#beach fic rec

[thelarriefics]

BEACH FIC REC: Below are fics that take place on or near a beach. 

📖 Tired Tired Sea by @mediawhorefics (113k)

As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

📖 Jade by @halohamilton (91k)

Harry was in a shipwreck, lost at sea with an injury to his head that causes him to lose part of his memory. Louis happens to notice the boy and dives in to rescue him, then aiding him to health again with his mother’s help.

Harry may have lost part of his memory, part of his life, but he gained something better than he could have ever imagined; he fell in love with Louis.

But, the life that Harry couldn't remember may just come between them.

The Amnesia AU where Harry and Louis still end up falling in love.

📖 Ace of Spades by @allwaswell16 (78k)

Living as a sheltered omega in a farming village has not prepared Harry for life aboard the most notorious pirate ship to sail the Atlantic.

Or Louis is a pirate, Harry is his captive, and no one is who they say they are.

📖 Si Pudiera Volar by @softfonds (69k)

When Harry’s fiancé leaves him for his cousin, he looks the other way for the sake of his happiness. He’ll do anything to forget about him, including joining a monastery. It isn’t until his cousin’s former lover, a pirate, appears that he realizes everything is not as it appears, and an honest pirate might be the only person worthy of his heart.

Or, a fic loosely based on Corazón Salvaje.

📖 In Four Colours by @ireallysawanangel (59k)

Harry's a workaholic who threw himself headfirst into his work after his divorce ten years ago and hasn't come up for air since. His two daughters and his best friend notice how overworked and stressed he is, so they surprise him with a trip to the coast of France. The last thing Harry expects to do on his holiday is relax, but when he meets the kind, beautiful stranger staying in the cottage next door, his holiday starts to look a little more promising.

Or, the older larry AU featuring sun, sand, and the French countryside with a sprinkling of divorced Harry and silver fox Louis.

📖 Full Moon Dreaming by @jacaranda-bloom (43k)

Every month, Full Moon Dreaming reveals a person’s soulmate. Sometimes it’s an object or a place, or for the lucky ones, the love of their life.

Louis has given up hope of dreaming of a person, resigned to living a life devoid of that kind of all-consuming love for another and receiving the same in return.

But when a new neighbour descends on Louis’ beloved Hanson Bay and moves into the other beach house, could all that be about to change?

📖 Flowers in the Window by @justanothershadeofblue (33k)

Harry is a lonely and depressed popstar who sailed out of his hometown on Eroda years ago to chase his dreams. He comes back to the island only to find his shining childhood best friend Louis just as cold and dreary as the island they grew up on.

📖 Away From Home by @marchessa (12k)

the one, where Harry is a servant to the Tomlinson family and he ends up as one of the lone survivors of a shipwreck. But maybe he can still find paradise in the tragedy.

📖 Tan Lines and Some Memories by @harrieberrie (11k)

It’s summer in California and blockbuster movie star Louis Tomlinson is looking forward to a break and spending his days lazing away at his beach house.

Harry Styles is the indie movie darling he’d been avoiding ever since Louis saw his movie at Cannes and harbored an unreasonable grudge against him.

A unicorn t-shirt finally brings them together in person.

Summer romance ensues.

📖 Heat Waves by @chai-hat-tea (10k)

Louis, a surf instructor by day and a bartender by evening, meets vacationer Harry for the first time, and he knows that he doesn't deserve someone like Harry. Harry proves him wrong.

📖 come my love be one with the sea by @larrydoinglaundry (6k)

Pirate captain Louis gets saved from the storm by mermaid Harry, and grows particularly fond of this mysterious creature.

📖 Climbing The Swells by @cyantific (6k)

One surfer out of his depth amongst some territorial locals makes a bold move and a very unwelcome entrance. After things go wrong, another surfer reluctantly takes mercy on him, offering some first-aid and unexpected hospitality aboard his Airstream. A couple dimples and a few wayward curls go a long way to soften one surly local, and what started out as a rough morning becomes a very sunny spot to the day.

Or… The one where a clumsy Harry and a stubborn Louis reconcile their grievances on the beach with a heartfelt apology from Louis on his knees without saying a word.

📖 The Way You Smile Golden by @moonhusbands (5k)

it's 1967 and two boys find themselves alone on a beach.

📖 beach tits by @jaerie (2k)

Louis catches Harry pumping in the car. He can't help that he's really turned on by it.

📖 wet sand by @ialwaysknewyouwerepunk (1k)

harry and louis are part of the same friend group that's on a trip together. after they play a drinking game, louis and harry run to the beach in the middle of the night, where things get heated.

📖 Oh, Those Summer Nights by @beelou (1k)

An extended scene of the beginning of the movie Grease as a larry au

[chubs-deuce]

An artwork I made for this week's update of "If you like Piña Coladas", a collab fic that I'm working on with the incredible @hazbinhobo <3

[phoebepheebsphibs]

Double-Mutated Mikey

Chapter 27: Ecology

Continued from the short story written by @boots-with-the-fur-club

Prev || Next

Casey is helping Mikey to pack essentials.

"Paints?"

Mikey nods.

"Paper?"

Mikey nods.

"Any clothes?"

Mikey stops mid-nod.

Huh. He actually hadn't thought about that...

Mikey looks down at his bare self. Casey wears clothes, April wears clothes, Drrrrrrrrraxum (he forgot his name for a sec) wears clothes, even Splinter wears clothes! His brothers wear clothes, to some extent. Sometimes they wear sweaters or hoodies or shirts, but mostly they wear things like masks and belts and gloves or wrappings over their arms. Mikey doesn't wear anything at all.

"Mmm, yes, pack clothes. Wwwwwhat, uh... what should Mikey -- I, what should I pack?"

"Well, in case it gets cold, maybe a sweater or something," Casey offers. "Do you wanna look through some of your stuff?"

Mikey nods and creeps next to Casey as he opens up a dresser drawer. It's filled with sweatshirts and jackets and pullovers.

"Which one looks good to you?"

"Mmmmmm.... um, I-I don't know," Mikey mumbles, somewhat overwhelmed by the number of choices.

He didn't think there would be this many clothes to pick from...

Casey sees the slight agitation on Mikey's face.

"Well, we should probably pick one that will keep you warm, so a thicker one is best," he suggests. "And maybe something soft? Oh, and let's look for a bigger size to fit over your shell..."

Casey starts to rummage through the drawer. He pulls out a hoodie with a sun decal and examines it.

"How's this one?" he asks.

"Looks good," Mikey says, sniffing it. It smells kind of like him! A little different than he smells now, but still similar... "W-will it ffffit?"

"Let's try," Casey replies, spreading it open and helping to direct Mikey's head and arms into the corresponding holes.

It's a big size, and Mikey vanishes in the hood. His talons are hidden by the sleeves, he flaps them around with a giggle. It's a surprisingly big hoodie, and Mikey wonders why he ever got something so huge. He doesn't recall that it was a gift for Raph but he'd outgrown it quickly, and gave it to the sunniest brother in the group.

"I like this one," Mikey chirps gleefully. "Can I keep it on?"

"Sure," Casey smiles. "It's yours anyway. We should find a few more to pack, though..."

"Big one!" Mikey requests. "Like this big!"

"Uh, well, I think that might be the biggest hoodie you have... Raphael might have a few we can borrow. I'll find some extras of yours to pack, though... while I do that, why don't you go get your blankets and pillows ready?"

