#mission fic

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 13 – MISSION FIC

Think And Wish And Hope And Pray by Loran_Arameri

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 3,798 Tags: Undercover, Fake Relationship, Fluff

Summary: Pretending to be engaged and on vacation as a cover for a mission to retrieve stolen SHIELD weapons? Tony thinks it's a great idea. Steve doubts it. In the end, some parts of the mission are more successful than others.

Reasons why I love it: Steve and Tony pretending to be a couple so they can find some stolen weapon? Yes, please. I love how Tony keeps winning Steve over without even realizing it, and their banter is super cute. This fic is great, and I hope you check it out for yourself!

Baptism by Poisonous Fire by navaan

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,925 Tags: Super Soldier Serum, Hero Worship, Marvel Noir

Summary: Steve Rogers is the new Marvels writer – or he was supposed to be. He isn't sure yet that he'll survive the day. Chances seem slim for himself and his hero, Tony Stark.

Reasons why I love it: Yeeees, the perfect mix of Noir and 616 canon! I love this so much, Tony's desperation and Steve's determination are perfect, and I love the way they find their way back to each other in the end. I love this fic, and I bet you will too!

darkness this way comes by Red (S_Hylor)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 6,674 Tags: Major Character Death, Blood and Injury, Missions Gone Wrong

Summary: Tony’s on the hunt for stolen Stark Tech. The last thing he needs is a babysitter. Except when Steve insists on coming along because ‘that’s what teammates do’ Tony suspects that maybe it's more about mending bridges than babysitting. Of course, that’s when it all goes horribly, terribly wrong and Tony’s left stranded without a Quinjet, with a heavily injured Captain America.

Reasons why I love it: The action in this fic is so fucking good. It really ramps up the tension. And the ending is like a swift kick in the teeth, so if you're up to getting your soul crushed, I highly recommend this one. It's brutal, in a really good way.

If You Like Piña Coladas by ItsMayBiTheWay

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,498 Tags: Undercover Missions, Team as Family, Plot Twists

Summary: At a Friday night Steve occupies a stool on a rather empty bar. Aside from a couple sitting next to him, he is alone. That is until a man with brown curls sit down on the stool right next to his.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, why is this fic so fucking cute?? I love it so much! Steve and Tony flirting like absolute idiots in love is my favorite, especially when it's done as well as it is here. This fic is wonderful, and I highly suggest you read it!

strangest things by welcoming_disaster

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,773 Tags: Established Relationship, Near Death Experience, Missions Gone Wrong

Summary: It's the strangest things that get you.

Reasons why I love it: This fic made me so tense. The action is glorious, and I was biting my nails halfway through, hoping they'd make it out in the end. And I love the understated storytelling here – all the emotion is in the details, and it's wonderful. This fic is fantastic, and I hope you'll give it a shot!

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Captain Meets Soldier

Hey! This fic is for @quimbolgees! But it’s also for @sambuckylibrary’s SamBucky Valentine’s Bingo 2024 for the prompt on Creator Card #2 - “Mission fic”. Enjoy! 🥰

Captain Meets Soldier

| Pairing: SamBucky | Rated: T | WC: 4.3K |

Summary: What if Steve was never frozen, Isaiah was known to the public as the second Captain America, Sam took up the position after Isaiah, Sam recruited Karli to his team after saving her from the Thunderbolts, and Sam met the Winter Soldier while busting a Thunderbolts mission?

Excerpt:

Could he really be a good man as Karli said? Sam could sneak up on this man. Sure, he was a super soldier, if what Karli said was true, but Sam could probably take him by surprise and drag him out without the rest of his team knowing that Sam did it. That was probably the smarter thing to do. But it didn’t feel right to do that. So, Sam said into the silence, “It’s a pretty expansive library.” The Winter Soldier startled, dropping the book he had in his fingerless gloved hands. He stared at Sam; Sam couldn’t see the man’s eyes, but something about the way the Winter Soldier looked was piercing. “Karli said you needed saving,” said Sam as he stepped into the library; closer to the Winter Soldier, “Is that true?” “Karli?” echoed the man, his voice muffled by the muzzle and croaky; as if he hadn’t spoken in ages. The voice seemed familiar. As if Sam had heard it before. But where would Sam had heard it?

