#which will be fun because canon-compliant angst ^^

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!! <333

[awearywritersworld]

my very soul demands you

sukuna x reader summary: you introduce sukuna to cuddling and romance novels. meanwhile, he's still struggling to make sense of his feelings for you, despite wanting to commit murder because another man had the nerve to touch your arm (which earns him a lecture from yuuji). w/c: 2.5k tags/warnings: enemies to lovers. angst to fluff. jealous!sukuna. aged up!yuuji. features yuuji x reader. cursing. banter. hopefully not too ooc for sukuna. not canon compliant. fem!reader. no use of y/n. no manga spoilers. a/n: this could maybe be read as a stand alone, but it'd flow much better with the context of the previous two parts. lots of denial and begrudging softness from sukuna here. definitely more fluff than anything tho. this series has been fun to write, so thanks for reading<3 i appreciate reblogs or feedback! let me know if you'd like to be tagged in any additional parts. series masterlist // masterlist

when you crawl in between sukuna's legs and curl up against his chest, it's a foreign experience that makes his body stiffen.

he'd been with countless women during his lifetime, but while fucking is one thing, he never once found himself in a position that struck him as this... intimate.

"hold me," you whine as if you can sense his unfamiliarity with such matters.

he rolls his eyes, beginning to wonder if your habit of throwing orders at him is actually some sort of compulsive need. "didn't anyone ever teach you manners?"

despite his irritation, he acquiesces to your demand and once he envelops you in his arms, some of his rigidness dissipates.

you hum contentedly. "isn't that better?"

"it's tolerable," he asserts, his chest vibrating against your cheek.

"whatever you say." tangling your legs with his, you turn your attention back to the movie you've both been watching.

he doesn't understand this... tedious display of affection, nor does he particularly enjoy it... right?

and he only allows it because he can't rid his mind of the image of your tear stained face... right?

yeah, that has to be it. he figures he can endure this, given that he was the reason you were so upset earlier.

it goes without saying that he doesn't realize it when he begins to rub absentminded circles on your back.

and the way the warmth of your body forces his usually tense muscles to relax goes unacknowledged.

when the credits begin to roll, sukuna's wearing an expression of unimpressed disinterest. "that's seriously how it ends?"

you don't respond, so he looks down only to find that you're fast asleep.

"tch. you ask to watch a movie, force me to pick it, and then you don't even have the decency to stay awake." he's not sure why he's chiding you even though he knows you can't hear him, but he keeps his voice low enough that it won't disturb you.

sukuna's spent more time than he cares to admit watching your sleeping form, but this is the first time that it's actually him you're pressed against. it's the first time he can reach out and touch you.

your hair has fallen across your face, so he pushes it back behind your ear gently. the pads of his fingers brush against your cheekbone, a ghost of a caress, and his gaze lingers on your parted lips.

he lets out a deep breath, tearing his eyes away from you. "impertinent brat."

reaching for the remote, he flips off the tv and casts the room in darkness.

upon waking up in the morning, yuuji's confused once he notices that he's on the couch and you're sleeping against his chest.

he may have been half asleep when he arrived home, but he's still positive he went to bed. stretching his arms above his head, the movement jostles you from your slumber.

"mornin', baby."

"good morning, yu," you yawn in response, shifting to sit up.

"how'd i wind up on the couch?" he asks, though he's already got an inkling of the answer.

"oh," you blush. "sukuna kind of made an appearance last night."

"that so? how'd it go?"

you think there might be a shadow of a smirk playing on his lips. is he teasing you?

"good," you offer. "we watched a movie."

"watched a movie with the king of curses," he muses before his face breaks out into a lopsided grin. "you sure are somethin', baby."

returning his smile, you lean in and press your lips to his. "hm. says you."

it's not uncommon for you to meet yuuji for lunch if his mission is short and nearby, and today is one of those days, so he eagerly makes his way to the cafe you agreed on.

he's still a few hundred feet away when he spots you through the window, chatting with a man he recognizes as your childhood friend.

his gaze drops to where his hand is wrapped around your forearm as you both share a laugh together.

it doesn't really bother yuuji, he trusts you implicitly and jealousy isn't an emotion that's really on his radar. the same can't be said for everyone, though.

sukuna watches on as well, his thoughts much darker than his vessel's. who does that wretch think he is, putting his hands on you?

you're not his to touch.

"give me control," sukuna growls, his mouth appearing on yuuji's cheek.

"and why would i do that?"

"so i can rip his heart out and gift it to her since he seems so interested in offering his affections."

"duuuude," yuuji begins, somewhat amused. "i don't think she'd be super crazy about you murdering her friend."

"fine," sukuna bites back, well aware that yuuji has a point. "but he can live without his filthy hands, can't he? perhaps i'll pull each arm from his torso—"

yuuji snorts. "you have some serious issues, man."

he can feel sukuna trying to take over and easily curbs the attempt, though that only fuels the king of curses' irritation. "my only issue lies in the fact you're allowing this to happen."

yuuji reaches the door, a bell chiming through the cafe as he pulls it open. "she's a big girl. she doesn't need either of us to dictate what can and can't happen to her."

once you see your boyfriend, your face lights up and you call out his name. you place a kiss on his cheek and snake an arm around his waist in greeting, and the space it puts between you and your friend is enough to keep sukuna from protesting further.

"you two have met, right?" you ask.

"yeah! hey, itadori! it's been a while."

"it has! good to see you, yamada."

"i'd love to stay and chat more, but i have to get going," he states, leaning in to give you a hug which you return. "we should all go out together soon!"

"absolutely not, you deplorable knave—" yuuji slaps a hand to his cheek before sukuna can continue and yamada gives him an odd look.

your eyes widen for a split second and you have to stop yourself from facepalming.

"what'd you say?" yamada asks, sounding a bit hesitant.

"i said absolutely, sounds like an enjoyable night!"

the men exchange a handshake before you and yuuji make your way to a table.

"sukuna, what the hell was that?" you hiss once yamada's out of earshot.

"i don't know what you mean," he responds smugly.

you meet yuuji's eye and he just shrugs his shoulders, but you swear the corners of his mouth twitch upward.

you can't imagine anything good coming from the two of them colluding with one another, but let it go anyway.

opening up your menu, you sigh in defeat. "if you say so."

"what do you mean you'd rather disembowel yourself?" you question the man sitting across from you.

it's becoming more commonplace to see those dark marks adorning yuuji's body during the nighttime hours. you sometimes wonder if he's letting it happen or if sukuna's just getting better at taking over, but you're too nervous to ask.

"do you need a dictionary? there's one over on the shelf—"

"no, asshole. i know what disembowel means! i just don't understand your refusal."

he raises his eyebrows at the obscenity, but doesn't comment on it. "i'm not reading some inane romance novel."

"but brontë's one of my favorite authors!"

"it makes no difference if it was penned by the gods. the thought alone is absurd. can we move on now?"

you don't respond. instead, you cross your arms and stare at the wall defiantly. your face is contorted into an expression that lets sukuna know you're clearly affronted.

"very mature, you silly little girl."

"sorry you find me and my interests so childish," you huff.

"oh, please. that's not what i said."

you continue giving him the cold shoulder, having no desire to argue further, but more than willing to die on this hill.

"fine, don't talk. it's no matter to me," he claims (despite it being the furthest thing from the truth).

as the minutes tick by, he keeps looking at you from the corner of his eye and exhaling dramatically.

eventually, he calls your name in an exasperated tone, and while it makes your heart flutter, you still don't spare him a glance. you just hold the book out for him and to your surprise, he rips it from your grasp.

"you're ridiculous," he grumbles, opening the cover to reveal the first page. "i hate you."

when he glances over to see you're beaming at him despite the insult, he adds (albeit half heartedly), "i mean it, brat."

the two of you sit in silence, each of you reading your respective books. a few chapters in, sukuna comes across the following conversation:

"do you know where the wicked go after death?" "they go to hell," was my ready and orthodox answer. "and what is hell? can you tell me that?" "a pit full of fire." "and should you like to fall into that pit, and to be burning there for ever?" "no, sir." "what must you do to avoid it?" i deliberated a moment; my answer, when it did come, was objectionable: "i must keep in good health, and not die."

to your astonishment, you actually hear him chuckle, but when he looks over and finds your self satisfied smirk, any hint of humor disappears from his face in the blink of an eye. your hand quickly moves to your mouth to stifle a giggle.

"something you want to say?" he baits you.

"nope, nothing at all!"

two nights later, he's already nearing the end of the story and you refrain from commenting about how quickly he's made his way through.

you doubt he'd allow your current position if you had— you're laying on your side, your head resting comfortably in his lap, one hand occupying the space above his knee.

when you asked if it was okay, all he offered you was a clipped, "i suppose."

your hair is splayed across his thigh and your eyes fluttered shut a while ago. when he agreed to this, he didn't realize how distracting it'd be. his gaze flickers between you and the words on the page with embarrassing frequency.

he's decided what you call cuddling is absolutely suffocating. how anyone could actually enjoy it, he's sure he'll never comprehend. he can hardly concentrate on the novel that's right in front of him—

"read to me, 'kuna," you mumble, interrupting his thoughts. it surprises him that you're still awake.

he scoffs. "what do i look like? your personal audiobook?"

"you didn't even know those existed until like a week ago," you laugh. "c'mon, pleaaaaaase."

he stays quiet for a few moments, so you're under the impression he may just ignore your request. as such, you're exceptionally pleased when his voice fills the otherwise still apartment.

you think the sound of his voice is comforting, an idea that would more than likely make him cringe, so you keep it to yourself. after all, you don't want him to stop.

at some point or another, he begins twirling a strand of your hair around his finger whenever he's not turning the page, an action that seems to take place without his noticing.

occasionally he'll pause to ask if you're even listening. it's an odd feeling that blossoms in his stomach when you assure, "mhmm. every word."

as he reaches the second to last chapter, he reads a line that makes you question whether your heart's stopped beating. you're not sure if it's because of the tone of his voice, the words he's imparting, or some mix thereof.

"no���no—jane; you must not go. no—i have touched you, heard you, felt the comfort of your presence—the sweetness of your consolation: i cannot give up these joys. i have little left in myself—I must have you. the world may laugh—may call me absurd, selfish—but it does not signify."

he stops reading, as if he too feels the sense of unease that's invaded the air. against your better judgement, you turn to look at him. his eyes are glued to the page, almost like they're avoiding you, and his jaw is tense.

"my very soul demands you: it will be satisfied, or it will take deadly vengeance on its frame.”

when his gaze finally lands on you, his expression is almost pained. it's a strange contrast to the warm fondness you spot in his eyes.

you quickly push that thought away, however. whatever you believe you may have seen, you're probably just deluding yourself. you know you aren't his least favorite person, but surely he'd never feel even half of that sentiment toward you—

your breath catches in your throat when his hand reaches up, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip. he still marvels at the fact you don't shy away from his touch, that you're usually the one to seek out contact with him.

perhaps the story is not as asinine as he expected it to be. rochester presumes jane will find him revolting, yet she still agrees to be with him, even after his selfishness has been made plain to her. after the sins of his past have caught up to him.

no, no, no.

to be so desperate for some woman's approval, or her devotion for that matter, is despicable. rochester's nothing less than foolish and sukuna isn't anything like him.

but you're certainly like jane, aren't you? fearless, passionate, and determined: all things he can't help but find endearing...

gods, what is this turmoil? it's making him feel pathetic and there isn't an emotion in the world he hates more—

you distract him from his internal monologue when your fingers wrap around his wrist and bring his knuckles to your lips. "you okay?"

"of course," he mutters, pulling his hand away. "just trying to get past all the mawkishness."

"really? you think it's that bad?" you question, the frown on your lips igniting that ache in his chest that appears whenever you're upset.

"it's not terrible," he sighs, realizing there may indeed be one thing he despises even more than feeling pathetic. "although i don't understand how jane is so taken with rochester."

you seem to ponder this for a moment before shrugging. "love is weird."

"what a clever analysis."

you slap his chest playfully. "oh, whatever. just keep going, you're almost finished!"

and you're right. he does reach the end of jane eyre that night, but not before you fall asleep on his lap. he closes the book, running a finger down the creased spine and setting it down carefully. it's obvious you've read it several times.

admittedly, he can see why, but he'd be caught dead before he'd ever tell you as much.

left alone with his thoughts, he considers the impossibility of jane and rochester: a charming, headstrong woman and a cruel, arrogant man.

leaning forward, he whispers your name to make certain you're asleep, then places a lingering kiss to your forehead.

