#Two Souls - A Christmas snippet

[holylulusworld]

Two Souls - A Christmas snippet

Summary: Bucky Barnes and the winter soldier are your mate. Life with them is easy cause none of them would ever let anyone hurt you.

Pairing: Alpha!Bucky Barnes x Omega!Reader; Alpha!Winter Soldier (Barnie/Winter) x Omega!Reader

Warnings: a/b/o, a/b/o dynamics, fluff, true mates, protective Bucky/Winter Soldier, pregnant omega

A/N: Before part 3 finally drops, we are getting a little Christmas snippet.

Catch up here: Two Souls (2) - One Love

Bucky watches you with worry. Like Barnie, he is constantly concerned about you. Not only because you’re carrying their babies.

“She’s in the kitchen for too long. We should stop her from stressing over baking cookies.”

Barnie nods thoughtfully. He knows how much baking cookies means to you. You love Christmas, and expecting two babies with the alphas you love, made you even more nostalgic.

You want to indulge in all the traditions you loved as a child: baking cookies, decorating the house, listening to the most awful Christmas songs, and cooking for your family.

“We will help her,” Barnie finally says. He was watching you with fascination. It will be the first Christmas he can celebrate as his own person, not hidden in the back of Bucky’s mind. “I want to make cookies.”

He walks into the kitchen to look at the dough you rolled out.

“What’s this?” Barnie points at the snowman cookie cutter. “It looks like a—” He frowns while trying to find the right word. He still has problems finding the right words sometimes. It will take more time to learn all the things he missed out on while being trapped in Bucky’s mind.

“Snowman, alpha,” you softly say and grab his hand to place the cookie cutter in the palm of his hand. “See, this will turn the cookies into a cute snowman.”

“Snowman,” he repeats the word, smiling. “I like snowmen…I think. They are made of snow and only live in winter. I was Winter too…”

“Yeah,” you chuckle as Barnie looks at you like a puppy. “You were Winter too, Barnie. You still are.”

He grins now. “Winter is here to stay.”

“Alright kids,” Bucky walks into the kitchen, feeling left out. He stands to your left, while Barnie stands to your right, still looking at all the cookie cutters. “What are we making? Did you sit enough today and have a rest?”

“I sat the whole morning, Bucky,” you giggle, and throw some flour at him. “I’m fine, really. No pain, no exhaustion. I know my body. The babies sleep right now, and I want to finish the cookies.”

“We will help,” he says and grabs one of the cutters. Your alpha chuckles because the cutter looks like a tiny version of his metal arm. “Uh—is that my metal arm?” Bucky furrows his brows and looks at you.

“Yeah.” You shrug. “It’s a custom-made cookie cutter. Tony made them all for me.”

“A snowflake,” Barnie sounds like an excited child while holding the cutter in his hand. It looks like a wonder to him, and he feels his heart flutter. “That’s me, right?” He looks at you. “I’m Winter, and that’s a winter cookie cutter.”

“Yeah,” you reply, smiling. “I know you have a new name now, but the snowflake reminded me of you and the time we spent together when you were still Winter, Barnie.”

“I like it,” he presses the snowflake to his chest, smiling at Bucky. “I got my own cookie cutter.”

“Me too, punk,” Bucky laughs. “How about we cut those cookies with our cookie cutters? I bet I can cut more cookies than you in a minute.”

Barnie purses his lips and says, “I can cut more.”

You sigh deeply. “Alphas, no competition again! We want to enjoy baking cookies.” You give both alphas a stern look.

Both kiss one cheek to calm you. Giggling, you watch them choose their favorite cutter. Barnie goes for the snowflakes while Bucky chooses the tiny version of his metal arm.

“No competition, Barnie. Let’s bake cookies with our omega. Later, we can rub her feet and feed her with the cookies.”

Barnie nods eagerly. He cannot wait to rub your belly and feel the babies kick him.

“Winter will talk to the babies again. They need to know we are here to protect them.”

Tags in reblog.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Jegulus and Wolfstar Holiday Oneshots!

Here are two fun, fluffy, humorous oneshots I wrote for you all to get you through the holidays!

Fic: The Gift Pairing: Jegulus (Muggle AU, Kindergarten Teacher Reg, Harry's Dad James Potter) Rating: M Length: 2k (complete!) Snippet:

Let it be known that James Potter is not stupid. It was a mistake that got him to this point. This terrifying, heart-stopping, stomach-wrenching point of having to walk into his son’s elementary school, head held high, and pick up the dildo he’s accidentally gifted the Kindergarten teacher for Christmas. 

Fic: of elf outfits and broken Remuses Pairing: Wolfstar (Muggle AU, Remus is an elf at the mall, Sirius goes with Harry to see Santa) Rating: T Length: 2.2k (complete!) Snippet:

After a moment’s hesitation, both of them burst out laughing. “Fuck Timothy,” the man whispers conspiratorially, leaning close to Remus and making his body warm a bit with his proximity. “If you tell me to have a shit holiday, I won’t tell a soul.” Remus grins and decides to have fun with it, “Well if we count that offer, that’s twice you’ve gone out of your way for me, now. If I didn’t know better I’d think you have a thing for nerdy blokes in elf outfits.” The man laughs, cheeks turning pink. “I wasn’t aware I did until I saw you, so we can blame you for that one, eh?” he asks, eyes twinkling.

[dreaminofdixon]

Two.

I feel like this is super long, I'm sorry. :( But...it's the full scene, not just the snippet and it's only fair to give you the whole thing!!! It's the tiniest bit different because, as mentioned previously...constantly tweaking. It's that OCD thing. Nothing is ever perfect. You'd probably hate me at Christmas time. :)

I’d been completely naive to think I could do this by myself. I lasted just a few more days in my condo before the National Guard was sent in. They started shooting people in the hallways. When I heard the first gunshots, I grabbed my go-bag—guns, ammo, some clothes, and a little food—and headed out as quietly as I could.

Ever since then, I’d been bouncing around, trying to find places to hide.

Those things were scary as hell.

I’d only come face-to-face with them a couple of times in the last few weeks, but I’d learned some key things. 

First off, they didn’t just drop with a shot to the heart. Nope. A headshot was the only way to stop them.

Second, they were drawn to noise. So, the fewer gunshots I fired, the better. That’s how I ended up with a sharp knife on me at all times. The gun? Only for dire situations.

Third, they never stopped. Not like me. They didn’t tire out after running. They didn’t need to sleep. So, running from them only got me so far.

And then there was the most important lesson: trusting anyone was a damn death wish.

It reminded me of the COVID shutdowns when people were brawling over toilet paper, but this time? It was a hundred times worse. People were turning on each other with fear and violence—and I’d seen it firsthand. Watched people kill for the stupidest reasons.

This? Whatever this was? It had brought out the absolute worst in humanity.

Now, I was holed up in an abandoned lab building in downtown Atlanta. I hadn’t seen a soul in the couple of hours I’d been there, and for once, I could just sit still and eat a protein bar without having a panic attack. Rationing food was hard when you’d spent your whole life eating whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted.

I had definitely learned one thing: my life had been so privileged, I took it all for granted.

Soon, I’d have to learn another skill: scavenging for survival.

Then, I heard it. A noise.

I froze, pressing myself into the corner by the door, eyes scanning for any sign of movement. A moment later, I heard voices. My heart skipped, and I instinctively pulled out my gun, checking the chamber as quietly as possible. The voices got louder—definitely men.

Great.

The men I’d crossed paths with recently had all acted like they were entitled to everything—including me.

They learned real quick that not all women are easy targets. And they had chosen the wrong one.

Growing up, I had a stepfather who thought the same way. He’d felt entitled to my body. For years, I didn’t think I had a choice but to endure it. I figured it out eventually. I left, picked up shooting and martial arts, and swore no man would ever make me feel powerless again. 

Ever. 

Period.

The door creaked open, and the first thing I saw was the barrel of a gun.

I gripped mine tighter, both hands steady on the weapon.

My instructor once told me, “Squeeze the gun as tightly as you can. That’s how you control it. I’ve never seen anyone break a gun, but if you’re the first, I’ll gladly replace it.”

Well, I wasn’t the first. And I had made some embarrassing mistakes with guns—like the time I tried to clean my 9mm and thought I’d broken it because I got the slide stuck. I ended up watching a dozen YouTube videos just to figure out how to fix it.

Lesson learned. And I never made that mistake again.

I pointed the gun at the man who entered the room. He hadn’t seen me yet.

“Get out,” I said, trying to make my voice sound as menacing as possible, though I’m sure it came off more like I was ordering pizza.

His blue eyes shot toward me, and he swung his large revolver to point at me in the same motion. Great. Just what I needed—another person with a gun. And a Sheriff’s uniform, no less. How ironic. A man in law enforcement who, very likely, couldn’t be trusted.

“We don’t want any trouble,” he said, holding up his hands.

Liar.

“Are you alone?”

“Get. Out.”

He looked confused for a moment, then holstered his gun and raised his hands in surrender.

“We aren’t gonna hurt you.”

I’ve heard that line before.

“Are you alone?” he asked again, like a broken record.

“Last chance,” I warned, aiming my gun squarely at his forehead. “Get out.”

That’s when two more men entered. One was carrying a crossbow, and the other had... a red backpack.

What. The. Hell?

I tilted my head at the younger guy with the baseball cap. He was maybe in his early twenties. He looked about as threatening as a kitten, but then again, appearances could be deceiving.

The other guy, though? He looked like a walking redneck stereotype, and he was aiming a crossbow directly at me. The thought of being impaled by that sharp metal arrowhead was enough to make my stomach do a backflip. 

New fear unlocked.

“Put it down, Daryl,” the sheriff guy said.

“Not ‘til she does,” came the deep, gravelly voice of the redneck. 

It sent a strange shiver down my spine.

No way. Get a hold of yourself, girl.

“Then I guess we have a problem,” I said, unfazed. “That’s not gonna happen, so you might as well turn around and get the hell out of here like I told you.”

“Daryl,” the sheriff warned, his tone calm.

Daryl glanced back at him, then slowly lowered his weapon. He gave me a glare that could’ve melted steel.

“We have a group,” the sheriff continued, “with women and children. If you’re alone, we’d be happy to have you.”

“I’m sure you would.” I shrugged, hoisting my bag over my shoulder while keeping my gun trained on them. “Look, let’s just forget this happened.” I used the gun to motion them away from the door, then returned it to the sheriff’s forehead. “I’ll leave, and you guys can… do whatever you’re gonna do.”

Let ‘er go, Rick,” Daryl growled, his voice low.

Ooh… Get it together, girl.

“Wait… I know you,” the Asian kid said suddenly.

I stared at him. “What?”

"Yeah, the 40 West 12th building, right?” He squinted at me, clearly not sure if he was making the right connection.

The hell?

I pointed my gun at him, and he immediately raised his hands in defense.

