#definitions of indefinable things fic

[christinesficrecs]

Bit of an odd request maybe but do you know of any fics that features Sterek when they're older? In thier 30s or 40s and getting together for the first time or as an established relationship? Thank you!!

Oh yes! I am definitely a fan of future fics. 🥰

Believer and a Homecoming by lsdme | 11K | Mature

“I’m serious Derek,” Stiles whispers. “Come home.”

Good Intentions by yodasyoyo | 6.4K

In which Stiles thought he fake wolf-married Derek twenty-six years previously. Turns out it wasn't as fake as he thought.

ladybugs by thepsychicclam | 20.7K | Explicit

In which Derek and Stiles have been married for ten years, have two kids, and are planning their five year old's birthday party.

Every stumble and each misfire by everchanginginks | 14K | Mature

Stiles hasn't seen or heard from Derek in ten years. It's a bit of a surprise to find out about Derek's return to Beacon Hills through Tinder.

One Door Closes by KouriArashi | 27.7K | Explicit

Derek knows that Stiles is too young for him, but Stiles doesn't agree. Eight years after Derek rejects him due to the age gap, they meet again where Derek has settled in Wyoming as a ranch hand, and Stiles is the new deputy, and still pissed as hell about the way Derek turned him down. Things don't go as either of them planned.

into the ripe air by unpossible | 13.3K

Stiles,” Ted says as he rounds the front of the car. His eyes flick to Derek, and then to James, and there’s an indefinable change in his face that has Stiles’ shoulders tightening and he takes a long, slow breath, the better to take careful hold of his temper, because there are consequences for everything he says and does now, and he’s not a sixteen year old smartass anymore.

(Never) Let Me Go by Jerakeen | 5.8K | Explicit

Now Stiles is older, not exactly wiser, but definitely well-versed in hot guys, and he feels qualified to say that yeah, his memories are spot on with the hotness factor, and Derek hasn't changed a bit.

Watch as the waves, fall back into place. by DropsOfAddiction | 32.5K | Explicit

Derek rakes his eyes over Stiles’ exposed arms and his gaze lingers on the lithe muscle there. The evidence of years of staying in shape, working as an FBI field agent is blatant and was he always that hairy?

Derek’s mesmerised by the dark hair running up his arms and it’s only when Stiles clears his throat and flails his hands at him that Derek manages to bring his eyes to his face.

Stiles’ brown hair is longer and he looks taller somehow, fitting his body in a way Derek’s never quite seen on him. He looks totally comfortable in himself, propped there against the jeep like he does this every day, like he’s not making Derek readjust his entire world view, just by being there.

Derek scents the air blatantly and he steps closer to him, pleased with the way Stiles’ heartbeat spikes a little, despite his cool demeanour.

“Hey Hale. Looking good,” Stiles grins, still not moving an inch, even when Derek’s only about a metre away.

everything you do [sends me higher than the moon] by crossroadswrite | 4.5K

When Derek opens his door to see Stiles standing there with four full suitcases, his massagers’ bag thrown over his shoulder, two big cardboard boxes that barely close and his demon cat cradled on the crook of his elbow all he can say is, “Why?”

Not “what” not “what happened stiles” not “get out” not “please let me kiss you this pinning thing is really getting old for me” not “why are you bringing satan into my home”.

Just a simple “why”.

The Rest of Your Life by paradis | 4.1K

“Seemed like a buttercream guy,” Stiles says innocently, and grabs two forks and pours two huge glasses of milk. They eat in silence and when Stiles finishes his mouth is filled with the too-sweet taste of peanut butter icing and chocolate cake, and he’s full, but he feels good, too. He stares at Derek, who’s licking his lips after his last bite of cake. “I think I’m probably not straight,” he says suddenly. And Derek says, “I ripped down the whole top floor of the house this morning thinking about Laura.”

Much Ado About You Two by clotpolesonly | 2.2K

In which Professor Stilinski and Stiles are such different people that nobody makes the connection.

Until I Stayed Away Too Long by melofttroll | 14.8K | Explicit

NY Times bestseller Derek Hale hates a lot of things about being a modern author. Like being recognized, like needing a social media presence, like not being able to buy his own boxed spaghetti noodles without being asked for a selfie. Facing writer's block, he escapes to his old hometown of Beacon Hills, at his sister's insistence, for some reprieve and hopefully motivation. It's there his attention is captured by a gangly, socially awkward teacher, and the tiny little toddler at his side who know him only as that one basketball player who fled town at fifteen after his girlfriend burnt his house down.

[enaelyork]

For the fanfic writers ask thing :)

#6, #18, and #29

Thank you :)

Hey sweetie ! Here we go ! Thx u for the ask :)

6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

Oh yes, a fanfic about Thrawn on Ao3 name Let it then bear fruit.

And actually i read, read, read, re-read all wip and fics about Krennic from @starlady66 & @fenharel-enaste =D =D

18. What’s one of your favorite lines you’ve written in a fic?

So so so many it's crazy

Friends lack objectivity, enemies too. But what about when we were both at the same time?

You stole my project, i stole your daughther. It's a fair return.

29. Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic. (If you don’t have either, just share a random fic idea you have that you don’t plan on getting to.)

Okay, another scen from Nébuleuse because i can't stop to write it

— you love him ?

I really wanted to tell him that he had much more important things to do tonight, like every night he had the chance, but I was petrified by the distress I read in his eyes. It looked like an awful romantic movie when this story was very far from being one.

It was a tragedy, a fiasco and the hero is anything but a nice guy.

Yet there he was, on my doorstep, with all this tension shaking his muscles and all his despair. I brought the sides of my bathrobe against me. The air was thin, stuffy, but that wasn't what oppressed me the most.

—Is that why you are so obsessed with that?" That you strive to thwart his departure? He sleeps with you, he...

I laughed.

It wasn't mockery, it was indefinable. I laughed like a hysteric, laughed like a fool who is definitely losing her mind. I was so loud I probably woke up half the neighborhood and my stomach was twisting in pain. The nerves seemed to have decided to let me down tonight and now was clearly not the time. Orson Krennic was there, in front of my house, asking me if I loved anyone other than him.

Then it all came to an end when his hands landed on my cheeks, capturing my face with a power that silenced me. And his electric gaze drowned mine in a wave of chaotic emotion.

Do it.

That's what his eyes were screaming at him, there, when his face was so close to mine that I could have brushed against him if I had had the courage. I was already stunned by his delicious scent of bergamot and spices. It was happening. This pure madness that alienated us had ended up getting the better of us and I understood that it was all I had always wanted.

Asshole

His lips beg mine with such force that I was silenced. I still detected a residue of strong alcohol, but not enough to convince me that he was drunk. He had thrown himself into hell, completely sober.

It was amazing.

[404-potato]

Accidental Time Travel fic idea brainstorm?

Putting it here so I can revisit later

A little divergant oneshot (although knowing me who the fuck knows this might end up in multi chap) of mission gone wrong and they get thrown into the past and meet younger Tony Stark ?

Ironstrange | past Stony

During a mission, rogues/old team + Rhodey + Peter end up being thrown to the past. After bit of discussion they come to a conclusion maybe it is best to contact SHIELD of this timeframe. They managed to find Peggy and finally meet Howard Stark- both were more than enthusiastic seeing Steve again and agree to help after short explanation.

Howard tells them they should all stay at Stark mansion since they will attract too much attention elsewhere. They lay low for a week or so while they devise a plan. Then younger Tony comes to visit... (He’s maybe ~19-20ish? Grad school?)

The team first joked about how the younger Tony will end up with a crush on Steve because of their past relationship / how their Tony used to act bending over backwards at everything Steve wants... BUT Tony at first gets extremely attached to Rhodey- because he’s like wait older version of my Rhodey cool. And in this timeline Rhodey really is his only friend. They all soon realize Tony had/has a childhood crush on Rhodey which got transferred over to Rhodey from future and they all laugh and think its sort of just cute and Rhodey is like “... wait seriously??” Because now he sees it-

The team soon gets first hand experience on some of the issues between Howard and Tony. They get into a fight at some point and Howard throws a bottle out of anger which when it shatters on the wall, a glass end up scratching Tony’s face. Rhodes remembers seeing that wound long time ago... one in which Tony brushed it off saying he accidentally screwed up an experiment.

The rest of the team gets a bit protective and even though they are having all sort of issues in the future, this Tony obviously does not know any of that and gets along with them really easily. He also is a lot less arrogant, a lot more honest, they see that he hasn’t fully developed his “mask” yet so it’s a lot easier to see his emotions and insecurities, etc. He’s definitely a lot less paranoid and defensive and its trippy since this is obviously Tony but not at the same time... or its just a side of Tony they forget too often. The whole situation makes Steve rethink about their arguments and his perception of Tony.

Younger Tony definitely gets along with Bruce, admires him even, has fun joking with Thor, even easily warms up to Steve. And though Peter gets so weirded out and a bit upset at first because this is his dad who doesn’t know him and now only couple years older than him, eventually feels better when Tony naturally looks after him and takes care of him like an older brother. Tony once mentions by passing how he doesn’t want kids ever since he’ll probably end up like Howard and won’t be a good father to anyone... and Peter can’t help to blurt out “no... I think you’ll be great.”

Eventually though Stephen ends up coming to find them... but they need to wait 4 more days for (future)Tony to open the rift in time a second time and get them all out.

