur to take her on a hunting trip, somewhere far away. He agrees, and on their journey, they find quietude and take comfort in their easy bond. In their desperate search for meaning together, they endure a number of trials, some small, some big—all of which bring them closer to one another as well as to the future, and to the unchecked dangers of the natural world.

Credit to @bearly-tolerable for the banner! Art is my own.

***For the rest of this story, you can visit the masterpost or AO3, both linked in the replies to this post and also at my blog.***

Chapter 13: Liminal Refuge

They slept late. Arthur was usually up with the birds. But a little rain shower had moved in, and it hid all the rest of the sounds with its regular drumming on the rooftop, and it hid the sun. He roused slowly, forgetting for a moment where he was, until he stretched into full consciousness and saw the raindrops on the kitchen window, and he felt big inside his warmth, and still sleepy. Mary Beth was there, curled into the sheet. The bed was modest in size, so they’d slept very close together. She was still, breathing steadily in sleep, her hair curly and dry and tangled and big. He placed one of his palms on her bare shoulder, lightly, ran his hand down her back to feel the warmth on her early morning skin. It made a sound like sand paper. She didn’t stir. He laid back down beside her for just a moment, kissed her eyebrow with a kind of slow intent. Then he pushed off the linen blanket, got up, placed his bare feet on the floor, rubbed his cheeks and his eyes and looked around.

Outside of the bed, the room was damp, the fire nearly dead in the mantle. He got up right away to toss in another log, then two, stoked it until it found its footing once more. He found his underclothes—just a pair of cotton drawers somewhere in the pile by the foot of the bed. He pulled them on, then his pants, and then he put on his socks, his shirt, buttoned it halfway. He rolled up the sleeves, felt rumpled, but it was too chilled in the cottage to walk around without them. With his boots on, and his hat, he went out to feed the horses and check on their well-being in the gentle rain. They were idled up against the side of the house, hitched and safe, grazing in the bullrush there. He smoked a cigarette while standing beside them, and then he brought in the saddlebags—from both Watson and Sarah. The spare clothing in each were mostly dry. He hung up his hat, and then he hung their clothes from a short line, in front of the fireplace, to warm them, and then he started going through the pantry in the kitchen. He found a can of ground coffee, half-full, and a small basket of quail eggs. He cracked one of the eggs outside the front door to make sure they weren’t rotten, and when they weren’t, he went back in to make some breakfast.

He had about a quarter loaf of bread for provisions in his saddlebag, carved it up and buttered it, then he made the coffee in the percolator lent to them by Hamish. He had just started cracking the eggs into a wooden mixing bowl when Mary Beth finally began to budge. She tossed and turned a little, then she sort of sat striaght up, staring at the place in the bed where Arthur had been in the hour before. She seemed startled, but then she looked around, and he finally caught her eye, where he was leaning against the counter, peeling an apple with the knife from his belt, which still lie in shambles on the floor.

“Good morning,” he said. He had a toothpick between his teeth. He’d found a stash in the pantry near the coffee.

She was surprised by him, his wakefulness. She smiled, too, shy-looking though. She seemed very aware of her hair all of a sudden, began pressing it down and trying to tame it behind her ears. She was sitting up in the bed with the sheet pulled up to her shoulders, looking flushed and rested and very pretty. Outside, the rain still drummed some, on and off. She pulled back the curtain to the window by the bed to examine the weather. Then she closed it again and looked at Arthur. “Good morning,” she said.

“We slept a later than intended,” said Arthur, cracking the eggs. “It puts the day’s plans in question.”

“Not to mention the rain,” she said.

“Yeah,” he said, glancing. “Not to mention the rain.”

She turned around, slowly, swinging her bare feet over the edge of the bed. She kept the linens tucked around around her in modesty. Arthur poured two mugs full of coffee and brought them both over. He sat beside her on the bed, handed her one of the mugs. She thanked him and let her face linger in the steam for a moment, eyes closed. When she opened her eyes again, she took a sip, and then she sighed. Still shy. He could tell she was very self-conscious that morning.

“My hair is like a damn rat’s nest,” she said, red-cheeks. “Don’t you think?”

He tucked a piece of it behind her ear for her. “No,” he said. “Or, maybe a little. But in a good way. It’s a very pretty rat’s nest.” He sipped his coffee, smirked a little.

This defused things. She smiled and shoved him in the knee. He laughed to himself. Then, she became a little serious. She looked at him in a kind of sweetness and hope but like she didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have anything to say. He grazed her chin with his thumb and brought his mouth to hers, kissing her. She yielded to him, and when they parted, she sort of tugged at his collar and shrugged because it felt right. Then she smiled and said, “Well. I guess I’m yours now.”