“I’ve delivered to you before,” he clarified. “Pizza, mostly, but I also do grocery deliveries here and there.” He shrugged. “Well, did, anyway.” He gave a half-smile. “She tips really well, hard to forget that,” he said to his friends.

I lowered the gun slowly.

“How long’s your building been gone?”

I couldn’t decide whether this was some kind of trick or if he had genuinely recognized me. Was I obligated to him because I tipped well? Was he obligated to me for the pizza?

“Um… I think… it’s been a couple of weeks now,” I answered cautiously.

“You’ve been alone?” he asked, then saw the look I gave him and realized his mistake. “Sorry, I’m Glenn. This is Rick, and that’s Daryl.” He stepped forward slightly. “Look, we were alone too, until we found each other. Now we’ve got a group. Rick’s a sheriff, and his partner, Shane, is in the group too. Rick’s wife, Lori, and his kid, Carl. Daryl and his brother. We’ve got a couple of other families with us, too. We have a camp not far outside town…”

“Whoa, hold up,” Daryl cut him off, lifting his crossbow again, just slightly. “We don’ know if she can be trusted. Could be on ‘er way back to people that could…”

I rolled my eyes. “Do I look like I have a group waiting for me? Really? What kind of idiot would wander off alone if they had a freaking group?”

Daryl locked eyes with me, his glare so intense it almost made me want to look away. But I wasn’t backing down. Not this time.

“Like I said, you’re more than welcome to come back with us,” Rick said, looking at me with something like pity. “Our setup isn’t anything special, but we’ve got safety in numbers.”

“Ya sure that’s a good idea?” Daryl muttered.

I shot him a look that could freeze fire.

“Safety in numbers,” Rick repeated. “It’s getting late, we’re gonna finish clearing this building, and then…”

“There’s nothing else here,” I interrupted, lowering my gun but remaining on edge. “I’ve been through everything. The dead are mostly on the top two floors. The rest of the building’s been cleaned out. I found a couple of first aid kits, but there’s not much else.”

“Any food or…”

“Nothing substantial,” I answered, chewing the inside of my cheek as I did. My dentist would’ve had a field day. “I mean, I found some office snack-type stuff. Candy bars, granola bars. Instant coffee.”

“Well, that saves us some time,” Rick said, nodding.

“So, do you guys like… have an actual house or something?”

[honnelander]

go fish! part 5 snippet (let's try this again)

so after scrapping what i had, i had serious writer's block and a severe lack of motivation... i kinda felt discouraged but everyone was SO sweet to me and gave me so much encouragement, i was (and still am) so touched!! you all are seriously the best and i'm happy to say that i am finally working on part 5 as we speak :))

i don't want to promise anything, but you all have been sooo patient with me, so here's a little under 300 words of go fish! part 5. sometimes, you don't need a lot of words to get a point across... so here's a little taste:

(disclaimer: this work is unfinished, unedited, and can also not make it into the final product (even though i’m very certain it will))

Sanji was getting desperate.  

The longer he went without telling you he loved you, that he was completely enamored with every part of your entire soul and being, that your existence gave him a reason to live and keep on breathing, the more he felt himself go absolutely insane.  

He felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, sitting in front a mountain of presents but not being able to open them because it ‘wasn’t time to open them yet’, and that’s exactly how he felt with his situation with you: there was nothing more he wanted to do than to tell you he was in love with you, but he knew that it wasn’t the right time yet. He didn’t want to just flat out say ‘I love you’ while you both were doing some rudimentary task or chore, or offhandedly one night while you both were doing the dishes after supper, he wanted something more than that, something special and extravagant.  

You were the love of his life, and you deserved everything under the sun and more, so he wanted to make this very intimate and private moment between you two as special as he could, and that required some serious planning and patience on his part.  

So, after his conversation with Nami a few days ago, her letting him vent out all of his frustrations and apprehensions he had with her, practicing saying those three special words numerous times so when the moment was right with you, they would just roll off the tongue, and some planning, he was ready to confess his feelings to you. 

But something was wrong. Something wasn’t right.  

You were avoiding him and he had absolutely no idea why. 

[festiveferret]

Wipdate!

Well. It's been like three years since I've done one of these, hahaha, but I've been missing fandom life so I thought it'd be fun to share an update of where I'm sitting. Toddlers manage to take like 140% of your time and energy, even though they sleep a lot, so I've mostly just been parenting, but I've been getting the writing bug lately, so there's very slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Basically, I have a list of fics I want to make sure I finish. They're the ones it would break my heart to look back on twenty years from now and realize I put all that time and those words into something that never got shared. I haven't been having new ideas very much, so I'm putting all my creative energy into things I've either promised to other people or to myself.

I'm not going to list everything I've posted since my last wipdate, since that was a looong time ago and you can always sort my works page chronologically! But here's the latest ones...

Posted:

Do Not Reply  - Tony replies to a Do Not Reply email address thinking he's shouting into the void. Spoiler alert: he's not. Runaway Train - Preserum Steve and Prince Tony meet cute. Entwined - The aftermath of Ults Stony being magically soulbound and then separated. Lost and Found - Winteriron - Bucky finds a lost dog. Vacation Days - SHIELD needs Steve to take his PTO Sanguinary Revelations - Tony and Steve go on a date with a twist Kindly Calm Me Down - Ults Steve knows how to calm his Tony down after a mission First Christmas - Stony's first xmas as parents Even of My Secret Soul - Secret soulmates

Updating:

Second Chance Summer - Stony with a 20yr age gap. Pre-written and posting on Saturdays. Up to chapter eight. A Good Thing - Comic collab with Askafroa - Alpha!Tony and Omega!Therapist!Steve - almost done! Yet I Will Try the Last - Truck Stop Hooker AU with hooker!Steve and flashy billionaire, Tony Stark. Up to chapter four! (I swear I haven't given up on this) Held Remix - A rewrite of Held with Tony as the sub and Steve as the Dom. Up to chapter twenty-nine. Ashy and I are making a point of getting our chaptered version of Held edited and posted, and then we're cracking on with Remix. We may or may not do both seasons, but we're at least going to finish out S1.

Beta Queue:

Bro Code -  This is one of my 2023 MTH fics Rented Family - I started this one in like 2019 and finally finished it. It's a no-powers Ults AU where Tony is dying of his (canon!) brain cancer and Steve is a security specialist/bodyguard who Tony hires to be around while he dies. Yay for finishing old wips!

Wips:

This wiplist is basically just going to be my list of "I'll be sad if I never finish them" fics I mentioned above. I have no plans to stop writing fic entirely, but I'm definitely slowing down, and I want to focus on the stuff that will feel really good to have done so I don't ever leave myself or you guys hanging!

1) Held edit (the chaptered repost) and Held Remix (at least S1). @ashes0909 and I are picking away at it, but between three kids, two jobs, and two timezones, it's slow af. But we'll get there.

2) My other 2023 MTH fic, older professor Tony and young flirty student Steve for @sabrecmc pod bid. It's maybe a third done.

3) My contribution to the Stony Dating Sim game from MTH 2024 (I'm doing Ults Tony as a love interest. If you want to know more, check out @stevetonydatingsim).

4) My Stony Twilight AU. I posted a snippet of it here a long time ago and I've been picking at it ever since. It's at 33k and probably about halfway done.

5) Fangbait 3. My Fangbait series was always intended to have three parts. Two are up already. The third was on hiatus for a long time, but I just abruptly wrote 80% of it last night, so once I get the sex scenes (and a title oh no) done, she'll be good to go!

6) Yet I Will Try the Last has been waiting for waaay too long for an update and I feel really bad about it. It was the one time I experimented with posting an unfinished WIP (mostly because it started as a oneshot and then I started adding to it) and I regretti spaghetti every day that I did that lol. I. Have. Not. Given. Up. I have the outline for the rest, I know what I want to do, I just need to do it.

7) Brooklyn is a canon divergence from right after Avengers 2012 where Stony travels on a modified quinjet together, cleaning up the chitauri weapon's market. It's maybe a third to a half done? Another one I started a loooong time ago and never got my steam back with, but I would really like to. I really like that one.

8) A Venom/Eddie fic from right after the first movie. It's not too long and it's probably also about halfway done, so I believe in myself. It's called Parasite.

9) A collab started a few years ago that I'm not going to out here in case my collab partner doesn't want to do it anymore, but we did a fair bit of it so I'd love to get it done.

Writing comes in little spurts, but I have to pick and choose between my hobbies now, so I just have less time and energy to spend on one thing. I've been trying to read more to fuel the words! I also have OG stuff I'm working on, but that's just as slow as the other stuff lol. I miss you guys! Hope y'all are doing well. (Happy Easter if you celebrate!)

Thanks as always for reading! <3

[middleearthpixie]

I'll See You in My Dreams ~ Chapter Five

Summary: Noelle James knows soul mates exist, the trouble is, she just can’t seem to find hers. Especially since hers seemed to have existed only in the world of cinema and The Hobbit movies. No one believes she actually spent time in Tolkien’s Middle Earth and even fewer believe Thorin Oakenshield existed in her world, either. 

So when she finds herself unexpectedly alone on yet another Christmas, she has no way of knowing exactly what the universe has in store for her this time.The trouble is, this man claiming to be Thorin can’t possibly be him, for he died at the hands of Azog the Defiler at Ravenhill. She saw him die with her own eyes.

So, it can’t be him.

Or can it?

Pairing: Thorin x ofc Noelle James

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 2.8k

Thorin stared up through the darkness at the equally dark ceiling. Well, perhaps not quite equally dark, as it was painted white, which made it very visible despite the darkness. The fireplace was dark, but the room remained comfortably warm. Fascinating, how a building the size of this one could remain so warm, when no fires burned.

He didn't even attempt to hide how Noelle’s world confused him sometimes. At least, not from Noelle. She knew he was unfamiliar with just about everything in this modern, hectic world, and she had yet to really lose patience with him when he made a misstep. From the environment around him to the speech he heard, Noelle was quick to explain the things he didn't understand and when she couldn’t, she went and found experts, such as Science Man, who could. Perhaps that was why Mahal had sent him back to her. Mahal knew she would help him. 

Three years had passed since he’d last been in Noelle’s world, and they might as well have been three lifetimes. When he’d first landed in Central Park, all he could think about was getting to Noelle, as he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her until then. 

Upon opening his eyes following the battle against Azog at Ravenhill, all Thorin could think about was pain. It wracked his body, as the battle with the pale orc resulted in his being run through not once, not twice, but three times, with two of his most serious wounds coming from a single, double-bladed weapon. His memory of it now was foggy, for he’d drifted in and out of consciousness for days in the only-barely-functioning infirmary at Erebor. He’d burned with fever, and more than once, had made his peace with Mahal and anticipated joining his father and grandfather, along with his other ancestors, in the Halls of Mandos. 