"..sweet dreams."

[polonium-snap]

Fic rec for your bkdkbk post-canon woes

Now that MHA is over I've been satisfying my bkdkbk needs with fics like one does, so I made this fic rec of the best fanfics I've read over the past few months. Unintentionally most of them are rated E, idk why, if you want more fics, feel free to check my ao3 bookmarks, I have over 1000 bkdk fics bookmarked

DISCLAIMER: Please check the tags and warnings thoroughly before reading any of the fics here

Multichapter:

You Gave Me Purpose, Kacchan by wowschreave | Rated T | Post-canon

The first in what I call the "Post-canon holy trinity" I've already talked about this one so much but I'll do it again because this is THE post-canon fic, plus it has amazing, beautiful, wonder-who-made-this-masterpiece ART lol

promises kept by gabstar | Rated E | Post-canon | BKDK

The second instalment of the Post-canon trinity, starring co-depended BKDK which is one of my favorite flavors

Count to Infinity by socksasgloves | Rated T | Post-canon | BKDK

The completion of the holy trinity with more Post-canon goodness because it's what I crave on a cold night

The night we decided to be brave by Albipepo | Rated E | BKDKBK | Accidental parents

I love this one so much, I hated both of them for being stupid half of the time but it's so so worth it

i'm not myself when i'm without you by YunaTuna | Rated M (but I would rate it E) | Possesive BKDK

This one is so interesting and dark, I'm obsessed with possessive Deku and this hits all the right marks and more

And the world went still by Saiyasha | Rated E | BKDK | (temporary) Mayor Character Death | Established relationship

GUT-WRENCHING, this one hits so hard, I nearly died, but it thankfully has a happy ending

Kacchan vs the Internet by palavering | Rated T | Soc Med

This one is not complete but read it read it please it's so good, and the social media aspect is so peak, like I can rave for hours on how well the author uses CSS

Baby Bottles and Blushing Faces by derDschungelderRosen | Rated T

Baby Project is a classic but I adore this take on the idea so much, plus it's hilarious

keep the rain by gheemin | Rated T | Post-canon

I adore how introspective this one is, it also overwhelmed me with feels

Fake it, 'till you make it. by Princess_ofPizza | Rated M| Charades

Drinking games are always bad ideas, unless you're bkdk in which case carry on

Inhibitionless by Sonday | Rated E | Quirk shenanigans

Horny quirks are the best

You Had Me From the Start by bellbloom | Rated E| BKDK| Artist x Bartender AU

As an artist myself Artist!Izuku scratches an itch I didn't know I had

A Starving Artist's Success by StevieBanks | Rated M | BKDK | Artist x Fashion designer AU

Which is why I have two fics with artist Deku, also kind of a meet-cute

Unraveled by omicroncet | Rated M | BKDK |

Three words; sleep deprived Izuku

One-shots:

love in the making by Kacchdeku | Rated G | Post-Canon | BKDK

Third-wheel Kota is the best

Sturdy Heart by lurethegalaxy | Rated T | Post-canon| Established Relationship

Angsty but so so so good

pacemaker by passengerside | Rated T | Post-war | Canon-compliant

The pacemaker scene has me dead, ascending, AND there's art?!!

The Eight Years Between by Loriqod | Rated T | Post-canon | Established relationship

I love when fics fill in the gaps of the canon content

Embers by UglyGreenJacket | Rated T | Post-canon | angst with a happy ending | Established relationship

My poor baby Izuku needs a hug, thankfully Katsuki is there to give it to him

king of hearts by nikkiRA | Rated E | Quirk shenanigans

This quirk is so creative and cute and I love that it also includes their other classmates reactions

crepe date by isidium | Rated T | Fluff

'Cause we all think about that one crepe comment Izuku made one (1) time and so does Katsuki

chasing the rabbit by mimiwrites | Rated T | Amnesia

Even more Quirk shenanigans because those are always so fun

love is a labour (i'll slave til the end) by nikkiRA| Rated E| Omegaverse| DKBK

I love LOVE Omega! Katsuki and you can take him from my cold dead hands

Talk After Talk by beanbeanrose | Rated T | Post-war

This is just them talking but i love it so much

GG by MajestyTime | Rated T | Crack treated seriously

This one is all over the place but in a good way, it played off as a laugh but it has a very interesting what-if scenario

If I'm Being Honest by Queen_of_the_Otakus | Rated M | Truth serum (kinda)

Forced truth situations are so funny because it's never that deep but everyone still freaks out

Thanks for reading!!! Hope you guys like the fics I chose

[lewismcqueen]

stowaway.

jedi!lh44 x pilot!reader

summary: A survivor of Order 66, Lewis has been running for most of his life. That is, until he decides to sneak onto the wrong ship. wc: 4k-ish cw: canon-compliant war crimes...? implied violence (this is star wars babe), open ending if you squint. author may have inaccurately remembered the star wars timeline a/n: this was super fun to write!! i'm turning this in like an hour before may 4th ends in my timezone like a late assignment lol. the angst was extra fun because the amount of angst depends on how much you know about star wars. may the 4th be with you and all that

You dust off your jacket, stretching your limbs after the last of the cargo is on board. The lasat you had picked it up from tried to tell you what exactly was in it, but you raised a hand to stop him; you didn’t need or want to know. Too much information made it easier to end up in an interrogation room. You were about to get the ship ready for takeoff when a sudden CLANG! sounded in the hallway. You spun on your heel towards the source of the noise. It came from inside one of the storage rooms.

Could be another stray lothcat, or something falling, but you didn’t wanna take your chances. With slow, deliberate steps, you inch your way towards the door, keeping a hand on the holster resting on your hip. 

-

Lewis sat in the back corner of the dark cantina, scarfing down a channelfish sandwich with relish. It was rare that he could scrounge up enough credits for anything fancier than roasted vegetable stalks in a to-go carton, but the peddler that passed by him in the alleyway had just so happened to be woefully unobservant, and had had quite the heavy load dangling from his back pocket. The guy was practically asking for it, really. Lewis kept the rest of the remaining credits in a leather pouch tied to his hip beneath his cloak, which had been patched and mended so many times that it was hardly recognizable as the garb of a former padawan. 

He didn’t deserve to be one anymore.

She had told him to run. That everything would be alright, because it was only a few clones who had only blasters while the Force was with her, and would be with him as well. So run, and she’d find him. As she stood with her saber leveled in defense as the soldiers closed in on their camp, his master’s eyes had been kind. So kind. But it was a sad sort of kindness, a look that spelled imminent defeat.

But Lewis had done what he was told. He had run. And he’d been running ever since.

He now lived a life so very far off from the warm quarters and smooth floors of the Jedi Temple, one soaked with freezing rain that muddied his boots whenever he couldn’t find a proper nook or cranny to hide in. He was getting older—nineteen years now—and fewer of those would hide him. That also meant less sympathy from otherwise kind strangers who would’ve taken pity on a smaller boy earlier on. 

Lewis finished off the last of his meal, wiping his fingers off on his cloak before putting his hood up and braving the chill of Lothal nights. The desert planet was no place for a boy from Coruscant, but he’d have to make do until he found another…

There. In the distance. A ship. 

The entrance was unmanned, the ramp still lowered. He watched as a small figure in the distance appeared to be pushing large boxes of…whatever was in there…onto the hold. Meaning, they were preoccupied. Now was his chance.

With quiet steps, a strategy that he still remembered from his training days, Lewis boarded the craft. It was small, but not pitiful. Likely a smuggler’s ship. Still, he would only have a few seconds to select a hiding spot before he was caught, and he wasn’t exactly prepared to get into another blaster fight after losing his borrowed one in a spat with a very unhappy pilot. Scanning the interior, his eyes eventually landed on a nearby storage closet that seemed to be unlocked. Perfect.

Lewis smacked the button that made the door slide open and slipped inside, letting it close automatically. 

Now, you’d think that with the Force being strong with him and whatnot, he would’ve sensed the pile of crates that he was backing into. But alas, he was out of practice, and almost let out a very un-stealthy yelp when a crate of overripe fruit came crashing down over his head. He had heard footsteps in the distance, which immediately went quiet.

Oh, he was so fucked.

-

“Look, I can explain!”

You had your blaster pointed mere inches away from the boy’s face. He looked close to your age with a tan complexion and closely cropped hair, like he’d just shaved it all off haphazardly the way stormtroopers did. But he didn’t seem to have any weapons on his hip. Still, there could be some hidden away beneath that nasty-looking cloak that reeked of mildew and sweat. One of the fruit crates seemed to have broken near or on his head, bits of splintered wood and pieces of fruit littering his clothes where his shoulders were. The sight would’ve been funny if it didn’t mean he’d just cost you several weeks’ worth of extra food.

“Take that off,” you ordered, your nose wrinkling. He quickly obeyed, revealing nothing but a boring beige tunic and a small pouch hanging from the belt tied around it. You narrowed your eyes. “That too.”

Picking pieces of fruit pulp out of his hair, he looked down at where your blaster was pointed. His eyes grew large. “But I need—”

“You need a hole in your skull? Empty those pockets, then I want your hands back up. No funny business.”

The young man pouted (pouted!) and untied the pouch, tossing it at your feet. It made a clinking sound as you kicked it to the side—credits. Hm. If your run was delayed because of him, you might have to keep these.

He kept his hands raised just as you’d instructed, and you could see that they were trembling. Face slick with sweat and looking gaunt, this kid seemed miserable. And most likely harmless. But anyone could look docile while staring down the barrel of a weapon. You weren’t sure exactly how to proceed.

“Okay, so…talk. What are you doing stowing away on my ship?”

He blinked, then began in a clipped accent that suggested he wasn’t from around here. “W-well, I had just gotten something to eat finally, and I was thinking I’d try to get back home—”

“I don’t need your life story, boy,” you interrupted coarsely, making him flinch. “I need to know why you’re on my ship.”

“I just…need to get off this planet. I’m from Coruscant, originally.”

Ah, a city kid. Must be lost. Explains the accent.

You paused, weighing your options. Coruscant was on the path to your destination anyhow. If this kid was lying, you could just throw him overboard. It didn’t seem like he had anyone of significance that would look for him.

You raised your blaster back up to his face, somewhat enjoying the way that he visibly tensed. “Get up. Slowly.”

He did, legs trembling with the action and hands still raised. You backed up just enough to give the boy space to exit the storage room before poking the end of your weapon into his back, urging him forward towards the front.

Before you could move on with your own mini interrogation, the stern voice of an imperial officer called out from the bottom of the ramp leading into the ship.

“Hello? Anyone up there? Er, this ship has been selected for a random search. Please prepare to be boarded.”

Fuck.

Had your new guest not held you up, you might’ve taken off by now. For a moment, you considered just shooting him yourself before you were inevitably arrested for smuggling illegal contraband off-planet. Instead though, you took a deep breath and hoped for the best. Better to not act brash and make things worse.

“Hands down, but no sudden movements,” you hissed into the boy’s ear. “I’ll handle this.”

He nodded and slowly lowered his hands. You holstered your blaster, putting on your most polite smile before moving in front of him to greet the officer, who was flanked by two stormtroopers with weapons drawn.

The man had the same severe face and sallow, pale skin as all the rest of them, wearing the same stiff black uniform stamped with the Imperial insignia that seemed to mold his body into a rigid, upright posture. Vacant grey eyes stared back at you, more or less uninterested in you so much as he was interested in meeting arrest quotas or collecting a hefty fine.

“Good morning officer,” you spoke clearly and pleasantly, “We landed here yesterday to visit family. Just passing through.”

The man gave you an unconvinced look, then pressed past you and the boy. He turned to one of the stormtroopers. “Check the cargo hold.”

You tensed, struggling to come up with some sort of excuse that might hinder them.

“Most of it’s fruit, if you’re wondering.”

The officer continued walking without sparing you a second glance. “I wasn’t. That’s quite a bit of fruit for one trip, miss.”

“Yeah,” you laughed nervously, “They’re for my father-in-law. Loves his dragonfruit!”

You turned to the stowaway, who looked like he was about to soil his pants as he watched the men push further down the hallway. When you caught his eye you jerked your head towards them, urging him to follow you in tailing behind.

