#post-annapolis au

[pollyna]

sloose au: they break up but they don't know how to tell Iceman, and Slider's granma and their friends and, because everybody is just so happy for them! So they actually stay together even if is all a facade until it's not because they realise they were splitting for the stupidest of reasons. And when they talk about the whole, years lated, with Ice he just says yeah, I knew you weren't together until you were again. I'm not the dumb one around here before taking another sip of his vodka and smiling all teeth.

[enigmaticxbee]

XF AU - Fic Recs

When the world was unrecognizable and upside down, there was one thing that remained the same. You... were my friend, and you told me the truth. Even when the world was falling apart, you were my constant... my touchstone (or, alternate universe and canon-divergent fics):

Contemporary AUs:

A Companion Unobtrusive by @slippinmickeys - She needed a roommate. He needed a room.

The Annapolis Grant by @slippinmickeys - Fake relationship! Scully hires Mulder to pretend to be her boyfriend.

Aprons and Scrubs by @lokisgame - Scully’s a doctor and Mulder runs a bar.

Five Years and a Lifetime by @monikafilefan @slippinmickeys - One night stand AU. Five years later, Scully and Mulder work at the same pediatric hospital, and Scully's four year old daughter bears a striking resemblance to the picture of a dark haired girl that sits on Mulder's desk...

Skin by Annie Sewell-Jennings - In a world where Mulder and Scully have never met, fate intervenes and brings two worlds colliding in the city of Charleston, as a vicious murderer reigns and a storm approaches.

Sinners Come Down by aster_risk - Six years into her marriage to Daniel, Scully meets Fox Mulder at a bar one night, and they get talking and fucking over alcohol and self-pity.

In the Best Interest of the Child by @mldrgrl - When tragedy strikes, Mulder is forced to take guardianship of his young niece, but the matter is complicated by the arrival of a sister-in-law he's never met.

Historical AUs:

By the Dim and Flaring Lamps by @sunflowerseedsandscience - Civil War AU. Captain Mulder befriends Private Scully who’s hiding a secret…

The Countess and The Earl by @slippinmickeys - Regency Romance!

Old Growth Forest by Andrea - Mulder and Scully travel back to frontier times

Rocky Mountain Interlude Part 1 and Part 2 by Jacquie LaVa and Tess - Mulder and Scully travel back in time to solve the case of a Colorado mining ghost

The Science of Sex by @if-the-seascatchfire - Masters of Sex AU. Mulder and Scully are doctors in the late 1950s who undertake a years-long study about human sexuality, and as part of the research, they also have sex with each other - you know, for the science.

Out of this World:

The Magician by Suzanne Bickerstaffe and Jennifer Lyon - Fantasy series where Mulder and Scully travel to another world full of magic (one of the first fanfics I ever remember reading!)

Out of the Little Grove by @slippinmickeys - Crossover with His Dark Materials (a mashup truly made just for me, my 13 year old self would have been over the moon)

Blinded by White Light by @dashakay - Post-colonization. What are we, but the sum of our memories? A classic.

Julia and Gabriel by Mish - Post-colonization. A new identity, a new, dangerous society, an unchanged heart and soul. Gave me Hunger Games vibes for some reason (although written years before that was published)

Canon-Divergent: Pre or Early Series

Eleventh Hour by Rachel Anton - Mulder travels back in time to find college-aged Scully and change everything.

Belphagor’s Prime by Prufrock’s Love - When Scully disappears Mulder travels back in time to a pre-X-Files Scully for help.

In Another Life by @mldrgrl - What if there was no conspiracy? What if Mulder was just a regular FBI Agent? What if Scully was just a bureau pathologist?

How They Met by @peacenik0 - After an encounter at Scully’s FBI academy graduation party they must determine how to deal with their past and their undeniable attraction to one another when partnered up.

One Week at Quantico by CrossedBeams - What if Mulder had been teaching at the Academy when Scully was training…

Paging Dr. Scully by @mangokiwitropicalswirl - Mulder keeps ending up in Dr Scully’s ER.

Only One Choice by @sisterspooky1013 - Scully was never assigned to The X Files.

The Way Things Are by Sukie Tawdry - A season 1 one night stand changes everything. Baby-fic.

Departures & Arrivals by anarchybeauty - After the X Files are closed in 1994, Scully moves on. Two years later, she runs into Mulder in an airport.

Right Hand Return by humphreywrites - Scully is returned from her abduction with a baby, no memories of anything prior to her captivity and some PTSD.

12 Rites of Passage and 12 Degrees of Separation by Anne Hayes - mytharc story written very early in the series run.

parent_1 by @markwatneyandenesemble - It’s 1996, Mulder’s been off the X-Files for three years, and not speaking to Scully. They’ve almost moved on with their lives. Almost.

Canon-Divergent: Mid Series

A Different Place by @myownsuperintendent - When Mulder successfully brings one of the Samantha clones back from the farm with him in Herrenvolk, she must learn to adapt to a different life.

Once More With Feeling by skinfull - While on a stakeout Mulder is shot in the head and loses his memory.

Iolokus by rivkat and MustangSally - Mytharc AU. Painted across the barren and desolate reaches of Texas, the shadows of the Project put additional pressure on Scully and Mulder's already fragile relationship. After a hostage crisis raises more questions about the Project's breeding program, Scully begins her own investigation, leaving Mulder to choose between saving her and saving himself. Pretty disturbing but fascinating, a classic.

Arizona Highways by Fialka - Mytharc AU. Visions of Melissa lead Our Heroes on a case confirming the existence of a series of Emilys. But does Melissa really have a message, or is it all in Scully’s head? Another classic.

Heuvelmans' On the Track by @mashnotesofthemythopoeic - post-FTF mytharc AU, truly a ride you’ll never forget.

The Leap and Landfall by Ambress - Scully has a one time opportunity for motherhood, given to her by the Kurt Crawfords.

All That Is Dark and Bright by @malibusunset-xf-blog - Emily lives AU.

Five Years and One Night by Shalimar - Scully leaves the X-Files post-Emily but gets drawn back in when Mulder discovers Emily wasn’t the only child created.

Cubed by Louise Marin - Mid-season 6 Scully does a little body-swapping of her own. Can she and Mulder make it back to each other? Do they want to?

The Boy on the Beach and Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's 1999 by @cecilysass - One moment she was sitting in the chair. Her chin up, her expression ice. And the next moment she was gone. Fantastic exploration of the Samantha storyline.

Canon-Divergent: Late or Post Series

40 Weeks by @malibusunset-xf-blog - What if the IVF attempt in Per Manum had been successful?

Mobius by L.A. Ward - Post-Requiem while investigating the disappearance of a physicist, Scully finds someone she didn't expect - Mulder. But is it her Mulder?

By the Wind Grieved by Karen Rasch - Mulder is returned several months post Requiem but he doesn't know who he is or what Scully and he are to each other. Together they must reclaim the past before their enemies take away their future.

Deadalive AU by @markwatneyandenesemble - Mulder is returned but is missing several years of memory.

The 13th Sign and 7 Days in May by Prufrock’s Love - Post-Deadalive. Mulder saw no reason for life, death, sex, Armageddon, or emotional dysfunction to stand in the way of true love.

Hurricane Season by rah and beduini - Post-Existence week at the beach with the Scully family and baby Wim.

Terra Firma series by @malibusunset-xf-blog - Post-Existence domestic family drama, a classic comfort read for me.

2008 by MystPhile - With the quest at an end, the X-Files closed in the year 2000. Our heroes went their separate ways. In 2008, they meet in Bloomingdale's and the past, present, and future are explored.

Dr. Scully's School for Exceptional Boys by Prufrock’s Love - More than a decade had passed. Mulder had no reason to hole up in his apartment alone, wearing a Three Dog Night T-shirt with dried mustard on the hem and blue jeans that had seen better days. He wasn't "saving himself" for anyone. Especially not Her. Though she remained epically, beautifully, brilliantly kick-A-S-S.

Machines of Freedom by Amal Nahurriyeh - post-IWTB. The end of the world is coming. And they're doing everything in their power to stop it.

North of Zero by @slippinmickeys - Post-IWTB, post-colonization. The bombs have fallen. The aliens have come. What’s next?

Canon Parallel AUs:

I've got you under my skin by cuits - In a universe where soulmate identifying marks exist and affect a part of the population, would Mulder and Scully's relationship evolve any different? Unfinished but complete through Existence so it still ends in a satisfying place.

Half-light by skuls - Mulder and Scully get a second chance.

The Family G-Man by Neoxphile and FelineFemme - A double tragedy strikes Mulder the week before Christmas of 2003. What if he could go back and change things, save the son one lost and give the other the family she wanted? Could it keep them safe?

[slippinmickeys]

Twenty questions for fanfic writers

I was tagged by @agent-troi and @randomfoggytiger Thanks for the tag, guys!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

53

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

712,000 exactly, which is sort of creepy?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The X-Files mainly, though a million years ago I wrote two fics for JAG, and technically, I have a His Dark Materials fic (but it's an XF crossover)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Mesas of Deuteronilus Mensae

Prompt Drabble Collection

The Annapolis Grant

Three Part Harmony

A Companion Unobtrusive

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Comments are the only payment fanfic writers get, and it's an incredibly valuable and underrated currency. Fanfiction as a community is one of the most generous you'll find, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this particular one.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh man, probably La Comtesse de Saint-Germain.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

In this day and age I feel like we deal with enough shit, so I try to end most of my fics happily. I think A Gem-Like Flame probably has the most uplifting happy ending, but then, I'm a sports nerd.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Um, probably pretty vanilla het MSR. No shame.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've only written one, but it turned out really well, I thought. It's an X-Files/His Dark Materials novella-length crossover that takes place in Lyra's world, pre-Lyra, called Out of the Little Grove.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Anyone who steals my fic is going to catch these hands.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a couple of years ago someone asked if they could translate one of my fics to Russian. It's out there somewhere.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I jumped in and helped @monikafilefan get Five Years and a Lifetime over the line for a fic exchange a couple of years ago. A fun, collaborative experience, that was like 85% Monika. It's a great fic, check it out if you haven't!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Mulder & Scully are my OTP. Always and forever.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'd love to finish Madam Scully's Spiritual Services, Inc., it's an AU where Scully works for her sister's Psychic Boutique while prepping for med school. Scully ends up being actually psychic and she helps newly minted FBI agent Fox Mulder solve a series of murders. I have it almost completely plotted (except for the nitty-gritty hard stuff), but I don't think I'll ever get it done, sadly. It's just too big a story to tackle with where I am in my life. Though I never say never.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm decent at dialogue, have a pretty firm grasp on plotting, and, I hope characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My character work is probably my weak spot, which is why I have so much fun writing fanfic--the character work is already done, I just get to play around a world where everybody already knows the characters.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

When I do it, I hope like hell that I'm doing it right. I think it's necessary for some stories and you just hope you're properly respecting a language you don't speak.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files, in the year of our lord nineteen hundred and ninety eight.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's a toss up between Proof of Life, an AU where CNN conflict reporter Dana Scully is kidnapped and imprisoned with fellow kidnap victim and photojournalist Fox Mulder, and they, you know, fall in love. And North of Zero, a post-col novel where Mulder and Scully get William back and have to save the world. The one I totally pantsed (made up as I went along), and it came together like alchemy. I love that story. If you don't like AU, you'd like Proof of Life. If you don't like post-colonization stories, you'd like North of Zero. I don't always like everything I've written after I'm done writing it (a writer's life), but I'm incredibly proud of both of those fics.

