#elizadunc

[jaimexbrienne-fic-finder]

Warmth

It's really cold where I am, so I am re-reading and collecting stories that make me feel warm. This is not a tangiable theme, just ~vibes, so it might not feel the same for everyone! But all of them are nice and with a happy ending!

This is Halloween by captainellie

Halloween definition: Surprisingly, how two roommates plus two kids become a family.

Marry Me, Because I Want to Date You by elizadunc (Ladybugbear2)

Jaime's been proposing to Brienne since college. Brienne has been taking it as a joke since college.

It started with a dare by WauryD

It’s easy to make someone angry. It’s harder to deal with the fallout of making them smile.

A weird dream makes Brienne question things.

The Shooting Party by sea_spirit

Scotland, 1921. When Brienne finds out her father is bringing an unwelcome guest from her past to join a shooting party at Winterfell, Sansa suggests that she ask her friend Lord Jaime Lannister for his assistance.

An Afternoon at Aerys Ancient Baths by hillaryschu

Brienne accidentally takes Jaime somewhere super sexy for his birthday and they realize it's actually what they both want. A trip to a modern bathhouse.

Found Wanting by dreadwulf

Brienne is still convinced that the entire affair is a joke on her. Surely there is a real bride somewhere in the castle, who will be brought out once the crowd has had a good laugh at the cow in a satin gown. When she said as much to her intended, he said it was surely a joke on them both. Let them laugh, he said. What’s funnier is that Queen Daenerys made the match in the first place – she must have thought them intolerable to one another. The Beauty and the Kingslayer. Surely Brienne could see the humor in it?

pillow talk by djelibeybi

There are still a lot of things Brienne is afraid to say, but she's trying to be brave.

give it a chance Serries by sameboots

In which Jaime is an important person, Brienne is his P.A., Jaime is hard to deal with, and Brienne is very patient.

--

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.”

“That’s not why I hate you.” Brienne turns around with the tux in hand to find Jaime looking at her like a kicked puppy. “What?”

“You hate me?”

Jaime actually sounds wounded. Brienne pinches the bridge of her nose.

Let's go our separate ways in the night (But know that you're flying home to me) by ImberReader

The first time Jaime kisses her hand she thinks it's part of his promise that they will meet again. And while she's not technically wrong, it takes two more kisses for her to realizes it's so much more than that.

Madness by RoseHeart

Brienne brings Jaime to the Quiet Isle after Pennytree and tries to save everyone, but no one expected what would happen when Jaime tries to save her.

Ring Them Bells by kirazi

His mouth is set in an unhappy line, and she knows he hears it as a sentence she’s passing on him, a just punishment for his crimes. Good, she thinks, yes. I sentence you to live. Live, and find a way to come to terms with it. Live, and never make me watch you ride to your own grave again.

(Jaime rings the bells, and from there, the future unfolds differently. A story about two tired knights on a slow boat to Tarth, working things out.)

The Alcove by RoseHeart

A one shot inspired by the lovely art by jokertookmypicture.

Jaime and Brienne have survived war and winter. But now they must try to find their new lives amidst something they have never truly experienced before: peace.

Head, Hand, Heart by ddagent

When Jaime slays King Aerys, there is no one to take his place. Ned, fearing a Lannister rise to power, suggests his father’s ward, Brienne of Tarth, take the throne. She reluctantly agrees, and finds an ally in Ser Jaime. His loyalty is given by asking just one question: why.

As the Maid of Tarth becomes Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, the Kingslayer becomes Hand to the Queen. And, the longer they spend together, possibly more…

maybe, perhaps, almost by lionoflannistarth (eldritch_beau)

“You haven’t visited the Maester yet, have you?” Brienne asks.

“Oh come now,” Jaime just shrugs, looking up at her with a boyish grin, “you’ve seen me worse.”

Her blue eyes are shining, brimming with life and for a second he feels a mad abandon. She is alive. So is he.

He should just fucking kiss her.