With the men surrounding one of the hovering metal containers of god-knows-what, you were sure that your heart was actually now beating in your throat instead of your chest. You tried your best to school your expression into a neutral one that would give nothing away. 

The officer lifted his chin, looking you dead in the eyes. “Go on, then. Open it.”

You gave him a tight-lipped smile in return. “Of course!”

“Don’t dilly-dally, we haven’t got all day,” he snapped when he noticed you intentionally dragging your feet.

“Ah, wait. I’ll open it!”

You froze. The boy had somehow appeared next to the cargo while you weren’t looking, the stealthy fucker. He beamed at the officer and both stormtroopers with a sudden confidence that made you nervous. Mentally, you prepared yourself to run. This was usually the moment when people—even your own former crew—tended to sell you out. It wasn’t like you didn’t understand, though. The reward for turning in illegal smugglers was quite handsome.

You thought the boy might just open the thing, or suddenly point the finger at you and make his escape that way. Instead, he slowly brought his hand up. 

He waved it in the air with a practiced grace akin to a theatre performance, and spoke clear as day, “You do not need to check this cargo.”

You groaned internally. Great, he wants to play games. Now the both of us are going to jail.

But then, something miraculous happened. The officer’s expression seemed to relax, as did the stance of both stormtroopers. He repeated, “We do not need to check this cargo. You’re free to go.”

The man spun on his heels and marched in the opposite direction, guards in tow. Mouth slightly agape, you watched their figures retreat down the hallway. You then turned back to the boy, who looked surprised at himself.

“I can’t believe that actually worked,” he breathed. You made brisk steps toward him, making him jump. “Wait, please don’t—”

“What are you?” you asked, scanning his face suspiciously as if you’d find the answer there. 

The boy’s tongue darted out to wet chapped lips. “I’m, uh…well, I can use the Force. Sometimes.”

You were ready to call bullshit. The Jedi were long gone by now, either dead or in hiding. They might as well have been a mere legend. But then…what the hell was that magic trick he did? Did he have secret connections to some distant higher-up, or did they just find him particularly charming? You crossed your arms, trying your best to look stern.

“Well, whatever that was—and I don’t believe you, by the way—it seems we’re both goin’ the same way. Lay low, help out around here, and I’ll drop you off. Are we understood?”

The boy’s face slowly lit up as he registered his luck. He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes ma’am!”

You rolled your eyes as you turned to go back inside. “And don’t call me ‘ma’am’, I’m hardly twenty-two yet.”

Once you were back in the sky, the boy told you that his name was Lewis. When asked if he still had parents, he looked uncertain. Said his mother sent him off to “finishing school”, and that he hasn’t seen her since. She was probably waiting for him on Coruscant, he’d said. You didn’t have the heart to tell him not to get his hopes up.

It didn’t seem to matter whether you spared him or not, because as soon as he saw the new Imperial Palace overhead, you watched the hope in his eyes die slowly. You gave him a sympathetic look from the pilot seat.

“Still wanna check? She might still be—”

“No.”

You sighed. “Well, I’m sorry. But I can’t keep givin’ you joyrides. I’ve got cargo to deliver.”

Lewis lifted his chin, determined. “I’m good with tinkering, fixing things. I don’t eat much either. Take me with you.”

“As in…part of my crew?” you asked skeptically. He began speaking pragmatically, like a diplomat.

“You saw me back there, I’m useful. I’ll keep quiet when you ask. Can’t imagine it’d be easier to run a tight ship all on your own.”

You were silent for a moment, staring out into the night sky. With nothing else to lose, Lewis was unlikely to suddenly turn on you anytime soon. And if he wasn’t lying about the weird Jedi powers, you might have more leverage here than you initially thought. The bounty for turning in a Jedi was higher than that for both treasonists and smugglers combined. It seemed like a fair trade.

“Fine,” you nodded curtly. “But you gotta burn that robe. It stinks. And get me new crates of food to make up for the mess you made.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now, what’d I say about callin’ me ma’am?”

-

Before long, the hollow sounds of whirring machinery were accompanied by the clink of mugs and sounds of tinkering. You eventually found out that it was one of Lewis’ favorite hobbies as the years passed by. Fixing things came to him as easy as breathing. 

It was a clear blue day, and you’d landed the ship in the middle of an empty abandoned field near an old communications tower that had long fallen out of use. Lewis was sat cross legged in front of one of the power generators with his toolkit beside him, doing his usual maintenance. The sight of him with furrowed brows and his bottom lip jutting out slightly in focus made a small grin spread across your face.

“I can sense you staring at me, y’know.”

You snorted, taking a rare sip of well-brewed tea. “Sure you can, oh great Jedi master.”

Lewis had begun growing his hair out, loose dark curls brushing his forehead. A forlorn look flickered across his face, but only for a brief moment. He smiled, shutting the generator closed before turning to you.

“We’re all good to fly. Feel like hitting the markets today?”

“Let’s hope we don’t get caught up in another blaster fight.”

“Wouldn’t mind seeing one from a distance, though. Today’s been so boring!”

You did, in fact, get caught up in another blaster fight. 

It was a lucky thing that you had pulled Lewis down beside you behind a fruit stand as soon as the shooting started. A gaggle of stormtroopers had been dispatched in a flurry of white, chasing after a raven-haired boy who zipped past them on a hovercraft, his orange jacket flying behind him. It wasn’t long before the chase led to a stand-off in the middle of the square, and the boy was joined by a group of assorted individuals that you could only half-see. Someone in green armor, another in bright pink and orange. Little bits and flashes of color. 

“Lewis, get down!” you hissed at him as he began to poke his head up over the stand.

He didn’t listen, his eyes glued to the scene unfolding in front of him. You heard a strange noise just then. It was faint beneath the din of yelling and disarray, but it was an electrical screech followed by a low fwoom sound. It sounded like a weapon being activated, one you didn’t recognize. All the more reason to escape as soon as possible.

Lewis’ eyes widened, and it felt like the entire marketplace grew still. 

Curiosity finally getting the better of you, you slide your goggles over your eyes and hesitantly peek over the stand. It was the person in green, a man with a complexion close to Lewis’ with brunette hair tied back into a ponytail. He had a holster on his hip, and wore no robe or tunic.

But he had a lightsaber.

You sucked in a breath, a chill running down your spine. But the Jedi are gone. Who could they have possibly trained all this time? Might be a fraud just showing off.

But then blaster shots began firing from the other side in a storm of red, and the man began spinning the bright green blade like nobody’s business. He parried every single one.

“Lewis,” you tugged frantically at his clothing. “We gotta get outta here. Now.”

After you pulled him away from the mess, he was quiet back onboard the ship. You observed him as he wiped down his pilot’s helmet, an old thing that he’d customized with smuggled paints. He had created intricate cloud-like patterns along the sides, bright yellow with bold black outlines.

You knelt down beside him and spoke softly, brushing back frizzy coils from your face. “Hey. You alright? You’re not usually this quiet.”

Lewis paused his cleaning, saying nothing for a moment. Then he turned to you and said quietly:

“Some of us are still out there. Fighting back.”

Us.

Lewis had never referred to himself as such when discussing The Jedi Order before. Though, he rarely spoke about The Order at all if he could help it. It made sense, considering you’d laughed him off the last time he’d brought up the Force, pretending that the idea still sounded completely ridiculous to you. You caught him meditating in his room sometimes, cross-legged on the bed with his eyes shut, still as a rock. Unsettlingly still. It was unclear now whether you had imagined it, but you thought you’d seen his helmet hovering in mid-air in front of him.

“You don’t know if that man was the real thing or not, though. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

And I’d hate to watch your hopes die again.

Lewis wouldn’t budge. “I know it was the real thing. I felt it.”

“Well…alright, but I wouldn’t—”

“He had a lightsaber!” he cried suddenly, his voice breaking at the end of the word. “You can’t even really turn one on unless you’re…y’know…”

He trailed off, staring back down at his helmet. You reached out and placed a gentle hand beneath his chin, lifting it so that he met your eyes. They were still as brown and owlish as the day you’d found him and had a blaster aimed at his face.

“Unless you’re…?”

“Strong in the Force,” he finished, then smiled sadly. “I was pretty close to getting my own.”

Your eyes widened. “So you trained at the temple.”

He nodded. 

“How did…” you stumbled for the right wording. “How did you make it out?”

Lewis’ expression darkened. “I’d rather not talk about it. Just…I’m just glad that I’m not the only one left.”

You brought your knees up to your chin, deep in thought. Lewis liked to be tight-lipped about where he came from, what life was like before hitching rides on ships. Before you. You’d only ever heard about Order 66 from a distance, through word of mouth and Imperial announcements of the decree. No one in your former crew or in the area knew any of the thousands of Jedi that perished that day. But Lewis? He was almost one of them. Guilt tugged at your chest at the idea that you’d once considered turning him in.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, you pinched his cheek. “You’re not gonna abandon ship to go join ‘em, are you? I still need someone to gather tea leaves for me.”

You felt him smile beneath your touch. But he didn’t answer.

-

It took you about a day to realize that Lewis had gone for good.

He had been distant in the weeks since that fateful conversation. Somewhere else. You caught him staring up at the sky longingly, as if there was something up there that you couldn’t see. You should’ve seen it coming, in retrospect, but that didn’t stop your lower lip from trembling when you finally barged into his room and realized his helmet wasn’t there anymore. The only thing left was his intercom, and his toolbox.

You should’ve known.

-

The day had finally come. You’d been caught. For smuggling actual fruit, no less.

The entire craft shook as soon as the TIE  fighters opened fire, and you could feel the vibrations in your teeth. You cursed beneath your breath as you gripped the wheel. Shields were down. One more hit and it was over. 

Just when it felt like you’d be sent hurtling back down to the surface in a ball of fire, the barrage of blasts stopped. A tower of smoke billowed past you as not one, but both TIE fighters were blasted out of the sky. 

Someone had just gotten rid of them for you. 

You looked up, and a shadow fell over your face as a ship ten times the size of yours loomed above. Your blood ran cold. The rounded symbol of a soaring phoenix was painted in white on its belly, and it finally dawned on you: you’d just been rescued by the rebellion.

-

The interior of the ship was a stark contrast to the cramped, messy lodgings you’d been occupying your whole life. It was all a sterile white, bustling with activity from pilots dressed in bright orange to robed, diplomatic-looking characters to armored captains and fighters. Your ship had been badly damaged by the chase, and a young woman in a slick bun had very candidly informed you that a warrant was out for your arrest, so you’d best lay low. 

She led you to an empty room, dark and cool with one mattress to rest on while you got your bearings. You sighed as you sank down onto it, wondering how in the hell you had ended up here. 

“Oh,” the woman stopped the door before it could close, “Seems like you’ve got a friend here. Someone’s come to see you. He’s the one that pointed out your ship.”

A friend in the rebellion…?

Sure, you’d taken part in some less-than-patriotic conversation amongst your old crew, but you doubted any of those cowards had it in them. You had no distant relatives who knew you were even alive. That left only one possibility. 

The doors slid open with a whoosh, and the helmeted figure of a man of medium height appeared in the frame. The helmet was bright yellow. He spoke your name in a muffled, soft voice that you recognized instantly.

A lump began to form in your throat as you rose hesitantly from the bed. “Lewis?”

Slowly, carefully, he removed his helmet. 

You almost didn’t recognize the young man—no, he might be in his early thirties by now. The fully grown man—standing in front of you. He had managed to grow a bit of a beard that looked well-groomed. His hair had been grown out even longer, braided into square sections and tied back into a ponytail. But those same round, scared eyes stared back at you. It couldn’t have been anyone else. 

You nearly knocked the man over, making him drop his helmet as you wrapped your arms around him, hot tears stinging your eyes. Lewis reciprocated the hug, and the extra strength in his arms surprised you. He’d put on a lot of muscle. Maybe too much muscle, you thought as the hug began to tighten.

“Lew…can’t breathe over here.”

He released you, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. “Sorry. I just really missed—ow! I said I was sorry!”

Lewis rubbed his shoulder where you’d just smacked him with full force. You crossed your arms.

“That’s for packing up and leaving me without so much as a goodbye note. I missed you too, but you’re an asshat.”

He lowered his head. “I know, I know. And I wanted to, but there was just no time. They told me it was now or never, essentially.”