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[alidravana]

Have posted a handful of GhostSoap threads over on twitter but not on tumblr, so thought I would share here too!

This one is pre-GhostSoap, with content warnings for implied past child abuse (Ghost) and current child abuse (no details). Just over 600 words. Please see below the cut for more!

Soap shifted uneasily as he watched Ghost through his binoculars.  He should have been watching the store front; him and Ghost having been assigned surveillance on the company across the street, Laswell convinced that it was a front for one of Markarov’s many businesses.

But Ghost was still speaking to a younger teen, just around the corner from their apartment building entrance.  He had already let the youngster bum a cigarette off of him, and now was nodding as the boy talked animatedly about something or other.

It was strange, Soap thought to himself, as he watched Ghost interact easily with the teenager, as he never considered Ghost to be good with kids, especially the way the new recruits seem to cower in fear before the LT even uttered a word in front of them.

He watched as Ghost crushed the last of his cigarette on the sidewalk under his boot, reaching into his pocket and passing money and what looked like a business card over to the kid before heading inside.  

Quickly shifting in the arm chair that they had pulled closer to the window, Soap resumed looking across at the company, noting that once again, all the lights were out, and there was no movement.  He heard the quiet creak of the front door, and Ghost shuffling in, dumping his wallet and keys on the table.

Soap should have asked him about his day, how the touch point with Laswell’s runner went, or even what the weather was like, but instead he blurted out what was on the top of his mind.  “Who’s the kid?”

Ghost let out a low chuckle.  “Watching me, Johnny?  Thought you had more important things to be doing.”

Soap snuck a peek over at his Lieutenant, easily clocking Ghost’s tight lips and narrowed eyes, but pushed further.  “Thought you had more important things to be doing too,” he replied carefully, not wanting to seem too aggressive in his response.

“Don’t worry about me, Sergeant,” Ghost said firmly, turning to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, which he tossed in Soap’s direction, Soap scrambling to catch it in time and not drop the binoculars.  “Wake me up when it’s time to switch,” he added, turning and heading into the small bedroom that they were stuck sharing.

Soap didn’t think much of the encounter again until one night, he was woken up by the sound of Ghost’s cell phone ringing.  Assuming that it was Laswell or Price calling with an update, Soap started towards the kitchen when suddenly he heard the teenager’s voice, whispering through the phone, an occasional sob breaking through.

“I’ll be right there.” Ghost replied, and stood up, tucking his weapon into his back pocket, and reaching for his jacket only to find Soap standing there instead.

“Don’t you have more important things to be doing?” Soap asked, his arms folded in front of him as he looked up at Ghost.  He knew the teen sounded upset, but this wasn’t the time to be getting involved in something that would mess up their operation.

“No.” Ghost said curtly, motioning for Soap to move.  

“Ghost, we can’t have our covers blown,” Soap insisted, handing over Ghost’s jacket but continued to block his way to the front door.

“No Johnny, we can’t.  But I also can’t sit here and do nothing,” Ghost snapped, shrugging on his jacket.  “That kid needs to get someplace safe, away from his parents, and I’m not going to be one of those people who knows what’s going on, and does shit all about it.”

Everything fell into place.  How frequently Ghost checked in on the teen.  The business card that was exchanged.  And the pain that Soap could hear in Ghost’s own words, made his chest ache.  Nothing more needed to be said.  

Soap nodded, reaching behind him to grab his own jacket, and motioned for Ghost to pass him his weapon.  “I got your six, LT.  Let’s go.”

[kirk-spock-fics]

master of a nothing place by strzyga

explicit CW: graphic depictions of violence, gore aos, kirk/spock feral!spock, d/s themes, mission fic, mission gone wrong, slash words: 6,643 'spock is stripped of his logic on an away mission gone bad and turns feral, incredibly violent and utterly brutal. when he comes across jim, though, he is possessive, protective, and even affectionate.'