I'm dying to be born again by angel_deux

After the wars are done, Daenerys is queen of the six kingdoms. Jon and Sansa Stark rule the north. And Jaime serves as a hostage in Kings Landing to ensure his brother's good behavior. When Tyrion schemes to see Jaime married off and removed from the city, Jaime is allowed to choose his wife.

He should be happier that the woman he loves is quick to accept his proposal. Except maybe it's too quick. And she just says, "all right". And she calls it sensible.

aka Jaime and Brienne get married to keep the friendship alive, and Jaime pines for his literal wife.

Maiden, Monster, Knight by PrioritiesSorted

The tale was told throughout the Seven Kingdoms: the tale of a mother’s mad grief, the tale of the maiden in the tower, the tale of the dragon who guarded her. A dragon who had once been a girl.

The Unicorn Incident by sdwolfpup

Catelyn needs a unicorn horn. Jaime knows where one is. Brienne is the only virgin she trusts to go with him. Time for a sexually awkward two-person road trip!

cold by djelibeybi

The world is ending soon, she thought. That’s enough to make any man act strangely.

Go On by sdwolfpup

The entirely soft tale of Brienne-with-the-fish and Jaime-with-the-bar, the cheating ex-boyfriend that inadvertently brings them together, and the supportive and exasperated support systems in their lives that help them see that even after heartbreak, life goes on.

Something Real by francoeurs

In which Jaime has a nightmare and overreacts just a bit.

[renee561]

It's me, this is my fic that I was happily writing for @elizadunc

I'm glad she enjoyed the fic ☺️

Thanks again for @jaime-brienne-fic-exchange for hosting!

[dailysudeikis]

Jason with fans on the set of Ted Lasso in Richmond.

sources:  @elizadunc, @raffix77 and @LanasEdits

[actualhumancryptid]

Tag game! It's been ages since I've done one of these. Thanks for tagging me @sar-kalu

What music am I listening to? Honestly, nothing really. I did do a quick listen of The Dinner Party's album and thought that was nice, and that I should attempt to listen more. and then I didn't. I do the artists on repeat thing too, and generally play Clare Bowditch and PJ Harvey on repeat.

What am I currently watching: I'm in the middle of a big rewatch of Nurse Jackie, and think I am already further than last time. It's pretty fucking amazing, and much less stressful to watch now that my general anxiety is lower. I assume it is about to get more stressful though, this can only end one way.

I was doing a massive rewatch/attempt to finally finish Mad Men. But it's on pause because oh my god there's so. much. of. it. And I got to the the point where Don has the Big Sads in a more pathetically annoying way than previously. I just want to drown him in a lake and be done with it. I'm determined to somehow finish for Peggy and Joan but I also really don't want to.

What I'm currently obsessed with: Am I being a wanker when I say the novel I'm writing? Don't care. Obsessed is the word. I'm nearing the point where I'm going to finish the current draft, and so I'm really wrapped up in it right now. After that it gets put to the side to have a little nap for a couple months, and once it's fully rested I'll go back for draft 3. So probably in a couple weeks I will be free to write random unrelated nonsense for the hell of it, which sounds fun. Maybe develop the next novel, maybe it'll be fic. Looking forward to something completely different.

I'm tagging. @jbthegift, @elizadunc, @amatterofcomplication, @whywouldufollowme, @ctraceywrites, @randomthingsthatilike1

[unadulteratedkr]

Shuffle your 'on repeat' playlist and post the first ten tracks, then tag ten people. tagged by @elizadunc

"Because the Night" by Patti Smith (lmaoo because of course it is)

2. "The List" by Tanya Tucker (ft. Brandi Carlile)

3. "Eat Your Young" by Hozier

4. "The Ballad of Sara Berry" by Lindsay Mendez

5. "Loose Change" by the Highwomen

6. "Damage Gets Done" by Hozier (ft. Brandi Carlile)