Uncrossing your arms, you brought them up to cup his face with both hands. You let your thumb swipe over the roughness of his facial hair as you got a closer look at him. He had gotten his nose pierced, the little silver stud glinting in the light coming from the hallway. It was nearly small enough to miss. You steeled your eyes and gave Lewis a good, hard stare.

“I ain’t lettin’ you out of my sights again. You know that, right?”

He lifted an eyebrow, the corners of his lips twitching in a tiny smile. “Seemed like you were doing just fine without me.”

“Hm. True,” you brought his face closer to give him a light peck on the lips. “But I miss havin’ an errand boy.”

Lewis’ eyes flickered downwards before he leaned in to recapture your lips in a much deeper kiss. The longer you stood with your arms wrapping around his neck, the hungrier and more desperate it became. You felt your back press against the doorframe, Lewis’ body now flush against yours. It felt like an eternity had passed before he pulled away.

“I do a lot more than run errands now,” he said, panting to catch his breath. “But it’s included sometimes.”

You ran a hand lazily down his chest, still leaning on the doorway. “What are you doing now?”

“Well,” a proud grin softened his features. “We’re gonna blow up the Death Star.”

[cinematicnomad]

cinematicnomad's steddie fic recs

i've been reading a lot of stranger things steddie fics over the past 2 months so i've decided it's time for me to make one of my requisite fic reclists, both for myself, and for anyone else interested. here's my usual reminder that i prefer lengthy fics, and that i am also a sucker for canon divergent fics (which basically all of these are bc eddie is alive post s4 obviously unless it's a time loop fic—if i tag a fic as "canon divergent eddie lives", assume this means the fic is compliant through the end of s4 except for eddie's death) and happy endings. all these fics are complete, though it's possible that if the fic is part of a series the series may not be complete. i will try to always add appropriate tags!

T = teen M = mature Ex = explicit NR = not rated

bracing for impact by writersagainstwritersblock (1/1 | 9k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; wayne POV; steve has bad parents; outsider POV

wayne watches as eddie falls hopelessly in love, with of all people, goddamn steve harrington.

it's not a big deal by aidaronan (1/1 | 11k+ | M) canon divergent eddie lives; alternating POV; mutual pining; angst w/ a happy ending

eddie survives, but his entire life is locked away in the upside down forever (his books, his dnd stuff, his guitar.) everything that wasn't on eddie when steve carried him into the ER, gone. so naturally steve starts giving him things. handing eddie back those little outward markers of who he is.

you oughta know by thisapplepielife / @thisapplepielife (1/1 | 12k+ | M) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; future fic; angst w/ a happy ending

days stretch out, long and slow. steve tries to ignore the only thing he’s sure of: eddie ran. he ran from him, ran from all of them. or: steve's having a rough couple of years, thanks for asking. compliant fic: i'm brave, but i'm chicken shit (1/1 | 13k+ | M) eddie POV; eddie centric; 1990s; recreational drug use

introduced me to my mind by alchemystique (2/2 | 16k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; mutual pining; getting together; happy ending

"eddie," wayne says, and eddie fights the urge to scream, or laugh, or cry. "i'm not running," eddie tells him, even though that is a fucking lie. "you should call him more," wayne says, and eddie rubs the meat of his palm into his eyeballs until he sees stars. doesn’t think about what 'call him more' means in context—do they talk about him? series: sweet leaf (4/4 | 16k+ | T) outsider POVs; rockstar!eddie; period typical homophobia

steve harrington's guide to making it work by eggbertsheggbert (8/8 | 23k+ | NR) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; bad harrington parents; steve is kicked out; angst w/ a happy ending

steve harrington has never been good at asking for help. especially not since he started being seen as the protector of the group. so, when his parents kick him out after discovering his sexuality, he figures he can get extra shifts, save up, and get a place before anyone realizes anything is wrong. join steve as he takes on the weight of the world. he's got it figured out, he's definitely NOT struggling, and—above all else—he can make this work.

the power of love by lacerta26 (8/8 | 27k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; outsider POVs; series; post-canon; coming out

jim gets mostly to the end of the house and then someone speaks. "i came out here for a smoke," eddie, his voice low, hushed. "yeah, but this is much more fun," steve now, almost laughing but not quite. * jim had only stepped out for a cigarette when he learns something new about steve and eddie and if this was one of the boys bringing home a girl, he’d have the exact stern words to make sure they were being a gentleman but his usual shovel talk isn't quite going to cut it because he has to let them know it's fine, more than fine, for them to be who they are, here. 

hands where i can see them by SolarMorrigan / @solarmorrigan (12/12 | 29k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; multiple POV; established relationship; emotional hurt/comfort

eddie thinks that he and steve have a good thing going; being friends with benefits is honestly a pretty sweet deal. steve is a great friend, the sex is great, everything is great. except for the fact that steve hadn't realized they were only friends with benefits. except for the fact that steve thought they were in a relationship. except for the fact that eddie doesn't realize how much he'd valued that relationship until it's gone (and he's trying his damnedest to get it back).

it's alright if you love me by alivingfire (7/7 | 31k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; outsider POV; character study; 5+1; steve-centric; hurt/comfort

"oh, haven't you heard? steve harrington doesn't cry." in which steve harrington breaks up, breaks a few hearts (including his own), breaks free, and finally gets to break down. or: 5 times steve didn't cry, and 1 time he did.

off the beaten path by pukner (6/6 | 34k+ | M) canon divergent post s3; alternating POV; queer awakenings; cliffhanger ending (must read sequels)*

"i'm saying this," says steve, loudly, cutting him off, "because someone i love is, uh, gay. and i love them, but like, platonically. and also me calling you a queer might've been a little hypocritical, in retrospect." there is a long, baffled pause. "what," says jonathan, "steve, are you—are you coming out to me?" steve frowns, "oh, yeah, i guess i am. cool." or, post season 3, steve manages to figure out that he's bisexual, despite his best efforts to repress it, comes out to robin and jonathan byers of all people, and figures himself out. also, there's a cute guy who might be actually insane running the kids' dnd club and he's got his eye on him. and his bandana. too bad eddie munson hasn't had a similar revelation. he's still under the impression that he's a straight man obsessing over steve harrington for normal, extremely heterosexual reasons. OR: steve figures out he's bi before eddie figures out that he's gay. eddie still manages to fall first. series: *off-script (2/2 | 67k+ | Ex) eddie POV; internalized homophobia; mutual pining

a tattoo is worth a thousand words by writersagainstwritersblock (18/18 | 40k+ | M) canon divergent post s3; eddie POV; babysitter steve harrington; getting together

"ambidextrous, princess, it’s what makes me so good with my hands." eddie wiggled his fingers. "you mean for guitar?" steve asked, completely missing the innuendo, and also nearly knocking eddie flat at the thought that steve harrington knew he played guitar. "you stalking me or something?" eddie asked. steve frowned. "uh, no, but your band played in the middle school talent show, it's pretty hard to forget a thirteen year old screaming death metal before his voice dropped." eddie almost laughed at that. almost. "you saying i'm unforgettable, princess?" "if that’s how you want to take it, munson." eddie realized this was turning towards something far more dangerous than taunting a boy known for getting into fights, like flirting with a very, very straight boy known for getting into fights. OR after the events of season three steve shows up on eddie's doorstep asking for a tattoo... and then keeps showing up much to the dismay of eddie's traitorous heart. sequel: visible ink (12/12 | 57k+ | M) outsider POVs; firefighter!steve; tattoo artist!eddie; found family

the one in which a time loop is fucking exhausting. by badpancake (12/12 | 41k+ | T) canon compliant; time loop; steve POV; temporary character death; suicide; angst w/ a happy ending

it’s the first time in a while that he doesn’t know what comes next. he’s dove into the water hundreds of times. screamed as his flesh was torn apart, heard master of puppets in the distance and held back tears. felt max’s cold, small hand in his as she laid in the hospital bed. there are things that always happen, no matter how hard he tries: el doesn’t arrive in time. eddie dies. max is put in a coma. steve fails. they lose. "steve, how many loops have you been through?" his head is nodding, and his eyes are watery, and eddie has approached him like a spooked animal. "i lost count.” AKA: the one where steve harrington is stuck in a time loop, and eddie munson is really fucking hard to save, or: fuck volume 2, these bitches are in love.

steve the reluctant by rachtay13 (7/7 | 46k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; oblivious steve; steve plays dnd

robin raised her brows.  "you know what, harrington?" she nodded her head. "yeah, you know what? i dare you to make a friend. i dare you." read for steve in denial, excessive d&d gameplay, robin as a mermaid, and eddie's glinting rings. as one reader said "the most frustratingly dense version of steve i have ever read and i am HERE for it."

you're so fucked up and i love it by genericfanatic (18/18 | 54k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; eddie POV; accidental relationship; hurt/comfort

eddie munson hated steve harrington. he'd apparently saved his life, dragged him out of hell and got him to a hospital while nancy rushed behind him working on alibis and half truths to prove he couldn’t have murdered chrissy. and here he was, doomed to live for the foreseeable future, in debt forever to steve fucking harrington. but eddie really hated how normal steve fucking was.

where do we go from here? (quietly fading away) by allandmore (9/9 | 60k+ | M) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; angst w/ a happy ending; non-graphic violence

"what's scarier than saving the world? figuring out what to do afterwards. i get it," eddie turns on his side, one shoulder on the wall, and grips the front of steve's shirt. His face is so close steve can feel the warmth of his breath. "but we've got time now. right, steve? we bought us all time. time to figure all our shit out. isn’t that what matters?" OR steve harrington struggles to find purpose after the upside down. (but maybe purpose doesn't have to be big. maybe it's helping dustin navigate sophomore year. maybe it's reminding robin to send in college admission letters. maybe it's eddie munson. maybe).

star of the masquerade by glorious_spoon (6/6 | 64k+ | M) canon compliant; eddie POV; time loop; temporary character death; angst w/ a happy ending

steve jerks awake, sitting up so quickly that robin almost topples over and staring wildly around the room. when his gaze lands on eddie, he blanches visibly. "oh, shit," he mutters. "come on, no. come on. not again." "harrington?" eddie asks slowly. he does not love the way that steve is staring at him right now. he really doesn’t. steve looks like he’s staring at a ghost, a bloodied monster, like eddie is something that should not exist in the light of day. "you good, dude?"

one size fits all by entanglednow (10/10 | 65k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; fake/pretend relationship; misunderstandings; slow burn

steve just wanted to do something nice for a friend, he doesn't mean to get eddie's ring stuck on his finger, and it's definitely not his fault that everyone he knows is jumping to conclusions.

renegades (leave a light on) by queerofthedagger (13/13 | 66k+ | Ex) canon divergent s2; eddie POV; road trip; slow burn; strangers to lovers

eddie doesn't expect to get into trouble for his recent drug business, although he probably should have. even less does he expect steve harrington of all people to save his sorry ass with a nail bat that looks awfully at home in his hands. least of all, though, does he expect harrington to insist on skipping town for a while to avoid the fallout. the winter holidays of '84 seem intent on proving him wrong on all fronts. thrown into a spontaneous road trip-slash-cut-and-run to san francisco—just until things back home blow over, munson—eddie has all the time in the world to confront such questions as: why would harrington care to help him? why does he wake up from nightmares more often than not? and, maybe most importantly, why is the former king so ready to leave hawkins behind on a whim? or: idiot boys make impulsive idiot decisions, and along the way—reluctantly but inevitably—they fall in love. a story of endless winter streets, finding family, and leaving home to find a new one.

falling without caution (people watching) by super_skam310 (10/10 | 66k+ | NR) canon divergent eddie lives; eddie POV; slow burn; eventual happy ending

steve harrington is a man that demands your attention; whether your give it willingly or not is inconsequential. eddie's camp tended to be in the latter category. OR eddie's borderline obsessive watching of steve spanning from steve's freshman year to season 4, culminating in the unfortunate realization that the king had been dethroned the moment nail bat hit monster flesh and that maybe steve harrington was lovable all along.

in the margins by foxy_mulder (4/4 | 70k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; angst w/ a happy ending; suicidal thoughts; hurt/comfort

steve is having a hard time adjusting to the new normal, after everything that went down. he doesn't want to bother his friends with his problems, though, when they've got so much weight on their shoulders already. steve stumbles on an alternate version of hawkins, where none of it ever happened. everyone’s alive, his headaches are gone, his friends actually want to hang out with him, and he’s…happy. (the party has to fight another monster. but this one doesn't prey on people's fears. it preys on their deepest desires.)