But death spared him. Several weeks after the battle, when he was able to remain awake for more than a few minutes at a time, he’d asked about Noelle. He was worried for her. Although both the Gundabad orc and Dol Guldur orc armies took heavy casualties, but there were far more of them than there were of dwarves, elves, or Men and Thorin found himself nearly sick with worry over what had become of her.

But to his shock, no one knew who Noelle James was, not even his own nephews and they had spent more time with her than anyone else in his company had. When he’d described her,  they looked at him as if he’d gone mad again. Even Dwalin, who at times seemed sweet on Noelle, didn't remember her at all.

He knew he wasn't mad. He bore the remnants of healing scratches along his back and had the fiery memory of being with her, of their bodies being joined to offer up equally fiery pleasure that threatened to devour him whole. 

But no one else recalled her at all.

Within a week, he’d given up asking. Within two, thoughts of her faded from his mind. His concentration remained on his healing, which was a long, arduous process.

Yet, as this past summer drew to a close, he found flashes of memory had begun breaking through. A sound here. A smell there. A tingle across his back, quite often just below his shoulder blades. 

Then came the dreams. They started out as snippets as well. A flash of red hair. A glint of unusual eyes that were a mix of blue and green. Hints of silvery laughter. The dreams came innocent at first, but then they grew steamier. He’d awaken the next morning with a dull ache swirling through him, his sheets damp with sweat, unspent desire twisting his insides until it almost hurt. 

Little by little, the woman became clearer and the dreams grew more detailed. Noelle. Her body bare beneath him. The once-forgotten memories of making love to her came roaring back, sometimes at the most inopportune moments. 

But, the Noelle he’d come back to was not the one who’d left him at Ravenhill. This Noelle was more serene, almost melancholy. Quiet, but not nearly as at peace as the woman he’d known three years prior. 

Then again, she was not the only one who was changed. He no longer simmered with the same fire as he had when he’d fallen through the enchanted waters of Mirkwood to land just beyond Turtle Pond in New York City’s Central Park. Now, he yearned for tranquility and peace, both of which were, he felt, about to become scarce in Erebor. 

But, as Noelle had said, they had found the one way guaranteed to send him back to Erebor, only she was quite unwilling to lay with him again. Her reason was more than valid, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little disappointed.

He scowled into the darkness. No, that wasn't true. Not entirely, anyway. Since he realized she was the woman in his dreams, he’d ached to find her again. He’d loved her, and loved her madly and losing her had hurt until Mahal took the memory of her from him. 

Now that he’d found her once more, all he wanted was to take her in his arms, to kiss her the way she’d kissed him in Science Man’s office. But he didn't wish to stop at kissing and therein lay the problem.

A low sigh rose to his lips. It had all been so much simpler when he’d forgotten Noelle. Thalia wasn't the love of his life, but she was a good woman and would make a fine queen and mother, and for whatever reason, he’d been fine with that. That was truly all that mattered. In time, he probably would have desired her the same way he did Noelle. 

Now, however…

He closed his eyes, but sleep mocked him. There was no way of knowing how long he lay there, but eventually, he gave up trying to sleep and kicked off the quilt she’d given him. His footsteps came softly upon the carpeted floor as he padded from the living room, down the short corridor, to the bedroom he’d shared with her the last time he was in this world.

The door was ajar, the only light a soft golden glow from the room just beyond her bedroom. Unlike him, Noelle slept peacefully, her back to him, her glorious mane of dark red curls spilling behind her. He fairly ached to run his fingers through those curls, to feel their silky softness against his skin. 

What would she do, if he slipped beneath her sheets alongside her? Would she even notice he’d gotten into bed with her? Or would she sleep peacefully on? Most importantly, how furious would she be if she did notice?

He frowned. He had no desire to risk her temper, or to have her feel as if he’d betrayed her trust in any way. That was the very last thing he would ever wish to do, make her feel he’d betrayed her. 

Since he first caught sight of her in the entry of her apartment building, all he’d been able to think about was Noelle in his arms again. That she might not want the same left him at odds with himself. It hadn’t occurred to him until she angrily chased him from that same entry that she might no longer feel the same as she had when they were last together. He hadn’t realized just how much had changed. For both of them. 

The trouble was now he didn't know what he was supposed to do. This was a complication he hadn’t expected. 

With that, he turned and padded back to the sofa. Hopefully, Mahal would grace him with an answer sooner rather than later, for he wasn't at all certain he’d be able the resist the ever-present desire for Noelle that stirred within him and grew stronger with each beat of his heart. 

When she opened her eyes, sunlight streamed into her bedroom and for a moment, Noelle stared up at the ceiling, wondering if perhaps she’d only dreamed the previous day. After all, her dreams centering on Thorin had certainly become far more vivid and way more realistic with each passing day. Besides it made far more sense to think she’d only dreamed yesterday than to believe it could have actually happened. So then, it stood to reason that none of it actually happened, right?

“Otherwise, maybe I am crazy,” she muttered.

But it certainly didn't sound as if anyone else was in her apartment and it certainly didn't sound like a fictional dwarf from one of the greatest fantasy series in literature was moving about at all, since quiet wasn't necessarily Thorin’s strong suit when it came to navigating her world, or her apartment, which was far more close-quartered than his kingdom, as she recalled.

A sense of sadness settled over her as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It had been a nice dream, to be sure. And that same dull ache that always accompanied one of those Thorin dreams slowly filled her. Of course, reality just had to intrude. And reality just had to suck when it did.

The floor was cold beneath her feet, her toes curling against it as she rose and shoved first one foot, then the other, into her slippers. Her warm, fuzzy fleece robe lay draped over the foot of her bed, and she wasted no time in drawing it on. She kept the heat low as she’d done since moving into her first apartment, when her budget was nearly non-existent and she had to watch every dime. Since those days, her firm had grown in size and stature, and her bank account had grown alongside it and now she didn't have to worry about those dimes nearly as much. But old habits died hard and so her apartment was always cold on winter mornings until the heat kicked on. 

The remnants of her dream clung to her. The steamy kiss in Ian’s office that was far more realistic than any other kiss in any other dream she’d ever had still hummed through her. Who needed the apartment heat when her dream left her warmer than usual to begin with as she padded down the short hallway toward her kitchen? 

It was the soft snore that had her stopping dead in her tracks and staring at the sofa, where Thorin slept peacefully, the colorful quilt she’d set out for him tucked around his shoulders, so all she could see was his head. The Orcrist lay across her coffee table. His heavy leather and fur coat lay draped over the back of the overstuffed armchair by the windows, his boots at the chair’s feet. 

She stood there for a long moment. Part of her wanted to slip beneath the quilt, to stretch out alongside him, pressed tight against his solid body to keep from rolling right off the narrow sofa, and tuck her head against his chest. He would tighten his arms about her to hold her against him, and then his lips would find hers and—

“Stop it,” she whispered, forcing herself to continue on into the kitchen. “Nothing good will come of giving into some stupid lust, and you know it.”

Well, that wasn't exactly true. She knew from experience, the sex would be beyond good. It would be amazing, actually. For a man who claimed to have been a virgin the first time they slept together, Thorin had been anything but inept or clumsy. He didn't rush, but took his time exploring her as if utterly fascinated with her body and was determined that she experience the same pleasure he felt, which was a nice change of pace, really. No orgasm before or since him had been as powerful as the ones he gave and no pleasure scorched her the way the pleasure he gave did. 

In short, sex with him was the stuff of the most erotic dreams in existence. 

But it would also send him back to his realm and she wasn't stupid enough to believe he would ever find his way back to hers a third time. That he’d done so this time was an unexpected gift from the universe and she was not about to risk sending him back again, no matter how good it would feel.

She pushed the Keurig’s power button and then tugged open the drawer where she kept the coffee pods and pulled out a Cinnabon K-cup. Although she had a cabinet filled with coffee mugs, she used the same one—she’d bought at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a college trip, with a reproduction of Monet’s Haystacks on it—day after day and today was no exception as she set it on the Keurig’s tray. 

The scent of fresh coffee, tinged with cinnamon, rose as the cup filled and she was doctoring it with sugar and half-and-half when Thorin came sniffing his way into the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of him, even as her heart threatened to stop beating because of it, as he wore only what he called small clothes, which looked very similar to the boxer briefs most red-blooded women adorned on men. His hair was a silver-streaked tangle of black curls that spilled both over his shoulders and down his back, and also partway across his face. His eyes were heavy-lidded and he rubbed one as he said, “What is that?”

“So you still don’t have coffee in your world, huh?”

He offered up a sleepy smile that threatened to explode her ovaries even as he said, “We do not, no. I’d forgotten about it, to be honest.”

She passed him the mug. “Do you remember anything about being here?”

“A few things, but not much, no.”

“Do you remember shopping for clothes that won’t make me have to try convince everyone you’re a cosplayer and not about to run anyone through with Orcrist?”

His eyes clouded briefly but then a slow smile spread across his face and he nodded. “I remember zippers and the risk they posed to me.”

She couldn't help but chuckle. “If nothing else, that’s a good thing to remember. So, I guess that, like the first time you were here, we have to go shopping.”

“Is it a chore?”

“Well… yes and no. At least this time you won’t fight me on leaving Orcrist here.” As his eyes narrowed, she shook her head. “Because you won’t fight me on it. But at the same time, I don’t doubt women will drool over you every where we go.”

He grimaced. “That sounds unpleasant.”

“I know, right? But,” she couldn't hold back her sigh, “I have the feeling you won’t mind it nearly as much when you realize what I mean by it.”

He lifted the mug to his lips and took a sip. As he lowered it, he replied with all of the innocence of one who knew full he wouldn’t mind it at all, “I have the feeling you will mind it, though.”

She glared at him. “Not one bit. It just slows us down and I already hate shopping to begin with, so anything that slows the process is beyond annoying.” 

“Oh, of course.”

Noelle rolled her eyes as she turned away to make herself another cup of coffee. “Anyway, we need to figure out how to get you home again.” 

“I know one—”

“A way that doesn’t include my getting my heart smashed again, I mean.”

She pressed her lips tightly together. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out quite that way, and of course, once it was out there, she could neither take it back nor insist she meant it any other way. She’d shown him her hand, as the saying went, and made an ass of herself in the process. 

Ceramic clinked against the granite counter and she stiffened as he slid an arm about her waist. “You are the last person I wish to hurt, Noelle. I’ve the feeling I’ve already done so and that doesn’t sit well. To knowingly do so is unthinkable.”

Her eyes closed as he drew her back against him. The warmth of his embrace was one she hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever, and for a moment, her resolve wavered. She didn't reply right away, didn't trust herself to speak for a few moments. But when she did, she whispered, “I know.”

Her eyes squeezed shut on their own as he pressed a gentle kiss into the top of her head, then said, “If memory serves, you have a wonderful shower here. I should make use of it before we leave.”