7. "What Was I Made For" by Billie Eilish

8. "The Beautiful Ones" by Prince

9. "To Someone From A Warm Climate (Uiscefhuarithe)" by Hozier

10. "Francesca" by Hozier

And I'm throwing in a bonus #11 because it would have been "H.Y.C.Y.B.H." by Tom Cardy, and that right there is a masterpiece that deserves to be acknowledged

Ummmmmm okay let's see @oatmilktruther, @adhduck, @bizarrelittlemew, @pumpkinspicepirates, @madebycoffee, @twelvemonkeyswere, @scarrletmoon, @sdwolfpup, @thebrimmingheart, @ignisentis

[jaime-brienne-fic-exchange]

Fic Exchange Roundup: Fantasy and Sci-Fi AUs Pt. 1

The One Where... by LadyRhiyana for EmpressM

5 times Brienne solves Jaime's problems. And one time he returns the favour.

Dead Romantic by winterstale24 for greenmtwoman (WIP)

“Keep me true, Lady” he whispered into the chill air. “Help me be worthy.” And he would be. But it was over 700 summers until he got the chance.

Calling the blame, let me own it by LadyRhiyana for Entireoranges

Do you truly regret none of it? A voice asked. If you had the chance, if you could choose one moment to go back to – would you do anything differently? I don’t regret anything, he told the voice defiantly. But if I must choose, well, why not choose an opportunity for foolish chivalry? It will hurt, the voice warned him. All knights must bleed, he said. ** Or; Jaime is given a second chance at a redemption arc.

Mend by languageintostillair for auntie_social

Tarth Repairs, declares the unassuming hand-painted sign across her shopfront, and a smaller neon sign that lights up at night. Its flickering glow, so different from the other ageing holographic displays on the outer edges of Cobbler’s Square, illuminates the tagline: “We can fix anything”.

Mirror Mirror by EmpressM for Renee561

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom, and in that kingdom, there was a palace. In that palace, there was a great hall with a gilded mirror next to the royal throne. The throne would glow in radiant light for the rightful ruler of the land, but that light had not been seen in some time. A humble footman hurried past that throne in the night, carrying no candle or lantern, pausing to listen for voices. There were none nearby, but there was someone else listening and watching. Or: Brienne searches an enchanted castle for Lady Sansa.

In the Quiet at the End of the World by gypsyscarfwoman for elizadunc (Ladybugbear2)

When the world as they know it suddenly changes, Brienne and Jaime set off on a journey through Westeros that involves far more teenagers and other unexpected twists in the road than they signed up for…

like a river flows (surely to the sea) by fckloyalty for Mel_Sanfo

Brienne is an ordinary teenager. Well, not really. Because Brienne is also... a mermaid. When the merman bachelor, THE heir to the throne is throwing his 18th birthday party Brienne couldn’t care less. Until he, Jaime Lannister, suddenly starts getting closer to her and she’s not so sure anymore if she’s immune to his charm.

[ddagent]

For the podcast verse, a question from a listener: "Hi there Jay and Bee! Long time listener, first time writer. You guys have read a lot of awful and very historically inaccurate fiction about Goldenhand and Blue Knight, but are there any books out that that get their story right? I know there isn't a whole lot of information about them, but have any novels even tried to stick with historical facts? Thanks for taking my question, love the show! ~Jane"

From @elizadunc: For the podcast ‘verse if you’re so inclined! Hi Bee and Jay! Were the names of Goldenhand the Just and Ser Blue lost to history? Or are they just widely unknown?

Thought I’d get in some more podcast verse before I stop for some food. Happy reading!

J: The following podcast contains strong language, literary violence, and explicit sexual content. 

(tourney horn plays)

B: Welcome, everyone, to The Bear and the Poorly Written Maiden, the footnotes. I know it hasn’t been that long since our last episode but we are—

J: —procrastinating from poorly written student essays. 

B: (sigh) As we’ve mentioned, Jay and I are doctoral students, and part of that includes teaching some of the undergraduates. Some of them are very adept, others are—

J: —idiots.