“Guess so,” he said. He smirked at her again, a piece of his hair falling in his face, and then he scrubbed her once on the head, patted her on the knee, and then he got up and went back to the kitchen to continue preparing the eggs.

Mary Beth felt very relieved by his ease of mind, and very happy. She was elated by the morning and by Arthur’s touch. She looked around, sipping her coffee. She saw a different room than she’d seen the night before. Or, it was the same, but like she was seeing it from the other side of some grand divide she didn’t know existed till now. “How long’s it been raining?” she sid.

“Maybe a couple of hours,” said Arthur, beating the eggs with a fork. “The sky is pretty gray, but I think it might burn off by noon.”

“So should we put off the moose till tomorrow?” she said.

“Maybe,” said Arthur. He lit the stove, placed a pan on the flame. “Maybe not. We’ll see.”

“Okay,” said Mary Beth. “You check on the horses?”

“I did.”

She smiled and got up from the bed. She left the sheet on and went over to the mantle where Arthur had graciously hung their clothes from a line to warm by the fire. She took down her yellow skirt and the long-sleeved blue blouse, studied them. Arthur was busy with the pan and the spatula now, dressed in the same clothes he wore yesterday. She wanted to be useful, but he seemed satisfied. So she got dressed. She felt him looking at her—just glances. It was exciting. Still, he remained his gentlemanly self, even as he had seen and held all their was of her the night before. She felt special then, like she had a secret.

She brushed her hair. It took a while to get out the tangles, but eventually it all came free and she braided it loosely over her shoulder and then she took her book of Yates out of the saddlebag and sat down at the kitchen table with what was left of the coffee, and she opened the book and put her chin in her hands to read. But it was no use. She simply could not concentrate. She was too full of feelings that morning to concentrate on Irish poetry.

Arthur served the eggs and the buttered bread and the sliced apples sprinkled with brown sugar in a pretty glass bowl. He then sat down across from her at the table as she closed the book and put it away, and then she admired the modest but lovely spread he had put together for them.

“I don’t make too many breakfasts these days,” he said, readying his fork. “I hope it ain’t terrible.”

“Oh, please,” said Mary Beth. “It looks real fine.”

“Taste it before you go spreading the word.”

“I will,” she said, smiling.

It was real fine.

After breakfast, they cleaned up, and Arthur changed his clothes. They were at a stalemate for time and weather, but they decided to go riding around the trails anyway, just to see. The rain was intermittent, coming and going from long, gray clouds with patchy sun that seemed to cleanse the valley and make them feel refreshed. In a way, Arthur felt that they already reached their destination, as the destination became unclear, but they kept going anyway, still keeping with their plan to return to the cottage by dark.

Arthur was chewing some mint leaves and about ten or so miles north of the cottage, Mary Beth wanted to stop to pick wild blackberries, which were growing along the trail in ample, thorny bramble. They were headed toward a bend in the Kamassa River where Arthur knew there to be a good bounty of Steelhead trout, and he thought this seemed a good place to idle for a while. They hitched up the horses and fed them some hay and some of the blackberries from Mary Beth’s basket. Arthur felt wide awake as they approached lunchtime, put a blanket down near the riverbank, and then lit them each a cigarette. They lounged for a little while, Arthur on his back with his eyes closed to the intermittent sun. Mary Beth smoked demurely as she sifted through her blackberry stash and then read from her book. For the time being, the rain had gone away, and they could hear the sounds of the river and the horses and little animals wriggling in the brush. She placed her hand on his wide chest, looking out at the brown river where some big fish jumped. He opened his eyes to her touch, turned his head to look at her, the cigarette smoked down to the nub. He tossed it and took her hand, laced his fingers casually into hers. He watched her watch the river. After some time, she sighed and looked at him. She seemed serious, or pensive with something on her mind. She looked down at their knuckles and grazed his, scarred but clean with the soft part of her thumb.

“You okay?” said Arthur, squinting past the sunlight, which was breaking through the clouds, filtering through the trees in pretty yellow flecks.

“Yeah,” she said, looking back at the river. She seemed content, calm, but there was something tense behind her eyes. “It’s so pretty here.”

“It sure is,” said Arthur.

Then, she looked at him, right into him. With the night before, she could pry into his soul now, it seemed. She could come right inside and look around and fill it with her smell and her sounds and her taste. “Do you miss the swamps?" she said.

Arthur turned onto his side to face her, propped up on an elbow. She laid down on her side, too, so they could be eye to eye. “No," he said.