Tagging @monikafilefan because she's already tagged, and anyone else who wants to do this!

[emphasisonthehomo]

idk if you've talked about this before or not, but how would you think it would go down if steve and danny met at an earlier time in their life, maybe early transitioning stages still for danny?

Ooohhh I have not spoken about this, but this is an interesting concept.

An au of an au, I guess. If Rachel never decided to hit him with her car. OR if she did, then one where they never got Serious, and fizzled out after she went to England.

When Danny's like 22 and still Very Cognizant of How To Pass. His voice has started to change, but not that much. He's starting to get body and facial hair, but not quite at the level he will when he's a little older. If he's clean shaven and not careful about how he speaks and behaves, he occasionally gets clocked and it's terrifying.

And then idk spring break? For Convenience's Sake. Let's say spring break at *spins the wheel* MYRTLE BEACH. Because google says that's a popular spot on the east coast. Danny goes w/ a bunch of Queers™ he's buddies with, and like half of them have blue hair and pronouns, it's Tucker Carlson's nightmare.

Who else also happens to be at Myrtle Beach? Why Steven McGarrett and a whole mess of baby sailors. Freddie is going to wear a neon green tank top the entire time and yell HOOYAH at strangers. Catherine's ready to fucking go HOG WILD. Pun intended.

Danny splurged for his own hotel room, because he knows how his friends operate, and he's not interested in navigating any socks on the door situation. He’s here to party and get laid, he’s not gonna deal with a roomie. No fuck you Brayden, get your own room or share with Amethyst. This is gonna be his first spring break post top surgery, so he’s – he’s probably not gonna go topless. He does still hate the beach. But being hot and humid without having to wear a binder? Fuck yes. This is also gonna be his last Spring Break before he graduates and goes to Law School and he has to idk be More Responsible or something.

Steve’s gotten his own hotel room for many similar reasons. He’s seen how Freddie gets about trying to Eat So Much Pussy, and he isn’t interesting in being an unfortunate witness to such escapades. Besides, Steve also has plans to Eat So Much Pussy, and maybe. You know. Maybe suck a dick or something. At least make out with a dude, he thinks. Maybe these gay thoughts can catch him. Maybe he’ll let them.

Anyways, what I’m saying is that Steve and Danny’s rooms JUST SO HAPPEN to be right next to each other. The kind with an adjoining door. And the hotel isn’t the classiest, but it was the nicest they could get that was still close to the bars and reasonably priced. And lo, Danny and his friends and Steve and his friends JUST SO HAPPEN to check in at the same time.

They do that thing where they make eye contact with each other in the elevator. And Danny’s on edge because yeah that guy’s good looking, but he’s also wearing a t shirt that says Annapolis on it in big letters. Steve meanwhile saw Danny come in with a bunch of obviously queer people and is like okay. There’s a hot guy who I think is definitely maybe probably also into dudes.

And they bump into each other again at the bar, and spend almost the entire night dancing around each other. It’s just a bunch of drunk college students interacting. (Brayden is trying very hard to fuck Freddie and Freddie is straight boy oblivious.) You know who’s not being straight boy oblivious? Steve.

Because Steve’s doing his smooth dog schtick, even if he maybe hasn’t gotten that moniker yet. He’s flirty and charming and it’s driving Danny up the fucking wall. Like Steve keeps brushing his hand across the side of Danny’s waist or his lower back under the guise of passing by him to get to the bar. And Danny is like ‘okay if this is gay chicken so be it’ so he starts flirting back kind of aggressively, but instead of getting all deer in headlights about it, Steve looks so genuinely pleased at Danny’s attention.

Danny: “… Shit I’m gonna fuck this sailor, aren’t I?”

Steve: “… Catch me now Gay Thoughts.”

If they didn’t have hotel rooms right next to each other, if Danny didn’t know for a fact that he’s basically neighbors with this guy for the rest of the break, he’d just suck Steve off and deal w/ the sexual frustration of not getting his. Because telling random (presumably closeted jfc, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is still in force) people about the trans thing is UHM terrifying.

But when Steve leans in close and whispers “Let me walk with you back to the hotel,” in Danny’s ear, and he’s so fucking tall and hot and clearly ripped, and he’s got nice hands, Danny’s just drunk enough to be like “…yeah.”

And because of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell they both go to their separate rooms. Steve immediately goes ‘knock knock knock’ on the adjoining door. Danny can’t believe he’s gonna do this, but at least if something goes Wrong he can probably run back to the other room and lock the door real quick.

So, he opens the door, and Steve starts kissing him basically from the get go. Kisses Danny deep and purposeful, and shit, shit Danny didn’t think this through.

“Wait, wait, wait-” Danny stops him while they’re both still standing in the open doorway.  

“Sorry?” Steve’s panicking just a little, because he thought that this is what they were doing, but now Danny’s stopping him and oh no.

And Danny just blurts out “I’m trans?”

Fuck. That wasn’t supposed to be a question. He’s. Very drunk.

“I’m trans,” Danny repeats. There. Gotta say it with conviction.

Steve just kind of blinks at him, because he’s also Very Drunk and uhhhhhh what?

"What?"

“… I don’t have a dick.”

It’s not the best way to explain this, but it’s what Danny’s beer addled brain comes up with, when he’s got a beefy navy cadet all up in his space. Steve doesn’t seem put off by Danny’s explanation, which is good. He just kind of blinks at Danny some more and then says:

“You don’t have a dick.”

“I don’t have a dick.”

Fuck.

This is awkward.

Danny’s made a mistake.

But then Steve just goes “Oh good, I’ve never sucked a dick before, I was worried I’d be bad at it.”

Danny’s about to. He doesn’t know. Tell Steve ‘well of course you’ll be bad at it’ because unless you’re some kind of cock sucking savant, you’re not going to be good at it on the first try. But it gets kind of lost because Steve just kisses him again. And again. And again.

And Steve does, in fact, get to Eat So Much Pussy. Danny practically sucks Steve’s soul out through his dick.

The next morning, they wake up hungover and sore. They go to waffle house. Then they go back to those adjoined hotel rooms, and do it all over again sober.

Instead of spending Spring Break in a drunken stupor, they actually spend it (mostly) sober fucking like rabbits or tangled together in bed and drowsily talking. They go through an improbable number of condoms. Steve’s 21. He’s got the refractory period get wild with it.

And then they just kind of. Stay in touch. After.

Steve goes back to Annapolis, and Danny goes back to Princeton. And they text and call constantly. And it turns into this weird ‘fuck buddies but also best friends but also long distance’ kind of situation. Steve goes on and becomes a SEAL. Danny goes to law school and then doesn’t become a lawyer.

They don’t see each other in person often, but when they do it’s usually like no one ever left.

Steve doesn’t have much of a relationship with his father. He’s not currently on speaking terms with Mary. So, when he’s got leave? He’s in New Jersey. He doesn’t go home to Hawai'i. He goes home to Danny.

Steve has his casual thing with Catherine, and yes he and Danny are also casual, but it’s Different from his relationship with her. And sure Danny also dates, but if Steve calls Danny up and is like “I’ve got 48 hours of leave in Manhattan” Danny will basically drop everything to go meet him there.

(Freddie refers to Danny as Steve’s ““friend”” quotation marks included, even after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is repealed. Because they’re not dating, not really. But they’re, you know, Close.)

Steve goes off and does classified bullshit that he can’t talk about, and when he’s stateside Danny holds him in the long nights when he can’t sleep.

When Danny's PI cases get too gnarly, when Tilly doesn’t make it home, Steve bullies Danny into a gun range and teaches him the ins and outs of shooting.  

And it turns into this Thing, where they both are Convinced that it is only ever going to be casual between the two of them. And they just circle each other. Because Steve is a moron, but he’s also Danny’s best fucking friend. Because Danny’s a loudmouth, but Steve still isn’t going anywhere else when he’s got leave. And they fuck, and they argue, and they kiss soft and slow, and Danny makes Steve pancakes, and Steve knows Danny’s preferred brand of coffee, but somehow? They never make it to the point of talking about actually defining their relationship.  

It goes like that for years. For over a decade.

And then Hesse.

And then the funeral.

Danny flies out, for it. Steve doesn’t know why he wasn’t expecting that. Danny had never met John, only ever knew Steve’s father second hand from the (very) rare occasions Steve had spoken about him.

They’re both on a time crunch.

Danny’s heading back at the airport, when Governor Jameson drops the offer for a task force in Steve’s lap.

Danny’s making his way through security, when Steve’s breaking into an active crime scene and getting into an argument with Detective Hanamoa.

Danny’s sitting by the gate, when he gets a call from Steve, asking if he can stay in Honolulu a little longer.  

And Danny doesn’t hesitate, when he says “sure thing, babe.”

EDIT: Part II

[smalltalksrp]

Spotlight sur la famille Campbell

Alors que le forum à ouvert il y a trois jours, et que les premiers rp ont fait surface, nous tenions aujourd'hui à vous présentez nos postes vacants. Au nombres de quatre familles, celles-ci représentent les noms les plus influents d'Annapolis, de part leurs statut, leurs histoires, ou tout simplement les membres qui la compose. Sa famille, on ne la choisis pas, on en hérite simplement. Et celle-ci, beaucoup l'aurait eu en horreur. Trop bruyante, trop présente, une maison branlante dans un quartier animé,  la fraternité et la solidarité pour seuls moteurs. Les Campbell, ici tout le monde les connait, et qui a dit qu'il fallait de l'argent ou du pouvoir pour avoir de l'influence autour de soi ? John, le père, n'a jamais eu besoin de porter une Rolex à son poignet pour affirmer ses idées, le soutient indéfectible de sa femme, Rebecca lui donnant assez de force et de courage pour tout supporter. Les gosses ? fait du même bois, de la fougue, de l'audace et de la ruse, voilà ce que l'on pourrait dire de cette famille qui n'a pas fini de faire parler d'elle et plus encore maintenant qu'on menace de leur voler l'accès à la baie ? Et puis quoi encore ? https://smalltalk.forumactif.com/t95-intrigue-1-les-familles-influentes-d-annapolis

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Silvery Moon - A Top Gun Werewolf AU

Goose is a werewolf. This hasn't caused him a lot of grief until one particular full moon. He had to cancel his date with Carole and she wasn't happy. Will he be able to make her believe he's a werewolf?

Or

Goose is a puppy and Carole is oblivious.

