#self promo Sunday

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "A Cottage by the Sea"

This 7 chapter MC was written for the @cssns20 event, and I have always been pretty proud of how it turned out. This one pulls a bit from Pirates of the Caribbean and a bit from 1989's The Little Mermaid, and then throws in the happy ending vision that came into my head that I just needed to find a story to help them reach. I've been travelling back through all my @cssns entries recently, and I hope you'll enjoy this one if you didn't see it then - or if you decide you might want to revisit it!

**Beautiful cover art is by @searchingwardrobes! I'm still in love with it and grateful to have it to put with my story.

Summary: Princess Emma has always been drawn to the shores of Misthaven, where the sea meets the shore near her parents’ castle. When an unknown boy washes up on the sand, with eyes as fathomless and blue as the waters that brought him to her, he soon becomes Emma’s best friend, her partner in crime, and her other half.  But the tides give and the tides take away, and as her blue-eyed boy sails in her father’s navy and risks all in defense of those who made him family, unexpected danger and challenge will try to tear them apart, and might well show him just where he came from that day he first appeared to her from the sea…”

**Also available on AO3, if that's your preference**

By: @snowbellewells

Prologue

The land around her parents’ castle had always called to Princess Emma. The open spaces and craggy cliffs she could see in the distance as they plummeted into the churning sea, were windswept and wild much like herself. Though she had always been cared for and beloved, the sole heir to the kingdom of Queen Snow White, Emma also felt the desire to run free, as if she were destined for more than curtsies, crown fittings, and learning to smile demurely. Naturally, she adored her happily devoted, perfectly paired father and mother - just more so when they were teaching her to ride or aim a bow than when they were reminding her once again that she must exude patience and diplomacy at even the most interminable state dinners. She valued her kingdom and its people, understood the honor of her role in it, but that knowledge and affection failed to negate the fact that she often wished just as strongly to rip the fancy curled updos and jeweled tiaras from her head and run streaking like a loosed cannon along the wet sand at the ocean shore she could see from her chamber window, hair streaming behind her and cool, salty air on her face. All the proper princess etiquette and worries left behind.

The easiest - and her most favored - cure for that feeling of wanderlust and burning energy within was for either her mother or her father, or both whenever possible, to take her walking along the water’s edge in the evening. Emma would almost swear the Queen and King enjoyed the calming getaways almost as much as she did, both as a moment to be free of so many fussing, crowding, obsequious attendants and hangers-on, as well as to feel the open air of the world outside their palace cleansing them. She knew - though from nothing more than history and bedtime stories - that her parents had once lived and thrived out of doors, falling in love on the run as rebels before her mother regained the kingdom she had been born to lead. Both her mother, once a legendary bandit, and her father, who had started life as a humble shepherd, seemed to appreciate the chance to escape the castle walls of stone and venture out on their own with their adored and wild-hearted little girl. It concerned neither of them that Emma was bold and adventurous, bucking the traditional prim and dainty image of feminine royalty; in fact, they might have treasured those traits in her even more for how they harkened to what each loved most in the other.

One such evening, however, Queen Snow had been kept well into the twilight hour in a council meeting over trade routes and revenue, along with Emma’s father, and even Red, her godmother. Waiting impatiently, Emma fretted that she wouldn’t get outdoors and down to the shore at all, as she sat in the wide, cozy window seat of her tower room, looking out over the waves crashing up on the sands. She took in the lights of ships in their harbor, the mist and waves, and she longed to be closer - to be part of it all. In fact, she was mischievously contemplating whether or not she could scale down the outer walls in her nightdress and robe, and get to her usual walking course alone without being detected, when the door to her room opened behind her.

Snow White entered in a pleasantly flushed bluster of activity. Charming followed her with an indulgent smile, happily sweeping his daughter up into his arms as she ran to him in an excited blonde blur. She might be nearly 10-years-old, but he could still swing her up in his arms and twirl her through the air and all around the room as easily as he did when she was but a babe. Giggling happily, Emma threw her arms around her Papa’s neck and revelled in the exuberant joy of his affection.

When he put her down again, she immediately hopped around him excitedly tugging on his hand. “Can we go out for our walk now, please? Down by the shore… can we? Can we, pleeease?”

The King shook his head with a rueful chuckle, having known this would be her request the moment they set foot in their daughter’s room. She was made for the out-of-doors, an enchanting sprite of waves and sky, and he found it nigh as impossible as ever to disappoint her if her wish was within his power. “You’ll have to ask your mother this time, Sweetheart. I have more meetings, stores to check for the winter, applicants for aid to hear, a few more hours of work this evening yet.”

Snow smiled at him over Emma’s tousled blond head, nodded her agreement to a short jaunt while there was still light, Emma squealed with glee and danced an excited little jig before scampering toward the door, pulling at her mother’s hand impatiently, determined to hurry her along, Queen or no.

“You and Granny had better have cocoa and biscuits waiting for us when we return, Charming,” the dark-haired monarch grumbled, appearing stern, but the playful spark in her eyes told her husband she wasn’t really that upset. He was assuring they had what was needed for charitable giving to those less fortunate throughout the kingdom once harvests were over for the season; it would take but a moment to let the head palace cook know his wife’s wishes before continuing with his tasks.

“Anything for you, Dear,” he playfully mock-bowed before happily accepting a sweet kiss on the cheek and following his wife and daughter from the room. He was off in one direction; Marco and Jiminy both waiting down the hall to help him judge numbers, ask questions, and take notes, while Emma and Snow went in the other, headed down the stairs to the first floor side entrance and quickest path to the shore Emma was so anxious to reach. Charming supposed that many might think it strange he was not more troubled by letting his beloved and his only child wander outside the grounds alone, but his Queen could more than take care of herself. And if he knew Snow’s trusted bodyguard at all, the Huntsman they had long ago freed from Snow’s stepmother’s control, he would not be far if they had need of him when David could not accompany them - whether he was in view or not.

~~***~~

They were hand in hand, Emma’s shoes in her mother’s grip, as she skipped with exuberant satisfaction at her side, toes squidging with the exquisite feel of the wet grains of sand as she did. It was all Emma had wanted all day, from the moment she’d gotten dressed and shared breakfast with her parents and godmother, informal as they had no visitors in the warm, cozy castle kitchens. Throughout her interminable etiquette lessons with the Blue Fairy, and studying with her tutors, she had wanted nothing more than to be carefree by the water like this, and she was beside herself with excitement to be there at last.

Ruffling her daughter’s hair, Snow let the worries and concerns of meetings, treaties, budgets, and protocols slide from her shoulders while the evening breeze caressed her face. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes for a moment and laughed into the wind right along with her precious child. Perhaps she had needed the escape just as much.

Then, with a sharp jerk, Emma’s smaller hand tugged from hers with a cry of surprise. “Mama, look there!” she called, her fingers slipping from her mother’s grasp as she began to pelt across the sand in alarm. “A boy! A boy just came out of the water!  He’s hurt!”

Immediately, Snow White’s focus was sharp, snapping back into full awareness, scanning ahead of them to where she saw a dark, bedraggled shape, not much larger than Emma, lying on the lighter colored beach. Emma had run forward in such concern that she had already almost reached the small shape, and her mother quickly gathered up her skirts and jogged forward to catch her, not sure yet what to expect. “Emma! Wait! Be careful!” she warned, though she already knew the caution would fall on deaf ears. Emma was fearless for her own safety, and had a soft spot for any person or thing injured or in need; she wouldn’t be stopping if she thought she could help.

Nearing the indeed soaked, disheveled, and unconscious child, Emma had already fallen to her knees, trying to shake and urge the unknown person back to awareness. The queen’s concern for her daughter’s safety instantly melted into compassion for the waif who didn’t move, didn’t speak, and barely seemed to breathe. For a child of his seeming height, he was frighteningly thin, his clothing threadbare and torn, hair too long, nearly hiding his closed eyes as soaked to his skin as it was. The Queen’s maternal heart ached for him, wondering how he came to be in such a state, alone and washed up from the sea. Taking Emma’s hand to stop her jostling him, Queen Snow could only hope they weren’t too late to save this mere boy’s life. It was only just beginning.

She looked up, wondering how they could get him back to the castle and trying to gauge how far they had traveled from the gates. Just as she was vaguely considering whether or not she could call one of the birds she was able to use as messengers - a gift that had served her often throughout life - when a tall shadow materialized from the woods bordering the shore, before she even needed to call out. Her long time bodyguard, Graham, Snow realized with easy relief; she should have known he would not be far, and regardless of the necessity - or lack thereof - in this moment she was glad he was there. This child needed help, and they needed to get him to a physician as soon as possible.

The Huntsman scooped the still-motionless boy up easily and began to carry him back the way they had come. Snow and Emma hovered on either side in anxious worry. As soon as they got him home to safety, they would bring him around. They had to. They had to have found him for a reason.

~~***~~

Once the unknown boy had been carried back to the castle, his slight form hardly causing the Huntsman to strain himself, bundled down before the warm hearthfire of the kitchens, boneless still, but changed from his wet rags into a old castoff tunic of the King’s (long enough to be a nightshirt on the lanky youth) and covered in numerous blankets, it took little time for the youth to come back to himself. 

Emma hovered anxiously next to the little stranger she had found, feeling oddly protective of “her boy” as she was already thinking of him in her head. She only paused in her agitated fidgeting to briefly take a cup of cocoa for herself and return the supportive hand squeeze offered her by their friend Red, Granny’s actual granddaughter and Emma’s frequent babysitter and playmate as well as her godmother.