skull rock era by chattrekisses (11/11 | 71k+ | Ex) canon divergent s2; steve POV; slow burn; internalized homophobia; fix-it

steve harrington never planned for eddie munson. steve was supposed to marry his high school sweetheart, have 2.5 children, and take over the family business. he was supposed to live a blissful life on a nondescript cul-de-sac, complete with a white picket fence and a closet full of tasteful polo shirts. he was supposed to make a graceful transition between being the golden boy and being the american dream. mediocrity was what destiny had designed for steve. reality had other plans. (or, steve and eddie, against all odds, fall in love.)

roll for seduction by spikeisthebigbad (37/37 | 74k+ | Ex) canon divergent post s3; steve POV; steve plays dnd; fix-it

when steve reluctantly agreed to play dungeons and dragons with the hellfire club he expected to hate every second. he did not expect to spend his friday nights flirting with eddie munson. what if eddie and steve were dating during season 4? starts after season 3, and eventually ventures into season 4. not canon compliant.

in over my head by staymagical (16/16 | 75k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; alternating POV; head trauma; temporary amnesia

one moment, steve is entering his room, ready for bed, and the next he's in forest hills staring at a very confused very concerned eddie and the run-down remains of the old munson trailer. three hours later. thus begins a secret shared between friends, steve leaning on eddie as they try and understand and navigate this new terrifying post-concussion symptom of steve's. with vecna dead and the gates closed, it can only be steve's own scrambled brain giving up on reality. it's a race against the unknown, trying to find answers and search for solutions before it happens again and steve isn't sure how long he can keep pretending he is alright when he is anything but.

leave the light on sometimes all night by anniebibananie (7/7 | 78k+ | M) au—no upside down; steve POV; hurt/comfort; slow burn; eventual smut

june 1986 steve is lonely. he’s always been lonely, honestly. an empty house, absent parents, friends that didn’t really know him. frankly, he probably doesn’t really know himself, either. it used to be easier to ignore—between sports and parties and searching for the next girl to hang around with. then nancy wheeler told him he was bullshit. in the wreckage of the storm, he realized she probably hadn’t been that off base to call his life bullshit. [life in hawkins, indiana is boring, ordinary, no supernatural entities. steve still changes. luckily, he still makes some new friends, too. certain people are simply meant to be in the same story.]

the lathe by palmviolet (13/13 | 82k+ | M) canon compliant; steve POV; time loop; fix-it; angst w/ a happy ending; implied self-harm

"this time, do it right. this time eddie won’t bleed out in his arms, in anyone’s arms. this time, steve will do it right." — or, steve relives the day they try to kill vecna over and over, and eddie just can't seem to stop dying. steve finds this totally unacceptable. sequel: disaster / lucky (1/1 | 7k+ | M) coda; eddie POV; implied/referenced self-harm; trauma recovery

it's got what it takes by rose235b (20/20 | 83k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; friends to lovers; slow burn

“i can walk you to your car if you need to go though.” eddie’s hand stopped moving. robin’s eyes snapped towards steve as if it wasn’t a nice thing to offer. “i’ll just maybe grab the vest so i can leave it for tomorrow.” he was undeterred though. if he could help eddie munson after the worst period of his life by literally just walking, steve would walk across the entire state of indiana. eddie looked back at him, his eyes narrowing slightly as he seemed to search for something on steve’s face. “okay.” it came out softer than steve was used to eddie being. steve's on his never ending quest to make up for past mistakes. eddie's post-vecna mess of a life seems like the perfect place to start. - or, two idiots fall in love very slowly to the tune of 80s music.

(something happens and i'm) head over heels by gibbouslunation (11/11 | 94k+ | T) canon divergent eddie lives; alternating POV; head trauma; angst w/ a happy ending

eddie made a strangled disbelieving noise, expression flickering. "you are not apologizing to me right now, for like, feeling a normal way about stuff. i can’t believe you." steve pushed a shaking hand through his hair. his heart rate no longer in his ears meant he felt he could at least think a little more clearly. "maybe it was the heat. doesn’t always have to be something messed up, right?" eddie gave him a placating nod. "sure, heat exhaustion is a helluva thing." it had been happening a lot recently. the…forgetting. zonking out. whatever. he was pretty sure he was just extra exhausted, it had been a few weeks since everything but it might have just been the adrenaline or something finally wearing off. sometimes it was like he just forgot someone was speaking, or couldn’t remember for a moment what they’d been talking about. like blinking out of a fog maybe. it does not get better, in fact, it actually continues to get worse.

water closet by stillmadaboutpetra (7/7 | 103k+ | M) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; found family; slow burn; character study

steve's heard that a lot of life changing conversations usually happen in the kitchen or on the porch, but in his experience, it's the bathroom. a series of bathroom conversations (plus a whole lot of everything else) that slowly change steve, and his little world, in the wake of surviving vecna.

burned on the pyre by oklahoma (13/13 | 105k+ | Ex) canon compliant; steve POV; time loop; temporary character death; angst w/ a happy ending

"i’m gonna save your life, eddie munson." - caught in a time loop created by eleven where he is forced to relive the same day over and over, steve has to come up with a plan to kill vecna entirely while also making sure eddie and max don’t lose their lives in the process.

the beat has just begun by forgetthemoon (12/12 | 106k+ | M) canon compliant; steve POV; period-typical homophobia; fix it; slow burn

vecna dies. so does eddie. the world doesn't split open. in the aftermath, steve goes home to an empty house. well. almost empty. steve sighs, hanging his head. one more thing. then he can go to bed. the dirty towel can wait until later. he tosses it towards the bathtub without looking and turns to the sink, grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste. when he looks in the mirror, eddie's staring back at him.

lonely is the night by intrajanelle (23/23 | 109k+ | T) canon divergent post s2; canon rewrite; eddie POV; hurt steve; angst w/ a happy ending

harrington had fallen, splayed in front of his preppy little beemer, like the jock equivalent of a fallen fucking angel. eddie, not having thought this through, watched harrington’s eyes roll to the back of his head, and said, "well, crap." or: post-season 2, eddie and steve get to know one another.

i can give you a heartbeat by soupbitchin (14/14 | 113k+ | T) canon compliant; eddie POV; ghost!eddie; happy ending; fix-it

being dead isn’t like eddie thought it would be. for starters, he’s a lot more alive than he expected. or, the ghost of eddie munson’s still hanging around, and he’d really appreciate if someone could notice him, thanks.

the end is here (and we do it a hundred times over) by placebythering (13/13 | 125k+ | M) canon compliant; steve POV; time loop; temporary death; suicide; angst w/ a happy ending

steve jolts awake, staring up into the dull beige of the camper’s ceiling. there’s a distinct brown stain, likely from a leak. the cushion of the back seat is hard against his back, and if he strains he could hear yelling and laughing from the outside. he wonders if he’s finally lost his fucking mind. —or, steve relives the day of the end over and over again.

caught in the middle, helpless again by margosfairyeye (14/14 | 131k+ | Ex) canon compliant; eddie POV; time loop; angst w/ a happy ending; canon-typical violence

fuck, eddie has been here before. the deja vu was bad enough but this is like, double, this is like deja deja vu or deja vu vu or something, this is unprecedented shit here. and eddie knows what comes next, knows like the roiling ache in his stomach that they’re going to go in, go though the portal and into the upside fucking down and didn’t they already do this? -- -- eddie loops through the time from lover's lake to his death, over and over again.

blood, love, and rhetoric by sourpastels / @lesbiansidney (18/18 | 143k+ | M) canon compliant; alternating POV; eddie lives; canon typical violence; accidental roommates

eddie believes three core things about the art of performance. 1. all the world's a stage. 2. performance is both a weapon and a shield, he wields it as both. and 3. you can’t act death. to quote stoppard: “it’s not gasps and blood and falling about—that isn’t what makes it death. it’s just a man failing to reappear, that’s all…” and eddie had gasped and bled and fell about, and was foolish enough in that moment to believe that was death. but he forgot a crucial step: he reappeared. or: steve is taking it day by day, flitting between the high school and the hospital and hopper’s cabin, locking any thoughts of eddie munson away at the back of his mind. meanwhile, eddie is just trying to get out of the upside down, with nothing but a nail-shield and the world's worst company.

sleight of hand by smithereen (19/19 | 143k+ | Ex) canon divergent post s2; alternating POV; internalized homophobia; slow burn

steve needs a weed dealer. he gets a bit more than that. (this is an AU set a couple months after the snow ball in season 2.)

take the money and run by thisapplepielife / @thisapplepielife (22/22 |143k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; alternating POV; road trip; getting together; future fic

"rules. like, there’ll be no eating in my car. you're not driving my car. no heavy metal," steve keeps listing, "you’re not picking up women and fucking them in m—" "i'll try to control myself," eddie interrupts with a quip, a smirk. fucking girls in steve’s car, or anywhere else for that matter, isn’t going to be an issue, unless something pretty fundamental shifts in him. steve continues, completely ignoring eddie, "you’ll wipe your feet. you're not dragging dirt all over my car. no hitchhikers. no cutesy road games. no smoking in the car. i'm not paying for all the gas." "ass, gas or grass, got it," eddie says, like he's taking this very seriously. he is not taking this seriously. or: road trip!

if your heart surrenders by asbealthgn (39/39 | 163k+ | Ex) canon divergent pre-s1; alternating POV; slow burn; secret relationship; angst w/ a happy ending

“that one’s on the house, okay?” eddie says, and steve opens his eyes to look back down at him. on his face is the slightest hint of concern, and something else steve can’t place. he’s still holding his hand. "thank you," steve says. he’s not sure exactly which thing he’s thanking eddie for, the weed or the hand in his or the lack of judgment at his fucked up head. he just knows that he’s grateful. eddie gives him a smile, a gentle curve of those pretty lips. "anytime, harrington."

tuesday's gone with the wind by thisapplepielife / @thisapplepielife (9/9 | 184k+ | Ex) alternate universe – no upside down; eddie POV; rock band; drug use; plane crash

corroded coffin's leased plane went down on june 13th, 1995 in the woods of louisiana. ten people on board died. eddie munson survived. before he survived, he really lived. companion series: wildflowers...and all the rest (15/15 | 151k+ | Ex) gareth POV; original female character; one shots; growing old; slice of life

gossip by jcmadgirl (11/11 | 213k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; pre-canon; sexual assault; angst w/ a happy ending

steve's whole life story, told through multiple snapshots of the events that made him into the person that he is today. or, a rewriting of stranger things from steve's POV.

i never did believe in miracles (but i've a feeling it's time to try) by cuoredimuschio (26/26 | 215k+ | M) canon divergent eddie lives; multiple POV; slow burn; mutual pining; getting together

eddie is beginning to think that, somewhere in the helter-skelter of surviving the upside down, being swarmed by possibly rabid but definitely rancid demobats, and charbroiling vecna’s slimy ass, he accidentally tripped through the wrong gate and landed in an alternate dimension. well, a different alternate dimension than the one he was already in. because steve harrington is flirting with him.

vignettes of lost connections by hardlyhalcyon (halcyonfrost) (50/50 | 229k+ | Ex) canon divergent pre-s1; alternating POV; secret relationship; angst w/ a happy ending

steve harrington and eddie munson had met long before dustin henderson dragged steve down to reefer rick's cabin. hawkins wasn't a huge town, and there was only the one high school, but the two were never friends. didn't even like each other. in all their darkest moments however, they somehow found company together. or the one where steve has depression, eddie becomes his safe space, and when eddie encounters battles he can't fight, steve reminds eddie of his own strength. a pre-/peri-/post-s4 fic with steddie before s4 events, continuing through and after.

as the world falls down by daeneryske (36/36 | 245k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; steve POV; bad harrington parents; period typical homophobia; angst w/ a happy ending

after saving eddie from the upside down, steve hides him at his house while the party concocts a plot to clear eddie's name. what steve doesn't expect is how much he likes hanging out with eddie as they get to know each other. under the looming shadow of the mind flayer threatening to destroy hawkins, steve and eddie realize they're each grappling with their own darkness, from steve's father's impossible expectations to eddie's feelings of worthlessness. their friendship develops into something more even as the party prepares to fight Vecna and his monsters one last time. steve must decide if he's ready to shrug off the rigid roles assigned to him and become his own person. eddie must learn to embrace what steve has been trying to show him every day since nearly dying: that he's worth saving.