B: —struggling with the material, and the rigour of the course. So, we thought we’d take a break, reply to a few of your questions, and finish off the lemon curd biscuits that arrived in the post this morning and hope that Jay doesn’t spray the microphone with crumbs. 

J: I make no promises. 

B: Well, at least you’re not an oathbreaker like your ancestor. 

J: Really? You’re bringing up the Mad King–oh, you can’t see this, listeners, but Bee is smiling. Never trust a girl from the Stormlands. They appear virtuous and honourable but they’ve got a sharp tongue, too.

B: It’s the Goldenhand in me. 

(long pause)

J: I–uh–I’m going to read one of your questions now, listeners. So, this was sent to our email – thebearandthemaiden@ravenmail.com – and it’s from notjanebond. She says, "Hi there Jay and Bee!” Hello yourself. 

B: Hello!

J: “Long time listener, first time writer. You guys have read a lot of awful and very historically inaccurate fiction about Goldenhand and Blue Knight, but are there any books out that that get their story right?”

B: Interesting question.

J: “I know there isn't a whole lot of information about them, but have any novels even tried to stick with historical facts? Thanks for taking my question, love the show!” That’s very nice.

B: She sounds very sweet. 

J: Should have included your address, Papa Bee would have sent you some biscuits.

B: He’s more excited than we are when we have fans. 

J: Anyway, is there any books that get them right? 

B: Historical fiction, though, so not textbooks. 

J: The King’s Road is one of my favourites; it’s one of the books we bonded over, wasn’t it?

B: Final year of undergraduate, yeah.

J: Basically, The King’s Road is a story of how Goldenhand became Goldenhand: it covers his time in Stark captivity and then his return to King’s Landing. It’s less of a romance and more of a burgeoning friendship, and it uses a lot of the journals and records from the Stark camp, Bolton’s men, and of Qyburn, the Mad Queen’s Hand. 

B: Interestingly enough, there’s another book called Off the King’s Road which follows a similar path but is a lot more explicit. I remember reading a chapter of it in school before the librarian, Septa Roelle, caught me. 

J: How red was your face?

B: Oh, Casterly Red. I’ll see if I can’t track down a copy. But I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the historical romances take liberties. (pause) The Hour of the Wolves is a short story collection set during the Long Night, and one of the stories concerns Goldenhand and Ser Blue. It’s very poignant; romantic, but not overly so. 

J: There’s a new book coming out called Evenstar, which promises to be a lot closer to historical events. 

B: The author actually contacted Dad and me for information. Should be a good read. 

J: We’ll have to read it on the podcast when it comes out. So, in answer to your question notjanebond, there are some books out there that are more historically accurate, but a lot of the ones we read just take a few basic facts and ignore the rest. We should read some Trant on the podcast; those are terrible. 

B: If we must.

J: It’s why people listen: they want to read the car crash literature; the bad sex acts and dialogue. And to hear how red your face gets when things get too explicit.

B: Okay, we have another question. This is from elizadunc. Oh, do you think that comes from Duncan the Tall?

J: Could be. What does she say?

B: She says, “Hi Bee and Jay!”

J: Hello elizadunc the Tall.

B: “Were the names of Goldenhand the Just and Ser Blue lost to history? Or are they just widely unknown?” That’s a really interesting question, and it’s less a case of lost to history, and more a case of...libel? 

J: Bee and I have done a few papers about Goldenhand and Ser Blue, but we always refer to them as their actual names – which we won’t repeat in this podcast, because by some manner of coincidence, we share their names. 

B: As regards to a lot of historical fiction, one of the first novels published in this genre took a huge amount of creative licence with the representation of Goldenhand’s father, and, well—

J: —my House sued, and won.

B: So, a lot of writers now use the names the minstrels and mummers adopted during the reign of King Jon and afterwards to sing songs of the two knights. 