Words: 3200

I had this idea a while ago but due to Halloween and @forsty 's werewolf au, I posted it now

The first thing he saw as he regained consciousness was the full moon. Reflections of the light on the water rippled with the gentle tide. It shone light across the sky. A beacon that couldn't be blocked out by the Annapolis skyline. He felt called to its light. The urge to howl was strong within his gut but he had to resist. He couldn’t get caught here, the Naval Academy wasn't too fond of dogs.

Over the six months he'd been at the academy, he’d never gotten caught on a full moon. There had been a few close calls, a few times when his wolf urges had gotten the better of him, but nothing too dangerous. The more dangerous part was the fact that he would turn back completely naked, something that had gotten increasingly more annoying now he was turning beside the bins near the entrance to the campus.

But there was no point dwelling on that. Tonight he had a mission. He needed to get to Carole's apartment. This full moon had been one of his first that had actually inconvenienced him. They'd planned a date, dinner and a movie, maybe they'd go back to her place. She'd mentioned that her roommate was out specifically tonight and they hadn't taken that step yet. 

Then he checked his calendar. The words 'Full Moon' in large letters made his heart drop. Carole had been more than pissed at him dropping her with no explanation. His only defence was that telling her of his lycanthropy would only serve to annoy her, it didn't exactly sound realistic, more like a pathetic excuse not to see her.

But tonight he was going to change that. What better way to convince her that he was a werewolf than showing her?

Walking away from the bins, he made his way onto the emptier streets just outside the campus. Night was heavy and hung around him. Couples walked together, their hands dancing with each other's. Joggers letting out short breaths and dog walkers passed him by. Another wolf urge rippled through him. He was bigger than their dogs, his teeth were sharper, his body stronger but he fought down the urge. He had a mission to go on.

~~~

Carole's apartment building didn't stand out against the others in the area. Red cobbled roads that melded with the sidewalks. Amber lighting glowing through condensated windows. Wooden cladded houses of various different colours, not that he could see these colours.

That was one of the main things he had to adjust to was how his eyes worked in his wolf form. Dogs didn't see colour the way humans did. It took a lot of time for him to get used to only seeing greyscale with occasional blue and yellow.

The building wasn't very tall for an apartment building. Only four stories with two apartments on each floor with a tough landlady to boot, one that didn't allow pets of any kind. How he was going to avoid her he didn't know. There was only one way to find out.

He ran to the door and balanced on his hind legs. The door was obviously heavy for a wolf, and without opposable thumbs it was even harder to open it. After scrabbling with the handle for a while, he managed to poke his nose through the door and finally make a big enough gap for him to squeeze through. 

Now to get to her apartment, he thought. His eyes flicked between the landlady's office, and adjoined apartment. One wrong move, one noise too loud and he'd be out. Although, he didn't know why it seemed so all or nothing to him. Perhaps it was in his dog brain kicking in.

He reached her door and came across a problem. He'd thought of how he was going to get here and what he would do once inside, but skipped over how he was going to get inside. Barking would work. Barking would also alert the landlady that he was there. What to do?

An idea popped into his head. He let out a whine and waited a few seconds. No response. He let out another one and still nothing. If he was human still, he would’ve let out a sigh. He didn't want to ruin her door but it was the only way to get her attention.

Whining a little louder, he began to scratch at the door. For a few moments there was still no response, until he took a moment to stop and heard her feet rushing to the door.

The door opened swiftly, her eyes scanning above him where she was probably expecting to see someone pushing junk mail or selling something. Then her gaze dropped on him and his tail wagged of its own accord. He began to pant, sticking his tongue and trying to make her see that it was him.

"Hi," she said, her voice soft. "Who do you belong to?"

She crouched down and checked his neck for a collar. The way her hands rubbed along his fur felt divine. Yet, now she was closer, he saw the whites of her eyes had turned a watery red. Oh god, he thought, he’d made her cry.

He pushed into her hand and tried to make his way into her apartment. She held him back by the scruff of his neck and let out a weak laugh.

"Sorry, bud, no dogs allowed here."

He whined again and gave her puppy dog eyes. She rubbed the spot between his ears, golden sparkles seemed to run through him. Why did touch feel so much better in his wolf form?

"I'm sorry, it's not my rule, my landlady's pretty harsh and I need this apartment."

He continued with the eyes. Her hand moved to scratch under his chin and his tail wagged quicker.

"Okay, maybe for a little while, it is getting pretty late and I wouldn't want you getting cold, despite that thick fur."

He almost jumped up in the air with delight. She stood behind him, hurrying him inside while looking around just in case her landlady had been summoned upon the very idea of bringing an animal inside her apartment.

Now he was inside, he shook off the cold from outside. Her apartment was so comfortable. A hand knitted quilt on the sofa, books on the coffee table, a small square television in the corner next to a potted flower and a bookcase. 

"I mean, you're lucky I'm even here to bring you inside, I was meant to be on a date but-" she trailed off and looked away. "But he cancelled without a reason, and I thought he was one of the good ones."

A whine escaped him without him knowing. He adored Carole. Seeing how he'd hurt her made his heart ache. Now was the time to show her he hadn't given up. He trotted over to the coffee table and saw the picture of them on their first date. Maybe this was how he could show her he was a werewolf?

She turned around and saw him holding the picture in his mouth. He met her at the sofa as she took it from his slobbery grasp. For a second, he thought he heard her gasp at the size of his teeth.

"That's him," she lay her eyes on their smiling faces in the photo. "That's the dick."

He lay his head on her thigh, her hand scratched his ear without thinking and he had to force himself to pay attention because the feeling of her fingers running through his fur was devine. Flashes of her giving him tummy rubs came into his mind. 

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She said. "Are you paying attention at all?"

He pulled away and sat bolt upright. She chuckled, patting the sofa next to her. He jumped up, perhaps a little too eagerly but he couldn’t deny that cuddles from Carole felt amazing, in wolf or human form.

Once he'd shuffled around, he settled his head in her lap. The television played something mindless in the background as she sipped the dregs of her tea. Her hands tangled knots in the longer tufts of fur on his head.

"I know you're probably wondering why it's such a shock he's done this, if he's cancelled so quickly, why didn't I realise before?" She sighed. "But that's because he's been so dedicated throughout all of our relationship, and even before when we were both just crushing hard on each other."

"We've been planning this night for so long, he's in the Naval Academy you see, can't just come round any time he wants, and then he calls me today with some lame excuse that he can't make it and when I asked him why he just said he couldn't, 'Navy Stuff' he said."

She huffed and scratched his head a bit harder, not too hard though, "And he said it like I don't know anything about the navy, which I admit I don't know much, but I know that he doesn't have to work that Saturday and he specifically turned down invitations to hang out just so we could spend the evening together."

"I just feel like a fool."

Nick whined and sat up. Eye to eye with her, he could see the shiny film of tears over her eyes. Red streaks seared her cheeks. He licked her face and watched her giggle at how he snorted from the horrible taste of makeup and salty tears. 

"But that's enough about me, what about you, huh?" She used both hands to rub his face, his tail thumped against the sofa. "You don't have a collar and you're out this late at night, huh?"

He closed his eyes and momentarily forgot his goal. The dog part of his brain took over, just focusing on the way her hands squished his face and scratched his fur.

"You a stray?"

He tried to nod but couldn’t to the degree he wanted. Instead, he opened his eyes and stared straight into her crystal blue ones. 

"Is that a yes? Because I don't know who could leave you behind, you're so damn cute," she smiled.

He rolled over and raised his arms, blinking at her with puppy dog eyes. He'd never acted like this before. Full moons meant loads of energy and a heightened sense of anxiety that he had to force under control. But tonight all he could think about was how amazing her petting felt. Truly, his dog brain was taking over.

"Oh, you want belly rubs do you?" She teased.

He whined at her, blinking again and wiggling closer to her. If every full moon with her was like this then he may even start to look forward to them.

"Because I can do belly rubs,"

She rolled up her sleeves and lay her hands on his belly. Part of him got the urge to grab it, but he fought it away. A wolf brain also meant wolf instincts sprouting ideas in his head.

She rubbed her hands side to side, starting at the top, near his chin, and making her way downwards before returning back up and starting again. His mind started to drift. His eyes closed and a happy whine left him. 

Opening his eyes again, he saw her yawn. The nocturnal nature of wolves helped him stay up all night, but she was human. And humans weren't really nocturnal. Or at least not the ones he knew.

She sighed and slowed her hands. Instead of rubbing him, she scratched under his chin absentmindedly.

"I wish I could keep you, I really do," she said. "But I can't, I'll get evicted and I kind of need somewhere to live. I can't be a stray."

He sat up, flopped his head on her shoulder and whined. He knew this was just her speaking to what she thought was a stray dog, but he couldn’t help but draw parallels to their current situation. All he wanted to do was talk to her about this but that would have to wait until the morning.

"I'll take you to a shelter tomorrow, a good one," she kissed his forehead and if he could, he knew he'd be blushing.

They settled down again, resting her head on his. Rain had begun to fall outside, battering against the window and making him appreciate the warmth of her apartment. He felt her sagging against him. The clock told him it was past eleven and he'd had a full day. Maybe he could just curl up into her side and fall asleep, just for a while, the last thought on his mind being of how he'd never felt this calm on a full moon

~~~

As the dawn sun shone through the blinds, he awoke, noting the crick in his neck. The ache almost made him feel like he was fifty, how the hell would he cope then if he couldn't even sleep one night on a sofa he didn't know? This is why sofas weren't made for sleeping, he thought.

Wait, who's sofa was he on again? His eyes snapped open. Morning disorientation made his head spin as he pinpointed the cosy features of Carole's living room. If he was here, then this must be her lap he's laying on. And sure enough, looking up, it was her he saw.

Her raggled hair sticking up all over the place. Light snores drifted softly through the air as she slept with a parted mouth. Her face was smooth and unworried, her head resting on her hand as her chest rose and fell. 

She was so beautiful. If he could explain himself for ditching their plans, he'd be sure to marry her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, however long or short that was.

For a moment, he was so engrossed in the domesticity of the morning, he didn't see her eyes flick open. Didn't see her scan the room and notice him, didn't notice the brief moment when she saw him but it hadn't clicked that he hadn't been there when she fell asleep. But then the other shoe dropped.

"Nick?" She exclaimed.

She darted up, throwing him off her lap and jumping out of her seat. She settled across the other side of the room from him, her eyes glaring confused at him.

"How did you get in here? Where did that dog go?" She said, her voice raising. "And why the hell are you naked?"

He looked down at himself and indeed found himself naked as the day he was born. Moving his hands over his privates, he damned himself for always forgetting that he turned back naked. Now he really had some explaining to do, might as well rip off the band-aid.

"I was the dog!"

She relaxed from her action stance. Cocking her head to the side, she raised an eyebrow. Her eyes scanned the room, probably looking for any sign of the dog. Believing he was a werewolf wasn't exactly easy.

"Don't shit me, Bradshaw, werewolves aren't real," she said. "How did you get in here, and why, the fuck, are you naked?"