Mikey chirps and crawls over to his bed -- whoop!

Mikey trips on his sleeve and crashes.

"Mikey! You okay?"

"Mm-hmm!" He says quickly, regaining his balance. "All good!"

Mikey shakes himself out and goes again -- whoop!

Mikey tumbles slightly, but catches himself. He tries folding the sleeves up above his wrists, but they fall loose and drape over his knuckles and drag across the floor as he trots. Mikey grumbles softly as he tries to figure this out...

"What's wrong?" Casey asks.

"Mmmngh... can't move right," Mikey groans. "Sleeves too long..."

"Do you need me to cut them or --"

"No, just... hmm. I can't mmmmove. Won't fold up right... can C-C-C-Casey help?"

Casey looks over the situation carefully, coming up with possible solutions.

"Well, if I fold them, they'll probably just fall loose again," he says. "You won't be able to crawl around in that."

"Do I have to take it off?"

"No, but there is another solution."

"Eh?" Mikey perks up. "What to do?"

"Have you tried walking upright?"

Mikey pauses, mouth open. His hands fidget.

"Haven't tried yet.... a l-little nervous..."

"Do you wanna try now? I'll help!" Casey offers, standing up and offering a hand to him. "I'll catch you if you fall."

Mikey swallows nervously. He reaches out for Casey's hand and takes it, careful not to grip him too hard for fear of cutting his skin with his nails. Casey pulls him up, causing Mikey to stumble with a cry.

"I got you, I got you!" he reassures him. "You're okay... Okay, you've got your balance?"

"Mm-hmmmmmmm," Mikey says with a nervous twinge in his voice.

"Alright, so follow my lead, one foot out --"

Casey swings his right leg forwards, taking a small step. Mikey watches as if Casey just jumped fifty buildings in one leap. He shakily lifts his own leg, and follows. He wobbles as he moves, almost losing balance and tipping over, but Casey holds his hand with determination.

Casey then moves his left foot to match. Mikey follows slowly, weakly. His legs shake. It's mostly just the balance that's his issue. The new tail is throwing him off, trying to readjust to the new center of gravity. But Mikey is figuring it out. Casey holds his hand like he's a toddler, walking with him around the room and giving words of affirmation and praise as he starts to pick up the pace. Casey steps further and further away from Mikey the longer they walk, letting him gain confidence in himself and get used to walking alone. The two get distracted from the packing and start roaming the halls. Casey lets go of Mikey's hand --

.

.

.

"No wet go!" Mikey scolds.

He's only a year old, and can barely get his points across, but he's trying. Splinter holds his tiny, stubby hands and uses his own claws to keep him upright as the tiny tot tries walking for the fourth time today, sixteenth time this week, fortieth time this month.

"I won't," Splinter promises with a sigh.

It's only been a year since the mutations, and he's still getting used to walking himself. Every once in a while, his tail will smack him in the leg, he'll forget it's there and think a strange snake got into the lair and try to protect the boys from it before realizing in embarrassment what it actually is. He's getting better with it, though...

Though parenthood is a new challenge he can't say he ever expected. The worry that he may mess up irrevocably without realizing it, the fear that maybe there will be an issue in health that he doesn't know how to solve, and even small things, like the differences in each son and learning curves or gaps.

The rest of the boys are walking. But Mikey is the baby, he's having trouble. He seems to be the 'special' baby, the late bloomer. He can crawl like his brothers do, but not as fast. They all can walk, Raphael can even run by this point! And the others can swim like experts. But Mikey almost drowned in his very first bath. Splinter might be babying him a bit, taking extra caution with him in some aspects... he does it for each baby. He's terrified of Donatello getting hurt because of his soft shell, so he is extra gentle. He's sure that Raphael is never alone because he'll start crying, and he lets him sleep in bed with him at night rather than in the box with the others. Leonardo is an attention hog and cries when he doesn't have the spotlight, so Splinter has to praise him a lot to help him feel validated. And Michelangelo is smaller than the rest, and for whatever reason he can't seem to stay on his feet for very long.

Despite all this, Mikey is determined and optimistic. But he's still nervous, and holds his father's hand with all his might. He fits within Splinter's palm, and Splinter helps to balance the baby boxshell as best he can without knocking him over.

Mikey takes a deep breath and swings his leg out. His foot hits the floor with a loud 'plap', and he swings his other leg out as well.

Splinter holds his hand behind him gently, his youngest son clinging to his fingers. Eventually, he takes the hand behind him away. He slowly leads Mikey around the area, guiding him by moving his finger in certain directions.

"Mikey say no wet go!" the baby shouts again when his father's hand drifts away faster than Mikey can keep up.

"I'm not letting go," Splinter explains. "I'm just moving my hand a little."

"Dada go too fast," Mikey scolds. "Dada no wet go."

"I won't," he promises.

Splinter and Mikey travel all around the room, with the little baby toddling around as best he can. It seems like he might be getting the hang of it!

.

.

.

Mikey trips and tumbles, having been distracted by the memory.

Casey grabs his arm as he reaches out for him, pulling Mikey back up as best he can.

"Whoah! Mikey, you okay?"

"Uh-huh," Mikey mumbles quickly, regaining his footing and holding onto Casey as though his life depended on it. "I'mmmmmm okayyyyy... jus' tripped."

"Okay," Casey says with a smile. "But so far, are you okay? Walking all good?"

"Shaky," Mikey says. "T-r-r-r-ricky... but, okay."

"Great," Casey nods. "It'll be a little difficult at first, but you'll get it!"

"Casey doing good job helping," Mikey says with a chuckle as he takes another step forward. "Thank you..."

"It's no problem," Casey says with a soft chuckle in return. "It's nothing compared to helping Sensei with his physical therapy after he lost his arm..."

"Huh?" Mikey asks in confusion. He's mentioned 'Sensei' before... who is he?

"Oh, n-nothing. Just something that happened in the alternate future..."

"Casey wanna talk about it?" Mikey asks.

Casey looks at Mikey in surprise. Everyone has been avoiding the subject of the future as though hearing more about it will bring about a crazy time curse or something.

But... if Mikey wants to know... what can it hurt?

"Well... okay! See, in the future..."

Casey talks on and on, explaining how Leo had lost his arm and had difficulty getting used to the physical therapy, and Casey helped him to adjust. Casey talks about how Donatello created a prosthetic arm that was equipped with weapons and equipment, and when Casey (who eight years old at the time) wanted one, Donatello made him a special glove fitted with a grappling hook so he could match his Sensei. Casey talks about how Mikey was an inspiration and kept the positivity in the Resistance, using his mystic powers to create all kinds of beautiful magic for the people and immeasurable protections and attacks against the Krang.

Mikey listens to Casey intensely, despite the fact that none of it makes any sense whatsoever to him.

.

.

.

Leo walks out and places his stuff down by the exit. There's a pile growing already, with duffel bags and totes and a few boxes of things that the group will need to occupy themselves. Leo packed several comics for himself, as well as puzzles and games for Mikey so he can exercise his brain. Raph packed up a flurry of stuffed animals, and was also tasked with packing Mikey's memory goop. April finished packing snacks for them to munch on while at Draxum's, and she also took the lead for gathering up Mikey's art supplies, too. Donnie packed an army's worth of purple jackets and hoodies and all of his tech and information on Mikey's double-mutation. He still hasn't given up trying to find a cure, despite knowing that there won't be one. Splinter packed up a few robes, his Lou Jitsu film collection, and as many scrapbooks as he could fit.