nothing else matters by bigskyandthecoldgun (31/31 | 279k+ | Ex) canon divergent post s2; steve POV; secret relationship; period typical attitudes; everybody lives

"you ask a lot of questions about me," steve tells him. "because you're interesting," munson says, quiet and honest. "you're a lot different than what i've heard." steve hums, eyes closed. "yeah," he says, eyes fluttering open when munson takes the joint from him again, "you are, too." or: steve ditches the prom to get high.

since you've gone (i've been lost without a trace) by steddieeddie (7/7 | 300k+ | M) canon divergent s4; multiple POV; comatose steve; grief; angst w/ a happy ending

may 31st 1986, two weeks until graduation. robin, eddie, and nancy are all set to walk across the stage, eddie being given a free pass after the whole ‘almost framed for murder’ thing. the three have been trying to be excited about their graduation, but it feels almost mundane to be excited when steve wouldn’t be there. they would be sat out on a football field in the blistering heat while waiting for their names to be called, with dustin and max in the crowd, cheering them on in steve's place. there would be fake smiles plastered to all their faces, no matter how realistic they tried to make them. none of them have genuinely smiled since steve got vecna'd. sixty-five days. steve had been in a coma for sixty-five days. the doctors keep telling the party that it doesn't look good, that steve's injures had been severe, and that they didn't know if, when, he would wake up. but they refused to lose hope. he'll wake up. it's just a matter of time. OR five times steve harrington didn't wake up, and one time he did.

the most dangerous thing (is to love you) by brokebeatle (21/21 | 304k+ | Ex) canon divergent eddie lives; alternating POV; shared trauma; slow burn; period typical homophobia  

"i know you care about what those little twerps think of you, and i can assure you they think way too highly of you," eddie says with a wink, and steve gives a half-hearted smirk for just a moment. "but look…i know i can’t ask you to stop worrying about those kids, so how about this? you worry about them, and you let me—actually let me—worry about you." steve pushes his hair back, and yet again, gravity instantly pulls it back down, since he’s looking at his feet. "…i don’t need anyone to worry about me." "too fucking bad. someone’s gotta do it, and it’s gonna be me." "why?" steve replies with a raspy laugh, shaking his head slowly. "why? why." eddie crosses his arms tightly across his chest, knocking his foot into steve’s again with a bit more strength. "because we’re friends, dipshit." —in which eddie's got a reason he's been planning on leaving hawkins since long before the world almost ended. the only thing keeping him in town at this point? his promise to be friends with steve harrington. and eddie doesn't break promises.

the man that i could be by ohstars (26/26 | 325k+ | Ex) canon divergent post s3; steve POV; secret relationship; period typical homophobia; angst w/ a happy ending

"steve harrington isn't straight. it's been a few weeks since he sat on that bathroom floor at starcourt with robin, where she shared her biggest secret with him and unintentionally unlocked an entirely new side of steve. since he’s had to come to terms with being open to exploring that side of him, but he's finally acknowledged that he's most likely, definitely, without a doubt into guys." -- after coming to terms that he may be queer, steve harrington does a little exploration on his own and meets the one and only eddie munson. just as things are going well and accepted the fact he's falling for eddie in their own little bubble, steve's world is shaken by a tragedy he can't quite talk about. and when the dust settles and he's nearly ready to put the pieces back together, his worlds collide when he realizes his eddie is the same eddie playing D&D with the kids. the same eddie who's now wanted for murder thanks to another upside down monster. how will he save the day when he can barely focus watching his ex mingle with his monster fighting team? series: the men we've become (4/4 | 45k+ | M) future fics; alternating POVs; domestic living

[r-inijhinix]

Jegulus WIP Fanfic Recs bc you can never have enough of those <3

The Trial of Regulus Black by moscovitz | Explicit | Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

- Regulus turns himself in for being a Death Eater and for the murder of Evan Rosier. Trial shenanigans ensue, which James Potter, Sirius Black, and just about the rest of the world are privy to. So that's really fun. Especially because the past comes to bite them. This shit's SO GOOD guys. The angst is fucking beautiful but there's some wholesome stuff too. Love the writing, and it's so creative

I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground by ThisLiminalSpace | Explicit | Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

- Hogwarts fic! Regulus is there for the first couple years, Shit Happens, but then he gets transformed into a werewolf and sent to Beuxbatons. Where he not so coincidentally is chosen to compete for the Triwizard tournament. Y'all the plot is so fucking crazy and I'm obsessed. And the author's style is so distinct and poetic, it's BEAUTIFUL. Don't get me started on Evan in this fic. He's literally my boy

the first day of death by rweoutofthewoods | Explicit | Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

- James Potter is raised a muggle and goes to kill himself the same day Regulus Black embarks to destroy the first Horcrux. They meet on a cliff side and everything changes. Such beautiful characterizations and relationships. Everything is turned on its head yet so right. And the action scenes action scene so well. Kinda canon compliant kinda not

once every few lifetimes by cozypancakes | Explicit | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

- You got the Black's and Death Eater's tryna use Regulus, James Potter working against this and using his James Potter magic, and a shit load of Regulus scheming. And the Triwizard tournament to back. The writing in this is so smart babes. The plot is like rollercoaster diving and I'm a sucker for every pov and relationship. The Skittles are so precious to me

Blood of the Brother by MiriamMT | Explicit | Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

- This one is just really fucking cool. Like, Regulus is an assassin, James was his target. Enemies to lovers. Inspired by Captive Prince. Lots of action and necromancy and vampires. The Slytherins are top tier friendship group. Haven't caught up yet but it's very good from where I'm standing. In the Wizarding world, with Horcrux Hunting and the Order and all that fun stuff.

ritardando by courfee | Mature | No Archive Warnings Apply

- Fake dating! College! Mental health! This one makes my heart go giggly and warm, but there's still angst because why wouldn't there be. I just love everything in this fic, from the friendships to the plot to obviously the Jegulus. They're so stupid, and I love them sm. And individual characterizations and real-world stuff is so good

[maritteknewtheenemy]

your post about sunset on the reaping or whatever made me realize the issue I was having with sotr: it's a missed opportunity. Haymitch's story had the premise to be a true masterpiece, but the book ended up being rushed.

Yeah, it is: rushed and unfinished and because of that, it's underwhelming. It feels unedited, and theres a ton of plot holes that make the rest of the hunger games series make no sense. If they could edit the games while they're happening why didn't they edit out the berries completely? If they could send individual mutts after someone specific why didn't Katniss get targeted immediately in CF? Why didn't Haymitch die immediately for his part in the rebel plot when Ampert, Maysilee, and Meritte all get killed immediately for the same or similar transgressions? Why did the capitol still keep Beetee around for years? It just doesn't add up.

But you're right anon. There's enough elements and plot bunnies that it could have been brilliant. If Maysilee, Maritte, Wyatt, or even Amprt had been the narrator it could have been a really brilliant, poignant, and jarring read. If SC had kept the original plot of the QQ we see in CF and spent the latter half of the book showing how the capitol manipulated the narrative to make the capitol look better and Haymitch appear stupid or incompetent or a lapdog she could have executed the theme of propaganda better. Honestly, she could have made Haymitch a character linking a dozen short stories from different point of views of side characters who watched or participated in the games in some way and it could have been a really interesting take on how different people see the same events or interpret situations different or (based on the messaging from the capitol) respond to propaganda. There were some awesome characters and ideas that could have made it a masterpiece if t had been written with care, but it just wasn't, which is very unfortunate but the truth. I had fun reading it, but in a the way I have fun reading non canon compliant fanfiction. It was a fun thought experiment and hit my angst quota, but it didn't feel like it belonged in the actual hunger games universe in the slightest and the Mary Sue self insert character (Lenore Dove) annoyed me to no end.

[fushiglow]

Hi glo! I saw your reblog(s) about the fics that you can’t wait to write and was wondering if you could tell us a little bit more about what you have in store? I am very excited about the prospect of getting more Over the Threshold, but I’m also interested to know what else you’ve got planned 🩷

Oh dear, anon, I was waiting until I finished ski fic to answer this because you're opening a real can of worms here! I'll link any snippets of WIPs I've posted where available. Remember, you asked, because I am about to go 👏 off 👏

So, for Over the Threshold, obviously I've got chapter 14 coming up! I'd really like to finish the fic this year, but it gains more and more weight as I develop it and progress becomes slower every time I update. Let's see how it goes!

Alongside the main fic, I've got a smutty but sad oneshot with the affectionate working title of "Sad Wank Suguru" coming up before the next chapter, and quite a few little updates to From the Cutting Room Floor, too! There are also one or two more accompanying oneshots to come later in the story. (Plus a 73 Questions "video" for Satoru, and threshold!SatoSugu reading mailman AU that I've been working on for a while, but I don't know if they'll make the cut.)

Aside from that, the next big thing on the list is the second instalment in Star Wars AU (a series-to-be that now has many more parts than I originally planned), which I really want to post on Star Wars Day but... That's a month away at this point. Wish me luck with finishing it in time. I'm so excited by this story!

I'm also writing a second K-pop AU (where they're both idols!) that I am really really excited about. It's shorter than Over the Threshold, but presents a real challenge in terms of narrative style that means I need to write it all before posting the first chapter — which is not how I usually do things! I've been working on this for coming up a year now, but this fic is still a while off. It's probably not a good idea to really sink my teeth into it until I finish the first K-pop AU lmao...

I'm also working on a few non-SatoSugu pieces at the moment — a fun GojoHime K-pop oneshot (you don't want to know how many K-pop AUs I've got), a very soft and sexy SaShiSu oneshot, and an angsty SatoShoko-ish oneshot — and they all make for a really nice change of piece when writing the same characters/dynamic gets a little stale. Other than those, there's more SatoSugu in the form of:

Love Spiral part two ft. angst

Another music AU, this time of the classical variety!

A little Gojo glow up fic

A daddy Satoru counterpart to mommy Suguru

Oxbridge AU! Oxbridge AU!

A canon compliant long-ish fic exploring "reluctant sub Suguru"

Swimming AU!

An alpha/alpha fic with a rugby setting and some heavy worldbuilding

And also some gen fics I've got planned:

A spooky oneshot about baby Suguru developing his technique

A moody fix-it exploring "rōnin" Suguru and Yuta's tense relationship in the wake of JJK 0

Some more instalments to the In His Shadow series

And a whole bunch of other stuff that I haven't developed enough to justify calling them proper WIPs, plus some fics that I don't feel comfortable talking about just yet. I hate that, even with that said, this post is so lengthy! Someone save me from my own ideas!

But seriously, I'm actually a bit overwhelmed by my WIPs recently so, if there's anything here that you're particularly interested in seeing (aside from Over the Threshold, obviously), please do let me know in a comment! That goes for anyone reading this!

Thanks for the question, anon, and I do hope it hasn't made you want to run a mile ♥

[the-mpreg-guy]

You've probably answered this like a thousand times but my brain is fried honestly and I love love love your opinions and takes so sorry but you'll have to deal with my annoying ass haha

I'd like to know if you have any recs for post canon fics (fix-its of sorts) with Cas coming back and there's lots of angst until they get together? Preferably explicit tbh

And if you have favorite Cas uses his grace during sex with Dean / wink kink fics

I think I have a couple you might like! Throwing them all under the cut because it got longer than I intended.

Post Canon Fix-Its

The Soul Burns Brighter Than the Sun

S16 multichapter fic, complete with soul bonding, explicit sex, Dean and Cas being codependent as hell, lone wolf Cas, depressed, suicidal Dean, and the return of basically every single villain on the show. I cannot recommend this fic enough to ppl who are looking for closure after the final.

Truth & despair

Also a s16 multichapter fic. Follows Sam POV as he navigates post-canon therapy, finding out that Destiel is a Thing, and being so very canon accurate that it makes my stomach hurt. Last chapter is Dean POV with grace/soul bonding shenanigans. No explicit sex, but I'm pretty sure Dean and Cas's souls maybe banged somewhere in there.

Redux

Completely canon compliant s16 multichapter fic. Dean and Sam get resurrected for one last case. Perfect balance of plotty and character introspection. Bela also makes a cameo which is reason enough to read this fic.