J: Interestingly, in The King’s Road, the events that would lead Goldenhand and Ser Blue to be called as much hadn’t happened yet. So, in a lot of the novels set before the Long Night, they’re referred to as the Kingslayer or the Golden Lion, and she’s referred to as the Maid or the Beauty.

B: One a comment, one a critique. Very fitting. 

J: Well, that’s the beauty of Goldenhand and Ser Blue: they complement each other, which is how love should be.

B: (pause) You always surprise me with these moments of sheer romanticism.

J: Well, like my ancestor, I am a romantic. Just need to find the right woman to bring it out in me. 

B: Thank the Gods you don’t have a sister. 

(tourney horn plays)

[ajoblotofjunk]

Ummm, cat finding out about them being together?

 It isn’t like Brienne tries to keep Catelyn from finding out about her and Jaime, it’s that Catelyn takes two weeks off immediately after the Unicorn Incident and thus misses the time when Jaime spends his days bothering Brienne in her office until she kisses him (which she knows she’s just rewarding bad behavior but his lips are so soft and his smile is so tempting and she’s only human). Then Jaime gets a Hunter contract he can’t ignore and he kisses Brienne again at least twenty times, each one the last, he swears, until the next one, and finally he leaves and Catelyn comes back.

“Brienne!” she says cheerfully when she comes into the office Monday morning. Brienne is staring at the chair Jaime has been (should be) sprawled in and she jerks her head up, startled.

“How’s Bran?” Brienne asks immediately. She knows the unicorn horn milk was a success, Catelyn had texted her the very next day about it, but she wants to hear it directly to make sure it’s real.

Catelyn tells her how he woke up only an hour after they gave him the tincture and he’d looked around and seen her and said, “Mom?” and she’d cried for another hour at least. She’s glowing as she talks about it, how he’s out of the hospital now and Ned is home with him while she comes in for a few hours.

“How are you?” Catelyn says, sitting down in Jaime’s chair. She sits properly, no legs akimbo, a normal amount of friendly interest in her eyes.

“Fine,” Brienne says.

“Wonderful,” Catelyn says, and she means it, Brienne can tell, but also her son has come back to her and she’s off about Bran again until Brienne apologizes and says she has a call she has to make and Catelyn smiles and leaves her office.

And after that it just doesn’t come up. Jaime’s gone for a week on his contract, and then he calls and says he needs to spend a week in King’s Landing, which makes sense, he does live there, and then the third week arrives. Brienne is late to work that day, which she doesn’t tell Catelyn because they don’t keep tabs on each other like that, but as she’s walking into WFRI, she hears Catelyn scream from the vicinity of her office and even as Brienne is running down the hall she’s already 99% sure she knows what’s happened.

“How DARE you!” Catelyn is saying as Brienne nears, her hands on her hips, staring down whoever is in Brienne’s office. “You are taking advantage of her good nature and I will not stand for it, Jaime Lannister, I absolutely will not!”

Brienne covers her face with her hands briefly and then comes up behind Catelyn and peers inside. As expected, there’s Jaime sitting in his chair, grinning up at her. Unexpectedly, he is entirely naked except for the silver-white pelt of a Little Valyrian lemur. covering the most inappropriate parts of his anatomy. He still looks inappropriate with his absurdly attractive bare chest and his long, muscled legs sticking out, but it could be worse.

“Brienne, let me deal with him. It’s bad enough I forced you to spend all that time with him looking for the unicorn.”

Jaime’s not smiling now, and Brienne exhales loudly. “It’s fine, Catelyn, really. We’re…” she gestures vaguely between the two of them. It’s only been three weeks and they haven’t really talked about what they are at all. “Together?” she finally says, her voice raising so high on the last syllable that Jaime cocks an eyebrow.

“You’re what? I thought you hated him.”

“I thought I did, too,” Brienne says, and she looks at him and his worried face and his eyes that remind her of the meadow the unicorn had taken them to, and she smiles. “I was wrong.”