He smiled, her face contorted more, his grin wasn't going to help, "But I was, honey, ask me anything about that night that only the dog would know and I'll answer it."

She squinted at him. Her nose scrunched and his heart fluttered. Despite the palpable tension, she didn't stop looking adorable.

"Okay," she started slowly. "What did the dog look like?"

"Long brownish-blond fur, bright brown eyes, kinda big, bigger than a normal dog but not too big to raise suspicion."

She seemed taken aback but continued, "What was the first thing I said to the dog?"

"Inside the apartment or outside?"

"Outside."

He thought for a moment. He may be a navy guy but he didn't have a perfect memory, even if it was just the night before.

"You said 'Hi, who do you belong to?' then told me no dogs were allowed, then after I tried to get in anyway you told me it was your landlady's rule." He said, he might as well recount everything, maybe she'd believe him quicker. "I came in, you told me you had a date but I cancelled, I tried to show you a picture of us to make you realise it was me but no luck"

"You told me your side of things, how we'd planned our date for so long and I'd just ditched you at the last minute without an explanation," his voice lowered as he looked at her with guilt in his eyes. "You told me that you felt like a fool."

Carole had frozen. Her mouth was agape as all anger was lost from her frame. She shook her head slightly, her eyes shimmering with disbelief.

"Then you asked me where I was from, decided I was a stray and told me after I whined that you couldn't keep me." He said. "You gave me belly rubs, which felt amazing by the way, all your scratches did, and then decided that you'd take me to a shelter today. Then we fell asleep and now we're here."

Carole gulped, blinked a few times and unfroze. Her hands clenched and unclenched. Nick saw this as a good time to grab one of the quilts off the sofa and wrap it around his body.

Carefully, he edged his way towards her. Their foreheads bumped as she smiled at her. She could never fail to make him smile. There was too much of her to love sometimes, she filled his heart almost to bursting and made it hard to concentrate. He'd actually had more than a few comments recently that he looked lovesick.

She stroked the light stubble along his jaw. Although he was stark naked, he felt a rush of warmth flood through him by her touch.

"You're the dog."

"I'm the dog," he said, then corrected himself. "Well, wolf really, a werewolf to be exact."

She cradled his face and kissed his nose. A small grin rose up on her face. Sleepy filled eyes broke with happiness.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?"

"Would you have believed me?"

She shook her head, "So, a wolf, huh?"

She led him to her bedroom. Fatigue had started to kick in. His wolf form may be nocturnal but his human one sure wasn't. He hoped she wasn't in the mood for something more but he doubted it, there wasn't the right feeling in the air. All he wanted now was to get into his pyjamas and sleep cuddled up in her arms. 

"How'd that happen then?"

He chuckled to himself, "That's a long story."

"Well, we've got all day, how about we have that date now?"

He caught up to her and pulled her in his arms. She fit so well. He lifted the quilt over her so they were shrouded like caterpillars in a cocoon together.

"I love that idea,"

They kissed as they fell on the bed. He may not want sex, he thought, but he could spend eternity in her arms.

This was going to be a 5 + 1 but I didn't want to start something I didn't have time to finish before posting so here is this fic. In this AU, Goose, Mav, Slider, Wolfman, Rooster, Bob, Coyote and Payback are all werewolves. Also Goose realises that he just wants cuddles from Carole and don't we all?

Thank you for reading!

[otemporanerys]

Definitely gimme the ⭐️ on Interregnum please!! <3

Doing some Director's Commentary, please ask me about my fics

The thing about species swap is, it's always been a bitch and a half to write. The first draft of what eventually became Cultural Exchange was supposed to go into ME2. Where it was meant to end, I have no idea, but the Word document I have ends when he's about to kill Sidonis at around 11k.* Eventually I decide, "OK, I'm just going to write the ME1 version of this fic, get this idea out of my head, leave it there." Ha. Anyway, the two things I really liked about the old draft of Cultural Exchange that won't make the cut for the final story are almost verbatim included in Interregnum, and those are 1. the conversation he has with his father on Arcturus where his dad tells him he'll never be a Spectre and 2. the initial flirtation with Lisanthe, the asari bartender. I like both of these scenes a lot, and I figured out a way to incorporate the Castor conversation in Life Behind Enemy Lines (the ME2 fic) but I couldn't get Lisanthe in there, which is a shame because I really like her.

Eventually it gets to a point where structurally, I can't keep the Castor conversation in LBEL anymore, so I think "why don't we do a Gareth standalone in between ME1 and ME2?"** Initial framing device was five stages of grief, kind of a focus on Gareth's deteriorating mental health, which is where all the smoking comes from. (It was supposed to be more explicitly self-medication; I personally think it works better as subtext.) At this point it's called Black Dog. That version doesn't work, so I put it to the side. Later, prompted by a question about service histories in the Dragon Effect Discord, and I start to think about Gareth's time in the Marines, and I figure out that he's probably not old enough to have been on Elysium, but he is the right age to have been on Torfan. Following a bit of discussion with @n0rmandysr1 (thank you), I decide he's a new sniper, posted on the outside of the compound, picking off anyone who's fleeing. I do a fuckton of research on snipers, write half a fic (Butcher Boy, if anyone's curious) actually following what he does on Torfan, aaaaaand... it doesn't work. Still, not to worry - I've got three good solid chapter ideas for Interregnum (I picked that title approximately five seconds before posting it) - 2183, the bonding with his sister and finding out Shepherd's dead; 2184, hooking up with Lis and getting emo over Shepherd; and 2185, the last stand on Omega and realising Shepherd's alive (and he loves her). All gravy, I'm not quite finished drafting chapter 3 but I hit post on chapter 1. Then I realise - what if Torfan is about his dad? Fucking hell, back to the drawing board. So that's why a fic I was planning on throwing up over the course of three weeks took nearly two months. Three other points: 1. Thank you to @misseffect and @deustiel without whose unbridled enthusiasm I would never have gotten this far. Success has many fathers and an AU has many cheerleaders, thanks to @drumsandwaves among many others 2. I love Gareth's mom so fucking much I could dedicate a whole other post to her 3. a lot of IR is drawn from my own life. I quit smoking two years ago and I still fucking miss it, and I probably have my older brother to thank for a key part of Gareth's backstory. He actually wanted to go to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, for a while, which I have Gareth drop out of. Other fun facts from that experience will come into play, probably after LBEL.

*In this version of the fic, Gareth turns Shepherd down at Ilos, and they don't hook up until later on in ME2. I don't want to spoil it because it's still a pretty pivotal moment in LBEL.

**This is not the first time I thought about doing another entry in species swap before embarking on the ME2 longfic - I actually started drafting a Joker/EDI piece set in ME3 which would kind of be a teaser for it, but it just hasn't worked out. You can see why it took me 10 months to get back to the AU.

[audiofanficpod]

AFP 2x13

Top 3 Series: AU - Other

Taking another spin through multiple alternate universes, join red2007, kristinsauter, and banannie_x as they pick their favorite modern day AUs. How else do you like your Scully and Mulder?

Even Now In Heaven by @scapegrace74-blog

Quis Si by Trixie • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4

Tandem by @alienqueequeg

From the Mixed-Up Files of Dr. Bryce S. DeWitt by @aloysiavirgata

Candy From a Stranger by Ana Vicente

The Annapolis Grant by @slippinmickeys

Variations on a Theme by @bowiecadmium

Someone's Wife by Donna

Tabulae Anatomicae by @lepus-arcticus

The Darker Timeline by hellsteeth

Gem-like Flame by @slippinmickeys

The Scully File by @mldrgrl

Somewhere A Clock is Ticking by TheAddict4Dramatics

Knit Four, Purl One by @atths--twice

The Post by @slippinmickeys

An Unexpected Discovery by @atths--twice and @gilliansmae

A Companion Unobtrusive by @slippinmickeys

Neuro Nonsense by @wtfmulder Audio

Aprons and Scrubs by @lokisgame

Black Tie Affair Series by @somekindofseizure

The Forgotten Summer by @dksculder

[askaphmaine]

Event: Human/High School Au!

The Cities: Mix of Junior and Sophomores. This will list the Sophomores. (Warning: Long)

Augusta/Aaron

Personality

Quiet and not interested. While his sister still commands respect, Aaron doesn’t. The reason people leave him be is due to who his siblings are, though rumor is he’s just as terrifying as she is when angry. He’s smart enough to get through school without much help but stupid enough to try and eat non-edible things. While he’s quiet, he’s often seen dissecting school lunches to see if the food is really what it claims to be. You can pay him to bring you outside food, but he charges a fee of $5 for a single meal.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

Study Hall. He actually enjoys music and biology. Much to the shock of his classmates, he’s amazing on a violin. He dreams of becoming a musician but always answers surgeon when asked.

Least Favorite Class

Any class where the teacher just talks for hours without pause.

Concord/Connor

Personality

Much like his brother, he really cares about his education. However, he’s also someone with a lot of energy and bad ideas. Connor, along with Aaron and Monty, are the three biggest troublemakers in their grade, thought often it’s unintentional.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

Robotics. He loves to see how things work and feels a surge of pride when he gets something to correctly work. He has no clue what he wants to do but might follow engineering.

Least Favorite Class

Much like Aaron, he can’t stand classes where the teacher just talks.

Montpelier/Monty

Personality

Monty loves pranks but only if they have few to no negative consequences. Messing with someone by leaving candy everywhere? He loves it. Locking someone he doesn’t know in a locker? He’d rather someone punch him. He’s also a rough houser and can go toe to toe with Aaron and Connor when playing hockey. Everyone else is afraid of the crossfire.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

Gym. He needs to let his energy out somehow. He’s unsure of a career and hopes to figure something out soon.

Least Favorite Class

Chemistry. He tends to rush things, which leads to experiments epically failing.

Albany/Anthony

Personality

Aloof, with a ‘I’m better than you’ air, many people are shocked to learn Anthony and Hudson are brothers, though upon meeting Lance, they’re less so. Anthony sees his grades as a necessity and feels obligated to get the highest grade possible. However, he’s a bundle of nerves that fall apart at the smallest inconvenience. The few times this has happened at school, the problem either magically fixed itself (with the other person pale and terrified. Anthony assumes it’s his brothers or parents stepping in) or he finds something sweet to munch on till he feels better. He’s not sure if he has a guardian angel or not but he’s grateful.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

If asked, he’ll say math. However, he enjoys music. Not because he can play (he can’t) but because he loves listening to Aaron play. He plans on following Lance into business but wonders what it would be like to go into counseling or teaching.

Least Favorite Class

Gym. He feels like Aaron singles him out and he often leaves with a bruise somewhere on his body. His glasses somehow never break, much to his shock (Aaron never seems to aim for the face).

Dover/Courtney

Personality

Courtney ‘Dory’ is similar to her brother in many ways. She enjoys joking around and having fun more than sitting down and being lectured. She often goes to Aaron for food that doesn’t taste bad and is the sole reason he charges per meal, as she would buy one for her, one for Warren, one for Anna, and one for Mary.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

She loves any class she gets to spend time with Anna in, so mostly study hall. She hasn’t got a clue what she wants to do when she graduates.