A Long Road Back

Dean and Claire bonding after Cas dies, Dean looking after an empty inn, longing, pining, softness, and eventual reunion.

miracles' verse

Post-canon oneshot series with disabled Dean, therapy dog Miracle, gender moments, and all around fluff.

all the things yet to come are the things that have passed

Post canon Destiel reunion oneshot where Dean is waiting for Jack to rescue Cas and spends a lot of his time praying. Incredibly soft.

If You Choose to Live, Turn to Page 52

Dean doesn't die on a nail, and Cas visits him in the hospital. They have an old married couple argument about everything.

the space between never and again

Destiel reunion, they get married in a parking lot.

in addition;

Post canon Destiel + Saileen roadtrip with Jack along for the ride. SO FUNNY AND SOFT.

six hundred sundays (and many more)

Castiel is starting to suspect Dean fell in love with him a few Sundays ago. Cas is DUMB.

In Place

Post canon Destiel get into an argument after a case over who's allowed to sacrifice themselves. Explicit sex, d/s, and some fun grace stuff.

Kingdom Come

Cas gets kicked out of the Empty as a human. He and Dean have sex about it.

there is rest for the wicked

Dean won't stop taking naps, Cas is soft about it, and somewhere in there a love confession happens.

anamnesis 'verse

Four part series wherein Dean and Sam break free from Chuck's control, Cas becomes the new death, and Destiel becomes canon.

What The Moon Was Saying

Dean does Orpheus.

Soul Grace/Wing Kink

(See above rec list for A Soul Burns Brighter Than the Sun for more grace/wing smutfic)

everyone knows the year doesn't start until april

Non explicit soul grace fic that's juuust almost kinky about it.

terror & desire intertwined

Castiel possesses Dean to get out of the Empty. Insane grace sex fic paired with introspection and Destiel post-canon reunion.

I CARRY YOUR HEART (I CARRY IT IN MY HEART)

Another Castiel possesses Dean fanfic, but with a little bit less soul/grace sex and not post canon. It's still a fantastic read and DOES have Dean unpacking his feelings about having Cas inside him always.

sweeter coming from my hand

The Mark of Cain is killing Dean. Castiel is dying from lack of grace. Solution? Soul/Grace marriage. Also they fuck about it.

Grooming Instincts

Dean decides to help Cas groom his wings. Dean did NOT know that was a sex thing.

Any Pacifier Will Do

Demon Dean being halfway cured by angelic grace cockwarming. Straight up pwp fun.

Revealed

Dean is the one who ends up with wings this time around, and he and Castiel angel mate about it.

Nothing Equals the Splendor

Dean dying was just a Djinn trick, Castiel shows up and blows his back out, and there are wings and billions of eyes involved.

Coals Aglow

Dean and Cas fuck in the apocalypse world, there's angelic grace, d/s dynamics, and Cas being a clever bastard.

[cinemocha77]

Meteor Shower | Chapter 3

Hawks x f!reader

ao3 | chapter 1 | chapter 2

pairing: Keigo Takami ; Hawks / f!reader

synopsis: Congratulations! In the summer months of your final year of university, you receive an extremely rare offer to intern at one of the top hero agencies in Japan. Your excitement is curbed, however, when you learn that it’s from the agency of Hawks, the enigmatic hero whom you may or may not have a deep and complicated history with.

genre: childhood friends to strangers to friends to lovers

tags: childhood friends to lovers, canon compliant, hawks, Keigo Takami, slow burn, fluff and angst, reader is Quirkless, reader is a surfer/photographer, original male characters, original female characters

c/w: there’s passing mention of a super minor character’s implied suicide in one conversation

Chapter 3: Always an angel, never a god In which you and Hawks meet again.

Hawks lands on the ledge of the main office’s balcony, humming and pulling off his headphones. His morning shift was remarkably uneventful, just stopping two minor robberies downtown and helping older folks cross the street for the rest of it. He spent the rest of his time lounging on rooftops and listening to music while his feathers wandered the area, monitoring for any disturbances. He checks the time: it’s five minutes to lunchtime, when he agreed to meet Watanabe at the cafeteria.

He enters the office and immediately spots Mirko standing over a desk and talking to the nervous worker behind it in a heated tone. The worker notices Hawks, and with a relieved expression, points Mirko in his direction.

“Aha!” The bunny hero exclaims. “Flappy bird, just the man I wanted to see. This guy over here says that if I want more missions, I’ll have to sign as a regular member of your agency.”

“Yes, and?” Hawks intones, already bracing himself for his colleague’s fiery spiel.

“Thing is, I don’t wanna do that. Too much structure, too many rules. I just wanna kick as much ass as possible with no strings attached.” She bares her teeth in a fierce grin.

Hawks pinches his brow in exasperation. “You know, Mirko, I’m starting to suspect that you’re a freelancer, not because you don’t like being managed, but because you can’t be managed.”

She lets out a hearty laugh. “Same difference! So are you gonna give me more missions or not?”

“Isn’t your ‘mission’ right now to help my secretary orient the new interns? I’m headed down to the cafeteria to meet them. I thought you’d be with them.”

“Yeah, I was on my way there earlier, but then I started getting the urge to fight crime, so I headed up here for an assignment and your staff told me to go shove it!” She sniffs, crossing her muscular arms.

The worker bows apologetically. “Sorry, Mirko! Agency rules.”

Mirko gives Hawks a look clearly saying “see what I mean?”

Hawks rubs his stubble thoughtfully. “How about this? You can get a whole bunch of fun, risky little missions for your stay here—”

“YES!”

“—but, you have to help Watanabe with the interns whenever he asks. They’ll be here all summer. Let them tag along on your missions and document you in action for their work.”

Mirko grins broadly from ear to ear. “Sounds like a fuckin’ win-win to me.”

Hawks claps her on the shoulder. “I knew you’d see things my way. And you’re doing more paperwork.”

“Wait a damn minute—”

”Come on, let’s not keep Watanabe waiting!” He whisks her into the elevator down to the fifth floor where the cafeteria and lounge are located.

~~~

Meanwhile, you and Taki are being guided up the building by Mr. Watanabe after a thorough tour of the lower floors. He had greeted you at the grand lobby and told you to leave your suitcases behind for the staff to take care of, then proceeded to show you around the lower offices, the archives room, and a sizable library.

“You’ll be out in the field documenting the heroes and sidekicks’ work most of the time, but when you’re back here, feel free to use any of the available facilities,” he says, now ushering you into the elevator and pressing the button labeled ‘5’. “After lunch, I’ll show you the media office, as well as the training gym and swimming pool.”

“Will we be doing any internal documentation? For example, photographing heroes while they train?” Taki asks.

Watanabe pauses. “That’s a good idea. We could use those for our recruitment brochures. Why didn't I think of that?”

He nods at Taki approvingly. You nudge your friend, mouthing “nice one”.

“Anyway, let’s put a pause on all this talk of work and sit down for lunch. I invited Hawks to join us. I think it would be good for you all to get to know each other.”

You and Taki exchange alarmed glances. Although you had been on edge all morning wondering whether Hawks was going to show up at some point, hearing the confirmation of it still caught you off guard.

Watanabe chuckles, mistaking the shock on your faces for excitement, and perhaps he isn’t entirely wrong.

“Nothing to worry about, Hawks is a very friendly man.”

The elevator doors part to reveal a spacious cafeteria filled with heroes, sidekicks, and regular employees. People mill about, chatting with one another as they line up for food and sit down to eat. Unbidden in your chest, your heart begins to thump faster. You’ve been bracing yourself for this inevitable moment since the day you accepted the internship offer, and yet, what comes next, you have no way of knowing.

You scan the room, and sooner than you expect, catch a glimpse of two crimson wings poking out from the middle of the busy cafeteria. Watanabe says in a pleased tone, “Ah, it looks like he and Mirko are here to meet us.”

Hawks is standing with his hands in his pockets and talking animatedly with the bunny hero. They seem to be in the middle of arguing about something. There's a crease between his brows and a loose lock of unruly honey blond hair falling over his face that he pushes back irritably. As he speaks, his eyes wander the room aimlessly.

When they land on you, he freezes mid-sentence.

Watanabe strides forward. “Hawks, Mirko, thanks for joining us. These are the new interns I was telling you about: Y/n L/n and Taki Ukimoto. Starting today, they’ll be helping out in our media department.”

Mirko raises a gloved hand good-naturedly. “Yo, welcome aboard. Let’s take some badass photos together!”

You and Taki smile and bow in her direction. “Looking forward to it,” you say in unison.

Then you turn, slowly, almost apprehensively, towards her winged companion. Looking up into amber eyes, you say, “Nice to meet you.”

If his jaw is slackened and his eyes are wide with shock, they only remain so for a fraction of a second. In the blink of an eye, Hawks is smiling nonchalantly like the ever camera ready Pro Hero that so many fans have come to adore.

“Glad to have you two on board. Let’s work hard together! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just remembered I promised to cover the lunchtime patrol shift today. Silly me!”

And with that, he spins around on his heels and strides to the exit, leaving you feeling quite as if you’ve been slapped in the face.

~~~

Oh.

So it's like that.

Any tentative excitement you had at the prospect of seeing Hawks again has just shriveled up and died in your stomach. Mentally, you kick yourself for getting your hopes up —what were you hoping for, exactly? A long, teary-eyed embrace in the middle of the cafeteria?

From the corner of your eye, you can sense Taki shooting you a look of concern, but you’re too embarrassed and confused to meet his gaze.

Mirko snorts at Hawks' quickly retreating figure. “He’s not that busy. What a diva.”

She turns to you, Taki, and Mr. Watanabe. “Anyway, have you three eaten? I’m starving!”

Mirko leads the way to the line of food stands offering a variety of cuisines, all looking and smelling delicious. You select your meal on autopilot, your mind still preoccupied with replaying that disappointing reunion over and over again.

Could Hawks have had his memories wiped? Maybe, but if heroes are being brainwashed, then the world has far bigger problems than your hurt feelings. Or has it just been so long, and his life been so eventful and overtaken by far more important things, that you might as well be a stranger he’s meeting for the first time? This seems more likely.

And yet, there was a split second in the beginning where you thought you saw a spark of recognition in his eyes when he looked at you.

Could he be deliberately avoiding you…?

If so, he’s an asshole. You huff and slide your tray along the metal counter too harshly, spilling a bit of soup.

You get pulled out of your reverie when you sit down for lunch and remember who you’re eating alongside: the Mirko, one of the top ten Pro Heroes in the country, and probably the most badass in your opinion. She’s exactly the same in person as she is on camera: naturally charismatic, energetic, and unhinged as hell. You can’t help but admire her even more for this. It takes a different level of giving-no-fucks to not develop a persona for such a high visibility job.

You and Taki listen in awe as she recounts her ’Top Fights of the Month’, with Mr. Watanabe chiming in every now and then to translate Mirko’s extreme choice of wording.

“I ripped that pervert limb from limb—”

“She actually just knocked him out cold—”

“—It was a crushing defeat, I kicked his ass straight into the jail cell—”

“He was arrested by the police after, following due process of course—”

“—The only thing we said to him when we arrested him was, ‘You’re a worthless maggot who—“

“We read him his rights and everything!” Watanabe is sweating. “Mirko please, if you keep talking like that we’re going to be buried in lawsuits!”

You and Taki both snort into your meals.

~~~

As you’re finishing your lunch, Hawks is speeding across the sapphire sky. He tries to convince himself that he’s just doing a little innocent extra patrolling, and not at all trying to distract himself from the surprise of seeing you at his agency. No, he definitely isn’t thinking about the shape of your eyes, steady and hopeful, as you looked directly at him with a gaze that sent shivers down his spine. Nor is he thinking about how much you’ve blossomed since the last time he saw you, your smart casual clothes wrapping around you neatly. Nor —god— how he had caught a whiff of your perfume, and it had been soft and floral and sweet.

“Shit,” he says out loud, his voice cracking nervously. “Get a hold of yourself, Keigo.”

If years of being under the double scrutiny of the heroes commission and the public have taught Hawks anything, it’s that his vulnerabilities will be used against him.

Come to think of it, maybe he learned it from his folks first.

And yet, bubbling underneath this well-practiced detachment is the wild excitement of a much younger boy who has been reunited with his long-lost friend. He’s dying to know what you’ve been up to —hell, what are you doing interning at his agency?

He slows his flight and lands on the roof of a towering office building. Seating himself on the edge, he leans back and gazes at the skyline.

It felt like a waking dream, seeing you standing a mere few feet away from him in the middle of the cafeteria, instead of in the frequent visions that creep up on him before dawn, blurring the boundaries between memory and fantasy. How strange to see you, not on the stormy beach where you first met, clouds billowing in hues of deep purple and gray like bruises across the midnight sky, but bathed in the stark fluorescent lights of the agency cafeteria. He could have reached out and touched you, but instead he fled. Imagining your reaction to this, he cringes.

He remembers the way he left things, left you, without warning that summer and his heart aches. That final day on the beach had been so warm and peaceful, with your laughter ringing in the golden air, your head resting on his shoulder, your soft voice telling him you were proud of him. You were every good thing in the world that he wanted to protect.

You still are.

He sets his jaw, his mind made up. Training be damned.

He has an apology to make.