Of course, Doc, the castle’s rather unofficial physician, had been sent for upon their return, but as the child before them began to stir of his own accord, Emma let herself hope that it would prove a mere precaution and their charge would be just fine. Heavy-lidded eyes blinked open slowly, as if still weary and reluctant to revive. When finally the thick, dark lashes parted to reveal rather stunning, unbelievably sea-blue eyes, Emma gasped at the shock that ran through her. Even as the boy’s widened in equal surprise and alarm, his eyes fixed on her gaze for several endless moments before darting around his surroundings, clearly unsure where he was or what had happened.

“Shh…. sh… hush now…” Emma felt her own tense muscles loosen as her mother’s voice calmly bathed the scene in gentle comfort. The Queen, soft and careful, and looking for all the world in that moment just like any other mother hoping to reassure her frightened child, stooped down to eye level with the boy they had propped up in a heaping nest of pillows and quilts by the fire. She reached out to softly brush his dark hair off his forehead, but froze when the boy flinched back like a startled animal. Instead, she only added in the same low, sweet croon. “You’re safe here. No one is going to hurt you… It’s alright now.”

The youngster’s eyes continued to cast about him for several tense moments, but then he seemed to finally register the calm surrounding him and accept that he would be alright. The tentatively crooked smile he offered back to the Queen sparked a bit of hope in all who were gathered around him. And when a steaming cup of cocoa was pressed into his hands by Granny with a brusque but concerned admonishment to “drink up, it’ll warm your insides” before the cook bustled off again, he seemed to come back to himself even more at the scent which wafted up into his face of chocolate and their family’s customary hint of cinnamon.

Emma could practically see interest light up those expressive eyes, but the child hesitated rather than bringing the cup to his lips for a taste. Darting from Queen to Princess uncertainly, he seemed to be gauging whether or not it was truly acceptable for him to take a drink.

“Go ahead,” Emma urged, smiling in what she hoped was reassurance. She wasn’t known for her patience, and she couldn’t know that this youth had never experienced hot cocoa, nor many pleasant treats at all, in his young life. Hoping to encourage him, she lifted her own mug to drink and then smacked her lips at the delightful taste, making Ruby laugh and her mother shake her head at her dreadful table manners. The boy’s face, however, lit with a bit of humor and happiness that it had not yet held. “It’s good, I promise,” Emma added with a grin. “You’ll like it.”

Almost as if he could resist no longer, the boy tipped his cup and took a sip of the warm, rich beverage at last. Then, it seemed he discovered the powers of liquid chocolate that everyone else in the room well knew. His eyes widened in delight, and he tipped his head back to get every last drop as he quickly guzzled down the rest, making Emma giggle, and him startle guiltily as if he’d done something wrong.

“Don’t worry,” Emma assured, reaching out innocently to lay her hand on his, “You can have some more, right Mama?”

Queen Snow White’s eyes were a bit misty with unshed tears, having already met Granny’s gaze over Emma’s head and Ruby’s as well, the three women piecing together things Emma in her sheltered, loving world could not yet know about what this youngster must have gone through. His reactions and his guardedness spoke volumes, even in silence. Nodding simply, not sure at first that she could speak around the painful lump in her throat, Snow finally managed to agree, “Yes, for tonight at least, our new friend may have all the hot cocoa his heart desires.”

~~***~~

The boy’s name, it turned out, was Killian Jones. He did recall that much once he regained his bearings, as well as the fact that he had possessed a father, mother, and older brother in a happy little house before his mother had seemingly vanished from his young life, and they had sent sail on the boat he had been on before washing ashore. No matter how many questions they asked or how he tried to call more forth, he remembered little else of what happened to his mother or father. He knew he had been told she fell ill and died, but all he could bring forth in his mind’s eye was that one morning he had awakened and she had vanished from his life as if she never existed at all - just a pleasant dream. His elder brother Liam had been on the boat with him, and Killian had shed tears that broke all their hearts when he recalled the day his brother had been swept overboard and lost to him forever. But as to what had become of his father, and how he had been sentenced to the life of hard labor he had clearly endured afterward, there was nothing but a blank and questions.

 As days and weeks, then months, and finally years went by, he remained with them at Misthaven castle.  Though far from a young prince, Killian was raised as a member of the royal household, growing up side-by-side with Princess Emma. They appeared to be quite close in age, and joined by the fact that she had found him and seemed to take Killian on as her own, he and Emma were quite inseparable - the best of friends and as “thick as thieves” as Granny always lamented when they were underfoot or stealing berries meant for tarts and pies on the royal dinner table.

As they reached adolescence, the King and Queen began to wonder where Kilian would be happiest as he came of age. The young man they had come to adore almost as a son had several skills: he was invaluable in the stables, exuding a calming force over the horses and evincing a knack for their training and care; he was quite good as an extra hand in the kitchen when Granny was understaffed or had more visiting mouths than usual to feed (for all her tough talk the aging widow had a soft spot for the boy and would no doubt have mentored him as a cook). Killian was bright; genuine knowledge and curiosity made him a voracious reader and student, honestly gaining more from the princess’ many esteemed tutors than Emma ever had and enjoying the study much more. He would have been easy to train as a page or diplomat, but none of those options seemed quite right.

It was not until his fifteenth birthday that the way Killian hoped to take became clear. It might have seemed improbable to most, knowing that the sea had once nearly swallowed him whole and claimed his life, but to Emma who knew him better than anyone else, it made sense. Those restless, wandering waves held an appeal, a mystery and adventure, and perhaps even still some bit of himself that her friend needed to claim. He stated his intention to join her father’s Navy with a proud certainty. And Emma’s heart swelled with equal gratification, but also fear. The sea had given him to her, but it wanted to take him back again…

It had taken them all such a long time to show Killian that he was welcome there, truly a part of their loving extended family. At first, Killian had shrunk back - shoulders hunched, head bowed, breath coming quickly in frightened pants - any time he might accidentally drop and break a dish or he reached for a second roll at the table, making it clear was that he had been punished and berated, to the point that he cowered like a whipped dog whenever he feared he might have put even a toe out of line. Princess Emma knew that her parents suspected beatings and physical abuse; it was clear in the concerned way their eyes met in silent communication whenever Killian reacted with the intense fear and apology he often showed in his bearing; she sadly had to agree that they were quite probably correct. She shuddered to think of how he might still be suffering under some cruel captain’s mistreatment, miserable, stranded and helpless to change his situation if it had not been for the shipwreck which brought him to Misthaven instead. There had been no question for any of them that he must stay, when they had learned of his indenture and how he had been orphaned and abandoned. She couldn’t have been more glad that all in the castle were in agreement; Emma had already decided that “her boy” needed to stay there with them, where he was safe and she could be sure he was happy and free. Neither of them were small children anymore, but Emma’s care and affection for him had never changed.

For so long before Killian’s arrival, she had been the only child in a palace of grown-ups: rulers, dignitaries, staff - a whole caravan of people who doted and adored, but very few who could be peers, to play with, talk to, and simply understand her. As the days had flowed into one another, turning into months and years until most people could hardly remember when she and Killian were not linked, they  were practically siblings in every way that mattered. The princess knew that she didn’t intend to live - not could she imagine - her life without him ever again.

And then, seemingly in the mere blink of an eye, they were fifteen and moving from playing tag amongst the grape arbors and lilac bushes in her mother’s gardens and slipping out of the interminable poise and etiquette lessons which Emma detested yet was never allowed to miss, to the stage where Killian was serving as her partner while she learned the waltz and other ballroom dances she would need to master for formal balls and ceremonies. Not only that, but as they edged into adolescence, Emma’s heart thumped against her chest differently than it used to as Killian led her gracefully through the steps. Even as her heart seemed ready to ricochet from her body, the warmth of Killian’s skin where they touched and the utter safety she felt in his hold half intoxicated her. As awareness spun her head round, uncertain what to do with it or how to proceed with these strange new feelings suddenly flooding her, all Emma could be certain of was the pang of loss she felt at knowing that Killian’s desire was to soon join her father’s naval fleet. At fifteen, he was at last of age to sail as a cabin boy and begin to work his way up in a ship’s ranks. Though she knew that had long been her friend’s desired course, Emma’s heart still ached to see him go.

However, her parents could not deny him the chance to seek such a worthy ambition. Indeed, they were proud of Killian, happy to help him secure a place on one of their finest vessels and make certain he knew their confidence in him and their faith that he would succeed. All too soon, after years with him at her side, it was the day Emma’s confidant and companion was set to sail on his first voyage. Though she knew in her head that the kingdom was in a time of peace and that it was a mere routine mission, her heart could not ignore the fact that sea travel always came with risk. Not only that, but she would miss Killian terribly.

Still, goodbyes had been said, all was made ready, and she was left on the dock, waving goodbye as the best friend she had ever known met her eyes and waved back. His pretty blue eyes, that had long since begun to speak to her as ardently as his actual words, expressed a potent blend of pained anxiety at leaving his adopted family and the life he had known and excitement for the adventure ahead on the waves that stirred his blood. She stood there long after the rest of the crowd seeing him off had dispersed and gone back to the castle, watching as the naval ship bearing “her boy” (as she sometimes still in the deepest and most secret depths  of her heart thought of him) became a small dot on the horizon before fading from view entirely. 

And only then had the journey truly begun...