Least Favorite Class

Anything with a long lecture.

Annapolis/Anna

Personality

More quiet than Dory, Anna is serious about grades. She wants to get into a good school so that she’ll make enough money to survive. However, Dory is unwilling to let her focus solely on school, so she has attended different parties. Her favorites are Aaron’s, because he tends to only invite quiet people who won’t bother him and just kind leaves them in his living room so he can convince his parents that he has a lot of friends.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

She loves biology, like her sister, but finds she loves history a bit more. She wants to become a historian one day. She also enjoy gym due to Aaron seemingly taking pity on her and helping her out, especially in Hockey.

Least Favorite Class

None.

Sacramento/Isabelle

Personality

Isabelle ‘Izzy’ loves being outdoors. Sitting in one place all day is hard for her but she manages good grades in spite of it. She often convinces people to tutor her and helps run theater productions. She’s a serious manager and can easily put up with any on-stage drama queens, her twin included.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

Gym. She may not be as good at hockey as Aaron, Connor, and Monty but she enjoys the challenge they provide. Part of her really wants to go into theater as a stage manager.

Least Favorite Class

She finds interesting things in all her classes, even if she finds them hard to sit through.

Los Angeles/Elizabeth

Personality

The only person who’s a bigger drama queen than Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ is her older sister, Allison. A true theater kid, Lizzy loves the spotlight. She’s a huge fan of putting on shows and creating movies. She’s actually very good at preforming and tends to mother the other theater kids. She hates anyone who acts like theater is easy or acts like supporting rolls/stagehands/anyone behind the scenes are worthless. She actually deals with Aaron a lot due to his violin playing and has convinced him to play during one of their productions before. He hated every moment he was in the spotlight.

Favorite Class/Future Goal

Theater, multimedia, gym, and wood shop. Hey, she needs to be physically active to preform and she loved helping people make the backgrounds to her plays! She wants to either become a movie star or a broadway star.

Least Favorite Class

Much like her twin, she finds something useful and interesting in all of her classes. She tends to relate them to theater and how they’d be useful there.

[atths--twice]

An Unexpected Discovery

An alternate universe in which Mulder and Scully are college professors working in buildings across from one another. They have become close, but one day, he learns something about her he never would have expected.

A couple of days ago, @msgilliana posted a tweet about an AU involving Mulder and Scully which led to a mini story being created by both of us. People asked for a REAL story, but it wasn’t my baby, I had only added a bit to an adorable idea. I suggested she and I collaborate and we two women, who were “too busy right now,” cranked out a 7,700 word story in two days. 

Hope you all enjoy! 

Fox Mulder knew the start of the new academic year could be daunting for new faculty: Am I teaching this class correctly? Is my syllabus adequate? Where the hell do I park?

When he saw one person in particular however, he knew she meant business. They never technically met, but it was more of a ‘we parked next to each other and your building is right next to mine, so we might as well chat’ situation.

“Hi,” he’d said when he saw her, the first of them to speak. He had been drawn to her beauty, her red hair causing her to stand out.

“Hello,” she’d responded.

“Are you new?” he’d asked.

She pushed a stray piece of that beautiful red hair behind her ear. “Is it that obvious?”

“Oh no, I just have an eidetic memory and haven’t seen you before.” She was impressed, and her face revealed as much before he asked another question.

“What do you teach?”

“A mix. Some general physics, some intro to modern physics. You?”

“Wow, that’s quite impressive. I teach psych. Intro, abnormal, and social. Most people think it’s a ‘soft’ science, but I think it’s pretty important.”

“Psychology is interesting to be fair. Why do people do what they do, what determines our likes and dislikes, or even hyperfixations. And that’s just scratching the surface.”

“I have never met anyone from the science department who sees it that way. It’s quite refreshing, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Well, my sister’s very into feelings, the energy of the planets, all that kind of stuff. She and I are very close. Well… this is my building.” She pointed to the one right next to the one he would be entering.

“And this is mine. How convenient. I’ll see you around Dr…”

“Scully. Dana Scully.”

“Fox Mulder.” He offered his hand and she shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Mulder.”

“Oh please, no ‘Dr.’ That’s so boringly formal. ‘Mulder’ is fine,” he had joked with a mock shiver.

“Then you can call me ‘Scully.’” She chuckled and then smiled at him. As he stared at her, he couldn’t help but notice the presence of a beauty mark above her top lip. She had covered it with makeup and he didn’t understand why she would, it was adorable and also incredibly sexy.

Oh, maybe that’s why, he thought, knowing how men could behave.

Pushing aside those thoughts, he smiled as they reached their respective buildings and separated, walking to their offices.

Over time, they’d gotten to know more about each other. He knew she was twenty six and had received her doctorate two years prior. She was Catholic with two older siblings, a brother and a sister, the latter of whom had an interest in all things extraterrestrials, and she also had one younger brother.

Before the end of her first teaching year, they’d managed to park next to each other almost every day. They would chat for the few minutes their walk to the building afforded them, until they had to separate to their own offices. They both looked forward to that time together each day.

At the year's commencement, they had sat next to each other, and she looked extraordinarily extravagant in her doctoral robe and cap. She would say the same about him.

The following school year, they had gone from their morning chats to leaving at the same time as well. It quickly turned into one accompanying the other to their office and continuing their conversations. While almost polar opposites, they felt comfortable with each other and talked about any and everything.

Of all the little things he knew about her, the one thing Mulder knew Scully prided herself on most was punctuality. He knew she arrived in the parking lot at exactly 8:05 every Tuesday and Thursday before her first class began at 8:30. The other three days, she arrived at exactly 9:25 am for her 10 am class. His classes were all later in the day, but he came in early for office hours and to get work done before his classes.

A couple of months later, however, it was 9:27 on a Wednesday morning and she was nowhere to be found. In the nearly one and a half years since she’d been teaching, Scully had never been late. Though he was curious, he decided to head into his office and start his day.

His work, however, didn’t hold his attention. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. What was she doing? Was she sick? Was there a family emergency? She had mentioned that her siblings lived all across the country. Her older brother Bill was in California where he was stationed with his wife Tara. Melissa was traveling, “finding herself” Scully had stated with a slight eye roll, and Charlie was in New York with his girlfriend Elaine. Her parents were in Annapolis, about an hour's drive from the school.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he decided to email her, something he’d never done nor had any need to do.

Scully,

Are you okay?

Mulder

He forewent formalities because he felt they were on friendly enough terms, or at least he had assumed so. They hadn’t ever socialized outside of school events, but he had lost count of the high school and college friends he no longer spoke to or had only seen on campus.

He was about to get ready to teach his first class of the day when he checked his email one more time and saw a reply from her.

I’m fine.

Nothing further, not even her name, but at least he now knew she was okay. Or at least, Mulder hoped so. She would’ve said if something was wrong.

Right?

He didn’t sleep well that night, his brain unable to stop thinking and wondering if she was okay.

The next day, she still hadn’t arrived on time. He was in his office, about to send her another email, when he heard a car door slam around 8:15. The building was fairly soundproof, but the windows were not.

Curious, he got up from his desk and looked out the window. Seeing Scully’s car, he immediately smiled. She was a little late, but she was there. His brows then furrowed when she opened the door to the backseat. Bending inside, she was there for nearly a minute.

When she pulled back, he let out a gasp as she had reappeared with a small child in her arms. He could see the little girl was limp and appeared to be asleep. Observing Scully’s struggle to get her bags from the front seat while also carrying the child, he quickly left his office.

He tried to keep his pace slow, so as to not disrupt his colleagues, but his mind was racing with a million questions. Mulder made it outside, but didn’t see Scully. Assuming she must’ve gotten to her office already, he hurried up the stairs; he was out of breath when he reached the third floor.

Looking around, he heard a ding, announcing the arrival of the elevator down the hall. The doors opened and he spotted her shining red hair as she exited the elevator, and turned toward her office. Speed walking, he made it to her office at the same moment that she did.

“Oh, God. Mulder, you scared me,” she whispered when she saw him, breathing quickly as she reached for her keys.

“Sorry,” he whispered, matching her volume.

Scully took a minute to find her keys, only having one hand free for the action. She finally got her office unlocked, the little girl sleeping through it all. Propping the door open, she left the light off and set her bags down, a bright pink Dora the Explorer backpack standing out. She picked it up and held it out to him.

“Can you…” she asked him, nodding at the child in her arms.

“Oh. Um, sure. What…”

“Her blanket, please.”

He unzipped the bag and pulled out a small blue blanket with Thomas the Train across it. Versatile, I like it, thought Mulder. He couldn’t help but feel his heart grow as he watched the way she was with the little girl he assumed had to be her daughter.

“Mommy…” the toddler suddenly croaked.

“Shh, baby, it’s okay.” Scully’s voice was soothing and soft for the girl as she ran a hand across her daughter’s long loose curls. It was different from her no-nonsense, low-pitched professor voice, and it made his heart ache.

She mouthed a thank you to Mulder and took the blanket from him. The little girl whimpered as she was covered in the blanket and snuggled closer to her mother. Scully rocked her and smiled at Mulder.

“I’m sure you have some questions.”

“Just a few.”

She sighed and looked at her child. “Please, sit.”

He obeyed, watching as she carefully sat in her leather desk chair.

“How old is she?” Mulder asked.

“Almost three.”

“Wow, you’ve got your hands full. What’s her name?”

“Emily.” Scully smiled as she rubbed Emily’s back over the blanket.

Awkward silence washed over them as they both ignored the elephant in the room. Scully wasn’t married and didn’t wear a ring. She had never talked about her child before, let alone a partner that could be the child’s father.

“You’ve shared so much, why not her?”

She sighed again. “I don’t know. I guess I thought… that you would judge me. Everyone else sure does, except Missy and Charlie.”

“You know I’d never.”

“I do, but I was also worried. And I guess I wanted to keep her secret for as long as possible.” She avoided his gaze as she spoke.

“I don’t want to sound insensitive, but I do have one more burning question…”

“You want to know about her dad,” Scully guessed and he looked at her sadly and shrugged, not speaking the words, but obviously curious.

“His name’s Ethan and he had been my boyfriend since grad school. I found out I was pregnant the day I defended my dissertation. We broke up about halfway through my pregnancy. He hadn’t ever wanted children, but also didn’t want to use protection. I… well… now Em’s here. That’s the extremely simplified version.”

Mulder’s eyes were wide as he took in the information. He thought she was pretty badass to be able to raise a kid on her own. He could also hear how she may feel shame about it, because of others' comments and also how society tended to treat women who were single parents.

She sighed and he realized that he hadn’t said anything in response. Feeling like a bit of a jackass, he opened his mouth to speak, but she suddenly stood up and shook her head.

“Sorry to cut this short,” she said, glancing at her watch. “But my first class starts soon and I need to get her stuff to bring.”