Stephen definitely has a lot of mixed feelings about meeting the younger version of his boyfriend and it’s awkward because he constantly has to stop himself from acting too friendly. He is completely in love with how young and vibrant Tony is in this timeframe but he is also having an internal crisis because this Tony is basically half his age so it feels inappropriate.

At some point younger Tony mentions how he’s confused with life and he flip flops between so many personalities, looks, hobbies, likes and dislikes in general he wonders if there is anything real about himself. He gives the example of like he kissed this boy so does that make him gay? And though he is playing it off, Tony seems to be honestly scared and having some sort of existential crisis. Stephen tells him this whole speech about how he’s young, this is the time to explore, it’s completely normal to be trying one thing one day only to do completely the opposite the next. It doesn’t make anything less real and certainly doesn’t make it wrong. And you may feel something is “you” or “true” only to change or realize no it’s not someday and that’s okay too.

Everyone can see from miles away younger Tony is head over heels for Stephen at record time and whatever crush he was displaying for Rhodey and even Steve at some point is NOTHING in comparison. Tony was very flirty with Rhodey and Steve but with Stephen he just gets completely flustered that it’s sort of just ridiculous cute. He’ll like... try to make an attempt at something flirty like his usual self, Stephen jokingly does something back and younger Tony is like all red and ABORT MISSION. Rhodey keeps teasing Stephen about it.

Peter also eventually calls Stephen “doctor dad” which makes Tony confused. And Stephen explains by saying Peter is not his biological son but still his son by relations due to Peter’s father/ his boyfriend. Tony suddenly excuses himself and Rhodey just goes “I think you just broke his heart”

When future Tony finally opens the rift and comes to get them he is in full Iron Man armor. He doesn’t lift the helmet upon seeing his younger self. Peters runs to him and Stephen out of reflex comes greet him in a way that obviously indicates their relationship. Everyone can’t help but to notice younger Tony looks completely heartbroken since he does not realize this Iron Man technically is himself.

Just before they all leave, younger Tony, trying to play it off, makes a comment to this man in armor “take care of them, tin can man” because he got very attached to Peter and he’s sort of fell in love with Stephen at this point. And after a long pause Iron Man/ future Tony replies back simple “I will.”

Though its short and through the the suit mic, the younger Tony gets first shocked then smiles because... he knows...

[funkylittlebidiot]

Hi! I'm kinda new to IronStrange ship, can you please recommend some angsty and fluff fanfic? I will really really appreciate it. Thank you!!! ❤️

Welcome to the fandom!! 💕 

I will try my best! I’m new to making rec posts but let’s start with my ultimate faves!

Let’s first make sure you’ve read canon! I know the Russo’s fanfic is really popular, but if you want the actual ironstrange story, you need to read @salty-ironstrange-shipper ‘s From The Top - everything from Iron Man to Far From Home with Ironstrange at the core!

From The Top - by lucifersfavoritechild (156,527) (Ironstrange Cinematic Universe: 185,755)

Summary: “Stephen, if you’re . . . there somewhere . . . when I drift off, I’ll be with you again. I can’t wait.” | | Personally, I think the MCU would be much better as a love story between Stephen Strange and Tony Stark. Don't you? Starting from Iron Man, and going all the way to Endgame, with all the appropriate stops in between. Let's take it from the top.

Once that’s done and you’re looking for more fluff - with sides of angst whenever needed - start with reading @elisaphoenix13 Supreme Family Chaos. It’s so much fun, really cute, and great for if you need a sub-fandom to lose yourself in. It involves all the Avengers but mainly focusses on the main family of Stephen, Tony, Harley, Peter, Thomas, William, and a bunch of OC’s - do come join our ramblings in the discord =)

Supreme Family Chaos (Series) - by Elisahpoenix (290,314)

(unofficial) Summary: It starts with adopting Peter, but Stephen can’t stop himself from becoming a mom - and again, and again, and again (x4). 

If you’re still looking for long fics and new versions of canon, I recommend @nanosorcerer‘s I Knew You For A Day and @wspaceblog‘s Indefinable Things (be quick in downloading this one it’s worth it). Both involve the Iron Fam with both Peter AND Harley which is an immediate win for me. 

I Knew You For A Day - by nanosorcerer (387,776)

Summary: Endgame AU where Stephen is able to save Tony after he Snaps. Neither realize how their now shared life force will entwine them in more ways than one. Through Tony's recovery, he realizes the difference between who has always been there and who will always love him.

opinion: I really love this world! Stephen and Tony’s relationship is so fucking precious! It’s tender, it’s emotional, it’s - quite literally - dependent, it’s everything you could hope for. It’s fluffy and angsty and just such an intense read. I’m currently behind because each chapter is 20k at least which only shows how much the author loves it and cares for the characters and story. Really important takes on recovery both mentally and physically; it allows Tony to have a dad bod and body issues and it’s seriously brilliant. 

Indefinable Things - by w_space (283,996)

Summary: The war is over. The rogues are back. Steve is definitely not over it. There are lots of secrets about to implode. Tony just really wants his recovered relationship with Stephen to work. And Peter just wants everyone to leave his dads alone.

(With a lot of flashback into the past of how Stephen and Tony met, got together, fell apart, only to have all roads lead back to each other again.)

opinion: i really enjoy reading this one; it’s one of my ultimate favorites (obviously)! It’s such a ride each chapter and makes you feel things x 3000. Everything that happens is genius and amazing and it has a wonderful take on Tony and Stephen’s relationship and everything that happened in between their past and present. Their relationship to the rogues is complicated yet intimate and it just keeps you guessing in all the best ways. Especially if you also like Natasha and Loki, I think this fic is a great read for you! I still can’t get over how intricate this is.

Now to actually get to some specific fluffy and angsty reads - I’m not sure what length you’re actually looking for and I know that lengthy fics can be daunting. But most of my bookmarked fics do have at least 20K words. For shorter ones i’d recommend just looking through the mentioned authors’s other works and bookmarks - because you’ll probably find plenty of gems there. Here’s some of my favorites:

Obstacles and Opportunities - by shortsnout (54,361) Mature

Summary: Stephen Strange has been trying to juggle the responsibilities of a being a single father, his work and some resemblance of a social life. When his son, Peter is injured at the Stark Expo it brings about a chance encounter with a charismatic douchebag, which leads to an unexpected friendship and some unexpected revelations about Stephen’s sexuality.

Single parent AU, no powers.

Opinion: this one has a special place in my heart as it’s one of the earliest ironstrange fics i’ve read. It’s also a family fic which I love. I think it’s very well at recognising Stephen’s more difficult qualities and where they would clash with parenting, which gives it a very authentic feel. Tony is wonderful as always - very cute and a hot romance. 

Other works by the author to check out: Counterfeit Boyfriend (15k) and for an even smuttier one Bast’s Enchantment (12K)

Time After Time - by fancylances (47,755) Teen

Summary: Tony Stark is unstuck in time. Stephen Strange might just be the only person in the universe qualified enough to help.

opinion: Fix it! A great AU without being too AU! It sticks to the MCU and their respective powers while also giving a great alternative to the events of IW and endgame. I really enjoyed this one - if you’re looking for fluff and angst this is it :)

This Doesn't Mean That I Like You - by betheflame (13,756) Explicit

Summary: Stephen Strange and Tony Stark have hated each other since high school. Now that Stephen is the headmaster at their old preparatory academy and Tony's been hired as the temporary science teacher, no one expects that to change. If only they could stop having sex, things might not be so complicated.

Opinion: !!! i love anything with an academic setting and this one is just 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 i loveee it a lot

 You can’t force a love to grow - by turtle_abyss (29,013) Teen

Summary: The people of Midgard say the drought is a final curse wrought by the Red Skull as he and his men were driven from the land into the churning winter sea. King Fury of Midgard believes in no such curses, but his people are starving and riotous and he is desperate. He puts out a call for aid to the other kingdoms. The desert only howls its answer, the messenger to Asgard is turned away at the border, but the messenger to the mountain kingdom of Kamar-Taj returns - shaken and babbling of ghosts and demons - carrying a scroll. Kamar-Taj will open a route of trade, but in exchange, they want a bride for their prince. King Fury, childless, puts out a call to his noble houses. Lord Howard Stark of the Southern Mines senses an opportunity for advancement and offers up his son, Anthony, who fits the specifications listed in the terms. Anthony would argue. Wants to fight and scream and flee. He’d dreamed of a love marriage like his mother always spoke of. The King paints a kind picture of duty and dignity: this marriage will save his people from starvation. His father threatens to throw him to the desert's mercy. There's no point in arguing. His heart probably won't last long anyway.

Opinion: really sweet!!! i enjoy a good Medieval/royalty AU and it didn’t disappoint! Plus it has ART!!! it’s great 10/10 all around. @turtleoftheabyss Is a great author in general and has so many great fics to check out.

Other works by the author: R&R

Sometimes, A Family Is - by CrystalRoza19, NeonCrayons (20,656) General

Summary: Sometimes a family is comprised of you, your recently divorced dad, an unruly group of teenagers and a semi-unemployed former world-class neurosurgeon… Peter Stark hoped that moving back to the city would help his father get passed all the struggles and animosity that plagued him after his divorce. What he hadn't thought to hope for was a way for his father to move on; he’d always had a hard time letting people go, after all. Stephen Strange was everything Steve Rogers was not. Maybe he could be everything Tony Stark needed to heal his broken heart. Throw in an unruly group of teenagers and you have yourself a family.