Part One

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @searchingwardrobes​ @kmomof4​ @jennjenn615​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @laschatzi​

@jrob64 @apiratewhopines @grimmswan @ultraluckycatnd @caught-in-the-filter

@stahlop​ @ineffablecolors​ @let-it-raines​ @tiganasummertree​ @optomisticgirl​

@spartanguard​ @therooksshiningknight​ @shireness-says​ @snidgetsafan​ @mayquita​

@thislassishooked​ @drowned-dreamer​ @kday426​ @lfh1226-linda​ @winterbaby89​

@darkcolinodonorgasm​ @hollyethecurious​ @resident-of-storybrooke​ @teamhook​ @revanmeetra87​

@the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @elizabeethan @gingerpolyglot @gingerchangeling

@xsajx @bluewildcatfanatic @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @xarandomdreamx

@jonesfandomfanatic @motherkatereloyshipper @myfearless-love @belovedcreation @goforlaunchcee

[kmomof4]

Self-Promo Sunday:

Coming to Storybrooke

After reading some of my favorite scenes in this fic yesterday, I decided to highlight it this week for SPS. This fic was inspired by the Eddie Murphy film Coming to America and was RIDICULOUSLY FUN to write!!! I got to fix some VERY BONEHEADED decisions made by A&E in canon, and then take canon in a very different, but also very delightful direction! If you haven’t read it, I hope you do and let me know what you think! And if you have, perhaps it’s time for a reread!!

Summary: Prince Killian of the Enchanted Forest refuses to marry the woman his brother, King Liam, has chosen for him. So he travels to Storybrooke in the Land Without Magic to find his own bride.

Words: 21k

Rating: Overall T. The last ch includes smut, and so is rated M. If smut is not your thing, stop reading after the first scene break and pick back up at the next scene break: Almost 9mos Later

Tags: S1 Canon Divergence, Inspired by Coming to America, Neal is an Idiot, Romantic Fluff

On ao3

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615 @donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings @booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza @djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose @thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones @mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites

[andva-ri]

☆ Self Promo Sunday ☆

☆ Leave a Tip :3! ☆

☆ Ko-fi | Patreon ☆

☆ Prints ☆ Society 6 ☆ TeePublic ☆

☆ Commission me! ☆ Tattoo Ticket ☆

♡ help an artist pay rent ;3 ♡

[dominimoonbeam]

Ruby and the Wolf

Shameless Selfpromo Sunday! I'm trying to be better at promoting my own stuff, so here's a snippet from Ruby and the Wolf. the short, sexy romance out of the House of Teeth Universe, the same world as Bite to Bruise. <3

Ruby and the Wolf

The wolf limped over to her, his eyes so pale a yellow that they were nearly white. She could swear he was watching her—really watching her. And then his shoulders jerked and his bones cracked. She held her breath, thinking now was the moment her mind had finally decided to unravel. He changed, right in front of her, all that darkness turning into smoke rolling off of him like steam, until he wasn’t a wolf at all. He was a man. A large, naked man. Scars and tattoos cut lines across his lean body. The tattoos seemed to start at his left ankle and make their way up and across him, to the other side of his neck and down his right arm to the back of his knuckles. His eyes were still pale yellow, gleaming out from wet, black hair just long enough to be a mess he had to push back from his face. He came closer still, blood on his lips and smeared down his chest. For the first time in her life, Ruby did the sensible thing, and passed the fuck out.

Smashwords.

Amazon.

Goodreads.

[ronearoundblindly]

in the most loving way possible, this reminds me of you! https://www.tumblr.com/where-you-go/690700296445411328/my-favorite-thing-in-the-world-is-reading-a

i love reading your author notes and seeing where your ideas take you 🥰

I mean…

You’re not wrong.

I don’t remember which got *the most* out of hand, but I know It Had to Be You was gonna be 3 parts and now has—checking notes—

👀

Omg TEN parts.

And Root of All Ransom was gonna be a one-shot from a single ask, became three, then four, then I got another ask, then the fifth part ran too long, and now here we are with like a *don’t you dare estimate Ro* long sequel.

And Fools Rush In????

That was a ONE-SHOT! This All Day was *the whole thing!*

There are now two prequels, something like 15 blurb/asks, an additional two one-shots, a two-parter, and an almost complete sequel with THREE MORE multi-chapter sequels in the works! It’s over 100,000 words now, closer to 200,000.

Ok so I guess I answered my own question of which grew the most but HOLY SH*T!

yes, i see the phrase COMPLETED FIC in there and am mildly ignoring it but still lol

[johannamation]

Hello new followers! It occurs to me that I never properly reintroduced myself! My name is Johanna (she/her), I’m a queer freelance illustrator of fantasy and RPG-adjacent projects, and I’m currently working on my debut graphic novel called THE GHOSTKEEPER with Penguin’s Razorbill imprint, coming out sometime in 2024 (more on that later~)

My favorite color is maroon, and I love crows, autumn, Victorian aesthetics, video games, and comics! I have a 3 y/o black cat named Raven.

The world is a scary place these days. But, queer or het, trans or cis, religious or non, you’ll always have a safe place on my page. 🌈💖

[jrob64]

Self-promo Sunday: 1st Anniversary Celebration

One year ago, I posted this story. It was a fun one to write - digging into Emma and Killian as high school friends, college students and first time lovers. If you’re reading it for the first time or it’s a re-read for you, I hope you enjoy it! 

Rating: M

Also found on Ao3 and ffn

*********

This wasn’t going to plan at all.

Killian Jones scrubbed his hand through his hair in frustration as Emma Swan, his best friend and the love of his life - a fact of which she was completely unaware - laughed loudly at yet another scene that was supposed to be terrifying.

He had invited her over to his apartment to watch a horror movie which, according to the reviews, was ‘guaranteed to cause heart palpitations, nightmares and ear-splitting screams of fright’, in hopes of her being so fearful she would seek the comfort of his embrace.

But she was laughing. Hysterically. Sitting as far away from him as possible on his dilapidated couch, she was nearly doubled over and wiping tears from her eyes.

He should have known. He should have remembered that nothing scared Emma Swan.

*********

The first day he set eyes on her, he was sitting in British Literature in the Fall of his junior year of high school. The teacher was droning on about the latest novel they were assigned to read, when Killian looked up to see an angel enter the room. She wore black skinny jeans tucked into battered combat boots, a red top which was short enough to allow a teasing glimpse of her stomach, and a faded jeans jacket which had definitely seen better days. Her golden tresses fell in riotous waves around her shoulders, and her green eyes glittered with defiance.

Killian was smitten at first sight.

The teacher took the note the new girl handed her, read it and turned to the class. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is…”

“Don’t announce me,” the girl growled, before moving stealthily down the aisle to slide into the seat beside him.

The teacher glared at her for a few seconds before continuing, “Very well, Miss Swan, we’ll carry on then. Please prepare to take notes since this information will be included on the upcoming test.”

Swan, Killian thought. What an absolutely appropriate name.

The girl stared back at the teacher with a bored expression and popped her gum loudly. Killian realized that, even if she felt inclined to take notes, she had nothing with her to do so. She’d walked into the room completely empty-handed except for the note she passed on to Ms. Hart.

Quickly, he tore a few sheets of paper from his notebook and scrambled to retrieve an extra pen from the bookbag on the floor beside his feet. When he offered them to her, she turned haughty eyes on him, refusing to take them from his hands.

He faltered for several seconds, then pushed them toward her again. “You really should take notes. Her tests are killer,” he said quietly.

She popped her gum again. “I. Don’t. Care.”

He struggled to pay attention to what the teacher was saying for the rest of class, sneaking glances at the blonde girl sitting beside him who was intently studying her fingernails and giving her gum a workout.

When the tone sounded for the end of the period, Killian hurriedly shoved his notebook into his backpack and trailed after the girl, who was quick to leave her seat and exit the room. He caught up with her a few steps outside the classroom door, as she pushed her way through the crowded hallway.

“Hey! What’s your next class?” he asked breathlessly.

She came to a stop and gave him another appraising look. Just when he thought she would brush him off again, she reached into the inside pocket of her jeans jacket and took out a folded sheet of paper. Flicking her eyes over it, she answered, “Chemistry.”

“That’s where I’m headed, too. Follow me, I’ll take you there.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

He began leading the way, grinning as she fell into step beside him. “I’m Killian Jones, by the way.”

“Emma Swan.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Emma.”

“Why are you taking Brit Lit?”

“Pardon me?”

“You’re British, right? Shouldn’t you be the one teaching the class? I’m sure you’d do better than What’s-her-name. She’s as dry as the Sahara.”

Killian chuckled and scratched behind his ear. “I haven’t lived in England for several years. I just haven’t shed the accent.”

“I’m sure the girls are all falling at your feet with an accent like that.”

He scoffed at her statement. “Hardly.”

They reached the Chemistry lab and he was pleased to see her choose the stool beside him. His concentration wasn’t any better during that class, or for the rest of the day. They had two more classes together and she joined him at his table for lunch, sitting amongst the rest of the kids who didn’t belong to any groups or cliques which segregated the student body.

When the school day ended, they proceeded down the front steps together. “Did you drive to school?” he asked.

“Hell, no. I can barely afford to pay attention, let alone buy a car. How about you?”

“Oh, uh, I live just a few blocks down this way,” he explained, pointing off to his right. “Which direction is your home?”

“It’s over that way,” she said, gesturing vaguely. “I wouldn’t call it my home, though. It’s just another stop in the ongoing saga of ‘where’s Emma Swan going to live next’?”