She still held his hand, was still looking down at their fingers. Her hands were clean and strong and smooth. Small, but not without their callused palms. She seemed like she was about to say something else, but when she looked up, she was looking past him. Something caught her eye, and she suddenly became excited, or full of surprise. “Arthur,” she said, tapping him on the shoulder, like he wasn’t already staring right at her.

“What?” he said. He went from looking at her, to looking over his shoulder, then back to her, then back over his shoulder.

“Look,” she said.

When he finally got his head around to follow her gaze, he then saw what she was seeing. It was down the river a ways, wading, sniffing at something on the bank. A moose, huge and unaware. The very thing they had come looking for, and there it was. It had found them. Arthur sat up, very quiet, to study its demeanor. It was far enough, it didn’t see them yet. It was going in the water, wetting its hooves. His heart caught a little, like it always did when he came upon a crop of good game. The excitement of it always made him feel young again, or like he’d always been young. Sometimes, he couldn’t tell if he was young or old or what there was in between.

“It’s so big,” said Mary Beth, rapt and still. “I never seen a moose up close before.”

“They’re big,” said Arthur. “But it’s gonna spook if we move too fast.”

She got up then, sitting back on her heels. She had brought one hand to her mouth as she studied its giant, gentle movements in the water. Her eyes going back and forth, like she was taking in a whole mystery. “No way will we ever be able to make use of it all,” she said then, a surprise. “It’s too much. It’d be a waste.”

“The pelt and antlers alone could bring in fifty dollars,” said Arthur.

“Fifty dollars?” she said. “I got that in my saddlebag, in pocket watches.”

"I see,” said Arthur, coming to her meaning. He turned away from the moose, got up to his knees to try and steal back her eyes. But she was still staring at the animal, deeply conflicted. “We don’t have to hunt it, Mary Beth,” he said, smiling. “We can just…leave it be.”

This seemed to both relieve but also confuse her. “It’s our quest,” she said.

“No it ain't,” said Arthur.

She looked right at him then, real hard. She blinked, like she was just surfacing from a long and terrible dream. Her hair was braided loosely, and it had started to come undone from the ride. The pieces were in her face, just wisps of reddish brown that he put away for her behind her ear. She smiled then, in a shy way, and she placed her hand on his neck and said, “You're right.” Then she kissed him, which was what he had wanted her to do. It was easy now, like a clear cut path. The kiss was deep but not infinite or out of control. It came to an end, and when it did, he glanced lazily over his shoulder once more, looking for that moose, but it had gone.

After that, Arthur built a fire. He gave Mary Beth his fishing pole and told her to catch a fish.

“Me?” she said.

“Of course,” he said, striking a match off the soul of his boot, tossing it to the firewood. “Show me your stuff.”

She sighed, standing there by the river bank, holding that fishing pole in her hand, wearing her yellow skirt and blue blouse, looking sort of flustered. It was about noon, and just as Arthur had predicted, the clouds had burnt off and the weather was warmer now. He’d rolled up his sleeves and taken off his hat. His hair was long enough now that he could tie it back in the front, which he did with a piece of twine from Mary Beth’s pocket. For a minute, he was just looking at her and the sweat gathering there, near the hair around her forehead.

He was chewing a piece of bark, spat it to the earth. Then, she said something kind of funny.

“What if I can’t do it again?”

She was looking at him, totally flustered, like she was nervous—not about the fish-catching, but about impressing him somehow.

It was so amusing. He almost laughed. “You will,” he said. “And if luck don’t find you, it don’t matter. We’ll shoot a rabbit.”

“I don’t really like rabbit,” she said.

The fire was lit now. Arthur looked away from her and took to stoking it with a long stick. “Me neither, truth be told.”

“Maybe a pheasant? Or a duck.”

“Sure.”

This seemed to make her breathe easier. “Fine,” she said. “But you’re shooting the duck if that’s what it comes to.”

“It’s a deal.”

“You got crickets?” she said, examining the hook and the reel. “Crickets are for rivers, right?”

Arthur smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

The fishing went on for a little while. Mary Beth cast her line, stood still, waiting, content for some time. But then, at some point, she seemed to lose her attention span. She seemed to forget all about what she was doing and was looking up at the sky like she saw something funny in the shape of the clouds.

Arthur led the horses out to graze by the fire and drink from the river. They were good girls and followed him calmly. He sliced up a pear and ate half off the blade of his knife, and then he brought the other half over to Mary Beth. She seemed startled.

“It’s just fruit,” he said.

“I'm sorry, Arthur. I didn’t see you coming.” She clutched her heart, took the pear. “I get so lost in my own mind sometimes.”

“I know.” He smiled at this.