Opinion: This is perfect for Fluff and Angst!! It’s a really sweet No Powers AU and checks all boxes it’s great!

My Starlight - by Insert_witty_username (our very own @stark-strange-love2) (18,452) Explicit

summary: Leviathans, the all powerful beings that reside in the void beyond the world they created, are destined to do nothing but observe as the Earth turns day after day. Stephen was content to do the same as the other Leviathans, that is, until he lays eyes on Tony Stark, a human prince threatened with an arranged marriage from his father. Stephen helps him, but now they have a new problem. Stephen, a being of unfathomable power is married to a human prince. Where do they go from there? Alternately, a myth as to the creation of the stars

Opinion: this is so good oml!! I already mentioned i love a good royalty!AU and this is truly an epic piece of writing; great concept to begin with and an actual happy ending! 

Other works by the Author: Universal Coding (11K) 

Persona - by @wifeofstark (26,032) Teen

Summary: Stephen Strange sees himself forced to team up with the Invincible Iron Man due to unfortunate circumstance and soon enough he falls for his quips and charm. The only problem is he doesn’t even know his name. Then an incident in Japan forces Stephen and Tony Stark together under even more unfortunate circumstance and when he discovers that the businessman is nothing like he expected he no longer knows how to feel

Opinion: it’s been a while since i’ve read this but i’ve been intending to reread because I keep thinking about it lately! it’s so good! If you want something cute and fluffy with a little bit of a comic book vibe - this is really funny and sweet. 

Other works by the Author: Afterworld (30K) (vampire!AU!!!), Songs About Sex (50K), and so much more I haven’t got around to reading yet

The Douchebag, The Asshole, and Their Kids: A Love Story - by Teamironmanforever (74,954) Teen

Summary: Stephen Strange - sorcerer supreme, former neurosurgeon and resident asshole - is tasked by his fellow sorcerers with speaking with Tony Stark - genius, billionaire, philanthropist, part time hero and full time douchebag - after the “civil war.” The two get off to a rocky start as miscommunication, mistrust, and past pains threaten to do them in. However, both men are nothing if not adaptable and, with the threat Tony can’t get out of his head, the two will have to work in close quarters to stop earth from coming to harm. All while leading a brand new avengers team and co-parenting three meddlesome teenage kids that seem to have it in their head that the wizard and the genius want in on each other’s pants.

Opinion + warning this hasn’t been finished and seems to currently be abandoned as it hasn’t updated since February but i still definitely think it’s worth the read. It’s one of my ultimate favorites and I love it a lot. 

I haven’t even talked about Imagined yet because I Don’t Know Where To Start.

I’ve just linked their page because it’s too much. Too good. 

Personal faves are;

Citizen’s Erased (first work i read of hers and it’s so good!! seriously brilliant and painful in all the right ways), 

Little Monsters (which is just so cute i’m obsessed and Desperately Waiting On More, Liz!!!),

Sorcerers of Ephemeral Colours (which she’s currently working on - and again; royalty/medieval AU instant win), 

Five times Five (This fic came into my house and flmqkdjsm - it CAN and WILL murder you in your sleep through a perfectly timed heart attack), 

Talking In Reverse (cute coffee shop University AU that will obliterate you on the spot - Italian Tony 👌🏻), 

The Two-Fold Problem of Dating, (possibly my fave one-shot?? why do i like these idiots they’re the worst) ... and now i’m realising i’m just citing each work in her repertoire... but there IS MORE go read it each fic is amazing.

Now I already mentioned @salty-ironstrange-shipper at the start with her most famous work, but definitely check out her entire page lucifersfavoritechild because she should also get recognition for her other gems including - but not limited to -  

Let It Be 

Paint It Black and Synergy (villain AUs 💖)

Gold Roses (how many times do i have to say it; ROYALTY AU!!)

and if you like pepper x christine Of All The Stars Most Beautiful. (which is just a sapphic dream tbh)

At this point I remembered I’m also a writer TM so here’s my favorite fluffy x angsty fic: 

(Sober) Companion - by ME (20K) Mature

Summary: Stephen Strange, ex-neurosurgeon, current sober companion, prides himself on his competence. If he's so competent, however, why is he having so much trouble getting through to his new charge, Tony Stark? Usually it's Stephen putting the pieces back together, but when Tony is giving him none to work with, and instead starts meddling with Stephen's, he might have to reconsider who's fixing who. And can the answer be both or neither at the same time?

I know my recs haven’t changed much since previous times but that isn’t going to stop me from talking about them. I just probably brave going through my history at some point to find the ones i forgot to bookmark ...

But my advice is always to just go to the ship tag and play around with the filters; specific AU/tropes you’re looking for, sort through wordcount/kudos/comments/bookmarks, otp: true or with extra characters, etc or be a badass and just start from the first fic ever written to the one that was updated last. 

Also you might have noticed i tagged the authors whose blogs I know because if you’re new to the fandom you should probably go follow them for more Marvel content!

[hleonaa]

IronStrange pre-Iron Man fic rec

One of my most favorite IronStrange tropes is one where they meet (and might or might not fall in love) prior to the events in Iron Man 1, so here’s a compilation of the fics I’ve read so far with this trope. Additions are welcomed!

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definitions of indefinable things Chapters: WIP Word count: 150k+

Prequel: definitely-not-boyfriend-not-really-friends-one-night-stand Chapters: 3/3 Word count: 19,099

Spin-off: our sons Chapters: 1/1 Word count: 6,011

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Rewriting Icarus Chapters: 1/1 Word count: 23,504

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From the Top Chapters: 13/13 Word count: 154,561

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if only the gods had mercy on us Chapters: 2/2 Word count: 30,011

Sequel: a soul too deep Chapters: 1/1 Word count: 21,863

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(who will love you) when we fall apart Chapters: 2/2 Word count: 14,153

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I Love You. Even Now. Chapters: 2/2 Word count: 3,093

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Grace Chapters: 1/1 Word count: 3,052

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An Infinity In The Wings Chapters: 7/7 Word count: 28,495

Spin-off: I’d Wait For You For An Infinity Chapters: 2/2 Word count: 1,727

Sequel: Battles Of An Infinite Soul Chapters: 24/24 Word count: 71,648

[ferryboatpeak]

la I’ve been thinking about the hazoff loop fic all day... I WANT IT

OH BOY i can’t stop thinking about this fic either! hold on, let me catch up the rest of the class…

The premise of this hockey fic that you and @helenahjay got me to read is that the first time someone touches their soulmate they both go into a Loop in which they live that same day over and over again, Groundhog Day style, until they finally kiss and break the Loop. Couples use their Loop to get to know each other and get their first day absolutely perfect before they finally end it and launch the rest of their lives together. Obviously this setup is GLORIOUSLY PERFECT for hazoff. To wit:

Sometime in 2014 Harry goes to LA with 1D on some kind of business trip. Not to perform, but to meet with their American label people or marketing or something, blah blah blah. So Harry spends the day shaking hands and charming the world, meeting all sorts of new people, and that night someone from the label takes him to a party at the Azoffs’.

Harry knows who Irv is, knows Irv’s storied history, knows what Irv can do for him. This is the party that could change things for him. It’s important. And he nails it, of course. Charms Irv, charms Shelli, charms every aging rock star in the vicinity. Meets all sorts of people. Talks to Jeff, maybe incidentally, certainly inconsequentially. Maybe even cuts the conversation a little bit short because that’s Kendall Jenner across the room and he might just have a shot, the way tonight’s been going. The world’s opening up before him, and he feels invincible.

When he wakes up the next morning, he’s a little surprised to be alone in his own hotel bed. He can’t remember how the night ended; he hopes he didn’t fuck anything up. He hadn’t had that much to drink, he doesn’t think. He slouches into the bathroom, and on the way past the closet he notices last night’s shirt hanging neatly in exactly the position it was when his PA steamed it out after the flight.

Definitely not that drunk, he thinks, if he got his shirt hung up. He glances toward the chair, expecting to see his jeans draped over the back. They’re not there, and they’re not on the floor. They’re still in his suitcase, folded flat in a big ziploc bag with a post-it from Harry Lambert that says “Party Thursday. w/ YSL blouse, brown boots”

 Harry grabs for his phone. Yesterday’s date is today’s date. He’s in a Loop.

Initially he’s elated. Harry loves love, after all, and this is proof that true love is out there for him. He’s got a soulmate! He’s seen them! He’s touched them, somehow. Somewhere in all the handshakes and air kisses and bro hugs, he met his soulmate yesterday. They’re in LA, which is… weird. LA doesn’t feel like a place that belongs to him. Yet. Maybe it will.

But his excitement is mixed with irritation. He’s 20. (This is 2014, right?) It’s been a good few years of having a lot of no strings attached sex with a whole lot of people. He’s not quite ready for that to be over. And it doesn’t really have to be over yet, he reasons. He’s in LA. He can have some fun. Until his soulmate spots him, he can do anything he wants.

So he goes about his day just as he did yesterday. Coffee, workout, lunch, meetings. And then, the party. Harry lives it up at the Azoff party for quite a few loops. Always has to start by making the right impression on Irv and the rest of the industry presence, just in case he inadvertently snogs his soulmate and has to live with a day he can’t reset. But after that, he’s at his leisure in a room full of beautiful people, and he’s doing his best to sow his wild oats while he can. 