Leo notices that -- despite the enormous pile -- there are still a few bags missing.

Specifically orange bags.

Casey was supposed to help Mikey get packed up, but he hasn't seen or heard from either of them for a while. What are they up to?

Leo searches the lair, finding the two walking along one of the halls together. Mikey is standing upright, rather than crouched down on the floor on all fours. He's walking! Actually walking? Leo had been wondering about that, whether or not Mikey could still stand up or not.

He's a little shaky, but he's got the spirit. Mikey looks happy, but not completely confident in himself; he's holding onto CJ like a lifeline, refusing to let go as they roam around the rec room together, arm in arm.

Casey keeps Mikey entertained as they walk, talking on and on about...

Leo stops and feels his head go numb as he hears what Casey Jones Jr. is talking about.

"...And then Sensei grabbed the Krang dog by the leg and threw it at --"

"Hey, guys," Leo says, waving at them. "What's going on in here?"

"Oh, hey Leo!" CJ says with a nervous smile. "I was just helping Mikey try walking again. And, uh, we just started talking, and..."

"Casey is confusing!" Mikey announces proudly, stating it like it's an award or title that Casey earned. "Learning a lot!"

"Learning?" Leo asks.

"Future," Mikey explains. "You have an arm -- uhh.... Casey, what is the word?"

"Prosthetic?"

"Yeah, that. Leo gets a cool arm! Like a gift! You lost your old one, so Donnie made you another! Why did you have multiple arms?"

Leo turns and stares at Casey, his eye twitching.

"...It's.... uh.... a long story," Leo manages. "But, um, maybe we can talk about it later."

Casey shrinks a bit, his head goes low and his shoulders slump. Mikey notices the shift in the room, and is about to ask why they're both acting weird when Leo changes the subject.

"So, are you all packed?"

"Oh, uh, n-no, not yet, we kinda got distracted..."

"Well, why don't I help you out real quick?"

Leo pulls the two back into Mikey's room. He has Mikey pick out several more sweatshirts and hoodies to wear while Leo and CJ go to bag up his blankets and pillows.

Mikey listens to them as they whisper; eventually they catch on and sign to each other instead. Mikey watches from his peripherals, trying to not let them realize he's eavesdropping on them. It's tough, they both turn away and he can only catch bits and pieces.

'...why would you tell him...'

'...didn't think... issue... he asked....'

'...he's confused...'

'What do you mean?'

'Memory... doesn't know... aliens...'

'...sorry... didn't know...'

'...don't want to make it more confusing for him...'

'Okay...'

'Besides... talked about this...promised to keep it secret...'

'...just wanted someone to talk to...'

'....why should they know... painful... don't want them to hurt...'

'What about my hurt?'

Casey and Leo turn away from Mikey fully. He can't see the rest of their conversation, but by their body language he can tell it's not going well. CJ gets up and storms away. Leo sighs and droops in the corner of the room. Mikey hops over to him and nuzzles his back.

"Leo okay?"

He turns around and fakes a smile at him.

"All good, mi hermano. Just... trying to figure some stuff out with Casey."

"Is Casey okay?"

Leo heaves a sigh.

"...Let's just get you packed up. Do you wanna bring your chucks?"

Leo holds out the sticks he tried to give Mikey a few days ago. Mikey still doesn't understand what they are.

"No," he says with a shrug. "I don't. Unless you want them..."

"No, I don't -- Mikey, they're your weapons!" Leo clarifies. "You use them for your ninpo, remember?"

"What's a ninpo?" Mikey asks as he starts digging through his shirts again.

Leo is silent for a while. Mikey gets nervous that he said something wrong and turns back to look at him. Leo's eyes are wide and his face is shaken. But he blinks and resets, his expression changes to a feeble smile.

"Uh, nevermind. I'll tell ya later..."

.

.

.

Once Mikey's supplies are all compiled, the group meets in the garage.

Leo pulls out his katanas and slashes the air, creating a portal.

"All right everyone, let's go!"

Leo directs the group as though he were directing traffic, each person jumping through with their stuff one at a time. Mikey and Leo are the last two left in the room.

"You ready?"

Mikey nods, slowly pushing himself up and standing with a wobble. Leo takes his hand, and the two step through the portal.

It disorients Mikey more than he expected, and he stumbles after the second step, almost falling over before Leo wraps his arms around him and steadies him again.

"Well well, it's nice to see you finally arrive," Draxum grumbles as he greets Donnie. "Although, I didn't expect you to bring so many guests... I thought you said it was just your family?"

"Yeah, that's me, Mikey, Raph, Leo, Splinter, April, and Casey Jr.," he explains without looking up from his phone. "Oh, and S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.2.0."

Mikey notices CJ perk up with a smile when his name is mentioned in the list of family members.

But Draxum sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"I see. I didn't account for that... I'm afraid I don't have enough room for everyone."

"I won't be staying overnight," April offers.

"Still, the addition of the rat and the time traveler was unexpected."

"Well, it's a good thing you have a certified genius to help with construction, then," Donnie says, cracking his knuckles. "S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N., prepare the schematics!"

"On it, dude," the robot says with a laugh as he starts to scan the building.

"You don't honestly think that we can add two extra rooms from scratch by this evening?" Draxum challenges.

"You doubt my skills?"

"In addition to the rest of the renovations? Finishing by tomorrow night would be a miracle," he growls. "We'll have to find somewhere else to house you all until it's finished..."

"Like where?" Raph asks. "Not the Hotel Nexus..."

"Big Mama is not the only hotel proprietor in the Hidden City," Draxum huffs. "I know of a nice resort that could take us in..."

"Wait, resort? Not the one that only takes in people with hair, right?" Leo fidgets, his hands reaching to cover his bald head.

"I do have a membership there," Draxum says. "But there is another one --"

"Not the one across the street!" Leo begs, almost falling to his knees.

"No, of course not. There's more than one, don't worry. I'll call for a coach, and you can stay there until my home is repaired."

Draxum summons a flying cart with a pegasus, and the group fill the trunk with their belongings and climb in. The winged horse brays and jumps into the air, carrying the cart away.

"Not exactly a simurgh ride, but still pretty cool," Leo smirks. "Whaddya think, Mikey?"

Mikey leans over the side of the cart, the wind in his face and the underworld beneath him. It's so pretty, incredibly bright and colorful! For so long, all he knew was white coats and grey tiles and pitch black machines...

Mikey hoots as the cart flies. He loves this! Raph reaches over to keep him safely in the wagon when he thinks Mikey might fall out.

Mikey takes in the many smells... there's an entire world down here! And another world above! Mikey starts bouncing with excitement and anticipation...

The cart lands in front of a large Yokai resort, multicolored palm trees dotting the lawn and enormous shells decorating the entrance.

The group step out, oohing and awing at the underground beaches and beautiful views from behind the building.

"How do they have a sky and ocean?" Raph asks, pointing.

"It's a form of portal magic," Draxum states.. "There are many parts of the world still uninhabited by man, hundreds of undiscovered islands in the ocean. The Yokai use special spells to create bridges between those islands and their own cities, folds in space and reality, creating the illusion that the sandy shores are here, when in fact we are --"

"Less talking, more vacay!" Splinter shouts, running into the hotel. "Papa needs a suntan and a fruity drink with a tiny umbrella!!"