[greenroseunderglass]

Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Janice Rand & Nyota Uhura Characters: Janice Rand, Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Giotto (Star Trek) Additional Tags: Mission Fic Summary:

Yeoman Rand has decided she wants to be an officer.

@startrekwintergiftexchange @tigerexe

[unstable-reality]

Janos City Blues - Chapter One

Hello there! :) This is the first chapter in what I expect to be a lengthy RebelCaptain piece, featuring an off-schedule revolution, intrigue, Bothans, and slow burn romance.

Here's the setup: Jyn and Cassian have been sent to Janos City to disrupt the already-troubled Lant Mining Corporation's operations, and to help a group of on-the-ground agents foment insurrection. Revolutions, however, cannot be controlled...

As a heads up, this piece is going to be very class-forward. The mission itself is also ethically problematic (as the Alliance can sometimes be), which I'm going to do my best to tackle appropriately. The M rating is "just in case." And Bodhi will definitely be making an appearance. :)

All right, I think that covers it! Without further adieu...

The ship’s air was still and stagnant, and her feet clung to the memory of the engine’s hum. They’d been traveling for nearly two days. Time enough to absorb the rhythms of the ship, to get inured to the rush of stars, to sit and to think and to long for solid ground. She looked up. Through the porthole to her left, she could see planetside sights: the dance of aircraft, a layer of clouds, the spire of a tower, ringed by red lights. Should’ve been a relief, that they were about to disembark. She wasn’t nervous. Well, maybe she was, but she’d never call it that. Cassian stood a pace back from the hatch, half one ahead of her, his suitcase - sleek, square, modern, the sort that came with a matching set - hanging stiffly from his hand. She took in the whole of him, and frowned. “Soften your aureks.” Cassian stopped short. “What?” It had taken Jyn until now to put words to it. He hadn’t asked her for help, per se, but early on, he’d mentioned he hadn’t used his Coruscanti accent in a while, and then had stopped using his own voice altogether. It didn’t take a genius to read between the lines. “Your aureks,” she said. “They’re a little hard.” He regarded her for a moment, long enough for her to doubt. At length, he nodded, smiled slightly. “Thank you.” Decently said, accent-wise. “Sure.” There were implications to him valuing her input on this, some more significant than others. She ignored them.

[Continue reading on AO3]

[earlgreyinpajamas]

OH DUDE I LOVED “Call Me Darling, I Come Running”, it was such a good rec, ty! Any similar fic recs? :)

In The Night Away We'd Fly by blackidyll (@blackidyll)

"People are starting to talk," Bond says, "about the young man who prefers the company of the dead in a deserted cemetery than the living, breathing villagers in the tea rooms that Millet prides itself on."

"I thought a gothic mystique fits in quite well with the image of a writer," Q replies. "Or did you have something else in mind when you professed me a poet?"

"I always associate you and your laptop with your office or lab, so – cluttered desk space, dim room lightning with only a single lamp on to illuminate your work, and a mug of tea for company. This—" Bond tilts his head to indicate the cemetery around them "—is a world apart from that environment."

"Is it?" Q smiles. "I find the solitude quite similar."

(When MI6 sends Q to the countryside for his own protection against Spectre's retaliation, it is not so much a short-term undercover assignment as it is a glimpse of an alternate life that Q could have had – just with the additional presence of one meddlesome Double-O agent).

~~~

fake relationship for official business is probably one of my fav tropes for them

2. Homemaking by SylvanWitch

Undercover as Bond's lover to root out a mole in MI-6, Q discovers that there is more to James Bond than sex and violence. Unfortunately, Q ends up with far more experience of the one than the other as they find themselves out in the cold, unable to trust anyone from the home office, and relying only on each other to uncover the identity of their deadly opponent.

~~~

character development AND betrayal!!!