Kendall’s a good time and he strikes up a bit of a recurring friends with benefits arrangement with her, to the extent a friendship is possible when every day’s new to her. There’s definitely some xarry potential here too, although I’m not sure how angsty that part of the plot is. Maybe Xander’s an ideal hookup while Harry’s making the most of his Loop, or maybe Harry hopes for a few days that Xander might be his soulmate, and ends up disappointed.

Anyway, eventually there’s a day where Harry ends up talking to Jeff in greater depth, and likes him. Like Harry, Jeff’s got big dreams; unlike Harry, Jeff’s got plans. Jeff’s got a specific vision for where his career is going, and it’s incredibly compelling to Harry, who only has a big sprawling vague sense that he wants to perform, forever, and he wants to make music that makes him feel like the music he grew up with, and he has absolutely no concrete sense of how to make any of that happen.

Harry wakes up the next morning and calls someone from the label and asks them to get him Jeff’s number. He calls Jeff and asks if he can come by. Sure, Jeff says, any time you’d like (as he frantically recalendars to open up his morning). Harry shows up at CAA, and of course Harry’s welcome wherever he goes and especially in that setting, but there’s something particularly comfortable about being in Jeff’s office.

Harry’s tested Jeff and Jeff hasn’t given him any reason to think that he’s in a Loop, so Harry assumes that Jeff isn’t remembering any of this from day to day, which means that Harry fully opens up and says all kinds of candid stuff. Over multiple days, he tells Jeff everything, starts to put all kinds of things into words that he’s never expressed before: the things he wants to do, the ways he wants to make people feel, the fear that he’s not good enough dueling with the secret shameful sense that he is that good, or at least that he’s got some indefinable thing that his bandmates don’t.

Jeff listens, and asks thoughtful questions, and gradually helps Harry start to prune and direct and shape his unruly sprawl of ambition into a more focused five, ten, maybe fifty year plan. Harry decides that once all of this is over, he’d like to work with Jeff. And as they create the hazoff master plan, Harry starts to get more and more impatient to get on with it. With a clearer view of what his future might look like, he’s ready to end this Loop and start the rest of his life.

Which gets back to the issue of his soulmate. None of his suspected candidates have panned out. As Harry gets impatient, he gets more reckless, striding through the Azoff party announcing that he’s in a loop and he’s looking for anyone else who is. (This results in at least one person faking it in order to spend an evening with the full attention of Harry Styles.) He kisses absolutely everyone; he wastes loops doing dumbass stuff like stripping and jumping in the pool.

I have decided that a quirk of this verse is that the loop always resets at midnight, whether or not harry falls asleep. It takes him a few go-rounds to figure this out, after his initial assumption that he’s drank too much and forgotten how he got to bed. Does he confirm this conclusion by trying to slice his way past midnight with cocaine acuity? Possibly. Increasingly it wears on him that he never gets to see how the night ends. Maybe there’s even a day where he’s about to have a breakthrough but midnight cuts it off?

I do know for sure that there’s a day where he drinks too much at the party, or pretends to, and Jeff puts him to bed in a spare bedroom. (Or maybe even Jeff’s childhood bedroom?) He tugs Jeff down with him and convinces Jeff to stay until he falls asleep, because Jeff’s not going to remember this anyway, and Harry’s lonely and he just wants to fall asleep with somebody. He’s tired of relationships that only last a day. He’s tried to follow up with every single person he possibly could have touched on the first day of his Loop, and he still hasn’t found his soulmate. Why is his Loop going so wrong? He rubs his cheek against the shoulder of Jeff’s sportcoat. It would be easy if Jeff was his soulmate, wouldn’t it. At least he can find Jeff when all this is over. They’ll be friends, no matter who his soulmate is. They’ve got plans.

I don’t know how the reveal happens, whether Harry starts to suspect something or whether Jeff screws up or whether Jeff comes clean, but eventually it’s revealed that Jeff is in the Loop too. He’s kept quiet the whole time because he saw Harry at the start of the Loop, going after every pretty young model at the party (and/or every hulking lax bro), and he didn’t want to see the disappointment on Harry’s face when he realized his soulmate was Jeff. He just thought… if they got to know each other… eventually it would unfold naturally? (This was a terrible idea.) And then they started building this working relationship, and he’s loved that, and he’s been too scared that confessing would ruin everything, and it didn’t seem like there were any right words for it anyway.

Jeff is focused on explaining himself and trying to do damage control and he completely misses that this is exactly the wrong way to go about this conversation. What Harry needs to hear is that Jeff has been learning him all this time, drinking in every bit that Harry’s shown him, and every day of the Loop, every piece of Harry, has only drawn him in more and more. That love is a paltry word to describe how badly Jeff wants to wrap his entire being around Harry, body and soul. That he can’t believe how impossibly lucky it is that the universe has brought them together. And that of course he’ll live through it if Harry doesn’t feel the same way, but god, he’s all in, and he’s going to spend the rest of his life doing his best to make Harry happy, whether that’s as a colleague or a friend or a business partner, whatever Harry wants, Jeff will do it, Jeff will be it.

Jeff doesn’t say any of that.

And Harry feels utterly betrayed. He looks back in horror at all of the highly personal things he’s told Jeff with the expectation that Jeff wouldn’t remember. He can’t trust him, he can’t trust any of the plans they’ve made, how has Jeff just let him talk business at him for weeks and weeks when they were supposed to be falling in love? Above all else, Harry wants to be taken seriously, and Jeff’s proven that he doesn’t consider Harry to be a viable soulmate, let alone anything else.

Cue montage of Harry looping aimlessly through LA, trying to plot an alternate path forward. He knows he’s got to kiss Jeff eventually to end the loop, but he wants to have some idea of where he’s going after that. But of course none of the other managers or agents he talks to are Jeff; nobody else listens like Jeff does or understands what Harry wants the way Jeff does or seems like they’d be a true partner they way Jeff describes.

Anyway I’m not too clear on how Buttercup finally realizes that when Wesley was saying “as you wish” what he meant was “I love you,” but obviously that’s where this is headed. All I know is that at the end of the fic they watch the clock pass midnight and they finally get to end the night together.

[ironstrange-is-the-endgame]

For the fanfic ask: 20

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love! I never bookmark anything so even if there are few fics I really love I can’t find the links right now. As far as authors go, though, I have a few of absolute favourites, people from whom I’d read actually (almost) everything and these are @visionarygalaxy @amethyst-noir @notjustamumj and others of whom I don’t remember the Tumblr profiles right now. Two of my favourite WIPs are “whatever souls are made of” by @atypicalsnowman (I don’t understand why I can’t tag them) and “definition of indefinable things” and its spin-off “it’s Sunday” by @w_space

fanfic ask / ask

[stony-ao3-feed]

Not Enough

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/38yABVP

by Dreamymaiyaa

The avengers finally understood why Dr Stephen Strange became Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.

It's inspired by the series "definition of indefinable things".

Words: 1518, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Inspired fics

Fandoms: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Tony Stark, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Clint Barton, Stephen Strange, Christine Palmer

Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Sleepy Tony, Movie Night, Fluff and Angst, Insecure Stephen Strange, Hurt Steve Rogers, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt Natasha Romanov, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Alternate Universe

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/38yABVP

[marsmaywander]

pride month: ace fic recs!

i figure that i’m so happy to find asexual representation anywhere i can, i should put together a list of fanfics i’ve come across. warning that this is gonna be heavily marvel-skewed since that’s my biggest fandom at the moment. please take care to read all tags and warnings in the individual fics - there are some heavy topics in some of them. let me know if you enjoyed this list or have any other faves to share!

( ♥ ) indicates personal favorites of the bunch

MARVEL

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19264345 Evening Star by alifetime (gen) summary: Tony comes to terms with Peter’s sexuality. supportive dad™

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1575290 The Question by fadewords (tony/pepper) summary: Tony Stark is a fucking sex god, and proud of it. But there's something indefinably different about his approach to sex--there always has been, he's just never noticed it before--and now that he has, he can't quite put his finger on it. (Or: An asexual Tony Stark goes through life without knowledge of asexuality, and does just fine--until he actually learns about asexuality. Then shit hits the fan.) notes: some wonderful self-questioning and sex-positive ace tony