April cackles as Draxum rolls his eyes.

"And to think I chose him as the mightiest warrior for my experiments..."

Mikey turns to look at Draxum when he hears the word 'experiments'. But no one else seems to mind. Leo notices Mikey's nervous twitch and pats him on the back.

"It's okay," Leo whispers. "He means something else. He is a good guy. I promise you're safe."

Safe. Safe. Safe.

Mikey trusts Leo.

The duo follow after the rest into the lobby as Splinter rings the front bell several times over.

"Be right there!" a surprisingly cheery voice calls out.

A moment later, two small bat-like creatures fly out to greet the guests.

"Hi, and welcome to -- DRAXUM?!"

"BOSS!"

Draxum's eyes widen.

"Huginn? Muninn? You work here now??"

"Yeah!" Huginn cheers. "Can you believe it? We got such a cushy job here! I mean, well... it's okay. The pay stinks, the manager is the owner's son, we have to give rent for our own room, which is actually the supply closet..."

"But at least we have dental!" Muninn chimes in.

"...You're gargoyles. You don't have any teeth," Draxum states flatly.

"Yeah.... we didn't really think this through," Muninn sighs.

"Well, you're looking... um, good," Draxum says quickly. "I wasn't sure what happened to you two after the incident with the Dark Armor."

"We kinda... went off the grid after you disappeared and the arrest warrants went out," Huginn sighs. "It was tough finding work. But you're off the hook now! Congrats!"

"We've never been prouder!" Muninn smiles. "So, what's up with you? Looks like you finally got the turtles to team up with you!"

"It's a long story. But I've, uh..." Draxum swallows. "Been busy. Restoring my old home."

"Wow, really? Still?" Huginn asks. "Well, if, uh... you ever need someone to perch on your shoulders again, or y'know, do menial tasks like bridling ravenous ponies or filing taxes..."

Draxum smiles.

"I'll let you know. In the meantime, do you have any rooms available?"

"For you?" Muninn grins wide. "Private luxury suite!"

He tosses the key to the warring warrior scientist, who catches it with ease.

"We'll take your bags up for ya!" Muninn says, fluttering over to the pile. "You guys can go check out the pool, spa, bingo hall, buffet, and beachside!"

The teens immediately run out the back door to explore the beach as Draxum and his former goyles start to gather up the luggage.

Huginn notices Mikey scurrying past.

"Hey boss, isn't that...?"

"Like I said, it's a long story," Draxum says with a sigh.

.

.

.

The teens rush out and explore the beach. An aurora of rainbows wrap over the edge of the property, creating an archway that leads to a hidden tropical paradise. Mikey can feel the breeze and smell the water from where he is. Casey stares in shock at it all. He starts to tear up.

"You okay, CJ?" April asks.

"...I... huh? Oh, yeah," he says, coming back to reality, sniffing a bit as he wipes his eyes. "I just... I never knew that the world looked like this... it's so beautiful, and intact, and... big..."

April smiles, taking his hand and leading him to the beach.

"Come on, future kid. We're gonna introduce you to the magic of a beachside vacation."

Mikey chirps happily as he runs alongside them. Leo and Raph are already at the water's edge, splashing in the tide. Donnie watches from just beyond their reach, smiling softly, letting his feet sink in the sand as he basks in the sun.

It's so warm here, the sun is so bright and the water is so sparkling...

Mikey presses a hand into the wet sand. It squishes under his pressure. Casey mimics him, pressing his hand into the soft sand. He laughs. Mikey laughs with him, digging his claws deeper and deeper. His knuckles feel something hard with ridges. He pulls out a shell. Casey awes at it, staring in wonder. Mikey hands it over for him to examine.

Open. Space. Run. Free. Zoom.

Mikey starts bolting, running along the water's edge and kicking up sand as he races against the wind. He shrieks with laughter. He circles around and races back, zooming back and forth over and over again. He can hear Casey and April laughing at his speed, enjoying the fact that he's enjoying himself.

Mikey turns to the water. Leo and Raph are up to their knees in the waves. Leo beckons him out to join them.

Mikey, crouches, getting ready to pounce...

His animal intuitions take over. Rather than jump in the water... he runs. His legs speed under him, his back straightens and he runs on two feet instead of all fours. He bolts across the water, going past Leo and Raph in an instant and speeding away. He runs atop the water, the webbing in between his toes creating air pockets beneath that keep him afloat as he runs.

Mikey runs on water, never having felt more free in his life.

He can hear the others shouting for him and cheering him on. Mikey laughs loudly as he runs in an arc and returns quickly, coming towards Leo and Raph, who realize too late what Mikey's plans are.

Mikey leaps and jumps them. The two shout in fear as he pounces, knocking them into the water.

Donnie howls with laughter. April woops and Casey cheers. Leo and Raph are sputtering under Mikey but laughing all the same. Mikey cackles with joy as Raph splashes Mikey in retaliation and Leo flips him over, crashing him into an oncoming wave. Mikey swims around them like a snake before jumping out and pouncing on Raph again.

Splinter watches from the shore with a smile as his family lets themselves be kids for the first time in a very, very long time.

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[killugonficlibrary]

No, I Don't Accept Your Stupid Rose by nosewise ( T | 55,840 | 25/25 )

It's season 15 of The One, and Gon Freecs might just be the worst bachelor they've ever had on the show, but it's not his fault, okay? Not when the cameraman looks like That.

Gon is about to make incredible reality TV, just not in the way he expected.

[celestialvoyeur]

So ever since I saw the picture of the asymmetric sunglasses (“Spock Shades”) I’ve been itching to draw our boys at the beach! 🏖️

Believe me when I say the hardest part of creating this was drawing every body hair individually 🫣 worth it though for Spock to have his hairy chest hehe 😜🖖

[clayd]

i need to read a fic where they DO divorce in a beach on cuba

[naranjapetrificada]

For those of y'all really excited for a hypothetical Ed Does Some Healing While Isolated In Nature arc, I highly, highly, highly recommend the fic Fallow Land & Bigger Sky, which fucked me up and healed me in ways I didn't know I was or could be broken. The vibes are more pastoral than castaway, but Ed is still given time and space to do the work he needs to do in rugged, isolated surroundings so it still scratches that itch for me. And that's beyond how incredibly poetic and gorgeous the writing and imagery are and how deep and satisfying of a character study it makes for, which alone merit the read.

I know I talk too much on here about my relationship with this show and therapy but my therapist (who watched the show) actually asked me to go through and identify some of the things that made this fic so profound for me, and now we're having to have itchy and uncomfortable conversations about shit like isolation and community and personal narrative that feel like they'll lead to important growth provided I can hold my nose and get through them 🫣

Whatever we do end up getting on the show will if course be its own thing that will probably crack so many of us open in new and terrifying and exciting ways we were never expecting, but until October 5th gets here you might find this fic to be a valuable use of your fic-reading time. I will never be able to put into words how thankful I am for the chance to experience it.

[small addendum: if you also find yourself interested in any possible "reborn on a beach" theories you'll find some of that in this fic too! it really could be a good way to cope while we wait for more stuff to come out.]

[jocollins]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Castiel & Dean Winchester Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel (Supernatural) Additional Tags: Summer, Summer Vacation, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Idiots in Love, Soft Castiel/Dean Winchester, Castiel is Soft for Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester is Soft for Castiel, Soft Dean Winchester, Beaches, Heatwave, Seaside, Soft Boys, Surprises, Cravings, Happy, Happy Ending, Sweet Castiel/Dean Winchester Summary:

Cas surprises Dean by fulfilling his wish.