He shook his head and stood as well. “I can watch her, if it would make it easier for you.”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t-“

“I insist. Besides, I don’t think she’ll like listening to her mother talk about super smart science stuff.”

“It’ll probably bore her to death,” she agreed with a chuckle.

“Then it’s settled then.”

“Are you sure?” Her expression gave away her uncertainty, her eyes searching his face.

“Really, I’d love to. I promise we’ll just stay in here while you teach.”

“You need to be in your office, Mulder. I can’t do that to you.”

“Then we can go to mine. Look, Scully, I promise we’ll be okay, okay?”

She sighed for the third time. “Okay. I should wake her though, let her know I’m leaving and let her see you. I don’t want her waking up without me and crying. Hey, Em,” she said softly, gently patting her back, waking the child.

“Mama…”

“Hey honey, Mama has to teach her class now. You’re going to spend some time with Mulder today, okay? He’s mommy’s friend.”

The toddler lifted her head and looked at him fearfully, tears running down her cheeks.

“Hey, Emily,” Mulder greeted. “It’s nice to meet you. Do you like Dora? She’s pretty cool.” Emily didn’t answer, but embraced Scully tighter.

“I know baby, but Mommy really needs to get to class. Mulder is a very nice man and he will take care of you. He has fish in his office. Do you want to see them?” She nodded, her eyes still full of tears.

Emily was gently passed to Mulder, Scully making sure she was wrapped in her blanket. The little girl sniffed and whimpered as she watched her mom blow her a kiss and then leave the room, thanking him once again.

“Would you like to go on a trip, Emily?” he asked, hoping to ease the tension. She looked at him, her expression unsure and still slightly fearful. “Let’s go see the fish, okay?” She nodded and he beamed.

He grabbed her backpack and swung it onto his back, closing the door to Sculy’s office as they walked out. He locked the door with the keys he’d taken off her desk, knowing she would come to his before coming back to her own.

Emily was trembling slightly in his arms and he held her closer as they walked to the elevator.

“Would you like to go outside? It feels nice out today.”

Emily slowly nodded her head, her thumb on the tip of her bottom lip, as she put her head on his shoulder. He stepped out of the elevator and then the building. He walked into the little courtyard separating the science and education/psychology buildings. The little girl lifted her head just enough to look around.

“‘Nola,” Emily said quietly, as she pointed with her little finger.

“What was that, Em?” Mulder asked, at a loss of what she was trying to say.

“‘Nola,” she repeated louder.

He looked at the direction she was pointing and chuckled when he realized what she meant. “Oh, you like the magnolia tree?”

Mulder was impressed by her intelligence. Of course, her mother had gotten her doctorate at twenty-four, which was not common amongst the other faculty. Even he hadn’t received his until just before she had started teaching, and he was thirty, nearly thirty-one.

“You’re very smart, Emily,” Mulder praised, but the little girl was uninterested. She put her head back on his shoulder, falling asleep before they made it to the office.

As he arrived at the door, he realized he had left his door unlocked when he found it hanging open and one of his teaching assistants, Tyler, was grading papers.

“Oh, sorry Dr. M, but the door was unlocked and…” Tyler started, but was confused as he saw Emily in his arms.

“I’m watching her for a friend,” Mulder said simply, putting her backpack down on the desk. Tyler nodded and went back to grading papers.

Emily continued to sleep, Mulder holding her as he sat down at his desk. Even as he held her, he managed to send a slowly-typed email to a student about the midterm, enter the test grades Tyler had given him, and sent out an announcement to the class about their extra credit assignment.

Looking down at Emily, he smiled. Other than her blonde hair, she was a mirror image of Scully and he couldn’t imagine anyone but her having a sweeter child.

Tyler left soon after he was done grading, smiling and nodding silently as he walked out the door. Emily began to stir, her eyes slowly opening and taking in her surroundings.

“Hey there, Em,” he said softly, and the toddler mumbled, clutching her blanket closer.

“Do you want to see the fish now?” She nodded and he stood up, his back protesting at the position he had been in for the past forty five minutes. He shifted her to hold her better and walked across the room to show her the fish.

“Oh!” she said, watching the fancy guppies he had bought swimming around the tank. “Fishies!” She pointed at the tank and he grinned.

“Yup! Those are fancy guppies. Can you say guppy?”

“Guppy.”

“Good job,” he said, smiling again and rubbing her back. “See that one there? The blue one with the red spotted tail? That’s my favorite one. Watch how fast he swims.”

“Fish swim fast,” she agreed with a nod and he chuckled, shifting her again.

“They are fast. Good job, Em! Gimme five.” She laughed as she lifted her tiny hand and met Mulder’s large one.

“Having fun?” Scully asked and they turned to look at her, standing in the doorway with a smile.

“Mommy!” Emily said, trying to scramble out of Mulder’s arms. He laughed as he set her down and she ran to Scully, who lifted the squealing toddler in her arms.

“Hey, baby.” Scully kissed Emily’s cheek and looked at Mulder. “Were you good for Mulder?”

Emily vigorously nodded her head while Mulder laughed. “She was very good. She’s a smart kid.”

“She takes after her mother.” The two adults smiled and Emily wrapped her arms around Scully’s neck. “Thank you for looking after her. I only had the one class today, but she was sick yesterday and I had babysitter problems and-“

“I promise it was no trouble and completely my pleasure. She slept most of the time, but she liked the fish. The guppies, right Em?”

“Guppy,” she said with a nod, pointing at the tank. “Guppy fish, Mommy.”

“Yes, I know. I knew you would like them.” Scully smiled. “Hey, are you free tonight?”

“Umm. I… no, I mean yes I’m free.”

“Well, let me buy you a drink. It’s the least I can do to thank you for your help.”

His heart raced. This was the moment he’d been waiting for since he had first looked at her.

“Um, sure, I mean… yeah, I’d love to,” he stammered.

Great job, doofus, he admonished himself, inwardly rolling his eyes.

“Great. I’ll sort out a babysitter for tonight and I’ll see you at six? I’ll send you my address.”

If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Scully was inviting him out on a date. Did she see it that way? They’d never spent time together outside of university functions, but he hoped she’d see it as a date, as he would love for it to be so.

He smiled as he nodded and she smiled back. She lifted Emily a little higher, telling her about her class as Emily continued staring at the fish. The way she doted on her daughter and how her red hair shone in the light, he could feel he was already falling for her.

Yeah… he was in big trouble.

[rorythehorse]

They just drop bottles into the creek... The best game ever

(and one old art that I didn't post here)

It's NG!AU yes I have a lot of stupid AUs. Hmmm, can you guess who are they parents lol) Just the story about how creek kids' kids are learning about the abandoned creek near their town and why it have been abandoned for more then 20 years ago.

The red haired one is Julian, aka Juju (by Ray) he's 15 y.o. and he lives with his rich parents (mother is the famous fantasy writer and father is criminal lawyer) in Annapolis. At the summer holidays he lives in his grandpas house in Herkletone. He is kinda goth, but too emotional goth. Even after paper books was banned in USA, he has big home library full of books that he's parents have to give him (classic, fantasy of course, horrors and few detectives).

Julian is on of the "clue trio" with Audrey, Crystal and Tenny ( I'll tell about them later), even he is the fourth member of group, who're trying to find out why the creek has been abandoned. He is also Audrey's babysitter but the most part of the time, when he has to keep an eye on her, he just give her time to go to the forbidden by her father place, the creek. At this time he hangs out with his best friend - Ray.

Rayford, aka Ray is 16 y.o. teen who lives in Herkletone with his mother and dad (He's father is truck driver and his mother is roughrider). He meet his dad really rare cause' he spend too many time at his job. Most of Herkletone teens think that he's weirdo because of "hippi2020+garbageRat" style (he likes to wear dad's old clothes), "alien" flexibility, behavior and hobbies. Sometimes acts absolutely illogical. Actually, Ray is really talented person ( he's good at digital drawing and sculpting of dirt). "Mega super duper weird, Sometimes he makes me scared, but freaking awesome one" - as Julian would say.

Ready to make any stupid thing for his best bro, even be "test subject" in Julian's stupid divinations. Also, doesn't know that Juju got felling for him.

Hope you like it. Should I do more?

Also, sorry for bad english, I'm Russian and not good at it enough.

And as I said, wanna see your versions of who their parents are lol

[boasamishipper]

I was tagged by @victimofthemusic to do the heads up seven up challenge, which is where you post the last seven sentences that you wrote and then tag seven other people. Thanks for the tag, Bri! <3

Here’s an excerpt from my Icemav soulmate au:

His time at Annapolis comes and goes, and then flight school, and his first assignment, all with no head nor tail of Maverick. At this point Ice is starting to wonder if they’ll ever meet each other — twenty-four is still pretty young to meet your soulmate, but it’s hard to stay hopeful when so many of his fellow pilots have met their soulmates already, when every time Ice introduces himself to someone, their eyes don’t go wide and their lips don’t curl into a reflexive smile at the sound of his name, the way Ice can’t help but react every time he shakes someone’s hand and thinks, Maybe this is him. 

“It’ll happen when it happens,” Slider says with a nonchalant shrug. He’s an early bloomer — his soulmark appeared when he was six — and he still hasn’t met his soulmate, but he’s not put off about it. If anything, he’s more determined than ever (even if that determination manifests as him flirting with almost every woman he sees, with his grin dropping once the woman he’s met doesn’t smile back at the name Slider). “We’ll find ‘em, Kazansky, just you wait.”

“Been doing nothing but waiting,” Ice mutters, but he smiles, just a little, as he fiddles with the clasp on his watch.

tagging @icemankazansky @vegetarianvampireduck @kuno-chan @raayllum @spiritypowers @academicgangster @duranarchy-in-the-uk and anyone else who wants to do it :D

[pollyna]

Too many wips around here

Tagged by @hcrogasm and @oftincturedwords thank u for the tags☺️🥺

“Rules : post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it ! And then tag as many people as you have wips. ( please repost , don't reblog ) This isn’t just for writing either. Sketch titles ? Comics ? DnD campaigns ? If you have an unfinished project, it counts !!”

I have like a bazzilion of draft on tumblr, so like I picked the one I knew better lol

Top gun:

1. Ice and Rooster, twenty years apart, telling Mav the same thing with different words;

2. Dear jealousy, why you smiling creepily? (icemav, too much alchol and penny's in the middle of it all without knowing);

3. Tom, plastic planes, where sometimes stories are funny and sometimes are not (5+1);

4. The jar of favours;

5. Did you see how tiny uncle Pete is? He has to go on his tips to kiss uncle Tom!;

6. Ron meets Tom in Annapolis but he meets Nick too;

7. Slider and Carole have a long conversation and draft a pros and cons list about Goose's mustaches.

James Bond (Craig's verse):

1. Trans Q, sweaters and what James does to his wardrobe;

2. Fourteen and Q reads all of what Tolkien wrote, but he never finished The Hobbit. Twenty years later he finally does, cuddling an unprompted visitors;

3. Revers trope: Quartermaster!James Bond and 009!Q;

4. M says you can't mourn them before they die, but she is a liar and they both know to well.

The X-Files:

1. au different first meeting, Dana is a medical doctor and they meet because Mulder breaks his arms playing paintball with the Long Gunmen;

2. au 5x15, the mystery woman Mulder was married to wasn't a woman at all.