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14802476 i don't need anything (but you) by WritingThroughTheMess (tony/bucky) summary: Together, Bucky and Tony dismiss the need for bitten tongues and whispered apologies. There is no need for anything but them.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17954036 ♥ take my hand, take my whole life too by FreyaS (tony/steve) summary: Tony stands in front of the mirror and nervously adjusts the cuffs of his bespoke suit. He fiddles with the cufflinks shaped like the atoms of the element he created (a present from Rhodey for his forty-something birthday) and tries to breathe in slowly and calm his nerves. This is his fifth and probably last date with Steve and he wants to commemorate the moment with his most polished look. The suit is his armor and it’ll carry him through to the bitter end.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19129132 Flags by candycanedarcy (bucky/clint) summary: Bucky's been seein' a lot of rainbows around lately, and he's curious as to why. He doesn't know asking that question will give him the answer to a different question he didn't even know he had.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/924291 Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel (gen) summary: "Darcy was convinced it was going to become part of SHIELD’s oral history forever, like that time everyone on this one op was doused with sex pollen and the only one who didn’t screw someone senseless was then not-yet-deputy director Agent Hill, and Robards said it was because she was a frigid lesbian and Hill told him that the term was asexual and if he was going to be a bigoted asshole about it he could at least get her orientation right. And then Coulson made him go through the hardcore diversity and sexual harassment training as punishment, because everyone knew Hill and Coulson were bros." Maria Hill is honestly pretty happy with her life. notes: a good confident maria gen fic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/6544546 As You Are by WinterSky101 (tony/pepper/bruce) summary: Tony and Pepper are very sexual people. Bruce isn’t. When he gets invited into their relationship, he’s not entirely sure how that’s supposed to work.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102553 It's (Not That) Complicated by Reioka (tony/steve) summary: Steve is asexual. Tony's straight. They love each other anyway (even if other people don't understand it).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11726187 Human Moment by usedupshiver (tony/bucky) summary: In the modern world, Bucky Barnes is something as rare as a full-blooded human. Sure, humanity used to think it was the ruling species, but now they are well aware that they share the world with angels and demons, elves and goblins, spirits and ghosts, and humans did what they have always done best – they adapted. For Bucky, that meant making a very comfortable living selling all the things only a human body can offer beings that aren't. Over the years he has nourished all sorts of creatures, and has never had an unsatisfied customer. Then Tony Stark shows up at his doorstep, and nothing seems to work out like it should.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/35347 ♥ Not alone by Arkada (series, OT6) summary: Clint's asexual, and he's always thought he'll end up alone. Then the Avengers happen, and he's living with all five of them. Then all five start sleeping together, and everything falls apart. notes: some great whump and self-hatred followed by discoveries and lovely comfort. one of the first marvel fics i ever read

https://archiveofourown.org/works/511492 Variations in Modern Dance by Pookaseraph (tony/steve) summary: There's only one thing in the world that Steve has decided the 21st century isn't alright with: not wanting to have sex. Sadly that seems to be the one thing the Serum couldn't fix, and it's playing hell with his ability to deal with his feelings for Tony. Thankfully Tony is a brilliant engineer, and he might be able to find a solution, or maybe he'll realize there's nothing there to fix.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/179492 ♥ Aces Trump Kings by Unadulterated (series, tony/pepper) summary: Tony doesn’t want what everyone else seems to want, and can’t make himself like what everyone else seems to love. So he keeps his mouth shut and his smile bright. It doesn’t occur to him that maybe his normal is not to be. notes: a bit stereotypical with a pride parade, but nevertheless a really great self-discovery series - one i keep coming back to

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19363432 ♥ Eggplant Emoji by Reioka (bucky/natasha) summary: Natasha doesn't know why Bucky doesn't want to have sex with her. notes: NEW ADDITION TO THE LIST! hilarious bantering and great ace diversity

SHERLOCK (BBC)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1028720 this could work by orphan_account (gen) summary: Later that night, long after she’d dried her tears and cleaned up the mascara which had smudged all the way down her cheeks, Molly found her answer. She also learned the definition of “asexual.” http://archiveofourown.org/works/778479 ♥ Black. Two sugars. by solrosan (gen) summary: Everyone seemed to assume that Molly was in love with Sherlock Holmes, and it was so much easier to go along with it than to correct people. notes: some really nice platonic molly & sherlock moments here https://archiveofourown.org/works/246997 the art of getting by (isn't really so artsy at all) by stupidmuse_hatesme (john/sherlock) summary: “He's treating things like they're normal! Things are not normal.” Sherlock drags his hands from his mussed up hair and covers his face. “You aren't helping much,” he mumbles into his palms. “I hope you know that. ”The skull only grins from his perch and says not a word. “Really, you're supposed to do more than just--sit there.” https://archiveofourown.org/works/383984 Random Numbers - songlin (john/sherlock) summary: Just because they're not having sex doesn't mean they aren't intimate. A collection of moments in the relationship of asexual!Sherlock and straight!John.

LEVERAGE

http://archiveofourown.org/works/85681 The Not Your Teaching Tool Job by BlackEyedGirl (OT3) summary: Parker doesn't understand why it has to be more complicated than: "I want to be with you, I just don't want to sleep with you." It's everyone else who has the problem. (Parker as a biromantic asexual)

WTNV

https://archiveofourown.org/works/934124 ♥ ♥ ♥ run, run, fast as you-- by orphan_account (cecil/carlos) summary: The night that his research partner (and sort-of ex) shows up at his apartment with a gun, Carlos decides to take a mysterious but exceptionally well funded two-year research posting in a town called Night Vale. A story in which Night Vale is there for the people who need it, Cecil's propensity to wear his innocent heart on his sleeve is perceived as a threat (until it isn't) and no one is allowed to hurt the Scientist. No one. notes: this is my most favorite ever ace fic. it’s like 100k+ words long and amazing. having trouble not rereading the whole thing right now.

[apirateslifeforme123]

15, 17, 19, 36, 38, 48, 49, 50 And for 47) Here’s a fic title - "Parlay". What would this story be about?

Ooo fun, thank you darling! @snowbryneich

15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

I guess it depends who they are or where they’re from. I might lift it from a book I’ve read, or just google names, LOL.

17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

The name meant nothing to her, and she didn’t know why it struck such a chord within her—something, an indefinable place between her heart and her spine, positively thrummed like a tuning fork struck upon the table.

Elizabeth Swann.

19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

Heee I’d really love to write a sequel to The Devil Makes Three. I love the idea of Elizabeth and Jack and Anamaria terrorizing the seas as a threesome. XD

36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

Oooo this is so hard!!! I don’t want to give anything away! Haha! Ok, I left off on In Service to the King where James and Jack are not exactly relishing being on the same ship and sharing Elizabeth. Let’s just say they’re going to take things a hair too far, and Elizabeth is not going to be pleased… ::wicked laughter::

38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

Katie, Ronnie, and I started a collab on a 1930s mobster sparrabeth AU a while ago, and it was SO much fun to plot out. Those girls are amazing!! <3<3<3 @orionredstarr @princesspenelopenerfherder  It kinda lost steam in the writing which was absolutely MY fault because it was my turn to write a chapter. Have got to pick that up again soon!

So, I’m the WORST writing partner ever but if you ever want to try a Norribeth fic together Kirsty I’m so down. XD

47) Here’s a fic title - "Parlay". What would this story be about?

Heeee I love it. Two things immediately come to mind. Both post AWE.

1) Admiral James Norrington (because he survived, damn it) captures the Pirate King Elizabeth Swann, and in negotiations for her release she makes him an offer he can’t refuse…in his cabin…late at night.  Hee!  I’m just imagining her running him in circles. He wants her to go straight so bad and is devising ways of “losing” his prisoner along the way so he doesn’t have to take her back to England or lose his commission. And she’s just well I’m going back to the Cove to do my pirate thing and this is why you’re going to let me… hahahaaa.

2) The Pirate King and Jack Sparrow are simultaneously searching for the same treasure. When they both get to the X on the map at the same time they must have a parlay and they’re both trying to outwit the other. Latent feelings finally come to the surface and they reach a *cough* agreement.

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

I answered this yesterday on the ask for Katie. Additionally it occurs to me that I also REALLY love reincarnation tropes. XD

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

Hmm. My first experiences with fanfic were in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter fandom when i was maybe 11-12? Before Laurell K Hamilton decided to be one of those spiteful authors who hates fanfic and most all of the good fics got taken off the internet. Probably because the fic writers were all WAY better writers than her, *cough*. She’s one of those writers that’s like, I love your characters but I hate what you make them do, LOL. Anyway, my favorites that I remember were historical pieces that looked back on Jean-Claude the vampire’s life when he was a very young man/vampire in 17th c France.

50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

I think I would definitely have to choose smut, because I usually use angst and fluff as teasers and smut is always the end game in my fics… But like you said. I would probably cheat… XD

[404-potato]

when people are still going wtf to you about the last chapter & that cliff hanger

Me:

yea I admit that beginning happiness was totally a trap. IronStrange happy fluff or dramatic angst... is it too much to ask for both? 

[stillthewordgirl]

LOT/CC fic: Date Night (Ch. 2 of 5)

Len and Sara finally get that date. But nothing ever goes smoothly with the Legends. (Sequel to Second Chances. I recommend you read that one here at AO3 or here at FF.net first to meet this Len Snart.)

Thanks to LarielRomeniel for the beta! Can also be read here at AO3 or on FF.net, which isn’t letting me link right now.

As I said before, this will be four chapters and an epilogue. And I’ll actually be sticking to that for once, because the complete story is already done! Rated T mainly for language.

They’ve moved out of the city center at this point, out of the tourist district, but it’s still a decent little business district, the sort with lots of smaller businesses, independently owned stores, small galleries. Most of them are closed at this hour and there aren’t really many people around, but it’s not really a place Sara would have expected trouble. She whips around, pinpointing the sound as coming from a narrow alley between a closed lawyer’s office and an equally dark boutique.

Her bo, collapsed and tucked up a sleeve, is already sliding into her hand, and she’s released the hidden catches on her forearm sheaths, just in case she needs the knives there. She glances at Len, uncertain for a moment. Cynical Earth-1 Leonard would probably have helped. Probably. If she’d asked. After he’d gotten a little better read on the situation.

But Len’s…Len’s already at her side, unbuttoning his cuffs to shove his shirtsleeves as far as possible up to his shoulders.

“I like this shirt,” he tells her defensively, even as his hands and forearms start to ice up. “Lead on, captain.”

She leads on.