He didn't wait for her to answer, but set his half-drunk coffee down and left the kitchen. A few minutes later, and she heard the squeak of the shower taps opening and despite her gray mood, she smiled. He certainly did remember. She only hoped he remembered that he preferred cold showers over steamy ones because she most definitely did not want to be forced to take a cold shower because he used up all the hot water. 

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Note: As of January 1, 2025, I will clean up my tag list, so if you'd like to continue to be tagged, please let me know. Otherwise, I'll assume you're no longer interested in receiving these notifications and will take you off the list. Thanks!

[themculibrary]

New Year's Fluff Masterlist

A Kiss Before Midnight (ao3) - stuckinthepast (theboybarnes) steve/bucky T, 1k

Summary: Steve and Bucky sneak out of the party early so they can be each others first kiss of the year, but can they wait until midnight?

All I Can Taste (ao3) - SailorChibi bucky/steve/tony/t'challa G, 2k

Summary: Tony thought he’d be spending New Year’s Eve alone.

He was wrong.

A New Beginning (ao3) - starksdummy bruce/clint G, 673

Summary: Bruce isn't looking forward to facing another New Year's Eve alone.

A New Start (ao3) - notvegs bucky/clint G, 1k

Summary: Bucky needs a new start for the new year and is surprised in who he finds it.

Fireworks (ao3) - shipskicksandgiggles harley/peter G, 1k

Summary: Spending New Year’s alone was perfectly fine with Peter. That changes when his best friend shows up at his door with a couple of glasses and a bottle of champagne

gonna show him i care (ao3) - allcolorsoftherainbow sam/bucky G, 4k

Summary: Based on the Tumblr prompt: “Character A is stuck working in a coffee shop on Christmas Day and Character B is the lonely soul spending their whole day there.”

i’d say i love you with my final breath (ao3) - wmthackeray druig/makkari N/R, 2k

Summary: He presses his forehead to hers and it’s like hundreds of years of tension simply drips off of her, and she feels lighter than ever. As if she could run through the entire universe – but she won’t, since she’s back in the place she likes best.

On the eve of a new millennium, Makkari decides she’s tired of celebrating alone. So she pays Druig a visit.

I'll Be So Blue Just Thinking About You (ao3) - bloodfest peter/thor T, 15k

Summary: All the lights and the music and the presents from Mantis' Christmas party had been nothing short of amazing, but Peter still found himself feeling like something was missing.

Or, more accurately, someone.

Just Another Day (ao3) - dreamerfound T, 340

Summary: Clint has no desire to celebrate the new year.

Next Year and Forever (ao3) - RiaRose steve/tony T, 9k

Summary: The Nomad Resort, owned by Steve Rogers, has become a home away from home for many of the world's elite. During the winter holidays, it hosts an ice exhibition with Olympic gold medalist Anthony Stark. He's done the show for five years running, despite everyone being confused as to why a world-class figure skater would want to do the same show over and over. Especially when he's invited to perform at bigger and better venues.

It just so happens that he and the resort owner have quite the crush on each other. They just don't realize the other feels the same.

New Year's Dance (ao3) - james clint/phil G, 451

Summary: Just a tiny snippet of Clint on New Year's.

Off the Mark (ao3) - brandnewfashion steve/tony T, 11k

Summary: In which Tony makes assumptions, and Steve disproves every single one of them.

Aka a “five times Steve surprised Tony, and one time Tony surprised Steve” story.

Reason for the Season (ao3) - TheologyDiscography bucky/brock M, 1k

Summary: Brock and Winter getting a peaceful moment together after a mission.

Resolved (ao3) - FestiveFerret steve/tony T, 3k

Summary: Okay. He just had to approach it like a mission. Objective: Kiss Tony Stark at midnight.

Smooth Like Velvet (ao3) - Rubick sam/bucky T, 5k

Summary: Steve hummed, taking a step back. “Sam is not going to know what hit him when he sees you.”

Bucky’s pulse spiked as he frowned at Steve. “What—What are you talking about? Why would I care what Sam thinks?”