Star Trek aos:

1.  The Ad Astra Horatio S'chn T'gai  is a science vessel with two captains and Jim is particularly fond of one of them;

2. They kiss once, before all the mess and then Leonard got sent on the other side of the galaxy for ten years. When he's back he has eight kids with him.

Star trek deep space nine:

1. Garak makes thirty nine pieces of clothes no one will ever see or wear until he has to burn his shop down.

No pressure tag: y'all have to excuse me but I can't remember the names of people who writes because I read u all and I have the memory of a golden fish on a good day. Has always you're free to take it 🌈

[distant-rose]

3, 8, 14, 44

3. Least favorite part of writing.

The actual writing part. Like you should see me when I’m in the shower. I can plot anything and words flow through my brain like there’s no tomorrow but once I sit down in front of an actual computer? Blank. Nope. Nada. Nothing. It’s incredibly frustrating at times because I have all of these ideas and then no words to make them happen.

8. Favorite trope to write.

Oh my god, best friends to lovers. It’s kinda my life. I went from being besties to falling in love with him. I actually don’t know if there was a point where I wasn’t ever not in love with him to be honest. So, often times when I write AU, I would often write my couples as ride or die friends who always had each other’s backs who finally realize they’re in love.

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

Okay. Okay. I put a fuck ton of research into the majority of my projects. I had this wonderful Top Gun AU planned out where I tweaked the plot and actually planned on being more authentic and accurate in my depictions than the actual movie. Legit, I looked up the names and locations of actual naval cruisers and how to become a naval pilot. I legit looked up what courses they would take at Annapolis and what bases they would be trained at. I was legit going to do Killian as Maverick and Emma as Iceman because, c’mon that was the real romance of that movie, but then someone else did Top Gun and I was like “I refuse to be accused of copying them.” So yeah. So much research into a project that never happened but that’s par the course for me.

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

Someone literally wrote me five fucking paragraphs of commentary on A Once and Future Thing and most of those paragraphs were focused on my original characters Jim and Beth and how much they loved their dynamic and comparing it to Emma and Killian’s and it was kinda the moment where I was like “holy shit, someone actually fucking likes the hot garbage I post.”

Ask me questions from new ask game for writers

[emphasisonthehomo]

Hey, I know you asked for asks about trans Danny (and I love your universe so much, don't get me wrong), but I was wondering have you ever considered trans Steve? He'd have had the rare opportunity to 'start over' when he's send away from HI, maybe he took the chance to transition? On the other hand, trans folks were banned from the military back then and we all know how the Navy made Steve the man he is. What path d'you think he could have taken if he was trans? Or would/could he have cheated his way into the Navy anyway? I'm curious but I know this is not your playground so feel free to ignore. Thx.

Oh darling, anything to do with transing a character’s gender is my playground, thank you so much for this question.

TW: for general discussion of dysphoria, this gets pretty heavy emotionally. And also personal, lmao.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about trans!Steve, and what I think a transgender narrative for him would look like. And this is any flavor of trans tbh, be that telling the story of Stephanie McGarrett, Steven McGarrett, Stef McGarrett, etc.  

For all intents and purposes, Steve was raised by the navy. It’s a very intrinsic part of his character. For me it’s up there w/ Danny being from New Jersey. You can’t not make Danny a Jersey boy, just like you can’t not make Steve a SEAL. I’ve spoken a little bit about this being why I find it difficult to put Steve into different careers here, and I think it applies to this as well.

And you’re right re: being trans in the US military. There’s a long and complicated history of it either being banned or restricted, and it technically only became ‘legal’ in 2021. Even if I wrote a trans!Steve as a modern au like trans!Danno is, he would be unable to be out of the closet and be in the Navy. I don't think he'd be able to cheat his way in either, that's a pretty big To Do.

I do think he’d still have joined the navy, even if he was trans. I think he’d just have been in the closet about it. And it’s for this reason that imho trans!Steve would be one of those people who doesn’t come out and transition until they’re in their 40s or something. It would be the story of DEADNAME McGarrett going to Annapolis, becoming a SEAL, being the Navy’s Finest, Creating Five-0 and then much later, deciding to come out. Like post season 10 timeline coming out, I think.

Because Steve keeps a lot of his feelings crammed up inside his head and heart, and he stews over stuff, and he’s not emotionally open. He just isn’t. The Military Fucked Steve Up. John McGarrett, whether he meant to or not, Fucked Steve Up. All of the other shit's that's happened, has Fucked Steve Up. Steve opens up more over the progression of the show, especially w/ Danny, but he’s still an emotionally constipated nutcase in many ways.

Is this a story I’d ever write? No. There are a few reasons for that, and the main ones stem from my own Gender Experience™ and shit. It’s the same reason why Trans!Danno takes place when Danny’s in his 30s and has pretty much already transitioned socially/medically/etc. The story of Danny’s coming out and transition is glossed over, because if I delve into the depression and dysphoria aspect too deeply, I’m gonna start drinking too much again. Being closeted sucks, dysphoria sucks, the internalized self-loathing and shame sucks, and it is euheuheuheuheuheuh DEEPLY triggering for me.

Trans!Danno takes place after most, if not all of that, for Danny. Danny’s got the surgeries he wanted, he’s on T, he looks in the mirror and likes what he sees, he’s doing GREAT. Does he still have issues and insecurities? Well yes, because he’s human. But I am uninterested in writing about the emotionally darker and more upsetting aspects of trying to come out and transition, because I do this for fun and I don’t wanna bum myself out.

The story of Steve/Stephanie/Stef McGarrett, coming out and transitioning at the age of like 45/50 would be deeply sad in many ways. It’d be steeped in internalized transphobia, self-loathing, dysphoria, etc. Especially when you take into consideration Steve’s character and how he Deals with things emotionally. It’d also be a story of joy, of self-actualization, and all those other good things.

Are those stories meaningful and important? Absolutely. Would I personally write it? No. Because the journey to get to that joy would trigger the shit out of me. Is that everyone’s gender experience? Also no, but it’s mine and that’s the lens I’m approaching stuff from.

Excellent question! Thank you so much.

[justanotherwannabeclassic]

World’s End

Dedicated to @lenfaz, inspired by the show Greek. (Andrew J West was in it! You should watch!)

Summary: “If it’s the end of the word, then I want to be with you.” (Captain Swan College AU)

Read on AO3. World’s End Graduation.

Emma was graduating college tomorrow. The black gown hung in her closet, shoved into the very back next to dresses that were no longer in style and shirts she no longer wore. If she couldn't see it, Emma reasoned that maybe it wasn't real. But it was. Tomorrow she would down that black cap and gown, cross the stage, and accept her diploma.

She'd stop being Emma Swan, College Student, and officially become Emma Swan, College Graduate. Cool, right?

Except not. Most people looked forward to college graduation. It represented four years of hard work, tears, and panic attacks – a sign that you were qualified to do something. But all Emma could do was envision it as the end. 

After eighteen years of bouncing from group home to home, Storybrooke College and its stability had become a refuge for Emma. She had finally found somewhere she could call home, and a group of people she could call family – and it was all going away.

Sure, all her friends had promised to keep in touch. That's what everyone did. And they would, at first, they'd all try very hard. But eventually, conversations will trickle away as they all live their separate lives. It wouldn't be like undergrad where Ruby could barge into Emma and Mary Margaret's apartment with a bottle of tequila. Tuesday movie nights with the gang would be a thing of the past.

All because they wouldn't be together.

Ruby was moving to Kentucky after landing a Stage Management gig with a youth theatre. Elsa had joined Americorps and was being shipped off to Alaska. Regina, to no one's surprise, had been accepted to Yale Law. The only people in her group who were staying together were David and Mary Margaret, who were moving to D.C. to work on the Hill and for Teach for America respectively.

As for Emma, she was staying in town to work at the local Sheriff’s department. It was a stable job, and would certainly be interesting, but she could not say she was entirely excited by the prospect. To be honest, unlike many of her friends, Emma had never had a set career goal. She wanted to be employed and self-sufficient, of course, but she'd never been one to have a "Dream Job". Her dream had always been a home – and now she was losing it. 

God, she needed a drink.

She knew where she could get one, or many. For weeks, Killian had been boasting about his frat’s “World’s End” party that was happening tonight. His explanation that since the school year was ending, and that he was graduation, there was not more fitting of a theme. Emma had teased him that he had watched the Pirates of the Caribbean movies one too many times, and that he was using the party to further fuel his pirate fetish. (He had dressed as Captain Hook three years running for his frat’s Halloween parties.)

But he was right that the theme was fitting, because it certainly felt like Emma’s world was ending.

Like the others, Killian had also leaving post-graduation. His plan involved sailing the East Coast with his brother who taught at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. His brother – his idol, really – had a break over the summer months, and the two thought it would be “bloody brilliant” to take to the seas together. Emma had no idea what Killian planned to do after that, but she knew it didn’t involve here. Here, which was landlocked, a fact that Killian complained about near daily. She had quickly come to realize how much she’d miss those complaints.

She’d miss a lot about Killian, to be honest.

Emma had met Killian four years ago at a frat party she had been dragged to by her roommate’s best friend, Ruby. The party had been raucous and wild, fitting every cliché one would have for a party. She had stumbled into Killian – literally stumbled – which had caused him to spill his drink – some red hooch concoction – down the front of her white blouse. He had offered her his jacket as an apology – as long as she returned it, of course – and thus a friendship was born.

Killian Jones was very unlike any stereotype she’d had of frat boys prior to attending Storybrooke. Frat boys were supposed to be lame, rich assholes who wore pastel shorts. Killian wasn’t rich, he loathed pastels, and he was genuinely a good guy. Sure, he acted like an arrogant prick every now and then, but he was loyal to a fault.

Once during Emma’s sophomore year, she had slipped on patch of ice walking to class. He’d skipped the rest of his classes that day to stay with her at the hospital while she received X-Rays and received the cast for her broken wrist. It had only been later that David had revealed to her that Killian had knowingly missed a quiz that he knew Dr. Gold wouldn’t let him make up. Another time, she’d been having a panic attack in the library before a test, and he’d talked her down. He was just there for her. Always. Except for after tomorrow.

She really, really needed a drink.

It would be easy to walk to Greek Row, to find her way into the KT house, and drink her feelings away. That’s what freshman year Emma would have done, but “about to graduate” Emma was trying to be more responsible. Which meant drinking alone in her apartment and moping.

She was halfway to the kitchen, though, when someone knocked on her front door.

She considered not answering. She wasn’t expecting anyone, nor had she ordered delivery. She wasn’t in the mood for lectures on religions. But then she heard a familiar voice calling, “Swan, let me in! I come bearing the greatest of treasures!”