“Your family moves a lot?”

“My family,” she spat, “is non-existent. “I’ve been a foster kid from the day I was born.”

“I’m an orphan, too. My mum died when I was seven years old. My father moved us to Storybrooke six years ago with the promise of a job on a fishing boat, but he was washed overboard in the middle of a storm just a couple of weeks after he started working, and was never found. Sarah Fisher took in my brother Liam and me, until he was old enough to get a proper job and become my legal guardian.”

“That’s who I’m living with - Sarah. She seems okay.”

“She is. She was strict, but she really cared about us. One time a kid accused me of stealing his jacket and I was suspended from school. Once she found out I didn’t do it, she went to the principal to defend me. I was sitting right outside his office and could hear her letting him have it about how I was an honest boy and just because I was a foster kid didn’t mean I was a thief. He took my suspension away and the next day, the kid admitted that he’d lost his jacket and didn’t want his parents to be mad at him.”

“Most foster parents I’ve lived with wouldn’t bother to stand up for me like that.”

“Well, Sarah will, as long as you prove to her that you’re trustworthy.”

“Good to know.”

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing better to do than come to school,” she smirked.

He grinned in return. “Have a good evening, Emma.”

“You, too.”

He turned to begin walking down the sidewalk, then heard her yell, “Hey, Killian?”

“Aye?” he asked, pivoting around to face her again.

“Thanks for, uh, talking to me and, you know, showing me around and everything,” she stammered.

“It was my pleasure, Swan.”

*********

After that first day, they were nearly inseparable. Emma continued to be a bit defiant with her teachers and most of the other students; but when she was with Killian, she let her guard down, and he was privileged to see the sweet, funny, endearingly sarcastic side of her.

She never took notes in class and still managed to ace almost all of her tests and exams. Once she heard something, it seemed to be embedded in her brain for good. The only subject which caused her problems was Calculus, and since he was excellent with numbers, he helped her through it.

They understood each other in every way that mattered, and everyone soon thought of them as a package deal. Wherever you found Emma, Killian wasn’t far behind and vice versa. He continued to be completely enamored with her, but never revealed his feelings for fear he would lose the first real friend he ever had.

When they moved to America, Liam was sixteen, broad-shouldered and outgoing, and soon found acceptance on athletic fields and courts. Killian, on the other hand, was only eleven years old; gangly, shy, morose and bookish. He wasn’t exactly bullied, but he never had what he would call actual friends. He kept to himself, trying to fade into the background as much as possible, while Liam thrived in the limelight. After graduating high school, Liam opted not to go to college, feeling the need to get a full-time job at the Storybrooke harbor so he could continue to provide a home for his younger brother.

As graduation neared for Killian, Liam insisted he continue his education to pursue his dream of being a mechanical engineer. Killian was accepted into five different universities, but he only considered going to one.

The one Emma planned to attend.

Liam wasn’t thrilled with the decision; he wanted his brother to expand his horizons and make other friends besides the girl who had Killian so starry-eyed, but never seemed to want to take their relationship to another level.

Killian stood his ground, and in the end, the two friends set off to a campus three hours from Storybrooke, living in the same dorm and carrying on their friendship. Their freshman year went by quickly as they adjusted to being independent and balancing their social life with their demanding classes.

At one point, Emma went out on a couple of dates with a guy she met in her Sociology class and Killian was heartbroken. He considered expressing his hidden feelings to her, but almost as soon as she started dating Walsh, she broke it off, calling him a jerk for telling his buddies she was an easy lay, when they hadn’t done anything more than make out for a few minutes.

They returned home for the summer, both of them working to save money for their second year; Emma as a waitress at Granny’s and a summer camp counselor, Killian doing maintenance work at the docks under Liam, who was now the harbor master.

The next semester saw Killian living in an apartment off campus, while Emma took on the job of being a Resident Advisor in one of the dorms, earning her a much-reduced room and board fee. They hung out as much as possible during their busy weeks, setting up study sessions at the library and meeting at the student union for lunch a few times.

When Emma was off-duty on the weekends, she was nearly always at Killian’s place, eating his food and enjoying the streaming services for which he and his roommates Robin, Will and Phillip splurged.

Killian grew increasingly frustrated that, despite his growth and maturity in the three years since meeting him, Emma never saw him as anything more than the awkward kid who was her first true friend. Gone was the skinny, insecure, bespectacled teenager - he used some of his graduation money to purchase contacts, grew three inches and gained thirty pounds of muscle during his first year of college - but she never even seemed to notice.

Killian finally decided that enough was enough, which was why he came up with a plan late in October of their sophomore year. His roommates were all going to be gone for the weekend and HBOMax was featuring a full menu of horror movies. He figured all he had to do was get her alone, watch a terrifying movie with her, and open his arms to allow her to bury her face in his chest. That would lead to kisses of comfort, and possibly more…

But she was far from seeking comfort in his arms as she hung over the end of the couch, laughing loudly as another bloodcurdling scream came through the sound system.

“Swan,” he grumbled through gritted teeth, “this isn’t supposed to be a bloody comedy!”

“It’s not a bloody anything! The ‘blood’ is so fake, it looks like strawberry jello,” she replied, framing ‘blood’ with air quotes.

“Don’t you find any of it even remotely frightening?”

“Yeah,” she responded, wiping more tears of laughter from her cheeks, “I find the fact that anyone would consider this to be a horror movie extremely scary. It’s so cheesy!”

Killian sighed, pulled the remote from the crevice of the couch cushions and pointed it at the television, turning it off.

“Why did you do that? I was enjoying it!”

“You just said it was cheesy!”

“It might be cheesy, but it was providing me with a good laugh, which I really need after the week I had. A full moon during the week of Halloween apparently causes college Freshmen to lose their damn minds!”

Killian pushed to his feet and tossed her the remote. “Fine, turn it back on and laugh yourself sick. I’m going to bed.”

“Hey, what’s your problem, Jones?” she asked, anger lacing her words. “I thought we were gonna have a fun night together, just like always.”

He stopped in his tracks, but didn’t turn around. “That’s the problem,” he muttered, “it’s just like always.”

“I thought you liked our movie nights.”

“I do, but…” He bit his lip and closed his eyes, wondering if he should finish the sentence.

“But what?” she prodded, rising from the sofa and stepping behind him.

Turning to face her, he said, “But it’s not enough anymore, Emma.”

She paled and he thought he detected a slight tremble of her bottom lip. “What do you mean by that? Don’t…don’t you want to hang out with me anymore?”

He finally had all he could take. Inhaling deeply, he moved within a breath of her, framed her face with his hands, and pulled her toward him to press his lips against hers.

For a few seconds, he felt her melt into the kiss, her lips soft and supple as she responded. Then suddenly, she pushed him away, staring at him with wide eyes; and that’s when Killian saw something in her expression he’d never seen before.

Fear.

Emma Swan was afraid.

“Wha-what are you doing?” she gasped.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for over three years.”

“You can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ve lost everyone in my life. I…I can’t lose you, too.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Emma.”

“You say that now, but…”

“Haven’t I been with you through thick and thin? Why would that change if we…if we were more than just friends?”

“Is that really what you want?” she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion.

“It’s what I’ve wanted since the first moment I saw you.” His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat, but he kept his eyes locked on hers. “I think I fell in love with you as soon as you mouthed off to Ms. Hart that day, and my feelings have done nothing but get stronger in the last three years.”

“You love me?” she squeaked. “I mean…really love me?”

He nodded slowly, then raised his hands to cradle her face, brushing his thumbs across her cheeks. “Don’t you know, Emma? It’s you, and it will always be you.”

“But what if…”

“Always, Emma. Always.”

Her eyes searched his face for any hint of a lie, something she could detect easily. Finding none, some of the tension left her body, and yet she still hesitated.

Killian pressed on. “I’ve told you where I stand, Swan; it’s your turn to tell me what you want. I promise that no matter what it is, I won’t leave you. I’d rather have you as a friend, than not have you in my life at all.”

He watched as a gamut of emotions played over her face, and saw the exact moment when she was finally ready to give in. “I want…I want to stop denying my feelings for you, too. I want the final bricks of the wall around my heart to be broken down completely. And I want…”

Killian waited with bated breath as she furrowed her brow, clearly trying to figure out how to finish the sentence. “Want what, Love?” he quietly prompted.

“I want you to know that I love you, too.”

“Yeah?” he whispered, barely daring to hope.

“Yeah,” she said, the surety in her voice setting his mind at ease.

A grin slowly stretched across his face, then he surged forward to capture her lips. This time, there was no hesitancy in the kiss; only passion and fire as they sought to express the feelings they had both repressed for so long. Tongues tangled, teeth clashed, hands roamed, moans worked their way up from their throats. The kiss was everything they wanted and not quite what they needed all at the same time.

“K-Killian?” she gasped.

“Mmhmm,” he uttered, still trying to devour her.

“Do you have…protection?”

He separated their lips at last, panting for breath as his eyes searched hers. “No, but I’m sure Will does.”

“Can you find some?”

“Are you sure, Emma?”

“I…I think so? I just, I haven’t ever…you know.”

“Neither have I.”

“Really?”

“Who would I have done it with? I’ve been in love with you for years and I didn’t want to go to bed with someone just to say I wasn’t a virgin anymore.”

“That’s how I felt, too.”