3. Forget The Plan (Apparently) by SolarMorrigan (@solarmorrigan)

Bond and Q go undercover as a couple in order to get some information. Some creative problem solving takes place

~~~

you gotta love q playing the bond girl

[gun-roswell]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Cartoon), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Clone Trooper Hunter (Star Wars), CT-9904 | Crosshair, Clone Trooper Wrecker (Star Wars), CT-7567 | Rex, CT-21-0408 | CT-1409 | Echo, Phee Genoa, Rampart (Star Wars) Additional Tags: TBB S3 Missing Scenes/Fixits/Speculation, Could Be Canon, Spoilers for TBB S3, TBB S3E12 Speculation from Teaser Trailer, Scenes and Snippetrs in Time, Juggernaut - Freeform, Mission Fic, Prison break! Series: Part 45 of TBB S3 Fixits, Missing Scenes and Speculation series Summary:

Who is the person in the orange jumpsuit Crosshair is hauling across the juggernaut?

Part of TBB S3 Missing Scenes, Fixits and Speculation

[merry-chissmas]

Merry Chissmas: December 5: From Bextia

Eli's diary (928 words) by bextia Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017), Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy - Timothy Zahn Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo & Eli Vanto, Ar'alani & Eli Vanto Characters: Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Ar'alani (Star Wars), Eli Vanto, Eli Vanto's Parents Additional Tags: Chissmas 2023, Diary, Chiss culture, Culture Shock, race differences, alien - Freeform Summary: My take for 2023 Chissmas. Let's see how many boxes do I get to tick off my bingo card!!

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 13 – MISSION FIC

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Shi_Toyu

Shi_Toyu's writing never fails to ratchet up the tension before it gives you that sweet, sweet relief of everything resolving itself. I love how they write action, especially with a focus on captivity, and their characterizations always feel really well-balanced.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

Poisonous Presumption

Pairing: Steve/Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,349 Tags: Assassination Attempt, Hydra, Humor

Summary: This was the worst assignment Davies has ever been given. Sure, it sounded easy upfront – infiltrate the Avengers medical staff and use his access to find weaknesses and sabotage medical treatments – however, it was proving to be anything but. Davies did have medical training and experience, which was part of why Hydra had picked him for this assignment, but the task itself was… complicated. -- When Tony Stark winds up in Avengers medical, an undercover Hydra agent sees the opportunity of a lifetime. It should be easy to tip the balance and send Iron Man into the waiting jaws of death... so why won't he die?

Reasons why I love it: The Avengers foiling HYDRA without even realizing that they're doing it, it's great. The whole concept of this fic is so funny, and I was completely caught off guard by the plot twist at the end. It's good stuff! Definitely check this one out!

Off Duty

Pairing: Steve/Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 2,667 Tags: Strippers, Undercover Missions, Secret Identity

Summary: Steve and Bucky go undercover as strippers to catch a human trafficker, only to meet someone they never would have expected. -- Doing his best not to trip in spindly heels, Steve strode toward the pole in the middle of the stage. The worst part of having to parade around in nothing but a thong, he decided, was that he didn’t even get to keep the bills the clientele stuck inside.

Reasons why I love it: I will never not love the 'undercover-as-a-stripper' trope. This fic is so much fun, plus the action is really great. Also, there's some fantastic art by araydre and FancyDragonQueen in this fic that you don't want to miss! Give this one a shot, it's amazing!

Too Close (Not Nearly Enough)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: M Words: 10,051 Tags: Captivity, Brainwashing, Sharing Body Heat

Summary: Several months after the events of Civil War, Tony is attacked and captured by an old enemy with a new face. As if things weren't bad enough, he's not exactly thrilled to find out who his cellmate is, either.

Reasons why I love it: I love this fic so much. Tony and Bucky growing closer because they have a common enemy, only to end up actually liking each other is fantastic. I love how Bucky is protective of Tony from the very beginning, he's such a good guy. This fic is great, and I hope you check it out for yourself!