“Killian?” she asked, pulling open the front door, surprised to find her friend standing on the other side, holding up a six-pack of beers. “Shouldn’t you be celebrating the end of the world?”

He didn’t wait for her to let him in, sweeping in without a proper greeting. “Celebrate the world’s end with anyone but you? Perish the thought.”

Her stomach swooped at that, and Emma tried her best to tamp down the attraction she felt. She’d long since been harboring a not-so-secret (to Mary Margaret and Elsa, at least) crush on him for the past year. She had briefly considered acting on it, once under the mistletoe a Christmas party thrown by Mary Margaret’s sorority, but she’d chickened out. She had reasoned that the year was almost over, there was no use in establishing a relationship if they were inevitably going to part ways. Besides, if their relationship ended poorly their friendship would also end, and Emma couldn’t have that. Killian as “just a friend” was better than no Killian at all.

Killian was already in the kitchen and popping open a bottle of beer before Emma knew it. He offered her one, but she eyed him warily before accepting. “Won’t the rest of the guys be missing you? You’re sort of the President.”

Bailing on his own parties – and there were many – was uncharacteristic for Killian. He very much liked to be present, not simply because of the “fun” factor, but also to keep a watchful eye over his “brothers” and the party attendees. He explained his thought process using boat metaphors, something about a captain tending to a crew, and Emma knew he took it seriously. For example, though he had been quite the drinker in the early half of their college careers – Emma could never forget his near-perfect Exorcist impression in her bathroom after one too many cups of hooch freshman year – since becoming President of his frat, he more often than not opted for sobriety at his parties to watch over everyone. So his appearance here was quite the departure.

“And as President, I can come and go as I please,” he told her, opening his own beer and taking a drink. He paused, studying her expression carefully. “If you don’t want me here, Swan, I can leave. I just wanted to see you.”

“No, no, stay, I’m fine with you being here,” she assured him. It was the truth, she wanted him to be here, wanted a few more moments together than they had left. “It’s just unexpected, that’s all.”

“You should know by now I’m a man of many surprises, love.” He winked at her comically before moving to collapse onto the sofa. “Mary Margaret is at Dave’s, I presume?”

Emma hummed in affirmation. “If she didn’t pay half the rent, I’d almost be convinced I didn’t actually have a roommate.”

She joined him on the sofa, keeping a comfortable and safe distance away from him. She remembered moving into this apartment two summers ago, and how David and Killian had more or less had a macho man contest to see who could carry the most boxes up the three flights of stairs. Emma had been dating Walsh at the time – what a disaster that had been – but he’d hardly helped much outside of shouting the occasional “PIVOT” and making comments about the quality (or rather, lack thereof) of her second hand furniture.

That sat in silence together, slowly drinking their beers. It was Killian who spoke first, his fingers tapping nervously against his drink as he said, "Tomorrow's a big day."

"To put it lightly." 

Emma didn't really want to talk about graduation. She would much rather drown in her drink than face the reality that was tomorrow, but Killian had other plans.

"It's been a good four years, hasn't it?" he asked, continuing the tapping on his drink. He was always fidgety, no matter how he was feeling, poking and prodding things. He was talented with his fingers too, judging by the many songs he could play on his guitar, many of which were not "Wonderwall", thank you very much. "Friends, classes, and what have you. It's all been great."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to miss it," he admitted. Emma wanted to reply, "me too", but she worried that if she did, she would cry. Thankfully, Killian never knew when or how to stop talking, so he continued on. "You know, I never did want to go to college. Liam more or less made me, and I came here because I owed him that much. But, like always, he knew what was best."

"That's what big brothers are for, right?" Emma asked. She's never had a sibling, but she's always imagined they'd give sage advice or be supportive. Judging from the way Killian idolized Liam, she doubted she was far from the mark. 

"Aye." Killian shifted so that he was facing toward Emma, his beer now forgotten on the coffee table. "I made good friends, learned a few things...met you."

Emma laughed. "I think I fall into the good friends category, no need to single me out there. David might get jealous if he finds out."

Killian shook his head. "Swan, I've always operated under the belief that a man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

"How poetic," she replied, not sure where he was taking this conversation.

"Aye, but that's not the point." Killian rolled his eyes. He was gearing up for something serious, which Emma really didn't want. She wanted to forget all of the awful and terrible things, and this was starting to feel like some grand goodbye. "Emma, I meant what I said earlier."

She racked her brain trying to determine if he had said anything about the beer or the frat or the party.

“If it’s the end of the word, then I want to be with you.”

And then Killian did the unexpected – he kissed her. Kissing Killian was like she imagined, soft and warm and feeling a whole lot like home. But then remember that she was losing her home, losing him to an indeterminable future.

She pulled away, suddenly angry with him for kissing her. "You can't do that," she exclaimed moving away from him. "You can't just come in here and kiss me."

Killian looked at her stricken. "I apologize. I thought – I'd hoped, rather – I thought you'd felt same."

"Felt the same about what?" Emma asked, her voice taking a hysterical note that she hated. It wasn't fair. It wasn’t fair for him to kiss her, and then leave.

"Us, Emma, us," he half-shouted, half-pleaded. "Everyone is talking about graduation, the future, and where we'd be ten years from now. And it's all made me realize that if I looked back at my life in a decade, my biggest regret would be letting you go without telling you how I felt." He huffed. "And now I've done so, and since you clearly don't feel the same, I'll leave."

It would be easy to let him go, let him leave the apartment and her life. He would sail away with Liam, and they would drift apart and not talk. She pictured bumping into him years down the line at a wedding of mutual friends. Would she regret letting him go? Could she live with the what-might-have-beens? If the world was ending, who would she want by her side?

“Wait.”

Killian was already at the door, his hand on knob, when she called out to him. He turned to her slowly, brow raised. He looked unlike any time she had seen him before – apprehensive and afraid.

“Swan?” he asked, his voice catching.

“I..Killian, I…” Emma stumbled over her words. She’d never been good with meaningful declarations. “Me too.”

“What?”

She took a deep breath and balled her fingers into fists. Her nails dug into her palms. She could do this. “If the world was ending, I’d want to be with you. So me too.”

Before she knew it, Killian was crossing the room and pulling her into his arms for another kiss. This time she did not pull away, and instead allowed herself to drown in the moment. He pulled away, much too soon for her liking, his breath coming out in puffs against her cheeks.

“Are you sure?” he asked. He studied her face intently.

She nodded. “Yeah, there’s no other place she’d rather be.

She wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring, if crossing the stage and accepting her diploma would bring it all crashing down. What she did know, however, that Killian was here, that he wanted her, and that he was just as afraid of losing her. And if both their worlds were ending, they were going to face it together. 

Ten Years Later…

“It’s bloody fucking cold.”

“It’s winter, Killian. You would do better if you actually wore winter clothing.”

“Perish the thought.”

Emma laughed as Killian rubbed his bare hands together, his breath coming out in puffs. Despite the snow crunching under their feet, he still refused to wear glove or scarf, or even button his shirt all of the way. She had managed to coax him into a beanie, his hair curling around the edges making him appear younger. She grabbed his hands between her own gloved hands and kissed his chilled fingertips.

“You have to remember how cold Maine gets this time of year. You spent four years living here.”

“And those four years were tinged in rose-colored memories.”

“You referenced David throwing snow balls at mine and Mary Margaret’s window in your best man speech,” she reminded him, pulling him along the sidewalk. “C’mon, babe, the sooner we get going, the sooner you can be warm.”

“What I want to know is who has an inauguration ceremony in the winter,” Killian whined, trudging behind her.

“Practically everyone in the United States.”

“Yes, well, Regina should change that now that she’s mayor.”

Regina was the reason they had returned to Storybrooke at this time of year. Regina had shocked everyone – most especially her mother – when she had walked away from her promising career as a corporate lawyer in New York to move to Storybrooke after her fiancé was offered a tenure track position at her old alma mater. Though she had given up one prestigious career, she had didn’t stay idle long. After living in the small town once again for barely a year, she decided to stage a run for mayor – which she won handily.

Emma hadn’t been surprised when she heard the news. What she had been shocked about was the timing. Regina’s wedding to Robin was the weekend after her inauguration as mayor. But then again, for as long as Emma had known Regina, her friend had never shied away from an easy path.

Because of the timing, Emma and Killian were spending the week in their old collegiate stomping grounds to attend both ceremonies. They actually hadn’t intended to spend the whole week in Storybrooke, but David had concocted the idea to get the whole group together and have a homecoming of sorts.

“Think of it as our ten-year reunion,” he’d said over the phone when he had pitched the idea to Killian.

And so, a reunion they intended to have.

Not that they needed it. Their group had stayed mostly intact over the past decade. (God, that made Emma feel old.)

Despite no longer living in the same small college town, they still managed to come together. When Emma visited Killian and his brother down in Annapolis in the first year after graduation, David and Mary Margaret had driven up and they all spent a day sailing in the Chesapeake. Both Emma and Killian had served in the bridal party at their wedding, which had been the first time their large group of friends had all been in the same place since graduation two years earlier.

It was at David and Mary Margaret’s where Killian had wistfully confessed that he wished that Emma wouldn’t be going back Storybrooke after their visit, prompting her to reveal that she had applied to an opening at the Anne Arundel County Police Department. It was also at the wedding that Elsa met Liam.

From there, it was a whirlwind of memories: David and Mary Margaret helping her and Killian carry boxes from the Uhaul into their apartment that overlooked the water. Elsa taking a job in Washington for an Environmental lobbying firm. Killian proposing in their living room the same afternoon her purchased her ring. Mary Margaret going into labor during the bridal shower she was hosting for Emma. David holding his firstborn son.

Weddings. Engagements. Babies. Career changes. She and her friends had experienced it all.

And they’d done it all together. Mostly. 

When Emma had followed Killian to Annapolis, she’d gained a brother in Liam even before Killian had slid a diamond ring on her finger. With Annapolis being a short drive from Washington, she was able to stay connected with David and Mary Margaret. Elsa eventually followed, and much to Emma’s happiness, became her sister. Eventually Ruby moved to New York, as did Regina at a later point, which was only a short bus or train ride away. 

And now they were all back together in Storybrooke where it all began.

And then suddenly, Emma remembered something.

“It’s been ten years,” she said, stopping their trek abruptly. She turned to Killian. “We graduated more than ten years ago.”

“You sure know how to make a man feel old, love,” Killian teased. Last week, he had found his first gray hair and had been touchy about it ever since.

“It’s been ten years, and we’re together,” she elaborated.

“Aye, and we’ve been married for five of them,” Killian reminded her. He thumbed over where her engagement ring and wedding band sat on her finger.

“You said ten years ago that if you looked back to then, your biggest regret would be not telling me that you wanted to be with me,” Emma explained. She watched as recognition slowly dawned upon his face, his lips curling into a smile.

“It would have been.” 

“And now? That the world didn’t end?”

“And now my biggest regret is that I didn’t tell you sooner,” he replied.

Emma leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. They felt cold in the Maine weather, but just like their first time so long ago, she felt like coming home.