After a little while longer, Mary Beth finally got a bite. Much to Arthur’s great encouragement, she reeled it in, slowly but real steady. It was a big one. After some patience, she managed to bring it up, flopping around, and Arthur helped her in this final stage to keep it from bouncing loose. He picked it up with two hands, wriggling like a maniac—maybe a ten-pounder. Steelhead. Arthur was so proud. It slowed eventually and went still, and he was holding it out by the tail, admiring, and seeming to present it to her and to all of nature.

“Very good,” he said. He clapped her on the shoulder as he admired the catch. "Take a look at that."

Mary Beth was so impressed by herself. She was smiling so big she almost forgot she was holding that fishing pole. Nearly tipping over into the river with her excitement, she handed it to Arthur, and the two went over to the fire.

“I knew you could do it,” he said. “And I have now seen it for myself.”

“I’ll admit I thought it was a lost cause for a minute,” she said.

“That’s normal. With fishing, that’s normal.” He smiled, with the pole resting on his shoulder, looking very country and very hale to her in the afternoon sun.

Arthur gutted and deboned and filleted the fish. With help from Mary Beth, he seasoned it up, and then he fried it in a pan over the fire. They ate it for lunch, picking at it with their fingers, sitting on the blanket by the river bank. The scene was beautiful and fair and it reminded Mary Beth of Kansas, and her days on the Mississippi, when she would sit under a tree by the Mississippi and read her books on her downtime. She had few friends back then. She mostly found joy and acceptance through the characters she loved and the stories she devoured. She read everything she get her hands on: Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott. The list went on forever.

When they finished with their lunch, it was mid-afternoon and a lonely, beautiful river country. The bugs were copious but it was cool enough and the humidity wasn’t bad, and that kept them at bay. Arthur was big in his silence that afternoon, but content as he looked at the river, his face absorbing color from the sun, as he ate blackberries out the palm of his hand. Watching him, watching the river, Mary Beth began to feel the mounting tension in her heart once more, the same tension as before when they were doing this. She couldn't shake it.

Of course, she knew what it was now. It was her uncertainty over what it would mean for them to have to go home—go back to Shady Belle. After all this. Everything about it in her memory felt now decayed and far away and full of ghosts. She had romanticized the place upon their first arrival—a big, dusty old plantation home in the middle of the swamp. It was beautiful in its desuetude. Haunted. But now it just seemed murky and full of muddy footprints in her memory, like a palace crumbling with its windows broken and the heat from the swamps boiling the gators who would come out to sunbathe about this hour every day, full of laziness in their threatening airs. She realized that she was sitting up very straight after a while, with her knees pulled into her chest, staring coldly into the river, when Arthur seemed to notice and got up to come sit closer. He knew something was wrong, and this time, there was no moose to come along and distract them.

He put his arm around her, in an old familiar way. She let herself lean on him. She sighed as if she were going to speak but then she didn’t really know what to say. Arthur took a deep breath, tossed a rock into the water. It went in with a thunk and left ripples on the surface.

“I don’t wanna go back,” she said after a little while, feeling like she might cry. She was so filled with feelings all of a sudden. It was confusing, to not want to go back, because back was home, or at least it was supposed to be, but she had a bad feeling, and her heart felt as though it would burst and spill into the river. She had fallen in love with him and with this wilderness. It was a beautiful story and she did not want it to end.

“I know,” said Arthur. He was sturdy, somehow. Resolved in a way she had never really seen. She looked up at him and his jaw was set very firm, like he was thinking about something. He studied the opposite bank of the river. There were a bunch of ducks sunning themselves in the mud. He tossed in another rock, further this time. This startled the ducks who protested loudly, took off into the skies and disappeared.

Arthur and Mary Beth looked at each other then, and they felt a mutual pull inside their bodies, reminding them of how alone they were, how far away still, making them into magnets. Arthur let his eyes wander to her chin, her freckled throat, unbuttoned her there, kept going until the blue blouse fell away, exposing the skin beneath. He pushed the strap down, that of her white slip chemise, freeing her shoulder, and then he leaned close, and he kissed it. He felt her breathe out, put his mouth to her neck, the soft of her ear. He reached up her skirt and found her there, hidden, but only just, felt into her until she was on her back beside him, and she said his name, kissed his mouth as he cradled her head with his other hand. This went on, gently, slowly, for a while. She kept saying it, his name. When she came, her legs shook, and he shook, on an exhale. It had been a long time since he'd made a woman do that. He wanted to do it again, but she pulled him toward her and undressed him and they made love instead, slow but hard, on the river bank. Like animals, glistening in the afternoon sun.

Far away, when they finished, lying calmly in their nakedness on the blanket by the river, she could not hear the sounds of the camp life anymore, or the sounds of the swamps and the clanking bustle of St. Denis. She didn't know what this meant. She could only hear the river. She looked at Arthur, so still, every part of him limp and quiet beside her, and she wondered what he was thinking after all that. He'd never spoke, not really. His breathing steady now, he just had his eyes closed, facing upward toward the sky.