Steve chuckled and looked at him the way Bucky had seen him look at Tony way too often—with a mixture of frustration and fondness. “Come on, Buck. You don’t have to hide it with me.”

~~~

It’s the Stark annual NYE bash, Bucky’s in a tux, and he’s not staring at Sam across the dance floor.

He’s totally not.

The Wine Thief (ao3) - LaraWinner darcy/loki G, 1k

Summary: A chance meeting and new beginnings.

Three, Two, One (ao3) - SailorChibi tony/stephen T, 2k

Summary: Tony throws a New Year’s Eve party to help Peter save face, never expecting that he’ll receive a kiss of his own from his crush at midnight.

Traditions (ao3) - JustJill clint/darcy T, 710

Summary: Clint and Darcy spend NYE together.

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? (ao3) - PlayItRight yelena/kate T, 8k

Summary: After the craziest Christmas of Kate Bishop’s life, she’s back home and ready to relax for the end of the year. But when Kate receives a text from a mysterious yet familiar unknown number, will New Year’s really be relaxing?

When Christmas Spirit knocks on your door (ao3) - MonsterinaCup peggy/steve G, 11k

Summary: When the spirit of Christmas decides to visit someone, it makes someone's life more interesting. Just ask Peggy, and she'll tell you her story.

When Saturday morning came, December 23, Peggy was ready to keep herself busy reviewing the cases she handled. Given that SHIELD Law firm is closed for the holidays until the 27th, Peggy is left with no choice but to take a break and find something to do for Christmas. Unfortunately, reading cases is the only thing Peggy could think of doing. Or so, she thought.

[training4theapocalypse]

Finders Keepers Ch 17. (Cormac McLaggen x fem!reader)

Rating: Explicit 18+

Word Count: 5.3k

Warnings: SMUT, PIV, a little bit rough but, like, in a romantic way, author once again refusing to acknowledge she has a hand covering mouth during sex kink

Summary: At Seafarer's Beacon you feel stuck in limbo. McLaggen is determined to do something to give you purpose again.

A/N: I'm sorry I teased a little subby moment with McLaggen at the end of the last chapter but this chapter took so many rewrites because it turns out I don't have a dominant bone in my body so you'll need to pretend it happened off-screen. Anyway...

Masterlist

Tag list: @countlambula, @ratsys, @aweidlich, @navs-bhat, @stainedpomegranatelips, @chiaraanatra, @xxvelvetxxxx, @ohnoitsrosie, @dracosisteer, @daisydark, @intense-sneezing, @lipstickandloveletters, @ichorai, @marmie-noir, @lolitstiana, @evabellasworld, @ivebeentrashsince2001, @xyzstar, (let me know if you want removed at any point btw!)

Chapter 17: Purpose

You spot a tiny white spatter on the t-shirt you’re wearing as you finish brushing your teeth before bed in the bathroom. It’s clean. Or at least was until your spearmint toothpaste marked it. Freshly laundered so it doesn’t smell like him in the way you’d prefer. The shoulders are too broad. The seams hang loosely around your arms. But the old Gryffindor Qudditch training top fits you like you’re wearing a piece of his soul.

“I’ve got toothpaste on your top,” you remark absently to McLaggen next door in the bedroom. 

It’s not like you’ve said something profound but when McLaggen doesn’t reply it sticks out like a splinter. You often bat snippets of unremarkable things to each other, like two beaters at bludger practice. If he finds something useful from a book from his uncle’s collection, he just reads it aloud and says “I should remember that,” instead of writing it down. As if imprinting the words on you means he’ll commit it to memory. 

But when he doesn’t fire something back, you open the bathroom door. He’s sitting shirtless in his plaid pyjama bottoms. Even though it’s the coldest Christmas Eve that you ever remember experiencing, your bedroom at the top of the lighthouse is warm. Heat from the hearth in the kitchen on the bottom floor rises the whole way through Seafarers Beacon, making everything feel warm and cosy. You tilt your head, waiting for him to lower the copy of this morning’s Daily Prophet but he doesn’t notice you standing in the doorway - he’s holding it so high that it’s covering his face.

“Are you still reading that?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

You glance at the white, frosty landscape outside the window as you wander over and climb into bed beside him, reading over his shoulder. The development he’s reading about isn’t significant - a short paragraph assuring the wizarding community that repairs to Azkaban are ongoing - but there’s a tiny quote from his dad that he read out to you this morning. And he’s been reading and re-reading all day, ever since his eyes first landed on it on the kitchen table while the rest of you were talking and buttering toast.

“I’m sorry you can’t see your mum and dad tomorrow.”

It’s not that you’ve been having an unpleasant time at Seafarer’s Beacon. But Christmas here has felt like a strained effort to replicate Christmas at home, or even, to some extent, Christmas at Hogwarts. Marietta has spent the past few days decorating the kitchen at the bottom landing of the lighthouse. Paper snowflakes whirl around the empty space in the middle of the empty space between the staircase spiralling around the outer walls and up the seven floors. 

“It’s fine,” McLaggen says and clears his throat. “I’m okay.”

“It’s not fine.” You rest your hand on his arm and he lets the Daily Prophet fall to his lap, still staring at the small paragraph with his dad’s words. “I wish I could see my mum and dad too - it’s okay for us to be sad about it.”

He nods. “I know - I miss them. Especially after reading about Dad today. But this time of year makes me… I - I dunno. It’s complicated. I still haven’t really forgiven him for handing you over.”

“Cormac -” you hesitate. “- your dad… he did what he had to do. I forgive him for choosing to save you and your family over me - someone who’s practically a stranger. I mean, if I was in his position…?”

He presses his palms hard into his eyes. Usually so bright and green, tonight they’re bloodshot. “You’d really make a choice like that?”

“All I know is that right now, I’d do whatever it takes to keep us safe.”

“All of us,” he affirms, sitting up properly.

“Well… yes -” You say slowly. “But if it comes to it, what I meant was you and I.”

“Don’t talk like that. We’re all in this together.”

“Cormac, you had to choose between me and Eddie when you had to get one of us out of Azkaban -”

“That was different.”

“Every single time we’re faced with a difficult decision it’s different. It was different for you. Different for your dad. We’re in the middle of a war and that’s how war is.”

McLaggen tosses the newspaper aside. “I just wish we could do something. Something to win the war. I feel useless stuck in here.”

“I don’t think there is.” 

Because you’ve already racked your brains. You and McLaggen have had this conversation several times already.

Both breakouts from Azkaban have rendered you almost completely isolated from the outside world. Now that Marietta and McLaggen are both assumed kidnapped, your insider knowledge of the Ministry has been shut off. With Krum and Davies here, you’ve got no idea what’s happening internationally. The only real source of information you have that isn’t Ministry propaganda is Potterwatch, and aside from reporting deaths and other swathes of bad news, they don’t seem to have much more information than you do holed up here.

“What about the snatchers they mentioned on Potterwatch? Couldn’t we go after them?” he asks.

“And what are we supposed to do with them? We can’t hand them in to the aurors. It’s not like they’re doing anything illegally - this is all Ministry sanctioned,” you remind him.

“I was more thinking along the lines of teaching them a lesson.”

“What? Like, kill them?” you raise an eyebrow.

“Nah just scare them - rough them up a little.”

“Cormac,  we’re not gonna start dealing out vigilante justice. And especially not when half of us are Undesirables. It could go seriously wrong.” You tilt your head, feeling slightly worried that being so cooped up, being away from his parents and the rest of the outside world is making him want to behave recklessly. “And you’re supposed to be kidnapped, remember? If you’re seen outside again people will get suspicious. All we can do is wait,” you say softly, touching your lips against his bare shoulder. “Wait here and stay safe.” 

He shakes his head. “We should be training. Like when Potter was in charge of Dumbledore’s Army. Duelling. Practising defensive spells. If we’re prepared then maybe, just maybe, none of us will have to make a difficult choice about who to save.” 

You nod and rest your head on your white down pillow, looking at him as you lie on your side. “Let’s start the day after tomorrow. First thing on Boxing Day.” 

“Yeah?” He cocks an eyebrow as if he was worried you’d think it was another bad idea. 

“Yeah, it’ll give us something useful to do - I’m kind of sick of doing nothing.” You sigh. “Being here has made me realise how slowly time passes without Quidditch… I wish there was enough room to fly properly.”

Cormac rests his head on the pillow too, lying on his back and looking up at the curved, coral ceiling thoughtfully. His brow is slightly furrowed in concentration. 

“I could try to work out how to extend the perimeter of the Fidelius Charm?”

“You can do that?” You blink. Your heart soars at the idea that you might be able to feel the wind in your hair again.

“I mean, it definitely won’t be easy but - yeah, I think so. I’ll get it sorted if it’d make you happy. Who knows how long this war will last? You might as well have someplace to fly.”

God, he’s so sweet. 

You don’t say anything else. You don’t need to. Instead you curl into the crook of his arm and you both drift off. You, wrapped in his arms as your dreams take you to the sky once more. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Training breathes new life into Seafarer’s Beacon. Everyone is invigorated by the opportunity to do something that isn’t just lounging around, existing. You’re Dumbledore’s Army, after all. You’re part of the resistance.

McLaggen and Eddie spend days working out how to do an extremely complex piece of magic to extend the perimeter of the Fideleus charm so you have space to fly. You think you could cry when you get onto your broom and fly properly for the first time since your mission to Azkaban. 

Marietta gets to work transfiguring a scarecrow into a working duelling dummy and creating so many duplicates you feel like you’re facing a small army when you step into the garden one spring afternoon.

Cho scours the Daily Prophet - her curious intellect and keen eye for detail help her read between the lines to make sense of what’s really happening. She sends coded letters with her theories to Lee Jordan so he can confirm them with his contacts and inform Potterwatch listeners. You all huddle around the radio every other night and you squeeze her hand when Lee’s reporting follows her leads.

Katie and Leanne find that there’s more than just fiction in McLaggen’s uncle’s old bookcase and find an extensive collection of defensive spells and healing potions that can be used in combat. They forage herbs in the lighthouse’s magical garden and order rarer potion ingredients by owl post.

You, Krum and Davies, put everyone through flying drills until even Marietta is confident on a broom. Everyone practises casting curses while flying - it’s much harder to keep balance than it looks. When Krum finds out just how talented a Seeker Cho is, you can practically see little hearts forming in his eyes. When you toss an apple her way one day in the kitchen and she catches it one-handed without even looking, you think Krum might propose to her then and there. 

Even as the months slip by, the Ministry is taking your threat about breaking into Azkaban again seriously. There have been no more Muggleborns sent to prison. And you tell yourself that as long as you’re here, and the Ministry knows you’ll retaliate, you’re doing something to help win this war.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“See anything?” asks McLaggen, one late May evening as the two of you finish clearing up the garden after duelling practice. You can hear the others in the kitchen having final cups of tea before bed except for Cho who had to run upstairs to wash her hair after you sent such a powerful disarming spell your way that she’d ended up flat on her back in the rather muddy vegetable patch.

“I think something might have cracked a window pane on the greenhouse?” You suggest as you wave your wand over a heavily battered and burned duelling dummy. “Reparo!”

“On it,” says McLaggen, wandering over to assess the damage. “...I can’t see anything” He calls from behind the greenhouse. 

“I definitely heard something smash,” you say, frowning at a slightly squashed courgette in the vegetable patch and making a mental note to cast a protective charm over them next time you’re practising in the garden. “I hope it’s not one of the lighthouse windows.”

You follow the garden path around past the greenhouse to find McLaggen standing at the other side of Seafarer’s Beacon, pointing his wand at a window. Beautiful, warm light cascades across his handsome face. It’s late evening but the sun still hasn’t set. 

“Found it. It was a window. Easily fixed though,” he says, lowering his wand and turning to face you. “You’re getting much better at duelling by the way. That last one with Cho was pretty evenly matched.”

“I’m just glad I’m not the worst anymore. I think I’m better than Marietta now. Maybe Eddie too - on a good day.”

“Not everything has to be a competition,” laughs McLaggen before kissing the top of your head and pulling you into his chest.

“That’s easy for you to say when you’re winning. You’re the best at duelling,” you grumble, although you’re not jealous. The thought is a comforting one, you think as you close your eyes and inhale his dark, spicy scent.

“No, I think Krum is probably the best,” says McLaggen thoughtfully.