Hide Your Face, Hold My Heart

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: M Words: 5,386 Tags: BAMF Bucky, Secret Identity, Torture

Summary: Bucky had learned early on that life had a way of going to shit on very short notice. As a kid, that had meant running around and goofing off with Stevie only for an asthma attack to come out of seemingly nowhere. During the war, it meant creeping through the wilderness or a town or a base only for bullets to start flying. One minute you could be fighting back to back with your best friend, the next you could be falling to the bottom of a snowy chasm. That was just life.

Reasons why I love it: Identity porn, yuss!! I love how much they're both trying to keep the other safe, and of course the reveal at the end is really satisfying. This fic is fantastic, and I hope you give it a shot!

Out of Intent

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 4,036 Tags: Kidnapping, Winter Soldier Bucky, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: "Do less out of habit and more out of intent." When the Avengers are captured by Hydra, Bucky must pretend that the Winter Soldier programing is still active. Unfortunately, that means bringing some of Tony's worst fears to life.

Reasons why I love it: Aww, the last line is so sweet. It makes up for how painful the rest is, oofff, it hurts so good. I love the whole premise, and the writing just makes it all feel so tense and awful in the best possible way. This fic is amazing, and I highly encourage you to read it!

[sanerontheinside]

Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Dooku/Obi-Wan Kenobi Characters: Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Dooku (Star Wars), Sheev Palpatine, Original Characters

Additional Tags: Mission Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, Notorious (1946) - Freeform, Omega Obi-Wan Kenobi, Alpha Qui-Gon Jinn, Alpha Dooku (Star Wars)

Summary:

The verdict had been a foregone conclusion. Obi-Wan had come to the court to hear it delivered—expecting, or perhaps hoping, to feel relief. He wanted to be free of this nightmare, wanted to wake up the next morning to a normal life with a normal job, in a place where no one knew his face or his name. Where no one would know him as the son of a traitor.

There was no relief to be found here. Out of the corner of his eye, past the line of reporters jockeying for a good holopic, he could see two men in plain clothes, whispering among themselves and eyeing him.

Obi-Wan had had more than enough of that sort of attention in the last year.

Obi-Wan tries to get out from under the weight of his father's shame. He gets an offer of assistance from an unexpected source—but like anything else it comes at a price.

My submission for the 2023 QuiObi Big Bang @qobb, in partnership with @bereweillschmidt and @shukruut. Beta’d, enabled, and improved by @firondoiel 

[thatmexisaurusrex]

Close Quarters

This is for @sumbacky who I told over a month ago that I was inspired by their art and finally got around to writing the dang fic 😂 This is also for @samsseptember's Day 10 "Mission" prompt. Enjoy! 🥰

Close Quarters

| Pairing: SamBucky | Rated: T | WC: 1.4K |

Summary: Sam and Bucky hide in a closet until the coast is clear. Based on Lynette's "stuck in a tight space" SamBucky art.

Excerpt:

Bucky couldn’t help but feel the heat rushing to his cheeks; the blush bloomed and spread as he watched the adorable gap in Sam’s teeth while Sam talked to Joaquín over comms; at Sam’s glistening lips as Sam smiled; gazed into Sam’s deep, rich brown eyes, like two bouquets of True Love Hellebores. “What?” Sam whispered. Cutting through the drum concert in Bucky’s chest. A curious hitch to Sam’s voice. A big smile. A quirk of Sam’s eyebrow. Sam. Watching Bucky. Waiting for Bucky to say something, anything back.

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[i-did-not-mean-to]

YOTP - January

So, let's start this off with Farawyn. It's a continuation of this story!

So, that kicks off YOTP...Stay tuned for February!

Pairing: Faramir x Éowyn

Prompts: First Kiss, Mission Fic, Fake Dating, Historical AU, Snow, "Whenever I look at you"

Words: 2 050

Warnings: /

Éowyn knew that something was the matter as soon as Faramir entered the room they shared—his cheeks turned bright red as soon as he saw her sitting there, darning her own socks, evidently lying in wait for him.