#red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 #arthur morgan #mary beth gaskill #arthur x mary beth #arthur morgan x mary beth gaskill #rdr2 fanfic #swanky banner upgrade #a funeral

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the-daegu-boys · 6 years ago

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Taegi fanfiction recommendations

just a heads up, most of them have Bottom Yoongi/Top Tae i if there’s smut or implied.

I’ll try writing what you need to know about each fic (a shitty summery) + the original tags & ratings, I’ve never done this before so, sorry for any mistakes.

the order is from the most words count to least, unless the fic has part 2 then they’ll follow each other regardless.

G = General Audience

T = Teen And Up Audience

M = Mature

E = Explicit

Slow Burn/Slow Build/enemies to friends to lovers/friends to lovers/Chaptered or heavy plot:

“Affinity” by Meanie_Beanie_nim (Magic AU, fluff & angst with a happy ending, Words: 182,247, ongoing)

“Just Skin” by syubology (Rated: E, college au, fuckbuddies, light angst, a lot of smut, Bottom Yoongi except once in chapter 3, mostly Yoongi centric, Words: 164,794, not completed)

“Try your best shot at love (dance under my skin)” by Bandit4Life (College AU, Basketball player yoongi, Dancer + photography major Tae, internalized homophobia, self denial, self acceptance, fluff, angst with a happy ending, Words: 133,296)

“he sprinkled me in pixie dust (and told me to believe)” by intronevermind (Ratings: T, high school au, yoongi centric, depression, panick attack, abusive parent, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending, Words: 128,639)

“His #1″ by Evie_Elle (Ratings: T, greek mythology with modern twist au, it is the story of Hades and persephone with a twist, implied sexual content (very briefly) & yoongi bottoming, angst with a happy ending, Words: 107,225, ongoing)

“Ugly Heart” by Bandit4Life (Rich & Poor AU, Tae is an arrogant rich actor, Yoongi is a barista who’s working hard to support his family, Yoongi have anger issues, panic & anxiety attacks, angst with a happy ending, sexual tension, Words: 77,016)

“The Moonchild and His Stardust” by VanteKal (slow burn, Tattoo artist Yoongi, Barista Tae, mutual pining, huge crush, love at first sight, Yoongi being oblivious to Tae’s feelings, Yoongi as lil meow meow, the rest of BTS being lil shits, light angst & fluff, Words: 64,837)

“Beethoven your way into my heart” by Bandit4Life (College AU, Orchestra AU, saxophonist Tae, pianist Yoongi, fluff and angst, depression, social anxiety, mention of eating disorder, pining, jealousy, enemies to friends to lovers, Words: 63,125 )

“You ruined the moonlight” by Bandit4Life (part 2 of the Beethoven series, angst with a happy ending, jealous and sad Yoongi, Words: 71,175)

“White Chalk” by g_odalisque13 (Rated: E, college au, 1990′s au, Dare games, friendship, coming of age, coming out, denial, mental breakdown, internalized homophobia, angst with a happy ending, blow jobs, mostly Yoongi centric, Words: 72,553)

“All These Sleepless Nights” by mucha (Rated: E, writer yoongi, closeted character, increased age difference but no one is a minor, accidental dates, free spirited Tae, masturbation, 1st time BJ, eventual smut, yoongi tops at the beginning then he bottoms for the 1st time, fluff & angst with a happy ending, Words: 62,626)

“Moving On” by EleanorNicole (Rated: M, assistant yoongi, boss taehyung, sexual tension, fluff & angst with a happy ending, anxiety attack, mention of past rape, healing, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 60,283)

“Could You” by coley_merrin (Rated: T, Lawyer Yoongi, College Student Tae, JK & Tae are Roommate & Yoongi is JK’s hot older brother, fluff, Romance, BJs, Words: 46,461)

“Bittersweet” by sweetsyub (Ratings: T, asexual character, slight angst, misunderstandings, underage drinking, recreational drug use, fluff, Words: 41,896)

“The Less I Know The Better” by mucha (Rated: E, Fake/pretend relationship, escort taehyung, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, mostly Yoongi centric, Words: 40,816)

“It Feels Like There's Oceans (Between You and Me)” by mucha (Rated: E, part 2 of “The Less I know the better”, photographer yoongi, model tae, angst with a happy ending, post break up & getting back together, drinking, mention of drug use once, smut, bottom yoongi, mostly Yoongi centric, Words: 28,778)