“I have another confession to make,” he ventured, figuring he might as well throw all his hats into the ring. “I’ve never even French kissed a girl before. The only other girl I ever kissed was Ariel during that school play we performed. I’m sorry if my kisses…if they’re…”

She placed her index finger over his lips. “They’re perfect. I could easily kiss you for the rest of the night, if there wasn’t another first that I want to experience with you.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “I want that, too. God, Emma, I want that so much.”

“Check Will’s room and I’ll meet you in yours.”

He nodded and kissed the tip of her nose, before peeling away to hurry upstairs.

Emma quickly locked the front door and ran up the steps two at a time, dashing into the bathroom to pee and check herself in the mirror, before going into his room across the hall. She pulled off her hoodie and tossed it on the floor, then sat down on his twin bed and jiggled her leg nervously as she waited for him.

It was only a couple of minutes before he joined her, triumphantly waving a long strip of condoms. “Jackpot!” he crowed.

“Thank God Will is promiscuous,” Emma snorted.

Killian laughed and sat down beside her, shoving the condoms under his pillow. “So, um, are you…ready?”

“Yeah. Are you?”

“I’m, uh, kinda nervous.”

“So am I, but that’s probably normal, don’t you think?”

“Aye.” He started rubbing at the spot behind his ear which always garnered his attention when he was anxious.

“Why don’t we…lay down?” she asked timidly.

“Okay.”

They stretched their bodies out on the narrow bed, fully clothed and facing each other, and she reached up to brush her fingers along his jaw. “You didn’t shave today.”

“I’ve been working on a project and haven’t taken the time to do it for a couple of days.” Starting to sit up, he said, “I can go…”

“No, don’t. I like it. It’s very sexy.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm.” Her lips followed the trail her fingers had blazed. “I might have chapped lips tomorrow, but it will be worth it!”

Killian grinned, and wrapped her in his arms to pull her against him. He initiated more kisses, which grew increasingly more fiery and frantic, then began fumbling with the hem of her T-shirt, trying to pull it up her body.

“H-hold on,” she mumbled. “Let me just…” Untangling her arms from around him, she sat up slightly and yanked on the shirt, briefly becoming trapped in it as it got caught in her hair, before finally succeeding in getting it over her head.

Killian’s eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store when he saw her lace-covered breasts, heaving with exertion after the passionate kisses and the battle with her shirt. He licked his lips and tentatively raised his fingers to touch them, stopping just short and looking up at her. “May I?”

“They’re all yours,” she smirked. “Do you know how to work a bra?”

His cheeks reddened. “Elsa’s are in the laundry sometimes,” he admitted, referring to Liam’s girlfriend, “and I...I’ve practiced with them a time or two.”

“Of course you have,” she giggled. “Well, why don’t you see if the practice pays off?”

Licking his lips again, he directed his attention back down to her chest, dipping his fingers into the valley of her cleavage, then using them to trace the edges of her bra around to the fastenings at the back. Despite his hands shaking nervously, it only took him a couple of attempts to undo the hooks.

“Ta-dah!” he celebrated.

“Yeah, nice trick, Magic Mike,” she commented dryly, shrugging out of the undergarment and tossing it behind her, while his jaw slackened in awe of the perfection in front of him. Seeing the hunger in his eyes, she urged him to roll over on his back, and shifted until she was hovering over him, surrounding him with a curtain of her thick, blonde hair.

He eagerly reached for her breasts, cupping them in his hands and rubbing both thumbs across the hardening nipples. The sensations he created caused her to close her eyes and moan, exciting him further and inspiring him to experiment with sucking a nipple into his mouth.

She threw her head back, moaning louder, and her arms, which were supporting her, began to shake. His hand squeezed and fondled her other breast, while he sucked harder, only pulling away to ask, “How does that feel, Love?”

“Amazingggg,” she groaned. “Fucking amazing!”

Grinning, he returned to his task, sucking several purplish marks into the soft skin surrounding her areola. Seeing those small bruises on her breast sent a rush of possessiveness through him that he couldn’t really explain, and he felt his cock swell further at the thought of her being his completely.

“Killian,” Emma gasped, pulling him from his musings. “You’re gonna make me come just from doing that!”

“Is that a bad thing?” he asked innocently.

“Hell no! I just…I never knew…you had…such a talented mouth!” she managed to say.

Wanting to reverse their positions, he rolled them over and…

Landed right on top of her on the floor.

“Ow!” she exclaimed, reaching up to rub the back of her head.

“Sorry, Swan!” he immediately apologized. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, then burst out laughing. “Real smooth, Casanova!” she teased, watching the tips of his ears turn red.

“Bloody hell! Talk about ruining the moment!” he cursed, scrambling to move his body weight off of her.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” she soothed as she sat up. “You just provided some comic relief.”

“When you remember this night, can you conveniently forget that part?”

“Not a chance!” She stood and tugged on his arm to help him to his feet. “While we’re up, we might as well get rid of the rest of these clothes.”

“O-okay. Do you want to…or should I…”

She put her hand on his chest. “Promise me something, Killian”

“Anything.”

“Promise not to be ashamed of showing me your body. I know how self-conscious you are and I don’t want you to hold back or be inhibited in any way. I love everything about you, including your body.”

“I’ll try my best as long as you help me. You’ve always been the fearless one, Swan.”

She grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, quickly sliding it up his body. He accommodated her by raising his arms so she could easily finish removing it.

Her eyes widened as she took in the glorious whorls of hair covering his chest. “Why the hell have you been keeping this covered? You don’t even take your shirt off at the beach!”

His fingers found their way behind his ear again. “It’s embarrassing to have so much hair.”

“Are you kidding me?” she sputtered, tenderly stroking her fingers through the soft strands. “Do you know what some guys would give to have perfect chest hair like this?”

“Well, some guys used to poke fun at me for it when I was in eighth grade.”

“That’s called jealousy, Kil. You’re not allowed to hide it from me anymore, because I love it!”

“Duly noted.”

Her fingers continued exploring his chest, circling his nipples and scratching across his abs, while her tongue found its way to the hollow of his throat and collarbone. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to keep himself under control, but after a few more moments, he growled and grabbed her hands, raising a warning eyebrow at her.

She smirked at him, then he dropped her hands and reached forward to pop the button on her jeans and pull the zipper down. As soon as they were loosened, she shimmied them down her legs, leaving her in only a lacy pair of panties.

He swallowed hard, looking at the tiny triangle of material covering her most intimate area.

“Your turn,” she said, reaching to unbuckle his belt and remove it.

“Um, okay,” he replied nervously. Taking a deep breath, he unzipped his jeans and shoved them down all in one motion. It reminded Emma of trying to remove a bandaid quickly so it caused a minimum of pain.

His boxer briefs sported a sizable bulge and he started to bring his hands up to cover it.

“Uh, uh, uh,” she admonished. “You promised.”

He dropped his arms, holding them awkwardly at his sides.

“Can I take them off of you?” she asked, gesturing toward his underwear.

“Uh, I…I guess?”

She looked up at him through her lashes and licked her lips, then hooked her fingers in the waistband and pulled them out and over the tip of his cock. Dropping to her knees, she finished dragging them down his legs, her eyes widening at the sight of his rigid cock right in front of her.

Without hesitation, she slid her hands back up his legs and wrapped them around his sizable member. As Killian held his breath, she slowly ran her hands up and down the smooth, velvety skin, causing it to slide and shift.

“I’ve never seen a guy’s cock in person,” she commented, still concentrating on the stroking she was doing. “Are they always this big?”

“I…I don’t know. I’ve never…compared…bloody hell, Emma!”

“What?” She peeked up at him with a look of innocence on her face.

“If you keep doing that, you’re gonna make me come before we even get to the…the act.”

“The act? You’re calling it the act?”

“What else am I supposed to call it?”

“Making love, having sex, anything but ‘the act’!”

“Maybe I’m not ready for this,” he groaned, closing his eyes and dropping his head back.

“Oh, I’d say by the looks of this,” she said, giving his cock another stroke, “you’re more than ready.”

“Can you please stop doing that? I really want to make love to you.”

 “I thought guys liked having their cocks stroked.”

“We do, but not if it makes us shoot our wad too soon.”

She giggled as she pushed herself back to her feet. “Shoot your wad,” she snickered. “What a weird way to put it.”

“Are you gonna criticize everything I s-”

He stopped talking as she plunged her tongue inside his mouth. Their hands moved desperately over each other’s bared skin and soon they were falling backwards onto the bed again.

Killian maneuvered them until Emma was on her back in the middle of the bed, then began licking, sucking and kissing down her throat, across her breasts, and along the length of her body. With every nip and graze of his teeth along her overly sensitive skin, her back arched and she uttered indecipherable words.

When he reached the apex of her thighs, he removed the last remaining scrap of material, and she automatically spread her legs apart, giving him a strong whiff of her arousal. He inhaled deeply, then tentatively dragged two fingers through her folds, gathering her slickness on the tips of them.

She shivered at the sensation and gripped the corners of the pillow underneath her head with both hands. “Please…do that again.”

He obliged and this time, his fingers brushed under the hood exposing her bundle of nerves. Shockwaves of pleasure shot through her body and she emitted a long, low moan. “More, Killiannnnn…”

His fingers continued slipping through the ever-increasing arousal she was producing, and he took note of what made her writhe and moan the most. He discovered if he put pressure on the little nub, her legs would quiver and quake; so he concentrated on that area until her head was thrashing back and forth on the pillow. When he ventured to give it a little pinch, it was all she needed to fall over the edge.