“Did you get your grades?” she asked breathlessly and threw her handiwork to the floor to wave a thick piece of paper in front of his widening eyes. “I did very well.”

“Of course, you did,” he replied warmly. The enthusiastic joy in her voice thawed him instantly, and he gave a long, weary sigh. “You have never given me any reason to regret breaking I don’t know how many laws.”

“You know exactly how many.” Leaning back against the wall, Éowyn motioned at the cold supper their landlords had brought up and cocked her head. “What ails you, friend?”

“Nothing that should preoccupy you,” he said hastily and turned to the old table to pretend to fix himself a plate.

With a soft snort of affectionate derision, Éowyn sprang to her feet and gave his shoulder an encouraging push. “You’ve made my dearest wish come true—I am in your debt.” When his tense posture did not relent, she made a small cooing sound.

“Jest aside, Faramir. You can tell me what weighs on you—if at all possible, I shall endeavour to help you!”

“You cannot,” he groaned. “I’ve just received a letter from my father, informing me that I am to attend the Winter Ball in Minas Tirith. I don’t understand why he’d want me there—I’ll only embarrass him by awkwardly lurking in a corner.”

As he spoke, he gestured with a piece of soft bread, and—taunted by the repetitive motion and the alluring smell—Éowyn simply took a bite out of it.

Chewing in pensive silence, she looked on helplessly as Faramir became increasingly agitated.

“And he’ll certainly expect me to dance with all the eligible ladies who will then make faces at me because they actually wanted to dance with my brother instead…”

“I can come with you!”

In the sudden, deafening silence, one would have been able to hear a single pin drop to the impeccably swept floor.

“I beg your pardon?” Faramir gaped at her in evident disbelief.

“Every day, we pretend—with much success if I may say so myself—that I am a young gentleman. You treat me as a cherished friend, and it is your acceptance and encouragement that keep our wicked ruse alive,” Éowyn explained in a voice that was ripe with self-evident smugness. “I would not do this for a lesser friend, but—for you and in return for your endless kindness—I shall change my costume and pretend to be an accomplished lady.”

Faramir then realised that he had never investigated where the enchantingly versatile creature with whom he shared his room, his studies, and his secrets came from exactly.

“Don’t stare at me so,” she exclaimed, cackling wildly. “I can wear my frilliest dress and sit prettily. After all these months, you’d still doubt my abilities as an actor?”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Faramir replied vehemently, but they both knew that he was lying. While he did not put her skills as a scholar, sportsman, or satirist into question, he was not entirely certain whether the same fey changeling who had infiltrated the seminary would be able to sit through a whole dinner during which people much less smart and educated than her would patronise her cruelly.

“Then it’s decided,” Éowyn declared. “I will make it my solemn mission to convince your father of the fact that I am on the verge of ruining my name and my reputation for your admiration and affection!”

Aghast, he threw the remnant of his bread at her. “Do not! He’d never believe that!”

“That, my friend, remains to be seen!”

Faramir paced nervously through the hallway; even if they were to leave right away, they’d be fashionably late for the grand opening of his father’s cherished ball.

“You can blame me,” a soft, sensual voice resounded behind him, and he instantly whirled around. “How do I look? Convincing?”

Swallowing thickly, the young scholar ran a trembling hand across his suddenly uncomfortably numb lips.

He had known Éowyn for months—they had shared many a joke and had brooded over partially incomprehensible texts side by side. A mere five minutes ago, he would have boldly and unwaveringly claimed that he was intimately familiar with every facet of her being.

This, as it turned out, was not so.

Before him, bathed in the soft glow of the forgotten lamp on their shared desk, stood a young lady.

“You’ll have to carry me to the carriage,” Éowyn laughed and pointed at the delicate silken shoes she was wearing, revealing slender ankles clad in a powdery, translucent layer of impossibly thin fabric that made Faramir’s heart skip a beat. “Henceforth, you might be able to better appreciate why I avoid conforming to the farce that is ‘appropriate’, ladylike garb too often—it’s laughably unpractical.”