“Tell Me Again” by Oh_Hey_Tae (Ratings: T, angst with a happy ending, college au, mute yoongi, PTSD, reference to depression & anxiety, Words: 39,650, ongoing)

“All Fall Down” by sweetsyub (Ratings: T, Alternate Universe, fluff & humor, Words: 25,785)

“Don't Wanna Fall In Love” by minyoongi6275 (Rated: T, college au, barista yoongi, rich fuckboy tae, flirting, humor, Words: 23,586,ongoing)

“we are like parallel lines (no way, we'll meet)” by tteokie (Rated: E, boarding school, friends to lovers, light angst with a happy ending, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 19,618)

“You weren't” by Bandit4Life (College AU, angst with a happy ending, mention of past suicide attempt, Taegi have a history, Words: 18,638)

“Like, Comment and Subscribe” by mucha (Ratings: T, social media, youtuber tae, college au, fluff, pining, mention of anxiety, long distance relationship, spin the bottle, Words: 13,012)

“You Know It All, You're My Best Friend” by internetpistol (Rated: T, College AU, Coming of age, underage drinking & smoking, light angst, fluff & humor, strangers to fiends to best friends, roommate, Words:

“we're coming unglued (it's only natural)” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: E, friends with benefit, feelings realization, smut, bottom yoongi, Tae gets roped into a no sex bet & taegi suffer, Words: 8,650, not completed)

Bodyguard AU https://twitter.com/bangtanadriella/status/1036525196813979649 Yoongi receives threats after his controversial album gets released so his company hires a team of bodyguards including Taehyung. (Slow burn, light angst, fluff, soft yoongi, Taehyung is a sweetheart, Ongoing)

“Fire and Clay” by Nojalina (Rated: M, photographer yoongi, model tae. yoongi had a crush on jimin but can’t stand his friend taehyung, makeouts, eventual smut, not very descriptive though, bottom yoongi, 20918 words) https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1280028/fire-and-clay-romance--yoongi-taehyung-taegi

Childhood friends/best friends:

“let it out, let it in, you're the one i hold within” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: M, slow burn, childhood friends. unrequited love. Yoongi, JK & Tae are childhood friends. Tae is pining after Yoongi. Yoongi is JK’s older brother & both of them are pining after Tae. Yoongi is a good brother. secrete relationships. makeouts, blow jobs, bottom yoongi, Words: 22,166, not complete)

“Liebespaar” by 777335 (Ratings: T, Childhood friends, Yoongis is whipped, Tae is whipped, artists Tae, producer yoongi, emotional hurt/comfort, friends to lover, Words: 14,701)

“Linger” by taethereal (Rated: M, childhood friends, best friends, college au, sexual tension, friends to lovers, Words: 12,249)

“If Love and Hate Are the Same Words” by Holyhoseok (Rated: E, friends to lover, Tae thought he was straight, yoongi also thought that, not really unrequited love, jealous yoongi, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 11,006)

“boys like boys like girls do (nothing new)” by princesaadriella (Rated: G, alternate universe, Friendship, Yoongi centric, fluff & mild angst with a happy ending, whipped yoongi, unrequited love, falling in love, friends to lovers, Words: 10,338)

“True or False, Taehyung” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: M, fluff, pining, sexual content, BJs, friends to lovers, Words: 6,051)

DRIFT [t.gi] by joonpiter https://my.w.tt/1E2H4xLRES Slow Burn, high school au, childhood best friends, eventual smut, bottom/sub baby boy yoongi, top/dom/daddy taehyung, violence, Yoongi & Tae don’t have an easy life at home, mood swings, Yoongi have multiple personalities disorder were 1 of them is a 5 year old child (I think it’s little space more than MPD but the author referred to it as mood swings & different personalities which make sense too but I thought I should mention it anyways)

Non-AU/Canon Compliant:

“I LOVE YOU” by Naddou_dreamy (Rated: M, Slow Burn, non au/canon compliant, light angst with a happy ending, fluff, unreasonably jealous yoongi, sexual content, eventual smut, blow jobs, bottom yoongi) yoongi is an asshole to tae for some reason & tae pretend to be unbothered which pisses yoongi off even more. words: 58,418 https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1132522/i-love-you-angst-romance-taegi

“Just bestfriends, (or so we believe)” by vgi (Rated: E, Slow Burn, non au/canon compliant, friends to lovers, fluff, kisses, dom/sub undertones, sub yoongi, hand jobs, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 44,187, not completed)

“see on both sides like chanel” by agust__d (Rated: T, gender expression, supportive Taehyung, fluff, light angst with a happy ending, non au/canon compliant, Words: 13,102)