“Yes! Yesss! YESSSS!!!” she screamed, and he watched as ecstasy filled her face.

“That was good, yeah?” he asked, once she seemed to come back to earth.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I’ve never felt anything that good in my life!” she panted.

“So that was your first orgasm?”

“I’ve given myself a few, but none as intense as that! I didn’t even know I could have one without actually, you know…”

“Doing the act?” he smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “You big nerd - you’re lucky I love you!”

“Aye, that I am,” he responded, his eyes going soft as he gave her a sweet smile.

Returning his smile, she said, “Now, let’s see what we can do about getting you off.” She gripped his shoulders and pulled him down to her, kissing him within an inch of his life. When she was sure she had his head spinning, she changed positions with him so that she was on top, making sure they were a safe distance from the edge of the narrow mattress.

Reaching under the pillow, she pulled out the condoms and separated one from the strip, tore open the package and took it out. Holding it up, she flipped it over a couple of times before placing it at the tip of his straining shaft and rolling it down. “Am I doing this right?”

“Not sure, but you definitely make it feel good!”

After throwing him a grin, she carefully straddled him, placed her hands on his chest and scratched her fingers through his luxurious hair. Then she started to slide her slippery cunt along his shaft.

“Emma, god!” he grunted, squeezing his eyes closed tightly. “Feels bloody, fucking fantastic!”

After making sure his cock was coated with her arousal, she lifted up a little. “I…I think I’m ready. Are you?” she asked, meeting his blue gaze once his eyes opened.

“Aye, Love, but go slow. Please don’t let me hurt you.”

“I won’t.”

“You’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable?”

“I will, I promise.”

With that reassurance, he nodded at her and she raised herself over him, lined him up, and began to sink down around him. When it started to burn, she pulled back, then sank down a little further. After doing this several times, he finally filled her completely and she stopped moving with her ass resting on his thighs and her hands planted on his chest supporting her weight.

He clutched the blanket underneath him as the feeling of being inside the woman he loved overwhelmed his senses. “Are you alright?” he gritted out.

“I’m good. How about you?”

“I…I…feel like I’m gonna explode.”

“Do you want me to move?”

“Yeah, but not off of me. Just…just try sliding up and down.”

She tentatively did as he asked and soon both of them were taking pleasure from each other. Emma pumped her body up and down while Killian thrust up into her. The tension continued to build until suddenly he gripped her hips and held her tight against him.

Feeling the pulsing of his cock, she couldn’t hold on any longer and let herself give in to the bliss she could already see on his face.

Suddenly completely spent, she collapsed on top of him. Spasms shook their bodies and Killian gripped her ass. “Are you doing something to cause that, Swan?” he asked breathlessly.

“I think…they’re called aftershocks,” she giggled into his chest.

“How do you know that?”

“Hang around a dorm full of girls long enough, you learn things.”

They laid quietly for several minutes, their hearts slowing, sweat cooling, and minds racing with the implications of what had taken place in the last hour.

Killian had never felt as happy and content as he did in that moment; until he heard the next words to come out of Emma’s mouth.

“We should have become friends with benefits a long time ago.”

His stomach dropped and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Is…is that what you think this is?” he forced out through a throat that was constricted with disappointment. “Nothing but sex? I…I thought you said…”

Her head shot up and he saw a look of contrition on her face. “No, no, no! That’s not what I meant, Kil! Of course it’s more than just sex! I mean, it was amazing, but it…I love you! I know we haven’t talked about where we go from here, but if I have my way, we’d be together as a couple, not just friends.”

His heart started beating again. “Is that really what you want?”

She folded her arms across his chest and leaned forward to brush her lips against his. “Absolutely, as long as it’s what you want, too.”

“Without a doubt,” he answered, relief flooding him at her admission. “Can I ask you something?”

“Mmm, sure,” she said, nuzzling her nose against his throat.

“How long have you known you love me?”

She lifted her head again and shrugged. “I think I’ve known for a long time, but I didn’t want to admit it.”

“Why not?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I asked you first.”

“You know you sound like a ten-year-old right now, don’t you?”

“Just answer the question, Swan.”

“I guess I was…scared. You’re my best friend and I didn’t want to do anything to screw that up.”

“The fearless Emma Swan was scared?”

Her eyes fell away from his as she watched her finger trace his jawline, and he saw a blush creeping up her neck into her face. “I’m not fearless, Killian. Not when it comes to you. In my childhood, people were always letting me down…”

“Hey - I don’t intend to let you down.”

“I know, but it’s not you I was worried about. I was afraid I would be the one letting you down.”

“How could you ever do that?”

“I couldn’t help but think that one day you would figure out it wasn’t worth the effort of putting up with a high-maintenance friend like me.”

“You’re not high-maintenance.”

“You have to admit it’s challenging being my friend.”

“I love a challenge,” he grinned, then grew serious. “Emma, in three years, I’ve yet to find a single thing about you that I don’t love. You don’t have to be afraid of losing me because I already told you - I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled and leaned in to briefly press her lips to his, but before she could pull away, he moved his hand to the back of her head and held her in place to deepen the kiss. Soon their bodies began responding to the intense feelings, and they found themselves moving on to round two, during which they experimented with more ways to bring pleasure to one another, which continued into round three…and four…and…

By the time the weekend was over, Emma knew she never had to fear losing her best friend, now lover and boyfriend, and Killian’s dreams finally came true.

He also had to buy Will a new box of condoms.

*********

Tagging: @xsajx​ @hookedmom​ @kymbersmith-90​ @kmomof4​ @lassluna​​ @pirateherokillian​ @teamhook​ @stahlop​ @elizabeethan​ @whimsicallyenchantedrose​ @resident-of-storybrooke​​ @therooksshiningknight​ @jennjenn615​ @lfh1226-linda​​ @ilovemesomekillianjones​ @killianswannn​ @stories-enchanted​​ @eleveneitherway​ @withheartfulloflove​ @kday426​​ @lyssapup27​​ @swanlovato @djlbg​ @kristi555​ @laschatzi​ @xarandomdreamx​​ @lkles08​​ @wyntereyez​​ @bubblegum1425​​ @xhookswenchx​​ @yasbio2015​​ @tiganasummertree​​ @winterbaby89​​ @wefoundloveunderthelight​​ @hollyethecurious​​ @let-it-raines​​ @jonesfandomfanatic​​ @searchingwardrobes​​ @dreamingdreamsalways​​ @oncechicagolove​​ @andiirivera​​  @gingerchangeling​​ @everything-person​​ @klynn-stormz​​ @qualitycoffeethings​​ @vampcoffeegyrl23​​ @enchanted-swans​​ @ohmakemeahercules​​ @donteattheappleshook​​ @bluewildcatfanatic​​ @the-darkdragonfly​​ @demisexualemmaswan​​ @lavenderbudd​​ @grimmswan​​ @spartanguard​​ @flslp87​​ @ultraluckycatnd​​ @thisonesatellite​​ @captainswan21​​ @zaharadessert​​ @mariakov81​​ @snowbellewells​​ @xouatxcs​​ @kiwistreetswan​​ @batana54​​ @nadine200179​​ @probalicious17​​ @courtorderedcake​​ @julesep3026​​ @jackieorioncat​​ @whatthehell102082​​ @jarienn972​​ @sthonour​​ @linda8084​​  @pirateprincesslena​​ @daxx04​​ @winterbythesea​​ @artistic-writer​​ @cocohook38​​ @captainswan4life85​​ @molly958​​ @kingofmyheart14​​ @badwolfreturns​​ @itsfridaysomewhere​​@fallingforthecaptain​​  @onceratheart18​​ @strangestarlighttree​​ @omgmarvelousmorgan​​ @justanother-unluckysoul​​ @mrs-potato-but-likes-tomato​​ @anothersworld​​ @deckerstarblanche​​ @purplehawkcaptain​​  @superchocovian​​ @k-leemac​​ @citygirlscowboy​​ @laughterandbooks​​ @sotangledupinit​​ @apiratewhopines​​ @huntressandlioness1​​ @cosette141​​  @gingerpolyglot​​ @motherkatereloyshipper​​ @cs-rylie​

[talvenhenki]

Since it's Self-Promo Sunday, I want to reshare this old K Project fic where the dead Homra darlings come back and Izumo finally gets to have his two best friends by his side again 💕🥹

Bear in mind that I've locked my fics because of AI and rampant fic theft so to read the fic, you'll have to be a logged ao3 user

[txttletale]

a new underside dev diary is out for patreons, this time about the game's social skills and the philosophy behind why i picked the ones i did! if you're not a patreon but still interested in keeping up with underside's development, then fortunately the last dev diary (as well as all the ones before it!) are available for everyone.