You look up at him. “Y’know when I first met you, I don’t think you’d ever have admitted someone was better than you at something,” you tease.

He chuckles softly. The garden hums with the sounds of nature as McLaggen holds you to his chest and stares out at the amber sky as the sun sets over the sea, interrupted only by the distant echo of laughter from the kitchen from inside - the unmistakable noises of the others joking together before they retire to bed. 

“Thank you for doing all this,” you tell him. Just being on a broom has - ironically - grounded you. It’s made everything feel alright again. And now that you’re spending every day outside in the fresh air and every night insight surrounded by your new found family, the shadows of Azkaban have long left your face. 

“It wasn’t just me. Eddie helped with the Fidelius Charm -”

“Not just the Fidelius Charm. For giving us all purpose again. And somewhere safe to stay.” 

“It’s my Uncle’s house -”

"You know -" you cut across him, " - when you volunteered to apparate home with Mary Cattermole, I was furious with you because I was scared." Your eyes meet his green ones, finding the warmth and strength that’s become so familiar. "But I should have expected it from you. You always go way beyond what any ordinary person would do in that sort of situation. And I mean, for goodness sake, who else out there can say their boyfriend got them out of Azkaban?"

McLaggen exhales in an embarrassed sort of way and turns his head back from the window. “It’s not - I mean when you say it like that it sounds much more impressive than it is. I’m just doing what anyone else would do. ”

"Most people would save their own skin.” You put your hand directly above his heart, feeling it beating through his chest. "That fact we’re all still alive isn’t because of this lighthouse. It's because of who you are,” you tell him fiercely.

You look up at him, bathed in the warm light from the sun against the backdrop of the whitewashed lighthouse. He looks down at you with an oddly reminiscent look on his face.

“You’re more like yourself again.”

You nod. The past few months have made you feel like you’re the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain again. You love getting to fly with Cho and Davies again. It’s just like old times. But you never dreamed you’d be flying with Viktor Krum, never mind have him actually take direction from you when you yell mid-air about flying formations for combat. 

Cormac curls a finger under your chin and kisses you. You link your arms around his neck, pulling yourself close to him. Everything slots together perfectly. Well, almost perfectly - you need to stand on your tiptoes but to you, that just makes him more perfect. Like he’s your missing piece of a puzzle.

He parts his lips and your tongue finds his. Your fingers become entwined in Cormac’s messy curls as you press your hips into his. The world outside the Fidelius Charm might be chaotic, fraught with fear and devastation and death but in this pretty, seaside garden where the evening light warms your back as you kiss Cormac, you have the sanctuary of each other. 

Cormac’s large hands roam the curve of your waist under your t-shirt and you feel callouses on his palms and fingertips from so much flying and duelling. And you know he believes if you all train enough none of you will ever fall in the war. He trains so hard because he thinks that if he does when the time comes, he can protect everyone. Save everyone. 

And you hope beyond hope that you’ll never need to put your training to use. But you’ve been listening to Potterwatch every night. The tone has been subtly shifting since your giggled huddling and listening back before Christmas. You know things are getting worse out there. Something in the air tells you that you’re going to have to act - and soon. 

But not right now.

Right now all you want to think about is each other.

“You know, you don’t have to be so selfless all the time,” you say, unfastening Cormac’s belt and getting to your knees on the grass in front of him. Fuck, he looks even taller like this. 

He wastes no time helping you and pulls his cock out from his boxers. You blink up at him, taking a shuddering breath when you see him - already thick and hard and ready for you. Even after all this time together, your stomach flips when you’re reminded that his cock is just as beautiful as he is. You take him in your hands and place tiny kisses along the underside of his length.

“You can let me do things too,” you whisper, his tip just brushing your lips as you breathe the words. Cormac leans his head back against the curved exterior wall. 

You can’t take your eyes off him as you slowly wrap your lips around his head and circle it with your warm, hot tongue. The light makes every hair visible on the small strip of skin on his lower abdomen, shining and golden. The tiny freckles on his arms are getting darker now the early summer sun has been cascading down on you while you’ve been training in the garden.

“Fuck, you’re so pretty,” he tells you, threading his hands through your hair. He’s messing it up but the ache between your legs is pulsing too pleasantly for you to care. It would almost be distracting if you weren’t so preoccupied with sucking and swirling your tongue around him. “My pretty girl.”

You stare up at him with wide eyes as he swallows thickly and leans his head back. His adam’s apple is visible as he swallows back a steadying breath. Just seeing him enjoying the feel of your hot, wet mouth makes you moan around him. The vibrations make his eyes snap back towards you just in time for him to watch you swallow his entire length down your throat. His grip tightens in your hair when he bottoms out and lets out a groan.

You don’t hold back. You press your head down as much as you can, blocking your own airways and feeling saliva dripping down your chin as his cock fills your mouth up. Cormac gently pulls back, letting you briefly take a gulp of air but the way you eagerly take him again makes him pant harder, his shoulders rising and falling with his breathing as you work your mouth. 

“Fuck, let me fuck you.” You detach from him with a gasp and shake your head, blinking back tears. His grip tightens. “I don’t want to cum. Not yet.”

“Be selfish for once. Finish here. Please,” you say through laboured pants as you jerk him off in your hand and present your tongue. You go to take him in your mouth again but he grabs your upper arm.

“I am being selfish.” Cormac hoists you to your feet. Before you know it, you’re being spun around and pressed up against the wall. You feel the bumpy whitewash paint under your palms when he whispers in your ear from behind. “You think I want to fuck you as a favour to you or something?”

His hands unbutton your jeans and he pulls them and your underwear down over your ass. You’re able to turn your head just enough to see him casting his eyes over your body with that appraising smirk that makes you fold every fucking time you see it. It’s been over a year and a half since that stupidly gorgeous dimpled smile made you feel butterflies in a way you hadn’t expected. Just that look is still enough to make you feel like you’ve been knocked off your broom.

And to him, the way you look right this second - dishevelled and pouting because you’re not getting your own way - is equally captivating. Everyone thinks you’re the loud, domineering one in the relationship and that it’s him who goes along with whatever you say. But Cormac doesn’t care what they think because he knows the truth of it. Even when you take the reins, climbing on top of him or setting the pace, all it takes is a single whispered word from him, or his hand gently guiding you at your lower back that keeps your dynamic exactly how he likes it. 

And here you are once again, as malleable as if he’s used a softening charm on you. 

Before you realise what’s happening Cormac’s tongue sucks your earlobe as he presses your body between his and the wall. You open your mouth to argue but instead take a sharp inhale when he slaps your ass, followed quickly by his hands groping and massaging all over your body - going from squeezing your backside to groping your tits and back again like he doesn’t have enough hands to touch you everywhere he wants to at once.

“I - I wanted to make you cum with my mouth,” you complain as he pushes your bra up to pinch your nipple between two fingers but you don’t protest any further - you’re too turned on to care. From how flush he’s pressed against you, you can feel his hard cock pressed up against your backside, wet with your saliva and his precum. 

You’d think after a hard day of training, Cormac would be exhausted - that he’d have no testosterone left in his body. But you know from experience over the past few months that this isn’t the case. You’re not sure whether it’s seeing you fight that turns him on or if his ego is slightly bruised from having Krum as fierce duelling competition - either way, he comes to bed most evenings murmuring sweet things in your ear and slipping his Gryffindor training tshirt off our your body before you’ve barely had a chance to wear it.

This evening is only different because he can’t wait until you’re back in your bedroom to have you. He kisses your neck and draws the tips of his fingers along your slit, dragging your wetness over your clit. 

“I couldn’t let that happen. Not when all I can think about is how wet this cunt is for me,”

You let out a low, shaky breath. Fuck, you love it when he gets in this mood. He’s so filthy. Talking to you like how you sort of expected he would when you first met him. Before you found out how sweet and soft he is. 

Usually.

Fuck.

Your legs twitch involuntarily when Cormac drags the pad of his middle finger across your clit and dips it through your sopping-wet folds. You can’t move much but you can’t stop your hips from grinding with his fingers, chasing the feeling of him toying with you. 

“Yes. Ah fuck - yes,” you squeal as he draws the words from you with his touch.

“Shh, shh, shh…” He soothes, tutting gently. He pulls his wet fingers back over your clit, swirling in circles around the throbbing clutch of nerves. “The others are through the wall. You need to be quiet.”

As if testing you, his wet strokes over your clit pick up pace - his calloused fingers feel so deliciously wet and rough all at once. You whine pathetically. 

“Can’t you - oh, god, can’t you cast a sound-dampening charm?” you whimper, your fingers searching for something to grip. Your palms just claw helplessly against the surface of the exterior wall as his chest presses into your back. 

“I don’t think so. I think you need to show me you can be good.”

You squirm but there’s nowhere you can move while you’re pressed between him and the wall. “I will. I’ll do whatever you say,” you pant. The pads of Cormac’s fingers continue pressing circles the pressure building inside you as your walls clamp around nothing. You need him - you need his fingers, his cock - fuck, anything inside you. “Just fuck me. Please, Cormac.”

You know the drill. You know he loves hearing his name. Having you beg for his cock. And you’re running out of time - your twitching and convulsing is picking up pace. “Q-q-quick, please, I want to cum on your cock.”

Cormac’s hands leave your body so he can take his cock and tease you between your folds. You feel the tip of his cock at your entrance and whine. Fuck, you need to cum. You bring your hand between your legs to start rubbing yourself in his absence but he moves your hand out of the way.

“Keep your hands where they were.”

You place your palms flat against the wall, splaying your fingers, and feel your knees buckle when Cormac sheathes himself into you with one forceful roll of his hips. 

He curls one arm around your chest and the other slips down your body to play with your clit as he jerks his hips up, each thrust sends his hips smacking against your skin.

The burning ache in your pelvis crackles and fizzes inside you while Cormac fucks you. Your hands scrabble against the wall and you feel chalky, white paint crumbling under your fingernails as the walls of your cunt spasm, grateful for Cormac’s long, thick cock to grip onto.

“Fuckfuckfuck-” The curse tumbles from your lips. You’re so boxed in that your cheek presses against the rough surface of the wall. All you can do is close your eyes and fucking take the way that Cormac is brutally slamming himself into your tight heat while his hand dances perfect, rhythmic circles over your clit. 

You seize up and cry out and the arm that Cormac had wrapped around your chest claps over your mouth, pulling your head back and dampening your wailing. “Let it all out for me - quietly,” he growls in your ear.

There’s a drop like when you descend in the air on your broom too quickly - your body reacting after your brain. Your core plummets and everything implodes as you sob against his palm, melting into his touch. 

“Good - that’s it, baby,” he says, more softly this time as your orgasm, blinding hot, makes your cunt convulse and clamp around him.

You cum so hard that you think your legs give way - you can’t tell because his strong body pushing yours against the wall keeps you upright. Tingles spasm from your core right down the backs of your thighs. 

Cormac groans too. He moves his hand from your mouth so he can push his hips against your ass and shove his twitching cock as far as it can go inside you. When you whisper his name shakily and tell him you love him, he’s done for. Warmth floods your insides as he cums, filling you up as he grunts into the column of your throat against your racing pulse. 

Even as you’re pressed up against the wall with his cum leaking out of you, you feel like he belongs here with you. Not in the lighthouse - or against the lighthouse - necessarily. Just here. Inside you. With nothing but the sounds of your heaving breathing and waves crashing against the cliffs in the distance to interrupt you. 

Eventually, his mouth breaks into a smile against your skin and his laugh tickles your neck. 