Extending his arms, Faramir was presently not convinced that he’d be able to support the weight of a feather, let alone this wondrous creature gleaming with self-satisfied triumph.

“I clean up nicely, don’t you think?” she teased and patted the complicated updo into which she had wrestled her stubborn, flaxen hair through some impressive display of hitherto unrevealed masterfulness.

“You look stunning,” Faramir whispered, utterly awed.

“Ah!” Frowning, she walked past him and down the stairs, her head held high and her chin jutting out petulantly. “Am I to surmise then that you’re no better than my uncle’s most duplicitous courtiers?”

Despite her forcibly teasing tone, Faramir could tell that she was genuinely hurt.

“I do not know the good men,” he replied cautiously. “Nevertheless, I merely sought to compliment you on yet another wonderfully executed disguise.”

Huffing, she threw open the front door and grimaced at the thin, slick layer of snow that would delay them even further.

“Milady,” Faramir invited coyly and assumed the necessary posture once more to lift her into his arms and ferry her over to the waiting carriage without creasing her dress or damaging any other adornment overmuch.

He had to suppress another tremor of unidentifiable unease—Éowyn felt soft and supple in his arms, and a discreet smell of wild lilacs and river grass tickled his nose.

In truth, all his senses were entirely taken over by the complex beauty of the one he was holding as if she was made of glass and ice crystals, and yet he couldn’t deny the surge of instinctive reluctance taking hold of his heart.

“I wish you didn’t have to do this,” he whispered dejectedly as they started rumbling along the merciless, frozen path in jolting fits and bursts.

“Béma—we would have made better time on horseback without—”

“Not in that dress, dear,” Faramir interrupted gently. “Anyhow, I doubt that anyone is expecting my arrival anxiously.”

“Fools,” Éowyn declared haughtily and pushed a stray pin back into her ornate coiffure. “Having had the pleasure of your company for many a night now, I can vouch for your excellence as a conversation and study partner!”

Despite suspecting that she was lying to assuage his mounting anxiousness, Faramir felt considerably heartened by her words and smiled at her gratefully.

The rest of their journey was spent in companionable silence; each was mentally preparing for the great unknown that was awaiting them.

When the carriage came to a sliding halt and a young man with impeccably polished buttons and fastenings opened the door to help the latecomers alight, Éowyn nodded at Faramir encouragingly. “Same as before.”

It was undignified to have to be carried thus, but Éowyn was nothing if not steadfast in her resolutions and brave in the name of duty and loyalty—looking up at Faramir’s tense, pale face, leisurely, she was reminded once more of how unobtrusively handsome her roommate was.

Of course, she usually did not waste any time or thoughts on his countless qualities—the man was her most trusted confidant, he not only knew about her devious charade, no, he actively facilitated and endorsed it.

Surely, he would never see her as anything other than a rebellious, reckless fool.

At times, Éowyn earnestly regretted the fact that the only man she had ever liked enough to consider him as a romantic partner had been made irreversibly inaccessible by her achieving her most cherished dream,

She sighed softly. Her uncle was right—she was a selfish creature, and she had sacrificed the matrimonial bliss she owed to her name, her family, and her sex on the altar of her personal fulfilment.

“We’re almost inside,” Faramir whispered, hastening his steps. He had mistaken her shivering exhalation as an expression of dismay on account of the blistering cold air and felt bad for her.

Indeed, while he was wrapped in a thick coat, Éowyn had only been able to conjure up a woefully flimsy shawl.

“You’re right,” he admitted as he set her down carefully inside the brightly lit foyer. “These clothes are ludicrous! I shall give you my coat for the ride home! You’ll catch your death in that!”

“It matches the dress,” she shot back defensively, fussing with the delicate fabric ostentatiously.

“Humbug!”

Chuckling, Éowyn allowed herself the treacherous indulgence of touching her cheek to his shoulder briefly—then, the doors swung open, and they stepped into a lavish ballroom.

“Oh no,” Éowyn whispered, gripping Faramir’s arm with unladylike strength and vehemence. “My brother is here!”