(underside is my work-in-progress dark superhero ttrpg focused on exploring trauma, escalating conflicts, and fast-paced action based around cool power interactions more than statblocks in the vein of worm or invincible. i've been working on it for about two years now and released a much earlier draft under the name capes in the dark--i'm currently hoping to release a feature-complete playtest pdf this summer!)

if you subscribe to my patreon, you'll get to see these weekly updates as they come out, as well as a weekly scrap of writing, poetry, or game design. and you'll also be trapped in my torture labyrinth :)

[nancys-braids]

hey yall can i participate but with some sentences from my published fic i posted yesterday for some embarrassing self promo?

some sentences from: my other half was you

Sometimes she felt embarrassed at how happy another person could make her, but then she remembered, she shouldn’t feel embarrassed. This is how it’s supposed to be right? That person who makes you feel special and cared for and makes the days better? She felt crazy for thinking this way so early on, but Marjan felt like her person. They’d only been dating for a month, but her feelings have been here for years. She thought if she dated other people she’d forget about those feelings. She was always too afraid to lose Marjan as a friend if she freaked her out about her romantic feelings for her, but this feeling, she wouldn’t trade this for anything. She’s just mad at herself for not opening up to her true feelings earlier. 

thanks for the tags- @ironheartwriter @captain-gillian @heartstringsduet @carlos-in-glasses @literateowl

open tag! :)

[snowbellewells]

Self Promo Sunday: "The Belle Dame Emma"

This short MC fic was my @cssns21 entry, and I tried my hand at a fae version of Emma and a knight version of Killian with it. It took a fair amount of inspiration from the classic Keats poem "La Belle Dame sans Merci", the lines at beginning and end of the chapters are from the poem, as well as from my desire to explore the Dark Swan idea from a different angle, with more of Emma's fighting back against those tendencies as we saw at first. At any rate, as I am going back through my @cssns contributions, I was excited to find this one next. I hope you will enjoy this if you didn't see it back then, and even if you did, maybe you will enjoy it again...

Summary: Legend has it that the fae woman in the meadow will ensnare any who dare enter her domain, but the knight who chances a meeting can tell there is more to the story than superstition and gossip has allowed. The path to the truth and redemption may be fraught with dangers - to the both of them - but is it not the sworn duty of a true knight to help any who may be in need?

**Thanks a million once more to @caught-in-the-filter who made the gorgeous cover art for this fic! I absolutely love it! **

{Also available on AO3, if that is your preference}

by: @snowbellewells

Part One

I met a lady in the meads,

Full beautiful - a faery’s child,

Her hair was long, her foot was light,

And her eyes were wild.

Some folks say that she was always malevolent. Born to beguile and lure the unworthy to their doom. The fae, after all, were not to be trifled with, and those who dared do so learned their lesson at high cost.

The whispers around the fog-wisped edges of her meadow haunt, the word spoken as warning with anxious glances over the shoulder, was that her beauty was matched only by her fury. That she was possessed with a thirst to punish those who would be lured by her fair form and bewitching song. Those who were wise came to skirt wide around those fallow fields in that sparsely populated corner of the kingdom, for it was said that even those of stoutest resolve and pure intentions found this powerful nymph - be it by her face alone or some magic she wielded to draw them into her web - nigh impossible to resist.

Some retellings of her legend had her thrown from the sparkling court of the fair folk for her cruel and deviant nature. Others claimed she possessed more power and magic than any single faery had before her, and it had simply been too much - bending her better nature into madness. Still other storytellers would paint her more as a tragic sacrifice. The Fae Folk must have one who punished those unworthy of their own kind, as well as the humans who got too close to discovering their kingdom’s gates or who would dare to upset the fragile balance of peace between the two species - who might dare to think themselves equal to, and attempt to win the heart of, a faery. She was simply the one chosen to mete out these judgements. A Guardian and a Gatekeeper, as it were.

And though there is often a grain of truth to any rumor, very rarely do such stories paint their characters as they truly are. Not in full. And the ballad of awe and fear told of the beautiful, but deadly, lady Emma - La Belle Dame Sans Merci - was just such a tale. The whispers bore fragments of reality, but could not explain it all. Though she was not blameless, she was not completely lost. Perhaps there only needed to be some small spark of light, some reason for her to look within for any shred of mercy she might still possess.

~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~

The wind rushed across his forehead, lifting the strands of his dark hair from his heated skin pleasantly and ruffling his steed’s mane before dancing on to bend the grasses along the quiet roadside and tug at the leaves on nearby trees. It was a pleasant morning to be about, though the way seemed strangely untraveled since his turn-off at the last crossroad. Killian Jones, knight-at-arms, found he didn’t truly mind the peacefulness and lack of fellow travelers, enjoying the sounds of breeze and birdsong and mulling his own thoughts. Though adventure, daring battle, and quests of honor made his blood pound with vigor, causing excitement to tingle in his nerve endings and a sense of fulfillment in being where he was needed and doing what he must flooded his being, he could admit if only to himself on this placid afternoon, that he sometimes still wondered if there was more.

He certainly did not wish to change his profession. He would never be happy as a blacksmith, farmer, or tradesman; anything so mundane, necessary as those roles were, would never satisfy him for long. And yet, he had begun to feel the weight of many battles, the lives he had held in his hands, and the blood he could sometimes still see behind closed eyelids, had begun to haunt him. If there was always another fight, another enemy to vanquish, more violence and death and Darkness, were they making any difference? Was a glimmer of the light they fought for shining through, or were they merely treading water, waiting to be subsumed?

It was what had brought him to this quiet roadside meadow alone, rather than back on the high road with his fellows, moving on to the next castle and the next foe they needed to vanquish. He had called out that he would rejoin them further down the road; it was not unusual for one of them to split off on some personal venture from time to time. It was a life of constant movement, never truly being at ease or settling anywhere, and yet it made sense that sometimes one would need to pause, linger, and think for a moment where it was still and inviting enough to do so.

Killian knew he had traveled in this corner of the kingdom before - though it had been some time back. He did not remember the way this road had curved and twined, becoming narrowed and more removed from the larger surroundings as it followed a trickling brook along its way. The sounds of the village some miles back now, of other travelers whom he had not seen for some time, even the rustling of leaves and grasses and the twittering of the birds seemed to fade. A stillness encircled him such as he had never experienced before. It might have been unnerving if he had not been seeking quiet and peace to think, answers for the questions that troubled him. His mount danced fitfully on occasion, tossing his shaggy black head as if ill at ease, but Killian found he was too entranced, too breathlessly curious to turn back now. Plus, Shadow was a spirited animal and his fitfulness did not truly alarm his rider. There was a reason only Killian seemed able to handle him. 

The brooke, and the path following it, both turned again sharply, and Killian ducked to ride under the low-hanging branch of a tree, and when he sat back up in his saddle once more, the sight around that bend brought him up short. The creek came to a stop at last, running into a still pond, dark and motionless, and on the far side of the pond was some sort of cave, its mouth wide open as if beckoning those brave enough to explore. Flowers grew strewn through tall grasses, and all of it was waving soundlessly in the breeze like a beckoning sea.

Again, Killian found he was almost mystified by his own impulse to dismount and come closer. To seek out every secret corner of this meadow hideaway. He knew well enough not to venture into dark and unknown caves and underground passages, and yet the pull was nigh irresistible. He stood in wonderment, taking it all in as he stroked Shadow’s nose, soothing the restless gelding.

“What is it, lad?” Killian murmured to his horse, scratching behind its ears and trying to keep a firm grip on the reins as the creature continued to shuffle and toss its head.

Suddenly, the knight sensed he and his steed were no longer alone, a strong scent of apple blossoms and sweet honey stirred on the breeze and a chill ran over his skin, making the small hairs on his arms stand on end.

A dulcet, hypnotic voice spoke on the horse’s other side, a delicate feminine hand stroking over the animal’s nose caused Shadow to calm instantly. “Perhaps,” it offered subtly, “he knows something you do not.”

Killian had never known Shadow to gentle for anyone else; the creature rarely grew that still even for him, and the chill which had run through him a moment before now shivered down his spine. “And what might that be?” he questioned stoutly, not allowing any of his trepidation to show in his tone. “And who are you and what might you know of it?”

A form so fair, so ethereally bright and beautiful that he knew immediately she must be more than human, stepped into view from the other side of his horse. Long, glowing golden hair hung to her waist, twined with buttercups and bluebells, her feet were bare and gracefully shaped, her eyes a verdant green he wanted to fall into like a thick carpet of clover and grass, and the slight tilt of her voluptuously shaped pale pink lips somehow seemed to hint she already knew she had entranced him. The lady who had materialized there in the meadow at his side was breathtaking; her smile serene and inviting, her voice low and melodic, drawing him to lean in closer to hear what she would say next.

“Do you not hear strange tales of this place, warning travelers to be on their guard?” she tilted her head slightly, studying him as if bemused.

“I am a knight of the Realm, milady,” he replied, “Sworn to go where others may fear to tread, to protect the helpless and vanquish dangers wherever they might be. Seldom am I in one place long enough to hear all the local legends and superstitions, but even so, I would not let such talk turn me from my duty.”

That pale, lovely face continued to meet his own gaze head-on, not doubting, but merely watching as if weighing his response and gauging the sincerity of his words. Humming lightly to herself, she stepped away from him and Shadow, turning towards the pond’s smooth surface, almost as if taking for granted that he would follow.

Killian found to his chagrin that he had blindly followed two strides in her wake before realizing he had done so. Glancing back over her shoulder with arched brow and genuine question in her tone she asked, “Your duty brought you here then?”

Dipping his chin slightly toward the metal armor that covered his chest, Killian offered her a slight show of respect. He was not sure just where he had wandered, if he was trespassing on some royal land and this was some trick to ensnare him in wrongdoing, if he had wandered into some sort of enchanted space and she was a siren risen from the depths, or perhaps she was their next evil wizard or monster to fight, taking on a disguise of fair form to spy upon them and learn their weaknesses. As much as he felt a pull toward her and wanted to stay there speaking with her, there was at the same time a warring sense of unease in his being. The day was wearing on, he had yet to make arrangements for the night, and he had given his word to find his fellows once more as well.