“I see,” she says, but she doesn’t really, Brienne can tell. “So you’re…together.”

Brienne shrugs at her mentor. “We didn’t really see it coming, but yes.”

“I did,” Jaime says, speaking for the first time. “You were the slow one.”

That seems pointed but mostly fair so she lets it slide. “Regardless of who knew what,” she says primly, ignoring Jaime’s swift smirk, “we’re here now.”

“And you’re okay with…” Catelyn waves her hand vaguely in Jaime’s direction, “this?”

“Well,” Brienne says, her whole face going hot, “I mean. Yes.”

“Huh,” Catelyn says. She is obviously not convinced Jaime hasn’t put Brienne under some spell. Brienne suspects he may have, but she doesn’t want to be saved from it if so. “Then I take back what I said. Though it’s extremely inappropriate to be naked in a research institute.”

“But fun,” Jaime says and Brienne stares briefly up at the ceiling and begs the gods to make him be quiet just this one time. They do not listen. “You should have Ned try it sometime if he’s not too ashamed of the family jewels.”

Catelyn glares at Jaime like she will actually murder him there in Brienne’s office and Brienne pushes past her to stand between the two of them. “I’ll make sure he gets dressed right away,” she assures her mentor. “And that he won’t ever do this again,” she adds over her shoulder.

“Aw,” he pouts quietly.

“See that he does not,” she says. And then, because it’s Catelyn, she leans past Brienne and says, “Ned most assuredly has bigger “family jewels” than you do, Jaime Lannister, and you better hope he doesn’t come on campus to show you up.” Then she turns on her heel and strides away and Brienne definitely, definitely, does not want to think about Ned Stark’s anything so she turns to look at Jaime instead.

He looks like he’s been slapped in the face with the funniest thing he’s ever heard and he doesn’t know how to respond to it.

“You’re trouble,” she tells him, and that seems to shake him loose. “And you need to get dressed.”

“In ancient times men only wore lemur pelts,” he says.

“You’re making that up.”

“Probably. Aren’t you going to come see what’s under the lemur, wench? It missed you.” 

“Please stop,” she begs him and he leans forward grinning wickedly.

“That’s not what-”

“I said last time, yes, very clever.” She looks around for his clothes, finds them tucked neatly under his chair. He’s just staring at her, and the lemur pelt is twitching a little. “Stop that,” she says, but he stands and the pelt falls to the floor and he murmurs, “I think you should close the door,” and she’s only human and probably bewitched and if Catelyn comes back, well, it’s not like she shouldn’t have expected it.

[Ask me more!]

[twelvemonkeyswere]

Tagged by @elizadunc and @thejustmaiden like ten million years ago - sorry for the delay, and thank you both for tagging me! :)

Bold what you like and tag whoever you want!

honey or lemon or milk or sugar // musicals or plays // lemonade or iced tea// strawberries or raspberries // winter or summer // beaches or forests // diners or cafés // unicorns or dragons // gemstones or crystals // humming birds or owls // fireworks or sparklers // brunch or happy hour // sweet or sour // Rome or Amsterdam // classic or modern art // sushi or ramen // sun or moon // polka dots or stripes // macaroons or croissants // glitter or matte // degas or seurat // aquariums or planetariums // road trip or camping trip // coloring books or watercolor // fairy lights or candles

I’ll forgo tagging because it’s been so long, but thanks again! I love trying to figure out which options are my favorite whenever I don’t personally know any, like cities or seasons lol

[luthienebonyx]

Hi! Are you the Luthien who Telanu regularly thanks in her fics?

Yes, I’m that Luthien. I first beta-ed for @telanu when she was working on the Tea series in HP fandom around 2002. She’s led me down a lot of fannish paths since then, and I’ve led her down a few, too. She’s still one of my closest friends - not just in fandom but in life. :)

[mattatouile]

Hi! We Make the Rules was so good and I loved the ending and you’re great. I gotta know how they told Tywin if you’re so inclined 💜💜💜

First thank you!