They’ve fought together often enough at this point to know the other’s moves. Sara charges into the alley a few steps ahead of Len, but she knows what he’s going to do. As soon as she can, she cuts to the side, extended bo clobbering a dark-clad man who’s watching his cohorts circle a woman a few feet away. Even as she does so, she hears the crackle of ice behind her, the ambient temperature of the alley dropping a few degrees. She knows a streak of ice, moisture pulled from the air itself, is running down the center of the alley, making it tough for anyone, good guy or bad guy, to keep their footing.

“Well, we can always sort ‘em out later, right?” he’d explained it once. “Chances are a slip isn’t going to hurt someone too much. At any rate, it’s less risky than hurling actual ice blasts around if you don’t know precisely what’s going on. Still working on fine control, but in an emergency, it ain’t happening yet.”

Sara couldn’t argue. In fact, she’d had him ice down the floor of the training room a few times so she could practice on a slick surface and also see what footwear worked best on ice. Gideon had complained mightily about the mess as it thawed.

But Sara isn’t wearing her new boots today, the ones with the soles designed for fighting with a teammate who can throw ice around like she flings knives. That doesn’t mean she can’t deal with the ice—or even use it to her advantage.

So, turning, she takes one step, two, and hits the ice in a controlled slide, tearing through the men who’ve turned in confusion to try and figure out what’s going on. Within a moment, she’s reached the woman, who’s still standing there shrieking--though she’d at least had the presence of mind to pick up a board that’d been propped up against the dumpster at the back of the alley.

“It’s OK,” Sara hisses. “Shh! We’ve got this.”

The woman, who’s younger than Sara and a bit frail-looking, stares at her, then drags in a quick breath as if to tell her something or scream again. Sara shakes her head, though, and she stops, still wide-eyed. The captain of the Waverider nods, then pushes her back to a corner, half-hidden, before turning to continue taking care of whatever she needs to.

But Len’s already dealt with the other men, who are partially iced to the buildings on either side of the alley. She’s given him enough time and space to reach for the control he’s been working for, and he’s reached it enough to confine without overtly harming. He’s standing there, sleeves still rolled up and forearms still coated with ice, watching her, eyes bright and intent, and she takes a step toward him…

“Snart!”

They both whirl, but the man backing out of the dark back of the alley is only looking at Len—which doesn’t speak well for his survival instincts. The unknown has his hands up, but he seems to be gaping at Len’s face, not his icy arms, and Sara notices that Len obscures them as soon as he can, stepping back a little into the shadows himself.

“We didn’t know you were back,” the thug protests, a note of fear in his tone. “We didn’t know, Snart!”

The man is trying to edge toward the street, but Sara moves to cut off his path. Len glances at her, then squares his shoulders, moving forward again. His arms are now bare of ice, and his sleeves are covering them again.

In a weird sort of twist, Gideon had told them at this Snart is physically a handful of years younger than the one from Earth-1, but it’s difficult to tell that at a glance. From things he’s said to her, she’s pretty sure he has fewer scars, but no two-bit hitter is going to know that.

“Ignorance,” he tells the thug in what’s apparently meant to be a cold…and Cold…voice, “is no excuse.” And he doesn’t sound quite like Leonard either, in some indefinable way, but apparently that’s only obvious to her right now. Certainly, the other man still believes he’s who he seems to be.

“It’s all Monteleone,” the man says, keeping his hands up, voice a little desperate as he takes another step back, watching Len, but now glancing back to check Sara’s location too. “He’s kinda … kinda the boss in town now. I…”

“Monteleone. Jack Monteleone?” Len’s voice drops a little, anger touching it, and he sounds more like his Earth-1 doppelganger than Sara’s ever heard him sound before. Sara, surprised, studies him as he stalks toward the thug, who looks rather intimidated.

“Y…yeah.” The man swallows and retreats another step. “Snart, I’ll tell people yer back in town, Monteleone would talk, cut a deal, just let me…”

“What’s he running?” Len’s voice is low, dangerous, and Sara feels the temperature drop a little again. He’s going to give up the charade if he loses control of his powers, she thinks, then makes a noise, trying to get his attention. But he’s focused on the other man, rage flickering in his eyes, and Sara’s starting to get an inkling why.

“Don’ know, just…stuff…”

Len’s hands tighten into fists and the temperature drops a little more. But before Sara can say anything, the young woman, the one whose screams had started this whole thing, emerges back into the relatively dim light and lets out a strangled sound when she sees the man standing there and the others scattered about.

But to Sara’s surprise, she doesn’t fade back into the shadows or otherwise quail. Instead, she rushes toward them, toward the man with his hands out, distress and anger on her face.

“Where are they?” she cries. “What did you do with them?”

Sara and Len both blink at her, and the man takes that opportunity to try to dart past them, toward the mouth of the alley. Sara turns and almost casually clips him with her bo, sending him sprawling. She hadn’t meant to knock him out, but he hits his head against the concrete surface himself and goes limp. Sara shakes her head, checking his breathing, then rises to look back at Len.

Len has an armful of weeping woman, and while he looks distinctly awkward about it, she can’t even imagine Earth-1 Leonard doing such a thing. She shakes her head again to chase away the memories, moving toward them.

“They took my little boy, and my husband,” the woman sobs. “And it’s all my fault. I didn’t know what they had me carrying. We needed some money…when I found out, I got rid of the…the stuff…and they want it back!”

Len, eyes narrowed, puts his hands on her shoulders and moves her away from him, holding her there at arm’s length.

“Drugs,” he growls, “in my city. The hell?”

The woman stares at him with distressed eyes, but his demeanor isn’t threatening, just irritated.

“I didn’t know,” she says brokenly. “I didn’t know. I guess…I guess I didn’t want to know.”

Len shakes his head at her. “Honey,” he growls, “if somethin’ seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

Like this whole date thing, Len thinks, although he’s trying to keep that thought off his face. Definitely too good to be true. Shoulda known.

Still, he may not be a shiny, ride-in-on-the-white-horse good guy, but he’s not letting a kid suffer the consequences of a stupid decision like this. And he’s not letting this world’s version of the goddamned Candyman run drugs in Central City.

He’s also not going to let this world’s version of the Flash off the hook for letting it get this far in the first place. But first things first.

Besides him, Sara sighs, and he might be imagining that the sound contains as much regret as he’s feeling for the wreckage of their evening. “They took them, you said,” she says to the other woman. “Who? When? Where? What precisely did they say?”

“We were out…we went to Big Belly Burger. It’s my son’s favorite, I thought…”

“Focus!” Len’s trying not to sound irritated, he really is, but it leaks out anyway.

She barely seems to notice. “…I saw them, I tried to get Jonathan to take Michael and run, but he wouldn’t…then there was another group, and they…”

“They herded them down here,” Sara finishes. Len glances at her and sees her studying the alley, the buildings on either side. “It’s a dead zone. There are cameras all over Central; you can see them if you know where to look. But there are no cameras here.”

Len nods to himself. Sara notices things, too. “So, no Flash. Even he’s gotta see or hear about stuff somehow.” He looks at the woman, who’s wringing her hands. “So it was right before we heard you?”

“Yes, they grabbed Jon and Mikey and just…took them. They said they were…” She swallows. “…going to, to give me a taste of what would happen to them if I didn’t get the stuff back. But it’s gone. I threw it in the canal! I didn’t want it anywhere around us.”

While he can’t argue with her distaste, it really wasn’t the brightest move. “I’m sure the fish are very appreciative.”

Sara cuts in again. “Where are you supposed to take it?” She sighs as the other woman blinks at her. “Look, I know this is hard. But we’re trying to help, and you need to give us information, at least.”

Something about Sara’s exasperated patience gets through. The other woman straightens, looking hopeful. “The old hotel, by the piers,” she says. “The one that partly burned a few years back? That’s what they said.”

“How long did they give you?”

“By 9!” The woman looks like she’s going to cry again. “Either the…the stuff…or the money.”

Len’s lost patience. “Drugs,” he snaps. “You were carrying drugs for them. Have the nerve to say the word.”

“I didn’t know!”

“You knew,” Sara tells her, a touch of ice in her own tone. “On some level. You just didn’t want to know.” She glances at Len again. “If we flag down the Flash, we can figure out what to do from here.”

Yeah, dinner’s just not happening now. “Right. I want a word with him anyway.” Turning, he stalks to the entrance to the alleyway and casts about for a camera, which isn’t difficult. Double-checking that the folks around are pretty much minding their own business, he waves at it…and then, icing down his hand, flips it off.

That would get his world’s Barry Allen speeding over. From what he’s heard, this world’s Barry isn’t so different. Given that the Team Flash he’s heard about monitors the city’s network of cameras, the combination of suddenly plummeting temperature readings, the clear view of a former nemesis and the smartass gesture should get someone’s attention.

He’s barely made it back to Sara and the distraught woman when there’s a golden blur flickering around them, a blur that then resolves into the figure of a red-suited man, who stares at him like he’s seeing…

Like he’s seeing a ghost.

Sara speaks before the speedster can, though. “I have the information we need,” she says, her tone clearly warning him…them…not to get into any talk of alternate Earths or secret identities just yet. “Flash, can you take her somewhere safe? Get her out of this.” She turns to the woman before Barry can do more than blink at her. “We’ll get them back. But you need to stay put. OK?”

The woman is crying again. “I will. I will. Thank you…”

For his part, Barry…it must be Barry, right?...takes a deep breath and then nods, apparently deciding, wisely, that it’s better not to argue with Sara. He takes the woman’s arm and speeds off again in that flicker of golden light.

Leaving Len and Sara standing there looking at each other.