“It's Not Real, Baby” by GeiSama (Ratings: G. non-au/canon compliant, misunderstandings, not really unrequited love, friends to lovers, fluff, 1st kisses, Words: 8,397) https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/480465/it-s-not-real-baby-oneshot-bts-bangtanboys-suga-taehyung-taegi-vsuga

“Before This Christmas” by visbaeallday (Ratings: T, Non-AU/Canon compliant, partial amnesia, friends to lovers, 1st kisses, fluff, Words: 8,222)

“poción de amor” by PinkMonStoleJiminsJams (Rated: M, love potion, romantic comedy, fluff, possessive & jealous yoongi, needy & cute yoongi, whipped Taehyung, not really one sided love, mild smut, power bottom yoongi, canon compliant, Words: 8,078)

“Pretty Hyung” by kafrickinboom (non au/canon compliant, porn with plot, yoongi in a skirt, eventual blow jobs, Words: 7,890)

“Read Between the Lines” by theimpossibleimpala (Rated: T, canon divergent, angst, fluff, love songs, oblivious idiots, pining, confessions, first kisses, one shot, Words: 5,372)

“Would It Help If I Just Threw My Love At You?” by btsax (Rated: T, fluff, love confessions, friends to lovers, canon compliant, Words: 3542)

“keep you runnin' till you whimpy” by homine (Rated: E, porn without plot, bottom yoongi, Words: 2,911)

“Reach Out and Touch” by theimpossibleimpala (Rated: T, canon compliant/non au, Truth or dare, flirting, making out, kissing, love confessions, one shot, fluff, Words: 2,758)

“Once Again” by fifthagust (Rated: M, angst, smut, fluff, established relationship, happy ending, implied referenced homophobia, bottom yoongi/top tae, Words: 2,428)

“jeju come from hawaii?” by taegikook (Rated: T, canon compliant, light angst & fluff, secrete relationship, jealous Yoongi, Tae is whipped, Words: 2331)

“when you touch me (it's so powerful)” by intronevermind (Rated: E, canon compliant, Exhibitionism, teasing, Sub Yoongi, Words:2305)

“Moving the Papers” by spiritreads (non au/canon compliant, one shot, mutual pining, fluff, 1st kisses, Words: 2,299)

Canon Taegi AU by tatamoonchild (Porn with plot, bottom yoongi) https://twitter.com/tatamoonchild/status/1031938542140833794

Fluff/Crack/semi Crack/Comedy//one shots and others:

“hit or miss” by carryontae (Rated: M, strangers to lovers, alternative universe, chatting & messaging, fluff & humor, soft boys, reference anxiety, reference homophobia, whipped yoongi, whipped Tae, flirting, dramatic/extra Yoongi, Words: 27,610) Note: it’s not all in chatting formate, it transition smoothly to written scenes.

“Lingerie” by Bandit4Life (humor, Harry Potter reference, writer yoongi, yoongi centric, awkwardness, eventual smut, sub bottom yoongi, panties, Words: 21,435)

“play your love songs all night long (only for me)” by agust__d (Ratings: T, Neighbors AU, producer yoongi, college student tae, Enemies to lovers, misunderstandings, humor & fluff, light angst, brief mention of recreational drug use, reference to sex, soft, Words: 19,582)

“Will You B Minor?” by ohdizzy (semi crack, fluff, brass AU, saxophonist tae, music-related pickup lines, misunderstandings, Words: 19,364)

“harvest moon, recall your youth” by blackranger (Rated: E, strangers to married, drunk weddings in Vegas au, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, rap lines friendship, discussion of mental illness, soft yoongi, Comedy, fluff, mild smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 17,880)

“you belong to the stars in the clouds” by UPSIDEDOWN (Rated: E, neighbors, rapper yoongi, fanboy tae, strangers to friends to lovers, first dates, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 14,620)

“Puppy Love” by Bandit4Life (college AU, friends to lovers, mutual pining, Christmas, fluff, neighbors, nerd tae, tattoos, soft yoongi, Words: 13,426)

“Vampires Will Never Hurt You” by mucha (Rated: E, modern vampire au, fluff & crack, eventual blow jobs, yoongi pretend to be scary but he’s actually soft, roommates, Words: 12,750)

“It Must've Been The Mistletoe” by mucha, roachprince (Ratings: T, Christmas fluff, friends with benefit to lovers, 1st kiss, Words: 11,815)

“Kitten Licks and Caramel Macchiatos” by toxicmew (Rated: M, College AU, RM & Tae are brothers, fluff, budding love, getting together, humor, texting, Words: 11,408)

“Everyday Boom Boom (Because of You Boom Boom)” by bananamilks (Rated: T, college au, modern magic au, pinning Tae, witch Tae, mild hurt/comfort, mild angst, fluff, kissing, Words: 11,405)