“That I do not yet know,” he finally replied. “I broke off from a larger company at the last bend in the road. This meadow was so peaceful and inviting, and I suppose curiosity led me further as much as anything.”

For a time neither spoke, and Killian noticed for the first time that all other sounds had ceased as well. The rustling of the leaves and grasses, the birdsong and the plash of the brook into the larger pool were all muted; every bit of their surroundings gone strangely still. He knew it impossible, but for a moment it seemed as if he were frozen in a still life, unmoving, unblinking, like a statue carved in stone.

The beautiful vision stared into the water silently, so long and so deeply he wondered if she had forgotten his presence. Killian did not know whether to address her further or to turn and go, nor was he certain that his feet would move to turn from her if he did attempt to leave.

As eerily still as all was around him, he felt more concern in that instant that he had upset her, troubled or disturbed her somehow with his presence or his answers to her questions. Urging Shadow forward, he came to stand beside the mysterious lady once more, reaching out a hand meant to soothe or comfort.

But before he could make contact she whirled to meet him, her face a mask of pained struggle, her eyes wide and alarmed and so much darker than the jeweled green they had been before. Her voice was harsher, rough as she screeched for him to stand back, to get away from there. He didn’t understand the transformation, but he could see she was nearly vibrating with tension, trembling as if some force wanted to burst from her and she could scarcely hold it back. What had been a gentle breeze now howled about them, and the still pond was whipped into choppy waves. Killian stumbled back, dumbstruck, uncertain what was happening.

The idyllic beauty of his surroundings and the pleasant stranger before him had been changed instantaneously. None of the calm tranquility or gentle smiles which had lured him further in lingered now, and the enthralling vision before him now radiated tension and warning, her voice still rasping as if dragged over glass, saying that he must flee, she could only hold back so long.

Nearly as confused as he was alarmed or frightened, Killian shook his head, anxious to clear it of the doubt swirling through - had he imagined everything before? Or was he imagining things now? The anguish on that fair brow was enough to send him away for the moment, the pale maiden well on her way to enchanting him looked stretched to her limits, beseeching him to leave while he was still able. The chilvalrous knight he was fought against leaving such a one in pain or distress, but he also knew that he did not understand the situation, did not know all that was needed to act wisely.

And so, reluctantly, he swung up into Shadow’s saddle, his steed at least feeling no qualms about leaving. The beast tossed his head and wheeled to gallop off at the first mere prodding, hide quivering as he carried his rider back the way they had come in haste.

Killian, for his part, felt compelled to look back. For a moment, he could still see her form, curling in on herself slightly as she seemed to double over, and growing ever smaller in his view. The whole vista seemed to waver, partially obscured by a rising haze, until he could not have pointed out exactly where it had been.

Soon after, Shadow had carried them back to the main road, and Killian urged him to turn back onto it, to once more find his fellows, quite possibly in the next small village. Yet, though he appeared safely back on course, Killian could not forget what he had seen and heard… haunted by the face of the troubled maiden.

~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~

The faery, Emma, sagged in relief as the knight finally rode from view. She was breathlessly grateful for the mist which rose up from the surface of the pool, and the very air itself, now heavy and charged and hiding her from view, where before it had been so fresh and light with Spring. No wonder the man had been drawn to the small oasis. With the flowers and cool breeze and sparkling waters, her hidden grotto was made to be inviting, dangerously appealing. As was she herself - in form and face - or so she had been told when the curse was placed upon her.

Sinking to her knees in the tall grass, the thin blades and the faces of the daisies both brushed her skin if trying to offer comfort, Emma panted rapidly in effort to regain her breath. She had managed to hold it back, the dark power which had been twined with the natural light fae magic inside her. Her song, once capable of brightening skies, coaxing plants to blossom, and raising spirits that were broken or bowed, now would ensnare and entwine those same lost souls who might cross her path, draining them and never allowing them to leave.

One solitary tear slipped down her cheek as her breathing calmed and she contemplated the change wrought upon her being against her will. It kept her even from her own kind; loved ones who might ease the hurt and loneliness. For she did not know for certain if they were immune to the strange siren call she had been infected with, and she could not bear to risk such folly. It was horrifying enough to have almost trapped and harmed the handsome stranger who had stumbled upon her hideaway, but she would not surve being the death of one she loved.

Sadly, Emma finally managed to stand again, making her way slowly back to the mouth of the cavern where she spent so much of her time hidden away from the trees and flowers, the sunshine and fair breezes and springtime that she loved for fear of her curse withering it all and destroying others who wandered near, appreciating the same beauty of which she had once been the caretaker. Folly it had been to venture out today, and yet she had been unable to help herself, needing to see and smell and touch the bounty she had been denied. Then it had seemed the knight had just appeared.

Those eyes… a new sort of pang in her heart twinged at the reflection. They had been so blue, searching and deep, as pristine and sparkling as the waters before her and seeking to understand as if he sensed her pain. What an idea! Emma shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the frail hope. That could lead nowhere but disaster for the both of them. A proud, strong young life cut down for no reason if he did return. She was not sure exactly how her powers would snare him in thrall, drain him of life, only that the dark and twisted caster had proclaimed it would be so. She had managed to hold the welling of destructive energy she could feel rising within herself until the man had gone. And normally she managed to stay hidden well enough, removed from all others, that she did not chance unleashing it.

What had drawn her to this one? Caused her to show herself? Why had it almost seemed as if the knight could sense something was wrong? She did not know, and it troubled her, but there was no one to ask for advice. Quite possibly no answers to be had at all. She knew no other faery who had been punished in such a manner.

Turning to slink back into her cavern, Emma’s shoulders slumped. She certainly couldn’t risk being seen again this day; her strength was far too diminished to fight the poison surging to escape if any other hapless being discovered her. Such a horrible, unending punishment, for an unknowing, well-intended mistake, her spirit railed fruitlessly once again. How could she have known that bestowing her innocent heart in love would bring her here?

I made a garland for her head,

And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;

She looked at me as she did love,

And made sweet moan.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @jennjenn615 @kmomof4 @searchingwardrobes @laschatzi @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@jrob64 @apiratewhopines @anmylica @xarandomdreamx @booksteaandtoomuchtv

@donteattheappleshook @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl

@spartanguard @therooksshiningknight @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @stahlop

@xsajx @bluewildcatfanatic @kday426 @superchocovian @jonesfandomfanatic

@motherkatereloyshipper @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @lfh1226-linda @linda8084

@winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @darkcolinodonorgasm @myfearless-love @undercaffinatednightmare

@belovedcreation @ultraluckycatnd @drowned-dreamer @ineffablecolors @goforlaunchcee

[kmomof4]

Self-Promo Sunday

For today’s SPS, I thought I’d feature my prompts and drabbles collection after a murderous mood sent me back to it about a week ago. There’s a little bit of everything in this collection - smut, sweet domestic moments, daddy Killian, some extremely justified beat downs of Neal and Walsh, whumped Killian, a short fic featuring our favorite couple with a splash of OQ… that’s all I can think of off the top of my head… If you haven’t read them, I hope you do and let me know what you think, and if you have, perhaps it’s time for a reread!! 10 unrelated chapters (except 2) with a total of 11,600 words.

On ao3

Tagging the usuals. Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

@jrob64 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @the-darkdragonfly @jennjenn615

@donteattheappleshook @undercaffinatednightmare @pirateherokillian @cocohook38 @qualitycoffeethings

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @superchocovian @motherkatereloyshipper @snowbellewells @pirateprincessofpizza

@djlbg @lfh1226-linda @xarandomdreamx @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@anmylica @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @gingerchangeling

@caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @stahlop @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@captainswan-kellie @soniccat @beckettj @teamhook @whimsicallyenchantedrose

@thisonesatellite @jonesfandomfanatic @elfiola @zaharadessert @ilovemesomekillianjones

@mie779 @kymbersmith-90 @suwya @veryverynotgoodwrites

[crowshoots]

I HAVE BEEN SO RECKLESS

independent, private JESPER FAHEY from Ieigh bardugo's SlX OF CROWS, complete with numerous other verses and integrated with personal headcanons. written by rio.

ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤWITH MY OWN LIFE.

[dominimoonbeam]

Ruby and the Wolf

I write romantic books, maybe you want to try them?

It's Sunday and I'm doing that self promo thing I told myself I would do! (The new Sci Fi Romance, Stargazing Underground, is coming out in the next month too!)

The ebook of this steamy short story is available on Smashwords and Amazon, and listed on Goodreads!

Ruby and the Wolf

When Ruby decided to take up jogging, she never expected to rescue a wolf from a couple of bloodsuckers in the woods or to end up on the run with the hottest man she’s ever met. Liang’s never been interested in humans before, but when this one saves his life, he can’t exactly leave her behind. There’s no turning back and things soon heat up on their road trip to safety. This story contains—explicit sex, violence, blood, and profane language.

If you like my writing, particularly Bite to Bruise, you'll hopefully enjoy this one too!

[freesia-writes]

Sorry Sunday is nearly over for half of you, LOL. But since the poll was tied, how about both?

Reblog this with your favorite thing you’ve seen/read/made lately! Self promotion is more than welcome! Share what you love about it and anything that stands out.

[luckiestmushroom]

Started writing another Sunblade fic because you know I am Addicted to them, I'll fill the tag myself if I gotta. This one is a SH Sunday AU, with him and Blade on a mission that involves another corrupted Dreamscape. I've already prewritten lots of it in advance, so updates so hopefully, not be too slow...