There’s regret in Len’s eyes as he watches her, but Sara has noticed that he hasn’t even once suggested reluctance to do something about this situation. Hell, his anger at the notion of a drug ring like this—headed by someone he’s apparently somewhat familiar with—suggests completely the opposite.

Still. Regret. On both their parts.

After a moment, Len shrugs, offering her that lopsided grin again.

“Well,” he says lightly, “at least we’re not bored.”

“Hmm.” Sara smirks at him. “True. But you think maybe the Flash can handle it without us?”

He snorts in derision. “If he hasn’t yet, he probably can’t. Some things are apparently true in all the worlds.”

“Like you giving Barry Allen shit?”

“Even so.”

And just like that, the golden blur is back, stopping in front of them and resolving into the red-suited speedster, who stares at Len with a stunned expression (after a glance at Sara, who’s at least a known quantity). After a moment, he pulls off his hood, and the two men blink at each other.

Len, typically, doesn’t remain flat-footed for long. “You’re the Flash?” he drawls, sauntering in a slow circle around Barry, who turns to keep him in view. “Huh. You…look different on my Earth.”

“I do?” The hero looks a little baffled by the whole thing. “Um. How?”

“More blondish. Older.” Len waves a hand. “We’re more…contemporaries.”

“Do you flirt with that one like you do this one?” Sara mutters, grinning. Len winks at her. Barry, catching the byplay, turns a little red, but sticks his hand out to the other man.

“Uh. Hi,” he says sheepishly. “I heard you were…visiting. Pleased to meet you. I think.”

Len considers the hand a moment, then shrugs and shakes it. As far as Sara can tell, he doesn’t even bother lowering his body temperature to give the hero icy fingers. Barry, regaining his equilibrium a little, glances at Sara then.

“Sara?” he asks. “I know you guys were back visiting--Ray stopped by earlier--but why are you and Snart…this Snart…”

“Len,” Len supplies helpfully.

“…uh, Len doing here?”

Sara’s lips twitch. “Well, we had dinner plans.”

Barry blinks again. “What?”

Sara rolls her eyes. She can understand, she thinks with amusement, why any version of Leonard likes to mess with Barry Allen. It’s so easy.

“You heard me,” she tells him drily.

“We had a date, Allen,” Len chimes in, tone dripping with annoyance. “Although you hero types have kinda dropped the ball and messed it up at this point.”

Barry’s jaw drops.

Sure, it’s always fun to mess with Barry—any Barry--but Len’s not sure he likes how dumbfounded the man seems to be at those words. He’s not sure if it’s because the other man is used to him being a villain or because he thinks Sara Lance is out of Len’s league.

Personally, Len knows Sara Lance is out of his league. But he’s not happy Barry Allen seems to think so too.

The—he’s just a kid, really—picks his jaw up after a moment, staring at Len. Then he shakes his head.

“You’re dating Sara Lance?” he manages, glancing at Sara. “Seriously?”

Hey, now, that’s just insulting. Len glares at him, folding his arms.

“Well,” he says accusatorily, “I’m trying.”

Sara snickers at that. Len throws her an amused look, then glances back at Barry. “No thanks to the hero who’s supposed to be doing all this shit,” he adds. “Sleeping on the job, Flash. Jack Monteleone’s running drugs in your city. He’s bad news. What the hell?”

Barry has the grace to look a little sheepish. “Well, the thing is, I’d never heard of him until a week or two ago. We haven’t been able to figure out where he’s based. And for some reason, he’s been able to stay off our radar,” he says, rallying. “Kinda literally. We just can’t get a good fix. It’s giving Cisco fits.”

Len frowns. “Cisco?”

But Barry’s rolling on. “I mean, I’ve tried.” He shakes his head. “He’s been a step ahead of me.”

“Well. We know by the hotel at the docks now.”

The kid looks skeptical. “But it’s a wreck. That’s not his base.”

Len has his doubts, but he shrugs. “So at any rate, we gotta get the guy and kid outta there and then take Monteleone out, since you can’t.” Len snorts. “Peachy.” He lifts an eyebrow as Barry stares at him again. “What? You think I’m leaving him there to fuck up my city? No.”

Hesitating a moment, he eyes Sara. “Canary? I know it’s not what I promised, but you in?”

“Hell, yeah.” Sara frowns, though. “But we don’t have much time, and it sounds like just rushing the place isn’t a good idea…”

“No,” Barry says fervently.

“…but that hitter. He was not happy to think you…Leonard was back.” She shakes her head. “I know Mick said he never held with drugs on his turf…”

“It’s one of the reasons a lot of stuff never caught on here,” Barry starts, even as Len mutters, “Well, there’s another thing we had in common.”

Sara’s quiet a moment. Then she sighs and looks right at Len.

“You think you could be, well, him for a bit?” she says quietly. “Just to get us in there? To give us a chance to rescue them?”

[rainpuddle13]

Get to know your author : 4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 21, 24, and 25 :) Thank you!!!!

4) favorite character you’ve written

I think that would definitely be Alice Cunningham from Killer | Queen.  She’s such delicious fun to write because she’sso complex with her outer spoilt little rich party girl shell that she uses tohide her inner vicious killer. And then there is her complicated relationshipwith Philip. So much fun!

5) character you were most surprised toend up writing

I think Caroline Penvenen. I’ve certainly written her as a side character(in long parts of Ex Libris that no one has seen yet) and she’s fun, but not mymain focus by any means. Then out of no where she really spoke to me and Iwrote an entire one shot from her POV. It’s probably only Caroline-centricthing I will ever write.

8) favorite genre to write

I mostly write romance fics because it’s a genre I adore to read, but myguilty secret favorite genre is baby fic. I could write gobs and gobs and gobsof baby fic if I let myself. Ross being an adorable bumbling father and Demelzaas the exasperated wife/mother. I could do it as modern au or mostly-canon. You’vealready seen a small taste of daddy!Ross.

11) what aspect of your writing doyou think has most improved since you started writing?

I tend to be a very concise writer (is it any wonder Hemingway is myfavorite author?!?). I’ve learned to flesh things out more, add moredescription, character development, and such as I have matured as a writer.  It’s a lot of hard work and something Iintend on keeping trying to improve upon.

15) why did youstart writing?

Answered in another ask

21) what do youthink when you read over your older work?

Answered in another ask

24) have you ever become an expert onsomething you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or astory?

Did you know that one of the most popular shade of lipstick in the 1930s wasChina Red? Did you know that snipers (and assassins) prefer bolt action riflesto automatic ones?  That is a hugedifference between a shotgun and rifle? I have the floor plans for all of thehouses/flats I write about. I have the furniture picked out. The cars theydrive. I can tell you how to make whisky from scratch…

25) copy/paste a few sentences or ashort paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

The most gratifyingsound she made was the low moan when he finally slid deep into her welcomingheat. It was more felt than heard and yet completely understood by him. Theywere developing a new language between them, something deep and earthy, eroticand indefinable, a form of communication only they could understand and meantfor no one else, consisting of caresses and moans, kisses and sighs. It was anew way of making love for him, having seen enough years now to have movedbeyond the single-minded pleasure seeking of youth.

[blizzaurus]

Fic: Marriage (and other diplomatic moves) part 1/8

The first chapter of my fic for the @slackru big bang. Enjoy!

Peace has finally been established between all 13 clans. The celebration of the new treaty goes well enough - until Prince Reghan of the Broadleaf clan settles his eyes on Abby. To protect her from the prince's aggressive advances, Marcus proclaims that Abby is his betrothed, despite her being just his friend (and the object of his indefinable feelings). The prince is skeptical - so he decides to test the claim by throwing the pair a grandiose Grounder wedding. Lexa makes it clear that Marcus and Abby cannot refuse; the whole peace is at stake if the prince, known for being easily provoked, finds out he was lied to.

It's up to Marcus and Abby to keep up the facade of a romantic relationship and go through with the wedding. Their mission is definitely going to be awkward, but achievable for the sake of the alliance. However, things turn complicated when they both realize that pretending to be in love is alarmingly easy...

Read on AO3

[whifferdills]

(iDk if youre taking fic requests still?) but just one to throw on the idea pile: "Clara and the TARDIS"-style multi-Bill smut with some nice foot worship and/or bondage thrown in?

okay so i wrote this without re-reading the prompt and all i remembered was ‘Multi-Bill’ so uhhh kinda fucked it. no porn, no kink, very fluff. if you’re dead-set on filth try again in a bit, you would not be the first person to tell me ‘ummm no that’s not what i asked, try again’, and i do not mind that

anyway

Bill/The TARDIS, Bill&12, ~1.2k words, rated Teen for Implications and Situations but it’s very gen lbr

[alternately on the Ao3]

It wasn’t a fight, really. Barely even a conversation, just one of Moira’s monologues (exhausting under the best of circumstances) that, tonight, included a classic throwaway line about how it’s fine they want to get married, she’s all for gay rights, but do they have to throw it in our faces like that?

Bill entertained a brief fantasy of unleashing a stirring speech entitled “I Am A Lesbian And Fuck You”, before garbling out some stream-of-conscious rebuttal that Moira absorbed not at all. And then commenced to feel completely and utterly awful, now alone in the flat, staring down at her late-night prawn cocktail crisps, vaguely thinking about her Netflix queue.

Maybe a fight would have been better. Like where she could have come out (metaphorically) swinging, something she might have felt obligated to win, instead of letting it…not slide, exactly, but there’s a limit to how aggressive you want to get with the person paying the rent. So. Here she is. And then, without much conscious thought: here she isn’t.