“the wishes that are in our eyes” by misspamela (Rated: E, magical realism, everyone has a little magic, taehyung made babies, mutual pining, fluff, hand jobs, Words: 9,468)

“Mute” by orphan_account (Rated: M, Mute Yoongi, Translator Tae, light angst but mostly fluff, cute, mention of past abuse, established relationship, Words: 8,845)

“a fever we can learn from” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: T, sick fic, sick yoongi, Tae take care of him, denial of feelings, fluff, Words: 8,702)

“Discount Love” by Bandit4Life (College AU, Funny, Yoongi has phone anxiety, accidental love confession, pining yoongi, oblivious Tae Words: 8,431)

“i love you a lot, you know” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: T, friends to lovers, fluff, mutual pining, they’re both oblivious, brief mention of homophobic parents, roommate, Words: 7249)

“A Hard Thing to Miss” by CheekyBrunette (volleyball AU, confused & oblivious Tae, pining, yoongi is a sweet hyung, friends to lovers, Words: 7237)

“a midsummer's ice cream” by conversehigh (ice cream shop AU, Tae work at ice cream shop & make bad pun, fluff, Words: 5,791)

“I Put a Spell on You” by mucha (Rated: T, alternative universe modern with magic, modern witches Vmin, whipped Tae, fluff, Words: 5,076)

“Heartbeats” by mucha (Rated: T, painter Yoongi, muse Tae, Tae is a mess, mention of drugs & alcohol, pining, angst with a happy ending, Words: 4426)

“Catching Feelings” by mucha (Rated: E, underground rapper Yoongi, Barista Tae, fluff & smut, public BJs, Yoongi is super chill & Tae is a disaster, Words: 4,274)

“So Kiss Me” by mucha (Rated: T, alternative universe non famous, paper passing game, jealousy, Words: 3,070)

“sweet like candy” by vastlyunknown (Rated: T, roommates au, taehyung mistakingly calls yoongi babe once and it leads... somewhere unexpected,Words: 2,178)

“you make my heart go bang” by clumsy_taegi (Rated: T, college AU, roommates, fluff, jealous & shy Yoongi, bold Tae, Words: 2117)

Smut/Porn with Plot/Porn without Plot:

“Shots Fired” by eclairdeluxe (alternative universe, police officer yoongi, firefighter tae, firefighters and police, rivalry, top tae/bottom yoongi, Words: 33,864)

“You're my friend but I would totally bang you if you'd ask” by Bandit4Life (college au, smut, porn with plot, bottom yoongi, 1st time, Words: 18,337)

“A Smell of Chocolate under the Rain” by Seemylia (A/B/O au, alpha tae, omega yoongi in early heat, top tae/bottom yoongi, CEO Tae, employee yoongi, office sex, Words: 16,795)

“I didn't know that I was starving ('til I tasted you)” by eclairdeluxe (porn without plot, established relationship, bottom yoongi, Words: 11,916)

“Serendipitous” by chlexcer (flirting, dum/sub undertones, smut, power bottom yoongi, Words: 11,312)

“Layers Of You” by Tiayumi (paper passing game, alternative universe, domestic BF, getting to know each other, fluff, angst with a happy ending, eventual smut, sub yoongi, bottom yoongi, Words: 10,376)

“Friends vs. Cock” by gotmyvante (porn with plot, established relationship, humor, college au, Sub Yoongi/Dom Tae, Words: 6,500)

“i just wanna watch you (when you take it off)” by UPSIDEDOWN (tutor & producer yoongi, student tae, first dates, eventual smut, bottom yoongi, Words: 6,420)

“Take Care.” by signifying_nothing (secretary tae, boss yoongi, porn with plot, power bottom yoongi, plugs, Words: 5,542)

“fuck kim taehyung” by prkjimin (porn without plot, sub bottom yoongi, plugs, Words: 4,712)

“So tell me baby, can you shake it?” by misspamela (porn without plot, grinding in a club, hand jobs, confessions, Words: 4,606)

“help me, help you” by orphan_account (porn without plot, sex on a pool table, power bottom yoongi, Words: 3,470)

“Come As You Are” by furiousfat (porn without plot, Dom Bottom Yoongi, Evil Yoongi, he’s a tease, panties, some BDSM, Words: 2,176)

“temptation” by yoontaro (porn without plot, established relationship, fluff, bottom yoongi, Words: 1,533)

#taegi fanfiction recommendations #bottom yoongi #top taehyung #sub yoongi #dom taehyung #Taegi fic #taegi #taegi fanfic #taegi fic rec #taegi fic recommendations #taegi fanfiction #vsuga

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