“What’s so funny?” you ask.

“We’ve got a perfectly good bed upstairs and we’re still sneaking around like we used to do under the Quidditch stands at school.”

He pulls out of you carefully and offers you his t-shirt to clean up the mess. You decide it’d be less conspicuous to wash your jeans and underwear in the laundry tomorrow morning than for McLaggen to return back inside suddenly missing a t-shirt.

“We never did that under the Quidditch stands,” you say, turning around and leaning your back against the wall so you can button up your jeans. “We’d have been expelled if we were caught.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure Madam Hooch would have been totally fine if she caught us just doing hand stuff,” he grins.

“Well, we were stupid back then,” you laugh.

“It was fun though. I kind of miss those Quidditch stands.”

“Even when we’re old and married and I’m winning the Quidditch World Cup. I’ll want to meet you under the stands afterwards to celebrate.”

“Yeah, right. If I wait for Scotland to win the Quidditch World Cup for our next fumble under the stands, I’ll die without ever doing it again.”

“You really think I won’t go out of my way to win the Quidditch World Cup just to prove you wrong?”

“Anyone else? No. But you? I’m counting on it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you quietly come back inside the back door to the empty kitchen, you insist on making a cup of tea for yourself and a cup of coffee for McLaggen while he goes upstairs - you insisted that he needs to let you do something for him for once. That beautiful post-sex warmth nestles into your chest and makes between your legs ache pleasantly. Nothing can go wrong when you feel like this. You boil the kettle and set to finding yours and McLaggen’s favourite mugs in the cupboard when a yell from upstairs makes you nearly jump out of your skin.

“Cho?!” It’s McLaggen’s voice. The urgency in his voice makes the hair stand up on the back of your arms.

You run to the bottom of the spiral staircase and skid to a halt, looking up at all the seven floors winding above you. You crane your neck upwards to see McLaggen on the topmost floor looking over the bannister - a small, gold something glints in his hand. A galleon?

“Cormac? Did you see?” Katie’s head appears diagonally across from McLaggen on the floor below. She looks down at you standing in the middle of the kitchen and then up to McLaggen at the top of the lighthouse.

“Whazgoin’on?” yawns Davies, coming out of his bedroom opposite Katie’s. “Are the others back from Puddlemere?”

“Not yet. But they’re about to be.” Leanne pads out onto the landing directly above you in her pyjamas, closely examining a galleon in the palm of her hand. “Merlin’s pants…” 

“Mine just came through too!” Marietta too appears outside her bedroom door, followed by a bleary-eyed Carmichael. She looks up at Katie, Davies and McLaggen.

“Guys, this is it,” says Cho leaning over the bannister across from McLaggen. Krum curiously joins her, looking equally as puzzled as you are.

“Can someone please explain what is going on!?” you bellow from the bottom of the staircase as if calling everyone to attention in Quidditch practice.

“It’s our coins from when we were in the D.A. The old D.A., I mean,” says Marietta. “It’s what we used to find out when the next meetings were.”

“And? What do they say?”

“It’s Neville Longbottom. He says they’re getting ready to fight at Hogwarts and that we’ve to join them,” says Cho.

“Fight?” Your stomach drops. “Fight who? Why?”

“Only one way to find out,” McLaggen replies as you look up at him in disbelief.

He nods at you reassuringly and you take a deep breath. This is what you’ve been preparing for after all, right? It’s not just pretend. You’re simultaneously more and less prepared than when you broke into Azkaban. You’re much better in combat now but god, you need a plan. More details. Something you can control.

You nod. “Alright. Well, we’ll get some rest and meet up first thing tomorrow with Wood and the others so we can come up with -”

“No,” says McLaggen. “Now. They’re fighting now. We need to leave. Right now.”

You look up at him. Absurdly, all you can think now is that you really need to change your jeans.

Chapter 18: Calling

[myrsinemezzo]

Wip titles game:

Thanks for the tag from @stitchingatthecircuitboard @femininefearless @thecoziestbean and @conundrumoftime. I feel very loved and like I should do this for some accountability that I sorely and clearly need.

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

1. If She Says Come Inside, I’ll Come Inside For Her (Haladriel) Modern au sequel to The Nicest Parts of Hell. It’s the dysfunctional Christmas at the Noldors with a scheming Hal and a soon to be scheming Gal

2. Like Real People Do (Haladriel) Victorian au with artist Galadriel pulled into an underworld of vice at the hands of Halbrand and his partner in crime Shelob

3. Across That Fine Line (Haladriel) Canon AU about to start part III of this behemoth and our heroes are trying to set up Lothlorien despite their emotional estrangement

4. Beauty Enough to Shelter the Soul (Aronwyn) Arondir watches the village of Tirharad and befriends two generations of village Healers

5. Be Like the Love That Discovered the Sin (Haladriel) sequel to cult AU. Galadriel tries to survive and escape Halbrand and the Sisters’ clutches

6. What Kind of Man Loves Like This (Haladriel) Jason & Medea AU where Halbrand and Galadriel are bound by blood magic and never go to Eregion after saving the Southlanders

7. The Hour of Ecstasy (Haladriel) based on a Death and the Maiden art song by Mussorgsky, Galadriel pines away in her home with Celeborn after hearing a song by a mysterious figure that she can’t forget

8. My Loathing Star (Haladriel) just as ancient as The Hour of Ecstasy or an Ent - aka two years - Sauron steals Galadriel away from Eregion and takes her as his hostage to Mordor

Oh god… I’ll tag @oroniel @klynnvakarian @wyrd-syster @myfavouritelunatic @bad-surprise @breakaway71 @lisenberry @softlighter No pressure, lovelies, and always feel free to pretend I tagged you because I don’t know who has done this yet!

[tellmegoodbye]

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

You sent me two asks (not sure if it was on purpose) so you get two spicy snippets! Merry Christmas!

Caring was easy to do. It was natural for him, so why couldn't he care for his own wounds? His mind and body conspired to turn his hands into vessles for punishment, to inflict a kind of pain he'd never wish on another soul. Carlos' hands are healing in a way TK's couldn’t be. They're loving as they touch him. They work methodically, pulling black rope over chilled skin, tying his hands down and coaxing his body into submission. Submission to love. To self-worth. To self-respect. To forgiveness. He may not be able to love himself right now, but Carlos relieves him of that very duty when he finishes the last knot and presses a kiss to TK's forhead. "Is this comfortable?" he asks, his voice gentle as it settles over TK's body like a weighted blanket. "TK. Answer me."

[willshookaspear]

NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE - 40: not by blood.

Snippet of Chapter 40: not by blood

"Merry Christmas!" Josie shouted as she opened the front door. Sarah came running as soon as she heard her best friend's voice. "Oh my god, you're back!" she exclaimed and pulled Josie in for a hug. "I was worried you would miss Christmas. How did it go?"

He drilled his eyes into hers, waiting for an answer to his question.Did you love me. Or do you love me?His chest was heavy like it had been so many times for the past few months. An invisible weight suffocated his breathing and lay barren his soul. She could make or break him at this moment. This was the moment where he found out if he would have to cope with existing in this world without her.When he'd opened the door he'd thought he was dreaming for a second. He couldn't believe that she was standing in his apartment right now.And why was she taking so fucking long to answer?

Here was Rafe Cameron, telling her that he loved her.It had been milliseconds since he asked the question. It was like Josie's mind and body overflowed. She had so much to say to him. And she couldn't possibly put what she felt for him into words. 'Love' seemed an understatement. But when she realized she hadn't yet replied, she let out a small breath through her agape mouth and shook her head, as if shaking off all the irrelevant thoughts until she could only get that one sentence out. The one sentence that mattered. The one he needed to hear. And she needed to say. "Jo..." Rafe started, hope draining from his face, leaving it pale, torn. She exhaled sharply and jumped the ledge. "I love you." Rafe's eyes met hers, slightly narrowed as if he was trying to decipher if he heard right. "You love me?"

"Ehm," Josie started and brushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear. She was interrupted when Rafe barged through the door with all their luggage, and the numerous bags of Christmas presents they'd picked up on the way. "Jesus fucking Christ," he muttered as she dropped it all on the floor and sighed out. When he saw Sarah and Josie looking amused at him he smiled in proper holiday spirit and walked up to them. "I see you got your puppy dog with you," Sarah said and stuck her tongue out at her big brother. Then she turned to Josie, face full of excitement. "So, what do you wanna do tonight?"

"I don't mind. Got anything planned?" Josie asked as she slipped off her jacket and hung it up. 

"I'm glad you asked," Sarah stated firmly and dug out a crumpled up piece of paper from her back pocket and smoothed it out on her thigh. "Since you've never had an Outer Banks Christmas, I made a list of all the Tannyhill traditions we have to do. Rafe?" Sarah turned to her brother and waved the list in the air. "You in?"

Rafe just shook his head with a smirk and wrapped his arms around Josie's waist, leaning his chin into her shoulder. "Whatever, Sarah. From now on, I go wherever Jo goes."

Sarah couldn't help but form a sneaky smile as she pointed a finger at them. "Please, the whole family is here for Christmas. I'm not gonna be the first one on this holiday to mention how you're basically cousins." And at that comment, Rafe and Josie at the same time let out, "Not by blood!"

AO3: NOT BY BLOOD | RAFE CAMERON by willshookaspear

[jules-has-notes]

Aca Top 10: Disney Villains — VoicePlay music video

Many actors contend that it's more fun to play baddies who get to indulge their darker desires without regret. The same often applies in musicals, whether they're on stage or screen. Disney knows how to craft a good villain song. These are some of their most fun, slick, seductive, and dastardly.

Details:

title: Aca Top 10 – Disney Villains

original songs / performers: "Friends on the Other Side" by Keith David as Doctor Facilier in The Princess and the Frog (2009); [0:33] "Mother Knows Best" by Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel in Tangled (2010); [0:50] "Trust In Me" by Sterling Holloway as Kaa in The Jungle Book (1967); [1:08] "The Siamese Cat Song" by Peggy Lee as Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp (1955); [1:28] "Oogie Boogie's Song" by Ken Page as Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993); [1:52] "Cruella De Vil" by Bill Lee as Roger Radcliffe in 101 Dalmatians (1961); [2:16] "Gaston" by Jesse Corti as LaFou & Richard White as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (1991); [2:50] "Hellfire" by Tony Jay as Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996); [3:06] "Poor Unfortunate Souls" by Pat Carroll as Ursula in The Little Mermaid (1989); [3:25] "Be Prepared" by Jeremy Irons as Scar in The Lion King (1994)

written by: "Friends on the Other Side" by Randy Newman; "Mother Knows Best" by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater; "Trust In Me" by Robert & Richard Sherman; "The Siamese Cat Song" by Peggy Lee & Sonny Burke; "Oogie Boogie's Song" by Danny Elfman; "Cruella De Vil" by George Bruns & Mel Leven; "Gaston" by Alan Menken & Howard Ashman; "Hellfire" by Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz; "Poor Unfortunate Souls" by Howard Ashman & Alan Menken; "Be Prepared" by Elton John & Tim Rice

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci & Layne Stein

release date: 22 March 2019

My favorite bits:

Layne kicking things off with scampering percussion before settling into a swingy groove

J.None showing off his smooth lower range

the vibratto Earl puts on that final high ♫ "motheeer" ♫

both Eli and Layne doing snaky hand motions during "Trust In Me" 🐍

Geoff's big bass drops on ♫ "ey-yyyes" ♫ and the final ♫ "meee" ♫

that crunchy harmony on ♫ "don't pleeease" ♫

all the shenanigans with the tiny kitty figurine 🐈

getting a preview of the "Oogie Boogie" production to come

that funky take on the second half of "Cruella"

the back row's dubious reactions to Geoff asserting his intimidation factor in "Gaston" as Layne fixes his hair

the extended transition — ♫ "Gimme hip-to-hip" ♫ ::Eli and J start flossing:: 🕺 "Chapstick!" ::Earl holds up a tube::

the clever coordination of ♫ "[tur]-ning me to" ♫ and ♫ "number two" ♫ at the end of "Hellfire"

Layne's bubbly percussion during "Poor Unfortunate Souls"

Earl getting annoyed at J and Eli joining him on the lyrics of "Be Prepared" before they return to harmonies

the three octave unison between Geoff and Earl

that nice clean ending

Trivia:

○ VoicePlay had recorded or performed several of these songs before.

They did a full version of "Cruella de Vil" in collaboration with Disney for the Diamond Edition release of 101 Dalmatians on Blu-ray. They also included an excerpt in their aca-Disney medley to celebrate 20 years of Disney shows on Broadway.

"Gaston" is part of their Beauty and the Beast medley, Tale As Old As Time, on their 2012 album "Once Upon an Ever After". (They also later included it on their 2024 compilation album "VoicePlay Villains".)