She could call someone, though she won’t, since she’s got friends but not friends like that, where you ring them up at 11 pm cause you can’t stay at home and you’ve got nowhere else. No one she’d impose upon with a ‘hey can I crash on your couch tonight because I feel weird and it’s a whole thing.’ (Would be nice though, wouldn’t it? To be close to someone like that. She thinks about it a lot, and tries not to let the thought choke her too bad, not be too heavy of an emotion. It’s fine. She’s an independent woman.)

Ten minutes into her ‘Just Out For a Walk’ walk, Bill realizes she’s headed towards uni. Specifically towards the Doctor’s office. And as much as she isn’t into the idea of considering an old white man any sort of safe harbour, the ancient git kind of. Is? In a weird, elder-gay, won’t-ask-personal-questions sort of way. So she’s here, on the green facing his office windows.

She pulls out her mobile and debates for about a minute over whether she actually wants to do this, before sending a text.

     U awake?

     7777777777shiaifge 🔥 the eventual heat-death of the universe

Close enough? Close enough.

“You’re normally here in the daytime,” he says, hurriedly sweeping a stack of papers and textbooks off the chair across his desk.

She flops down on the chair, swinging her purse off and resting her feet on the haphazard pile of 1990s Phaidon art books. “Yeah.”

He stares at her, kind of wild-eyed but in that distanced way he has sometimes, like his brain isn’t quite processing the situation in the way a human would.

“Sorry about the text, I made a thing, it responds to the telephone but, ah, there’s some kinks to be worked out.” He points at a toaster on the desk, and then shrugs, and sits down gingerly.

“No worries.”

“So.”

“Yeah.”

One of the benefits to being mentee to incredibly awkward mentor is how their shortcomings reliably make you think better of yourself. Bill lets the moment play out, almost nearly feeling incrementally less awful.

“Is everything okay?”

“No.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not particularly.”

The Doctor exhales, visibly relieved. “So what d'you want, then? School stuff? Chit chat? Maybe go for a ride?”

“Kinda just hoped you’d let me crash here.”

“Uh.”

“Sleep on your sofa,” she elaborates.

“Oh! Yes. Of course. But also - ” He grandly gestures towards the TARDIS, with that face that indicates he’s feeling very clever. “Infinite space. Probably still a couple of bedrooms. Or you could make your own, if you’d like. Also there’s a park, park naps are excellent. Better than the couch, which was marginally comfortable before Nardole engraved his arse groove, and now is…not great.”

There’s acceptable-weird and there’s upsetting-weird, and right now, when what she wants is a warm blanket and maybe a cup of tea, sleeping in the unfathomable eldritch horror of a time-space ship is maybe the latter. But it’s not like she expected anything normal, coming here, and the Doctor looks so genuinely earnest and happy to offer up his TimeBnB, so.

“Right. Okay.” She stands up, grabs her bag off the floor, then pauses. “You coming with?”

“Nah. Got work to do. Calculus.” He nods at the guitar propped up against the bookcase.

“Right,” she says again. She makes a face, and it’s a weird face, she’d been going for a casual sort of 'Life: am I right?“ thing but it feels very much not that. “Thanks.”

“No thanks required. You’re always welcome here. Or in the TARDIS. I think she’s missed you, actually.”

He smiles; he means it. She tries not to let that choke her up too much.

“If you get lost or – whatever, text me. The toaster will probably just load up Doom in response but I’ll get the message eventually.”

This place is odd, odder than usual, here alone. Not in a bad way. From somewhere, nowhere, there’s a happy-sounding warble.

“Hey, you,” Bill says. “The Doctor said I could make a room? For sleeping in?”

The ship chirps in what she hopes is affirmation.

Does she finger the console now? There’s a bit which is definitely just for fingerbanging a sentient spacecraft. She stares at it warily.

The ship chirps again, and then turns the lights on, one by one, down a hallway. Bill shrugs, and follows.

There’s a corridor, which is a forever corridor, branching out into other forever corridors. The lights turn on in front of her, one by one.

Bill sees something out of the corner of her eye, and tries very hard not to be scared. “No one else here but us girls, yeah?”

The ship hums back.

More corridors. She sees something cross the t-junction ahead of her. Someone. Who looks a lot like her. Okay.

“Am I…am I here too? Like future-me? Is this some time-travel paradox thing?”

The ship sort of sighs, like no, like c'mon.

She turns a corner, and there she is. Her clone, future self, robo-duplicate, whatever. She resolutely does not panic. “Hey,” she says, waving.

“Hiya,” other-Bill replies, also waving.

“Are you me?”

“I’m a projection. You’re very pretty. I thought it would be nice to look like you.” The projection waves again.

Bill squints. Who knows why she’d actually thought she could just have a normal sleepover here.

“And I can do more than one,” says another not-Her, projection-clone-robot-thing, springing out from the wall behind her. “We can kiss. Many humans enjoy kissing.”

“Right. Okay. See.” Bill attempts to find her inner Zen. “I just want a good night’s sleep, yeah? Not, uh. Making out with myself, or whatever.”

Not-Bill No. 1 smiles, and takes her hand. Feels weird, like it feels real but not human-real. Like the touch is flickering between flesh and some indefinable buzz. “Come with me? There’s a pillow fort.”

Not-Bill No. 2 takes Bill’s other hand. “We can cuddle.”

Bill lets herself be lead onward. “Yeah, cuddling’s fine. I think. Let you know when we get there.”

She wakes up the next morning in the console room, feeling relatively well-rested. A memory of snuggling up with herself. Weird, good-weird, nice-weird. The ship is bleeping at her cheerfully. She’s got ten unread texts from the Doctor, nine of which are penguin-arse-typed keysmashes and one of which is a video of Doom gameplay. She settles her purse around her shoulders and exits back out into the real world, waving behind her as she goes.

[him-e]

"Whether it was deliberate or not, the genre-savvy viewer is invited to make the mental leap towards ~~romance!?!~~, and at the same time denied to" lol i'm screaming yes so hard (hi i'm the same anon from before btw) AND YES. that's an element to Jonsa that i love so much. the fact that their scenes thus far have been left so open to interpretation that one can easily assume romantic connotation but yet still there's nothing overt. /1

it’s all very sub-textual which suits them and their dynamic. their distance growing up, getting to really know each other as adults for the first time. it’s like they’re strangers but they have all this shared history and are driven by the same need to do right by the man that raised them and their siblings. but them themselves are not *really* siblings in the way he was with Arya and she was with Robb. they’ve got all this baggage and it’s messy and fraught and just very fascinating. and tbh? i’m in love with it cause it’s really unlike anything we’ve seen on the show. it’s not out and out incest like with Jaime and Cersei but there’s something there and it’s something indefinable. and that’s what makes Jonsa so special. also it gives fic writers so much room to play with! cause it’s such a layered dynamic. I’M SO SORRY TO FLOOD YOUR INBOX LIKE THAT BUT YOU’RE MY FAVE GOT META WRITER ON HERE AND LIKE YOU JUST *GET IT* WHEN IT COMES TO JON AND SANSA AND I WAS LIKE YA KNOW WHAT I NEED TO TALK TO HER IT’S BEEN TOO LONG. LOVE YOUR BLOG AND YOU. 

haha ❤❤❤THANK YOU SO MUCH, you’re too kind! I love talking to people who feel ships the way I do, so please come into my askbox anytime you want to! 

“there’s something there and it’s something indefinable” YES!! What I like about jon/sansa is that it’s one of those ships that exist in the liminal space between, you know, “might become canon” and “crackship”. 

The canon material we’ve been given so far? Just the right amount to stir your imagination and let you speculate, come up with endgame theories, write tons of meta and fanfic scenarios. They also created a wide range of potential roadblocks and sources of conflict between these two, that from a creative standpoint are GOLD, an endless well of inspiration. But nothing is definite. Nothing is written in stone, you control the amount of things you want to read into it, you choose the angle you want to examine the story from. 

It’s not like I can’t enjoy canon romances too, but, unless they’re extremely slow burns that keep me guessing and agonizing for a LONG time before “happening” (like Jaime/Brienne MIGHT be, for example), they usually leave me a much smaller wiggle room to be creative about it. On the other hand, with J/S, knowing that the creators will likely never expand on the ambiguous subtext they (intentionally or not) put in this dynamic is an incentive, rather than a deterrent, to keep shippin’ it. I see it almost as if they were saying “hey fans, we created this explosive chemistry between these characters, but sadly the story needs to go elsewhere, do you know what to do with it?” and, OF COURSE WE DO! 

(that said, I absolutely enjoy looking for ~textual evidence~ and in the back of my mind there’s still a part of me that wants JS to be ~canon~, because it would be nice to be aligned with the official creators’ vision FOR ONCE and see how THEY develop something I’m invested in—actually see it happen on screen instead than just imagining it. but I also understand why it can’t be, in this specific circumstance. Narrative and themes wise, it would be a challenge. Not necessarily an impossible one, but maybe one they can’t afford to focus on at this point of the story. yes I’m talking about their sibling status, which I do realize IS a huge squick factor in the eyes of too many viewers. for all GoT is not exactly shy about incest, incestuous relationships in the show aren’t portrayed as something to root for, and there’s a LOT of messy subtext in J/S to untangle in that sense. EVEN IF Jon and Sansa are probably the siblings with the least amount of canonically established sibling-ly backstory in the show, lol)