[swanparties]

Fandom: Teen Beach Movie (Movies), Stranger Things (TV 2016) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington & Dustin Henderson, Dustin Henderson & Nancy Wheeler

Summary: As summer comes to an end, Steve and Nancy struggle with keeping their relationship alive. Suddenly, they're dropped into Steve's favorite movie where they wreak havoc on the plot by causing the love interests to fall in love with other people--specifically, Steve and Nancy. But when Steve and Nancy begin to reciprocate, ignoring their own feelings to fix the plot gets harder and harder.

Teen Beach AU based on that one artwork :)

[gerec]

Hi!! Do you know of any fics where Erik actually stays after Charles is injured on the beach? So many fix it fics just erase the events on the beach entirely 😔

Hi Anon,

I've tried to keep these to recs for fics where Erik actually stays during/after the accident, and not fics where he leaves them on the beach and then comes back weeks/months/years later. Fix it fics of the latter kind would require an entirely separate and very long list lol.

Hope you enjoy!

Yours, Mine, Ours by ikeracity

Charles may not be able to walk, but that doesn't stop Erik from taking him out on a run every morning. Post-beach fluff.

with so much of my heart (none is left to protest) by friendlyneighbourhoodteacakes

Charles doesn't remain conscious after the bullet hits him in Cuba. Erik doesn't handle it well.

Arms I'd Never Use by alby_mangroves, anselm0

“We’re both disasters,” Erik states quietly. “In all likelihood, this will end in disaster.”

“You love me,” Charles says simply, “as much as I love you. That has to count for something.”

It doesn't end on the beach in Cuba, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy as Erik tries to repair his relationship with Charles.

working my way back (to you, babe) by friendlyneighbourhoodteacakes 

23rd October, 1963.

"Uh… Professor?"

"What is it, Hank?"

"Uhm. Erik is at the front door. And he has two toddlers with him. One of them has white hair."

To be said and said by pearl_o

Raven and Erik both came back after the beach. This doesn't mean things are okay.

I conscientiously believe so by orangeslices4scott

Erik stays with Charles after Cuba.

Anger, serenity, and the spaces in between by appleseed

After Cuba, things are going to change - at least if Charles has any say in the matter.

Camelot, Revisited by iberiandoctor (jehane)

On a beach in Cuba, Erik makes a different choice, and Charles can't say no.

Blood Stained Hands by swoopswoop

What if Erik had realised how stupid it was to leave an injured man on a beach in the hands of the enemy?

Not Half As Blinding by keire_ke

Not too long after the Cuban missile crisis, Erik is captured. Charles rescues him.

(This is one of my fandom favorites, and though it doesn't fit your prompt exactly I think it's close enough and definitely worth reading!!!)

[destieltaggedfic]

There is a fact that Misha has never seen Jensen in shorts and barefoot.

https://www.tumblr.com/cynifer/734451392677380096/jensen-leaving-room-for-jesus-made-me-chuckle

Look I’m not sure you understand what it is this blog does. Whether or not two friends have seen each other in summer gear is not my concern.

But in case that's a request you’ve phrased badly here’s a bunch of fic where Cas sees Dean either barefoot or in shorts.

Sweet Dreams are made of... well, at the moment they seem to be made up of African Dream Root and an Angel in Speedoes, but who's keeping score? – Harihat   Ao3

Nonspecific timeframe.  Dean swipes some Dream Root in an attempt to have nice dreams for a change, when he ‘wakes up’ on a beach it seems to be working, except the head lifeguard looks surprisingly like his best friend.  Things get a bit awkward when Dean accidentally calls the real Cas into his dream and Cas sees what Dean is doing with his doppelganger.

Word Count: 9k                                 Graphic Sexual Acts

that much better - rhinestoneangels (almondrose)   Ao3

Set 15x20 didn’t happen AU.  They won and got Cas back.  Its finally time for that beach trip and its going to be perfect.  Until Cas gets his full powers back and it freaks Dean out.

Word Count: 6k                                 No Sex

i just know that something good is going to happen - an_ardent_rain   Ao3

Set 15x20 didn’t happen AU.  They are finally on the way to the beach and Dean hasn’t addressed what Cas said before he died yet.  When Sam tells Dean not to be weird about letting Cas down,  Dean realises that he isn’t actually going to reject what Cas told him in the dungeon.

Word Count: 10k                              No Sex

Deepend - Yool_chan   Ao3

Set Post 15 AU.  After the defeated everything that needed to be defeated, Dean and Cas retire to a beach house and live a quiet life together.

Word Count: 1k                                 No Sex

After the Storm, Must Rise the Sun – Joanjun   Ao3

Set S13 AU.  They take that day to go to the beach because they stopped another apocalypse and everything is good and happy for a change.

Word Count: 4k                                 No Sex

[khruschevshoe]

Archie Jimenez (backstory!)

When I start to tumble from the sky

You remind me how to fly

Lately I've been feeling not alive

But you bring me back to life

Even when we fade eventually to nothing

You will always be my favorite form of loving

-Cloud 9, Beach Bunny

Out of the corner of Archie's eye, she catches sight of the yarrow pot wobbling dangerously close to the edge of the chair. One more tilt of the ship and it begins to fall.

Quick as the snakes she was raised with, Archie reaches out one hand from Olu's side to catch the pot before it breaks.

As Archie had once learned in the snake cult, yarrow is not just a rather hardy plant, able to survive at sea, but it is a symbol of healing. Of good things to come. (Much like Archie's own matelotage bracelet.)

So it's no wonder that as the storm begins to break, Olu finally opens his eyes and offers them both a tired but breathtaking smile. “I could get used to waking up to the two most gorgeous faces I’ve ever seen.”

And Olu’s covered in sweat and his eyes are exhausted but he’s beautiful, so beautiful, because he’s alive and he’s looking at them both with the utmost adoration in his eyes.

“You’re telling me, mi sol,” Jim says as Archie's hand goes to Olu's cheek, cradling his soft face in her calloused fingers. She gives absolutely no shits about possibly catching whatever infection he might have- she puts her mouth on his, stealing a soft kiss from his overheated, chapped lips.

The floors are still swaying slightly. There are books to be put back on their shelves.  Archie has no idea what there is to clean up on deck (though she has faith that Mel and the others were able to tack everything down in time), but she can handle any amount of clean up if she gets to know that Henry Morgan failed in his last act alive. He could not steal this last lovely thing from her.

-aletterinthenameofsanity, if you should lose your way (there is a place here in this house that you can stay)

Archie-centric story, yes please! It was so much fun to get a fic that explored Archie's backstory/feelings while also informing the main thrust of the story: what would happen if Captain Olu was ever incapacitated on the job and how that would affect everyone on the crew, from Archie and Jim to Izzy, Lucius, and Frenchie. We get some great confrontation scenes (Archie and Jim taking out Henry Morgan AND Lucius pushing Izzy into doing his job as acting Captain are *chef's kiss*) as well as some good hurt/comfort from all parties involved- everything I could want in a fic!

@ruecrown @possumsmushroom @bricksbloggyplace @yuenity @polikate

[pretentiouswreckingball]

Some sunny day

******

I didn't plan for this to be this long, I was aiming for three pages at most but well, I had such a great time at the beach the other day that this little thing kind of reflects it. Chilean Lyall though is @sequinhaze fault, their post about Pedro Pascal as Lyall kinda messed with my head so, that part is your doing yaz. Anyway, here's a little fluffy thing.