"Be Prepared" is part of their "OUaEA" Lion King medley, The King Has Returned. (That's also where the snippet over the end screen is from.)

"Mother Knows Best" was part of "The Story of Rapunzel" that they performed at Disney World's 2015 Social Media Moms Celebration.

○ They had also previously created a shorter villains medley including several of these songs for Jonathan Freedman as part of their Disney Sessions collaboration with the Aladdin stage cast.

○ Since this video was released, the guys have recorded longer versions of several more of these tunes.

"Friends on the Other Side" was their Halloween video for 2021, as well as their first reunion with J.None after he left to join the U.S. Navy Band.

"Oogie Boogie's Song" was their Halloween video later in this year.

"Poor Unfortunate Souls" was included in their Little Mermaid medley with Rachel Potter a year and a half later.

"Hellfire" was their Halloween video in 2023, also with J.None as the featured guest.

Geoff did a short of "Trust In Me" on his solo channel in 2024.

○ The guys' shirts are once again thematically appropriate.

Eli — Darth Vader from Star Wars in the style of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" drawing

Earl — the face of Hades from Hercules in blue and purple linework with yellow eyes and teeth, surrounded by blue flames, all with a glow effect meant to imitate neon lights

J.None — a full-body portrait of Claude Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame with one hand extended to the side (I couldn't find the exact design, but I found one that's somewhat close and did a bit of editing to get it closer.)

Geoff — the stylized face of Scar from The Lion King

Layne — Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog mirrored in the style of a playing card, with glowing red cards floating near his outstretched fingers and his name on a banner across the middle

○ Geoff later mentioned in his interview on The Charismatic Voice that he'd considered auditioning for Gaston at Disney World when he worked there, but that the guys who play the role are usually four to six inches taller than him due to the costume and choreography required.

○ They garnered a bit of praise from prolific a cappella arranger Rob Dietz, who they'd met during The Sing-Off, and who would become a frequent collaborator in a few years.

○ An artist fan was inspired to create a gender bent version of Cruel-Layne De Vil.

drawing by rtlndr_ on Instagram

○ The boys busted out some of their best evil laughs to further entertain their social media followers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

○ This is the final entry in a mini-series within their "Aca Top 10" series, which was preceded by countdowns for "Disney Heroes" and "Disney Sidekicks" over the previous year and a half.

[ad-astra-per-aspera-1389]

WIP FOLDER GAME

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Saw @myloveforhergoeson do one of these, and mine absolutely have to go under a cut bc there's so many. They're still sorted by fandom, but I'm deleting the headers, and the fandom descriptors on the crossovers

Keep in mind this spans about 20 fandoms, and about 4 or 5 are original concepts instead of fanfic wips, but here's the titles!

CBJ

If It’s All You Do (Wake Up)

A Hundred Thrown-Out Speeches (I Almost Said to You)

When I Fell Down (You’d Be There Holding Me Up)

Butterfly Effect?

Other two parts to Saving Captain Rogers

Other four parts to the Road Trip Series

Wedding _______ AU

Daughter of the Regiment AU

Butterflies (After All This Time)

Every Day That I’m With You

Crying in the Windemere Peaks: Russia Edition

The Making of the Winter Soldier: as Told Through Music

Carrousel AU

What If…Bucky Lived, and Steve Actually Gave Peggy His Coordinates

Geometrical Wonder

Christmas Mourning

Until We Find Our Way

No More Counting Dollars (We’ll Be Counting Stars)

I Just Wanna Stay (In That Lavender Haze)

Must Have Been Dreaming

This Endgame is the One

I Know Who You Are

If You Had the Chance to Change Your Fate…Would You?

Do You Have a Master Plan?

On a Wednesday in a Café

3 AM

18 • 21 • 26 • 1971

What if…Bucky Barnes lost his mind instead of his arm?

The Falcon, The Witch, and the Soldier

Desert in My Blood (Storm in Your Eyes)

Widowmom AU

When the Sun Came Up

With My Father in a Casket (I Had No Plans)

Ag Spider-Man timeline

Across the 2nd Spider Dimension

Forgive Me Peter (Please Know That I Tried)

MSM DPS AU

Fixing dead man's party

Harry Osborn's Government Mandated Villain Arc

SpiderChat fic

Woke Up in London Yesterday (To My Friends In New York…)

Other Crossovers

Revolting Children | Revolting Times

BTR x House MD

Just Remember Me (When It Turns Out Right)

House x mcu x mighty med crackfic

L.A. Is Ours

I’ll Be Fine

thundermans x lab rats

I Am…Marcus

Danger Rats

Thalassic Arson

-> Fickle Sunsets & Faulty Barricades

-> Jo & Joe

-> …the other, what? 7 parts?

-> Rewriting Can You See Right Through Me?

Big Time Peculiars

-> Main work

-> Elementals + Century III Mall Mystery

-> Set of Casper scenes [An Invisible’s Guide…]

Gotta Find Your Place (AU)

Marvelous

Betrothed to Another

We Showed ‘Em All Up

Making it Shine (Again)

Us Traitors Never Win

Stronger Than the Drinks at the Bar (Drunk on Something)

Such Wonderful Things Surround You (Here on the Ocean Floor)

Sirens and the Beat of Your Heart

Post-Break Out Scene

Big Time Royalty

All the City Lights on the Water

We’re Stars and We’re Beautiful (A Little Bit Clearer)

BTR TOH AU

Gemstones & Heroics

Clean Up on Aisle 13!

Everything Comes Back to You

It’s So Romantic in Paris (In the City of Love)

Are You Still the Same Soul I Met Under the Bleachers?

We’ll Never Make Your Parents’ Mistakes

A Love and Hate Relationship With LA

In the Cracks of Light (I Dreamed of You)

When it All Melts Down (I’ll Be There)

Time Wasn’t In Our Favor

Escapism Is My Love Language (Can’t You See?)

If You’re Out There On Your Own…

Everything Is Changing (Except You)

Not To Be Taken For Him Am I (Beware, Therefore, the Gemini)

IAF S3

The Intergalactic Student Exchange Program

The Two-Step Trio and the Bunker From Hell

Children’s Book: Teenage Letters

Queer Valley thing, idk

# of times the squad walked in on Luke doing something innocently odd

JatP: Happy and/or Safe

Skylar Storm’s Adventures on Earth

You All Over Me songfic: Graffiti

Post-Sparks Fly

I Will Be Your Brother and I'll Hold Your Hand

Elite Force rewrite

Memory wipe AU

Sky vs the forces of evil AU

A Little Too Happy

Would It Be Enough? (If I Could Never Give You Peace)

Secret Boyfriend?

Balance

Spike EF fic

The Older Sister Card

Adam and Bree go to the Eras Tour

Taylor swift megamix? Really?

Staying Up Late pt 2

Hunger Games AU

Odd Squad Christmas fic

Danger Force Xmas

Spark

BatB: Troy Gets Hurt

PoP Mother’s Day

ML Kennywood AU

Is There A Spider Miraculous?

Miraculous Memory Loss fic (?)

You’ve Still Got It (In Your Drawer, Even Now)

Unicorn Episode

Xander & Via (my beloved <3)

He Did It (the nb, nc tgg au)

The First Noel…Again (Kind Of)

Bedtime Stories

Insurmountable Grief

I Think It’s Time To Teach Some Lessons

Sinking Ships

If You Listen (You’ll Find Your Heart)

Ace Cameron

What Dog?

Wilson witnesses House getting shot (title TBD)

Wilson buys Cuddy flowers

AU: Cuddy dies instead of Wilson

As Long As You Say It

Foster Ducklings AU

Ducks

Masters & Kutner would have been friends

How Did You Do It?

Agent Cuddy AU

Horrified Looks From Everyone in the Room (They Said Speak Now)

Sister-in-law

[georgiapeach30513]

Hello, love! I just wanted to send a quick message to tell you how much I absolutely adore Two Good Reasons. I’ve read through all the chapters up to Chapter 10, and I’m so excited to keep going! The emotions you’ve poured into this story are just breathtaking, and I can truly feel all the hustle and hurt from the reader’s perspective. I’ve found myself in tears more than once, especially when the reader gets so hurt and frustrated by Scott. Ugh, I just despise him in this story! And Suedey, my sweet, sweet Suedey! I can’t wait to see the reader, Andy, Audrey and Suede all in their new home, hopefully with some new family members, and filled with happiness. I’m really rooting for them! By the way, just curious, do you have any idea when the next chapters might be released? No pressure, just genuinely asking—I’m excited to see what happens next! Once again, the storyline is absolutely incredible, full of raw emotion. Keep up the amazing work! Can’t wait to read more!❤️

Hello 🖤 Two Good Reasons is a story that has so much of my heart. I adore love stories of divorced single mothers finding the love of their lives.

Reader has been going through it. She’s changed so much since the first chapter. But she’s changed back into the woman she always was before Scott. Andy quite likes having his feisty little deer back. Suedey is such an innocent soul. But he knows what he wants. Audrey is different. She’s extremely intelligent both mentally and emotionally. There is going to be a bit of a shift in the story. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just the progression of it. Andy and Doe are creating their family.

I had 95% of the next part written before Christmas. I had plans of editing and finishing and then I came down with the flu and have had no desire to. My goal today is to eat some real food and start to edit.

But…here’s a snippet

[my-castles-crumbling]

Snippets from Chapter 5 of Clandestine!

This chapter's a bit longer and has more triggering things, so I'm posting two of my favorite parts here. Read the full WIP and chapter at the link below!

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Sirius POV

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For the rest of break, he threw himself into supporting Reggie. He stood in front of his mirror late at night, practicing: “Yes, this is Reggie, he’s my brother,” he’d say to his reflection. “He’s a right pain in the arse, but he’s very smart,” he’d continue to the poster of Godric Gryffindor on his wall. “Sh-he. He is boring and likes books more than people. He’s very weird,” he told his stuffed lion James sent him for Christmas.

He even helped Reggie come up with a new name- Regulus. He came up with it when he was doing his Astronomy homework and found the star there. He felt it was pure genius- they could both be named for stars and he could still call him Reggie and his parents wouldn’t even know! They both had a laugh at that.

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Regulus’s question about Hogwarts shocked him to his very soul because he’d never thought about it- how many things at Hogwarts depended on if you were a boy or a girl? The bathrooms, the dorms, the uniforms! He had to do something.

So, he finally wrote a letter, sneaking to the kitchen in the dead of night to send it out.

Dear Professor McGonagall, First off, I hope your summer is good and you are enjoying your break from James and I because we probably annoy you a lot. And I’m sorry for that, mostly because I’m going to ask you for a favor now and also to keep this a secret. You probably know that I have a younger sibling. Hogwarts probably has the name ‘Regina Black’ down. But the thing is, Regina Black isn’t right. I have a brother, his name is Regulus. But I don’t know if you know Gideon? I mean you must, he’s in your house. Anyways, Regulus is like Gideon. And I’m writing because he can’t be put with the girls, you see. Except my parents will want him to be with the girls. Do you see the problem? Regulus has been working really hard to be Regulus. And if he has to be anyone else at school, I think that would be bad. So I guess I’m writing to ask you to help make sure that doesn’t happen. And also to not tell anyone except maybe Dumbledore that I told you about this. I would just really appreciate if you could help Regulus. Thanks, Sirius

The next morning, when Regulus’s letter arrived addressed as ‘Mr.’ Sirius cried with relief for twenty minutes before he cleaned himself up and brought it to Regulus.

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Read the full chapter and WIP here!

[justhere4thevibez]

Holiday Dash Game

I'm not sure whether I'll be doing a Christmas fic this year, so I decided to start a dash game! Older fics don't get nearly enough love!

Rules: post an older fic of yours (it can be a christmas fic or just a fic that you think deserves some extra love) and give us a juicy snippet. Tag five people and pass on the joy!

My fic: My Words Will Be Your Light

Synopsis: Will a Christmas wager be enough to push Eddie to finally confront his feelings for Chrissy? A flower shop/tattoo parlor Christmas AU

Snippet:

“What the fuck is that, Cunningham?” Eddie pointed at the doorframe above his head, where a sprig of something suspiciously green and festive dangled. “It’s mistletoe, Eddie,” Chrissy said with an adorable wrinkle of her nose. “Haven’t you ever heard of Christmas traditions?” “Oh, I’ve heard of them, sweetheart,” he said, waltzing over to the counter and shaking out his stiff hands (no, he hadn’t worn gloves, that would’ve required forethought, which he didn’t possess). “I just didn’t think you’d partake in such underhanded festivities.” Chrissy cocked her head like an adorable puppy dog as she considered his words. “Underhanded festivities?” “Yup,” he said, drawing the word out into two long syllables. “Picture it. At any moment, two poor, unsuspecting souls could walk in and bam, they’re forced to kiss or suffer the wrath of the Ghost of Christmas Future.” He pointed his frozen finger right at Chrissy in an imitation of Ebenezer Scrooge’s worst nightmare. “You might even be the victim of your own folly, Cunningham.”

Tagging: (extra because I'm trying to get this started) @slumped-in-the-arms-of-fiction @1lostsoul0fishbowl @pearlypairings @staceymcgillicuddy @majicmarker @lokinightfury @hangon-silvergirl @deliriumsdelight7 @olpie @uwusillygirl @bisexualchrissycunningham @sloelimbs @ebongawk @astorytotellyourfriends and anybody else who wants to join in!