Second: they literally show up at the next Lannister Family Torture Hour (dinner) and Jaime’s like, “We got married. Be nice or you’ll never see us again.” And good Tywin just sort of scowls and talks business. 

He never cares for Brienne because he’s an asshole and he hates everything. But he’s not outright rude, because frankly, he knows Jaime would somehow cause Actual Consequences for him.

[abovethemists]

elizadunc replied to your post “I miss Rumbelle and Braime and having a ship on a current show. ”

I just want to reiterate that the fact that I’ve now been in the Braime fandom for a year now and it’s your fault... thank you

Or maybe I owe you an apology. On the one hand, I hate that I exposed anyone to the travesty that was season 8. But on the other hand Braime is LIFE and if you ignore the end of season 8, it’s like the best slow burn enemies to lovers story you could ever want with an utterly fantastic (until the final episodes) redemption arc. Also, Gwen and Nik are perfect.

[mariequitecontrarie]

6, 10, 15, & 21 for the fanfic asks! 💜

6. List your OTP from each fandom you’ve been involved in. Rumbelle from OUATRosemary and Lee from When Calls the HeartHan and Leia from Star WarsAnne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in? I really only write Rumbelle, Anyem, and Anyelle. Sometimes if there's a writer whose voice I really like, I will delve into fics outside of OUAT, but that’s sporadic and more related to the author than the fandom.

15. Is there an obscure ship which you love? I love SwanFireQueen - Regina, Emma, and Neal as an OT3 for OUAT.

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote? Matters of the Heart, a post-season 4 Rumbelle fix.

Thanks so much!

Fanfic Questions

[peakvirgo]

I wish we saw each other every day like we used to. Cause I miss your face. Also I cleaned today 👍👍👍

way to go meagan!!!

[buildinggsr]

ALL THE MOMENTS #18

AWAY FROM THE WORLD

Thanks to @elizadunc​

Set: beginning of season 6

The measure of life’s beauty and magic is not the absence of terror and tumult but the presence, persistence, and grace with which we face reality on its own terms. (Maria Popova)

----

The alarm clock rang cruelly, but Grissom was already awake. He turned it off, turned lazily on his left side, and looked at the empty stretch of mattress.

The day before, in a moment of pure practicality, Sara had slept there with him. For the first time they had slept together. They had only slept, and yet....

Grissom hugged the pillow and rested his chin on it. He observed in his memory the blankets molded by the shape of Sara's body, the outline of her figure. He saw her eyes as she woke up. Awakened not by the automatic sleep of the mere switching off of the machines, as happened when she would catch up on some sleep curled up in some corner of the laboratory, but awakened by a restful sleep, a cared-for, long and peaceful sleep.

At the memory, Grissom smiled full of sweetness and hid his face in the pillow full of shame.

He missed her already.

[dinovia-grant]

Tagged!

Rules: Tag nine people you want to get to know better

I was tagged by the superduper @elizadunc

Relationship status: Married to my favorite fanfic author (that’s a thing, by the way)

Favorite Color: lime green

Lipstick or Chapstick: Watermelon So Soft, which is a medicated lip balm

Last Song I Listened to: Bring Him Home (instrumental) (while writing)

Last Movie I watched: Final Destination (probably not the best movie to watch right before a trip involving air travel, but hey)

Top 3 TV Shows: The Good Place, Doctor Who, Call the Midwife

Top 3 Characters: Cat Grant (Supergirl), Tahani Al-Jamil (The Good Place), Sister Julienne (Call the Midwife)

Top 3 Bands/Artists: P!nk, Vienna Teng, Anngun

Books I’m Currently Reading: California, a Novel, by Edan Lepucki; The Book of Joan, by Lidia Yuknavitch; Ghost Talkers, by Mary Robinette Kowal.

I won’t tag tonight, since I’m using this as a way to avoid doing my homework, but if anyone would like to answer it, please do!