*******

It’s a sunny day. 

James thinks those are the best days.

It’s a sunny day and a flock of seagulls and pelicans are chilling in the ocean, not far away from the coast. There is the sound of waves crashing loudly in the distance and the cold breeze is keeping the summer heat at bay. The sun is at its highest, lighting the seafoam as it’s made of tiny little crystals. 

James is sitting on a rock under the shadow of a palm tree, his toes buried in the sand, watching his family enjoying the evening. They’d been at the beach for a few hours and he just squeezed some time to just —watch. To treasure, these little moments of love unfurling in front of him. 

On James' right, there are Lyall and Teddy. 

Teddy was crawling towards the sea when James first sat down. The thing is, Teddy knows how to walk. James is aware of this because when his godson first stood up and walked, Sirius called him crying, babbling incoherent words for a solid five minutes before James could figure out what he was saying, before he found himself weeping alongside his best friend. 

Sometimes, Teddy prefers to crawl and that's completely fine, he's really good at it, mind, and he was making quite the progress in his journey, letting his poor grandpa fret behind him.

Only halfway through, Teddy suddenly stopped.

Lyall stopped too, trying to figure out what was wrong and oh, cachito mío qué pasa, ¿estás cansado? ¿quieres regresar? si ya ibas a llegar, poh! no pasa nada, ven, vamos but before Lyall has the opportunity to hold him up, Teddy turned around, his feet facing the water, and started crawling backwards.  

James chuckled in disbelief when that happened. Lyall too was in shock, eyes wide. The beach they're on doesn’t have even ground, more like a big natural pool a bit inclined towards the water, so when you walk down the coast, you tend to favour the side where the sea is at. It's not that noticeable at first sight but it is enough for a kid to feel the need to crawl backwards.

When Teddy was actually getting too close to the water, he stopped, stood up and walked the rest of the way, his little toes touching the wet sand. Snapping out of it, Lyall scooped him up and dragged him out before the next wave came.

They were now sitting sideways from the ocean, Lyall bracketing Teddy between his legs creating a small pool for his grandson to feel the water since he can’t actually do anything much, as he’s only two and a half years old. Teddy didn’t seem to mind much if his shrieks and giggles were anything to go by.

Behind them, far away down the coastline, two figures are making their way to them. 

Remus and Sirius are walking where the water meets the sand, holding hands. They went for a walk since Lyall was looking out for their son and from what it looks like from afar, they appear to be talking. 

Sirius is moving his free hand wildly as if he’s telling the most amazing story and Remus is smiling and laughing, which seems to brighten Sirius's demeanour and make him do even more dramatic gestures. Padfoot is behind them, running between the sand and the water whenever he feels like it, jumping away when the waves seem to get too close to him but returning when the tide pulls away, carefree and happy. 

Something warm blooms in James’ chest.

He gets like this, sometimes. They’re his best friends for god’s sake, he has every right to be ridiculously proud of them, of how far they’ve come, still cradling their love between their hands like when they were younger.

James can see it clear as day in the way Sirius holds Remus’ hand, slowly kissing his knuckles before letting it go, and heading over to Hope who’s reading a book in a hammock, Padfoot in tow. Remus looks after him, eyes full of blatant adoration, smiling that secret smile of his when he thinks no one is watching. 

After a moment he turns around and goes to where Lyall and Teddy are shrieking in unison whenever the water gets to them. James can’t quite make out what they’re saying but it becomes obvious when Remus squats in front of them holding his arms out for Teddy, that he’s ready to take him out and dry him off.  

Teddy’s having none of it.

He turns away from his father, trying to hide in his grandad’s neck. Remus is also having none of it as he tries to coax Teddy away. However, as almost any two-and-a-half-year-old would do, when Remus tries to pick him up, his son goes boneless against him. 

James tries to smother his laugh from where he’s watching the whole scene unfold. Boy does he knows the ways of tiny humans. After some unsuccessful tries, Remus gives up and lets his son stay with his grandpa a little longer. Lyall nods dutifully but as soon as Remus walks away, a mischievous grin appears on his face matching the one on his grandson’s. 

They look so happy to be with each other.

On James' left, a competition is taking place. 

Pandora and Lily are competing against each other to demonstrate who’s the superior castle builder. 

James doesn’t know about the process or the inconveniences behind building sand castles but what he’s sure about, is that they’re both very competitive, always going above and beyond. You just had to take a look at their castles. Pandora and Lily would do anything to show off their talent. Especially if they’re trying to impress their four-year-old daughter. 

Luna is having the time of her life, that much is clear. 

She’s running around between their sand castles wearing a braided crown made of dry palm (Dorcas doing, most likely) with Peter who’s behind her whispering things in her ear that she later screams at her mothers. Switching between cheering and shouting and “Ma! Mommy’s tower is almost done! You need to hurry! And “Mommy, Ma has a pool inside her castle, you’re going to lose!”

“A pool, Lily? Really?” Pandora asks, with an eyebrow raised, looking at her wife above her castle. 

Lily smiles smugly. “Feeling threatened, Lovegood?” 

“You wish, Evans,” Pandora says and as an afterthought, she adds, “you’re a Lovegood too, you know. ”

“And you’re an Evans,” Lily says, shrugging. 

“We’ll see about that,” then she turns to the sea, shouting “Barty, I need more water!” 

“You got it, gorgeous!” Barty shouts already recollecting the seawater with Luna’s small dinosaur bucket. 

Lily, not wanting to be outdone, yells too. “Rosier! Why are you taking so long? It’s just water!” 

“Try to carry two gallons of water in cup-size buckets, Evans!” He complains, the buckets swinging wildly as walks faster. 

“Chop, chop, Rosier, those castles are not going to build themselves!” Peter pesters him and Evan looks two seconds away from throwing one bucket of water at him.

“Bite me, Pettigrew,” he hisses, dropping the seawater in the dry sand for Lily to mould another tower. 

“Put your money where your mouth is and I might Evan, don’t think I wouldn’t,” Peter winks at him and James suspects the red on Evan’s cheeks is not because of the sun. 

“That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about! What, am I invisible or something?” Barty chastises from where he’s helping Pandora dig a hole in the sand to fill with water. 

“That was for you too, Crouch, unless you two don’t come as a package? a pity, then,” Peter shrugs ignoring Barty’s poor attempts to say anything back. 

James doesn’t know how Peter does it but somehow, he found a way to fluster the most shameless bastards there is every time he opens his mouth. 

Evan and Barty were the ones always making that kind of comment until one day Peter got fed up and start teasing them back. He’s been doing it for so long James doesn’t know if it’s still all for shits and giggles or if he actually means it. He doesn’t think Peter knows either. 

Lily groans from behind her castle.

“Knock it off, you three, my daughter is right there.”

Luna is, however, unaware of this whole interaction. 

She proves it as she shouts, “you only got 10 seconds!” and then proceeds to hold her hands in front of her, fingers spread and slowly making the count down, “ten, nine, eight…” putting down a finger at a time. 

Everyone hurry up, throwing sand and water here and there as well as some sea shells. Those 10 seconds turn out to be thirty before Luna puts the last finger down as she jumps wildly, shouting, “Hands up! hands up! time is over!” 