He turned his head a fraction to glimpse a tall, broad-shouldered paragon of strength, smiling at them.

“I was under the impression that you were devoted to him—why are you upset?” Faramir pointedly avoided looking at her face—flushed from the heat and radiant with virginal fairness—as she insisted on mooning at him in a shamelessly exaggerated display of admiration and unspoken affection.

At least, he thought her demeanour to be hardly credible—his father and brother, on the other hand, had smirked at him and clapped congratulatory hands onto his stiff shoulders.

In his heart of hearts, he was dismayed and disgruntled by the discovery that—while his academic prowess and the deep, meaningful friendship he had established with the authentic Éowyn meant nothing to them—the simple act of parading a handsome maiden at a lavish feast seemed to suffice to gain their approval.

“I do love him,” Éowyn replied in a hushed hiss. “But his being here means that I’ll have to up the ante if I want to be believed.”

“You don’t have to—”

“You’ve once told me that we were in this together,” she said softly and cupped Faramir’s burning cheek tenderly. “Allow me to reciprocate that sentiment and battle cry.”

Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, she cocked her head to the side, her hair glistening like pure spun gold in the flickering light of the sconces. “Can you pretend for a moment that I am pretty? No doubt, my valiant effort in the defence of your reputation would earn me so minor a boon?”

“There shall be no need to pretend. I marvel at your beauty whenever I look at you,” Faramir answered before his mind could censor his tongue, loosened by the glowing atmosphere of the room and the double-edged victory of the night.

Éowyn blinked. “Whenever?” she then asked demurely, colour flaring in her cheeks.

“You look stunning tonight,” Faramir grinned, elated that he got the opportunity to set right his previous misstep. “The dress compliments your smile. Nevertheless, I would be a poor friend and a despicably shallow nincompoop if such caparison was needed to alert me to the rare beauty of one I see every day in all her glory.”

Shining brighter than all the gold in the room, Éowyn brushed her now flawlessly clean thumbs against his bearded jaw to tilt his head back.

“I was right,” she crooned. “You are the most precious! I’ll have you know that I love being right!”

Before Faramir could assure her that he was well-aware of that fact, she had drawn herself up further and pressed her lips against his in a kiss that spoke of deep trust, enduring loyalty, and nascent love.

My very dear readers; I hope this has been enjoyable!

-> Masterlist

[kira-nerys-rocks]

Katoberfest Day 8: Mission Fic

(Or: the fic I had originally planned to post on Friday but I only finished it yesterday)

The Taste of Her Lips

Kat and Mirror Philippa Georgiou travel to Earth for a meeting with Starfleet Command. Kat misses Prime Philippa who used to be her wife. When a problem occurs, they are forced to huddle together for warmth until they are rescued. Add whiskey and you get a recipe for some kind of disaster...

Written for the admiral challenge with the prompts: Mission Fic, Cold Space, Cuddling for Warmth, First Kiss, Only One Bed

Read the fanfic on ao3

[kirk-spock-fics]

One on a Side, Two Together by JackHawksmoor

explicit tos, kirk/spock hurt/comfort, mission fic, telepathy, mind melds, first time, slash words: 17,116 'A landing party almost never starts out as an obvious disaster.'

Kirk and Spock encounter a strange vessel that attacks telepaths. The two mind meld to evade the attack on Spock, and maintain a link between them that protects Spock while they investigate the ship further.

[mirrorofliterature]

in search of salvation

bill & oliver | mission fic and character study | 3.1k | rated t

How many things has Percy told Oliver about their family? How many secrets does Oliver hold, things Bill holds close to his chest?

Bill feels unbalanced. It is not about the tea, not really

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Fighting a war isn't all glamorous battles. For Bill Weasley, early 1997 is marked by a long, tireless search for a cave cursed by Voldemort alongside none other than Oliver Wood, his estranged brother Percy's best friend.

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My fic written for the 2023 untagged fest and it's finally revealed. It was so much fun participating!