All hands are up in the air and Luna stands between the constructions, looking at every nook and cranny. 

James is utterly fascinated by how much he can see her mothers in Luna. How she furrows her eyebrows the way Lily does when she’s concentrating, or how she pouts slightly like she’s trying to make something out, much like Pandora does when solving a mystery game. 

It fascinates him how much of yourself it's ingrained in the people around you, how evident the mark you leave in the lives of the people you love.

“Okay, it’s done! Please stand here so I can tell you,” Luna says, all business. Pandora and Lily stand in front of her, the castles at their sides. Luna takes a moment to look at them, then she takes off her crown, holding it between her small fingers and clears her throat.

“The winner of the best castle in the whoooole world is…” 

“The whole world, she said? I didn’t know it was that serious,” Pandora says, mildly panicked.

“I knew I should’ve made that dungeon when I still had the chance,” Lily's fingers twitch like she might want to grab the nearest plastic shovel and start digging.

Luna stretches the moment as long as she can while she looks between her mothers, a glint in her eyes. She grins as she announces gleefully, “You two win!”

“Wait, what? you can’t do that! there’s only one winner,” Lily burst out.

“That seems sneaky of you, there’s only one crown, Luna, are you trying not to hurt our feelings?” Pandora narrows her eyes at her daughter, knowingly. 

Luna shrugs but the smile doesn't disappear off her face. “You two win, you can share the crown,” she holds the crown for them to take. “You’re the best mommies and sand castle makers in the whole world!” she cheers as the guys holler and clap from behind.

Pandora and Lily don't say anything. After a beat, they look at each other in unison, and then at their daughter in awe, wobbly smiles on their faces. 

“Is that so? well, I guess the winners deserve a swim in the ocean, don’t you think fellow winner?” Lily blinks rapidly, holding the crown over Pandora’s head. 

Pandora sniffs in agreement. “We do, actually. But we’re going to need something that floats since I can’t swim very well.”

Lily hums. “What about a tiny human, does that work?” Lily acts like she’s looking for something, her eyes landing on her daughter who’s bouncing on her feet, a huge grin on her face. “What about this one?”

Luna giggles. Pandora regards her and says, “yes, she works too,” and goes for her. Luna shrieks and laughs trying to run but her mothers are cramming her in their arms, dragging her towards the water.  Evan, Barty and Peter go behind them, screaming at Luna like they’re going to save her. 

Dorcas and Marlene who were making out further away in the ocean, turn around when they see the commotion. Marlene gets there first and scoops Luna up, holding her up when the tide pulls. Luna is shouting and giggling in her arms and shouts at her aunt Dorcas when she sees her coming and Auntie Dorcas look! I’m a floatie! and are you, now? I guess I’m going to borrow you, them and then she does so while Marlene makes a scene of drowning without Luna while the sound of their laughs echoes in the waves around them. 

James thinks that’s one of the best sounds in the world.

And of course, there’s what’s in front of James. 

Effie and Monty are holding sweet six-year-old Harry between them. Harry looks scared but at the same time, there’s an undercut of pure bravery in the way he’s holding his ground. Harry is wearing Lightning McQueen floaties on his arms and a red swimsuit, even if he doesn’t swim very much. 

Well no, he does, but never in the ocean. 

James suggested to him that he might want to stick to the pool for a little longer but Harry has gotten in his head that the ocean is just a bigger pool and if he’s learning how to swim. he’s going to learn how to swim everywhere, not just in small pools. And well, Harry really is stubborn when he wants to be.

So that’s how Harry ended up between his grandparents, holding onto them for dear life clearly terrified but being so brave about it. 

They’re closer to where James is so he can hear them clearly as Monty holds Harry by the arm and says, “Usted puede mijo, cuando la ola venga, le salta, okay? to which Harry nods and get’s ready to jump whenever the wave crashes into him. Luckily, the ocean is calm today, and the waves are not that big or harsh.

The tide has been gentle so far but James knows the way the ocean works so he’s keeping an eye on it, just to be sure.

When the wave comes, Harry jumps. He stumbles a little, as his small body moves with the wave, his head remaining over the salty water. They do another five times and with each round, Harry seems to loosen up, getting more confident. A little too much as he lets go of his grandparent's arms when a big wave came. He goes under and James is running towards him before he notices what’s going on. 

When he gets there, Effie and Monty are holding him up away from the water while Harry is spluttering water taking big breaths. 

“¡Harry! ¡Harry! ¿Estás bien? ¿Te duele algo?” James frets, looking for an injury in his son’s small body. 

Harry shakes his head, “Estoy bien pa, solo tengo la boca salada ¡puagh!” and he makes a face, spitting the seawater. James tries for a chuckle but fails miserably.

He wants to take him away from the ocean, he wants to never feel this fear again, and he wants to scold him for being reckless and making his poor father's heart go through that. James doesn’t say any of this but instead, “¿quieres que me quede?” giving Harry a choice. 

But Harry shakes his head, holding Effie’s arms tighter.

“No, estoy bien, mis abues me cuidan, ¿verdad que sí?” Harry looks up at his grandparents and Monty nods while Effie squeezes his hand, turning to look at James. 

“Ve a sentarte mijo, we got it,” and they turn around, going for the sea again.

James watches them go.

When he sits again, he runs his fingers through his hair, heaving a big breath, trying to calm his rabbiting chest. Sometimes this is what means to be a parent, constantly worrying about the well-being of your kids. But James has also learned not to hold on too tight, to make Harry feel capable of anything, giving him the confidence to explore his possibilities. 

And Harry is safe and happy and that's what matters the most to James. He’s been so brave trying again that James kind of wishes Regulus could’ve seen what happened. 

“He’s better than me, I would’ve drowned,” a familiar voice says from behind.

James turns around, his upper body unconsciously leaning towards the figure who’s walking towards him, like a tide pulling the strings of his heart. James grins, as they come to his side. He holds his arms to him and his baby goes willingly. He holds her on his lap, embracing her so she won’t fall.

“I don’t believe that you would, you’re too stubborn to die,” he gives Regulus a quick peck on the cheek when he sits down near him in the sand. “You would’ve defeated the water, somehow, out of spite most likely.”

Regulus arches a brow at him, “Would I, now? You know something I don’t, Mr Black-Potter?”

“I do, actually, Mr Potter-Black,” James retorts, smiling at his husband, “I know you.”

Regulus scoffs, rolling his eyes but the flush of his cheeks is hard to miss. His gaze travels to where Harry is, still with his grandparents, playing with the waves and swimming away as Monty acts like a shark who’s about to catch him. 

“He’s so brave,” Regulus observes, absently playing with one of the plastic shovels Lily throws earlier when she was making the sand castles. 

“The bravest,” James nods in agreement, “just like his father”

Regulus hums noncommittally. 

“Do you want to go with him?”

“In a minute” he eventually says, digging at the sand around James. 

James lets that be as it may. 

“What took you so long?” 

“Turns out emergency level one was actually emergency level two,” Regulus says and Helena giggles in James’ arms like she knows they’re talking about her. “A big one.”

“That can’t be true, you wouldn’t do that to your poor papa, would you mi amor?” James coos at his daughter and Helena makes grabby hands at Regulus. 

“papapapapa,” she bables and Regulus’ gaze soften at her. 

Sometimes, James can’t believe his luck. He’s there, with his whole family in close proximity, and he can’t help but think how he comes to be this way. These kinds of moments are the ones James holds onto it the most, keeping them in his pocket and carrying them around wherever he goes. He’s a family man and a romantic, sue him.

“I was thinking,” James begins.

“Oh boy,” 

“No, this is good, I promise,” he says and then, “What if we spend Christmas in Chile?” 

Regulus stops digging at the sand at his feet and looks at him. “What?”

“Yes! Think about it,” he sits Helena on the sand in between his legs, still holding her. “Look, I know you don’t fancy air flights but Teddy’s birthday is around that time and my dad is secretly talking with Lyall, making plans no doubt and my mom is looking for air flights when he thinks no one’s looking and, don’t you want to spend Christmas with Sirius? he’s been talking about it for ages,” and that’s not a lie, Sirius has been talking about it for a long time, he says it’s James’ turn to visit them.

Regulus doesn’t say anything for a long time, just keeps digging. James doesn’t force him, he knows he needs a moment to think about it. Helena plays with the sand and James keeps looking out for Harry. 

After a moment, Regulus speaks again.

“What I’m hearing is that you want to spend eight hours, give or take, in a closed space with two kids under the age of six just so my idiot of a brother stops bitchin' about it?”

“And for the wine, don’t forget the Chilean wine”

“Yeah, how else we’re going to survive Sirius’ never-ending babbling?” Regulus rolls his eyes, covering James’ feet with the sand around them. 

“Be nice, amor,” but Regulus waves his hand dismissively.

“What am I getting in return?”

James scratches the back of his head. “Lots of kisses?” 

Regulus makes a ‘fair enough’ gesture as he says, “okay.”

“Really?” 

“No. I want one month free of changing diapers duty and you’re going to take Harry to soccer from now on,” he finishes, patting the sand around James’ buried knees. 

James, bless him, is too baffled to concentrate on anything else other than Regulus at the moment. 

“What?”

His husband arches a brow at him. “Do you want this or not?”

And well, James really wants it. He tries not to think too much about it. 

“Deal” and they shook on it. 

Regulus nods standing up. He holds Helena up for James to take again. 

He then leans down to kiss James slowly and James melts a little, he always has that power over him, even with the smallest of kisses.  Regulus hums when they break apart, James going forward trying to catch his lips again but his husband takes a step back. 

“I would’ve done it for two months, you know,” James admits in the haze of their kiss and Regulus' eyes are full of mirth.

“I would’ve agreed regardless. I already made plans with Remus. You doing this is just a plus.” and oh, how much James loves this sneaky human being.

“You…” he tries to stand up going for him but he can’t move, he’s stuck. He looks at his feet and sees that Regulus wasn’t only digging the sand around but actually burying his legs in the sand.

Regulus smirks.

“Hey! You buried my feet in the sand!” James shouts, “just wait until I get my hands on you,” he hisses trying to break free. 

“You will have to catch me first,” Regulus teases as he turns around and runs towards the sea, where the other part of his soul is. Harry's smile widens when he sees his papa approaching. 

“Regulus! come back here!” but Regulus ignores him as he holds Harry up and tosses him up in the sky, Harry giggling in Regulus’ arms just as much Helena does in James’. 

Birds take flight, an array of seagulls and pelicans dancing in the bright blue sky. The waves continue to break in the distance, the foam licks the sand where it touches. It all feels vast and real, like the endless sea in front of him. A reverie from which James never wishes to awaken.

Luckily for him, he will never have to. 

Yes, sunny days are the best kinds of days.

[recomendandburn]

This fict contains :

1.TallSev & ShortJames

2. A Rabdophobic Lily (due to being traumatized after having survived the killing curse)

3. Buff & tattoed Severus

4. Jeverus adopted kid, who was the only Slytherin in a family that loves them as much as Sirius does.

5. The birth of a unicorn.

Amongst other things

[takiki16]

Umm… so what’s the subby murder bot book that 80 people are trying to read?

I'm tearing my own hair out in frustration, I tell you. I don't know if any of my holds are any good bc I can't READ THEM YET!!!

If anyone is looking for romance novels to read, I've found r/RomanceBooks and their Book Request tag to be very helpful as far as mainstream cishet recs. I scroll through the book requests until I see someone asking for a book that sounds like something I'd enjoy, and then check the comments. If I see a book linked that sounds interesting, I check out the free preview and then place a hold at the library if it's available (or request an inter-library loan if not). Their romance bot unfortunately provides links to goodreads rather than storygraph or similar, so if you are trying to avoid Amazon affiliates be advised.

The book that started me on this trend was found on this thread, and it was For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale. Basic premise is a medieval knight that has essentially taken a vow of celibacy has to escort a princess caught up in intrigue to her castle. The author actually has a good grasp on medieval worldbuilding and writes in Middle English when the characters speak English rather than French, which REALLY tickles my heart. The book doesn't end as well as I'd hoped - a little too convenient, doesn't double down enough on subby murderbot-ness - but the journey and the writing is enjoyable enough that I would recommend it as a fun read.

I also recommend pretty much any of T. Kingfisher's romances, if you don't mind a little bit of...tumblr house flavor, I suppose? The author IS on tumblr and is very much a product of fandom, which might not scratch your itch if you are deliberately looking for contrasting tone, but I DEVOURED Paladin's Grace and the Clocktaur Verse (they are in the same universe but stand alone), since she also does some good horror stuff and has great worldbuilding.

I browsed around a little more and put a hold on The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne, Hot Blooded by Heather Guerre (although her werewolf romance VERY much turned me off, just couldn't stand the MMC), and His Secondhand Wife by Cheryl St. John, but have NO clue if any of them will actually deliver the very specific content I'm looking for in a romance novel. Unsatisfactory state of affairs ;_____;

If you want fanfic to tide you over, I put this list and this list together for femdom stuff!

[so-scarlett-maroon]

Draco and Neville Talk about Kissing Men: Chapter 14 Doubts and Presumptions

Doubts and Presumptions - Chapter 15 - So_scarlett_maroon - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own]

Greg got up to join, but to Neville's surprise, Draco stayed put. He remained in the shade of the tent right next to him.

Neville felt his pulse pick up. The other shoe was about to drop. The threats to back off from Hermione, the posturing and teeth barring. Neville had never been very good at all of that male territorial bullshit. He sighed, waiting for it to come.

"Hey Neville?" Draco asked, his eyes meeting Neville’s. 

"I can feel my shoulders burning, you mind putting sun cream on my back?" Draco asked, handing over a small white bottle.

"Oh, erm. Yeah, of course."

Neville looked at the man beside him. Despite staying under the tent most of the day, his back and shoulders were turning pink. He really was so fair-skinned. 

Neville squeezed the bottle, letting the cream pool in his hands. It was already warmed from laying in the Spanish sun all day, so Neville began rubbing directly on the leanly muscled shoulders. Draco leaned back, bringing his body closer to Neville’s. His shoulders tapered down to a trim waist, and his back was finely sculpted. Neville was naturally broad, and muscled from work and dueling practice, but Draco's body was different. It was clear he spent hours targeting specific muscle groups and sculpting himself. It spoke of discipline and dedication. Neville's hands traveled down, rubbing the cream into his obliques. 

Draco cleared his throat. "So, was that your first time kissing a man?"

The question made Neville freeze. He'd assumed they were going to ignore what had happened. Wasn't that what men did when things got awkward? Just pretend it never happened. Read On AO3