~~~

The rest of the orientation day passes in a blur, and it is with a sense of tired satisfaction that Mr. Watanabe shows you and Taki to your respective apartments, located on one of the highest floors of the agency building.

Your suitcase is already in the hall when you enter, flicking on the lights as you go. The entryway leads you into a simple yet elegantly furnished living area with an open kitchen and a balcony at the far end. You let out a low, appreciative whistle. Off to the side, a door leads into your bedroom, housing a queen-sized bed, a sweeping view of the city, and an en-suite bathroom.

You unpack, checking your cameras and gear with careful attention before distributing the rest of your possessions around the apartment. You start to feel more settled and at home with every motion. Humming to yourself, you inwardly revel at your good fortune in landing this internship.

Despite some disappointments, you think, smiling ruefully.

After a quick shower, you decide to enjoy the fresh air and view of the city from your balcony. You slip a hoodie over your pajamas and open the sliding door, stepping out and taking a long, deep inhale. The night air is crisp, and a gentle breeze blows about as the city sparkles like so many bejeweled constellations beneath you.

You sigh contentedly. You could get used to this.

“Heya, Surfer Girl.”

“HOLY F—,” you whirl around, your body tensed in high alert. Then you see him, perched on the far end of your balcony, his scarlet wings folded behind him.

Your heart banging in your chest, you grip the railing to steady yourself. “—uck, man. Are you serious?! I have a front door!”

Hawks’ hands shoot up apologetically. “Sorry! That’s my bad. Now that I think about it, I really could have approached this in a better way. I’m sorry, Y/n.” He smooths back his hair and lets out a small, embarrassed laugh.

Something about hearing him say your name so casually after the fiasco in the cafeteria ticks you off, even more so than being jumpscared on your balcony.

“Sorry, have we met?” You ask flatly, before turning away to watch the city below you, glaring at the little pinpricks of light indicating the movement of cars along a highway.

“I guess I deserve that,” Hawks says in a soft voice, his wings drooping. “I’m sorry about earlier, Y/n. The truth is that I panicked.”

Taking your silence as a sign that he’s not entirely unwelcome, he steps closer to you until you’re side by side, gazing out towards the skyline. His cologne is woody with hints of citrus and smokiness, masculine and intoxicating. This annoys you even more.

He continues, “I… was ashamed of the way I left things back then, without saying goodbye. I still am. I’ve had all this time to think about how I was going to explain things to you the next time we met. But, ah… I guess I wasn’t expecting to be given that chance in the middle of a crowded lunch break at my place of work.”

“Well, that might have been your only chance,” you respond, though your voice has lost some of its edge now. From this high up, it’s impossible to make out the words on the distant neon billboards.

“True,” Hawks replies. “And if that’s the case, then I’m here to beg you for another one.”

Curiosity gets the better of you, and you look at him then. He smiles, his honey blond hair tossing around in the breeze as his amber eyes hold your gaze. It’s hard to believe he’s standing so close to you again after all these years apart. You search for a trace of the boy you grew up with in the features of this man before you. Years of relentless action and fame may have buried your dear friend, but he’s still in there somewhere, returning your searching gaze. He must be.

He’s grown taller, though you suppose that’s to be expected, and his face is more defined and handsome than ever, the stubble on his chin complementing his jawline perfectly. You knew he got his ears pierced at some point (after all, photos and videos of him seemed to be everywhere you went nowadays), but seeing the ruby red studs up close is… something else.

Hawks tilts his head, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. Too late, you realize you’ve been staring. You hastily avert your gaze.

“It’s good to see you, Y/n,” he says.

“You could have seen me anytime.” You can hear the hurt in your own voice.

“No,” he shakes his head sadly. “I don’t think I could have. I had to stay away, for your own good. This might make me sound arrogant, but I knew that as soon as I made my debut as a Pro Hero, I’d rise through the ranks fairly quickly. For the rest of my life, there would be eyes tracking me, following my every move. I didn’t want to drag you into my mess. If I kept flying across the island to visit you, people would take note. It’s not uncommon for the enemies of Pro Heroes to target the people closest to them… I couldn’t lose you, Y/n. I couldn’t lose my best friend.”

“It was that incident with the hero’s family, wasn’t it?”

He blinks, surprised. “You heard about that.”

Not long after Keigo had last visited you in your hometown, the nation had been shocked by a grisly news report. The wife and children of the No. 7 hero at the time had been found murdered in their home, and authorities suspected foul play from the remaining followers of a villain leader that the hero had taken down a few days before. The hero had never recovered from this brutal loss, and followed his family soon after.

Thinking back to it, you can imagine your best friend’s anxieties upon hearing about the tragedy. His was a path of the highest visibility. How could he sleep at night knowing he subjected you to that risk?

You think of the nights you cried yourself to sleep missing him. Of the bittersweetness of hearing people chat excitedly about the young winged hero rising through the ranks and not being able to tell him how proud you were, or to check in and make sure he was taking care of himself. You had called his number several times, until one day, a robotic voice at the other end of the line answered: “Sorry, this number has been deleted.” It had felt like the nail in the coffin of what was supposed to be a beautiful, lifelong friendship.

You think of your resentment, and weigh it against the idea that, despite the heartbreak it caused you, he had been trying to protect you all along.

You sigh.

“Well, I can’t say I didn’t expect you to have some noble reason for ghosting me. You always do what you believe is right. But—,” You poke a finger at his chest accusingly, “—you could have at least said goodbye!”

“Ah, yes,” Hawks laughs, embarrassed. “I don’t have a noble reason for that one. I was an idiot teenager who was afraid of confronting his feelings, so I ran from them. You deserved so much better than that. I’m truly sorry.” His deep golden eyes search yours gently. “Can you ever forgive me?”

You peer steadily into his face, gauging his sincerity, then let out a soft, resigned huff. “Who am I kidding? Hawks, you’re a hero. You literally save lives on a daily basis. And if losing touch with me helped you to do that better, then it’s a small price to pay, isn’t it? You did what you thought was best.”

Hawks pulls out his phone. “Sorry, can you call me a hero one more time? I need to get it on record.”

“Oh, ha, ha,” you roll your eyes as he chuckles. It’s a bright and airy sound, familiar to you from your youth despite the timbre of its newfound maturity. “You’re not completely off the hook yet, Feathers. While I can forgive you for ghosting me and acknowledge your reasons for doing so, it doesn’t change the fact that the only reason we’re speaking now is because I happen to be interning at your agency.”

He considers this, and nods solemnly. After all, no decent apology is complete without a guarantee not to repeat the offense. But can he really give you that when his position hasn’t changed? He’s still a top Pro Hero, and over the years, he’s made a lot of enemies. He would never forgive himself if getting close to you again endangered your life.

Still, he can’t deny the pull he feels towards you. It’s almost frustrating, the way his usual strategies for emotional distancing don’t seem to work when it comes to you. As long as you’re already here for your internship, would it be so wrong to linger on your balcony for a little while?

He clears his throat. “I understand. What can I do to make it up to you?”

Your expression is unreadable when you reply, “You’re a clever bird. You can figure it out.”

You go back to aimlessly watching the cars meandering along the distant highways, unaware of the way he’s gazing at you —almost ardently— as you do. He’s still wrapping his head around the fact that you’re actually here, leaning against the railing of a balcony at his agency. The lights of the city are reflected in your eyes, the shape and color of which he’d long since memorized, but never thought he’d get to see again.

“It wasn’t a small price to pay, leaving you,” he says after a while, unable to stop himself. “There were hundreds of times that I wanted to reach out, then thought better of it. But now that you’re here…,” He wiggles a fluffy eyebrow mischievously. “It can’t be helped if I start bothering you every minute of your internship.”

“Yeah, right. You seemed real excited to see me in the cafeteria,” you scoff.

“About that… Can we try again?”

You blink, confused. “What do you mean? Try what again?”

“Meeting each other again, after all this time. I’d like to make that up to you, too, if you’ll give me a shot.”

You tilt your head skeptically, but don’t refuse. “How does that even work?”

“Humor me,” Hawks insists with a playful grin.

He strides away from you to the far end of your balcony, then turns back around, hands in his pockets. Whistling a light, cheerful tune, he walks in your direction, his gaze wandering around the balcony with an air of utmost casualness. There’s a swagger in his step that is definitely exaggerated. When his eyes finally land on you, he stops in his tracks, and —you can’t help rolling your eyes— puts his hand on his chest in a gesture of surprise, his mouth forming a big ‘o’ shape. “My goodness, Y/n, is that you?”

You decide to play along, at least a little.

“Why, yes it is,” you lilt, resting your hand on your hip. “Long time no see, bird boy.”

“Really!” He closes the distance between you quickly, beaming as he looks down at you, drinking in your features underneath the moonlight. “Well. If you don’t mind my saying it, you’re even lovelier than I remember.”

Oh God, he’s become an incurable flirt. You hate that it works on you, too, your stomach doing flips at the gravel in his voice. Still, as long as you’re in this weird space of play-acting, you can roll with the punches.

“You’re not so bad yourself. I like what you’ve done with your hair,” you reply. Boldly, you reach up and actually tuck a loose lock of soft blond hair behind his pierced ear.

His breath catches.

You lock eyes, and his act of false bravado vanishes into the still night air.

“I’ve missed you, Y/n,” Hawks says quietly. “More than you know.”

“I’ve missed you too, Kei,” you reply, and his heart skips a beat. He hasn’t heard that nickname in years. After all, you’re the only one who ever called him that. He wonders if you have any inkling of how much he likes the sound of his name on your tongue. Or the warmth and softness of your hand as it cups his cheek. He has to consciously restrain himself from melting into your touch, his resolve weakening with every passing second.

You blink, realizing you haven’t withdrawn your hand. You let it drop to your side awkwardly, flexing it as you do. “Um… I should get to bed.”

The spell is broken, and in the next instant a cheerful yet somehow distant smile is plastered across Hawks’ face. He steps back politely, gesturing towards your balcony door. “Of course. You’ve got a busy week ahead of you.”

“Not as busy as yours, I presume,” you walk through it into your apartment, waving goodnight with forced casualness. “Since you have a lot to make up for.”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be seeing each other around. After all, you’re basically working for me!”

Do you see us getting scraped up off the pavement? I don’t know why I am The way I am Not strong enough to be your man I lied, I am Just lowering your expectations Half a mind that keeps the other second guessing Close my eyes and count Always an angel, never a god — Not Strong Enough, boygenius

[sl-vega]

✧.* DREAMS LOST, LOVE FOUND

pairing: Chigiri Hyouma x [IDOL!] Reader

genre: fluff, angst if you squint, oneshot, strangers to lovers, strangers to friends to lovers, pre-bluelock au, canon compliant

synopsis: in which two former geniuses bond over their potentially lost dreams (or in which two strangers develop feelings by making fun of cheesy news articles about themselves)

CW: potentially ooc chigiri, possible innaccuracies with vocal chord paralysis conditions/symptoms 

"(Y/N) (L/N): A Bright Star that Burned out too Quickly"

"Idol (Y/N) Retiring?!"

"ASRUN's (L/N)'s Career Over?! Get the latest scoop now!"

You scrolled through the magazines in the waiting room. So many cheesy tabloids talking about your latest concert, and possibly last. You froze up on stage, and your voice just didn't work. The gossip columns came up with so many reasons, ranging from fairly possible to completely bizarre. But they all seemed to come to the same conclusion.

Your career was over.

Ended, finished, decimated, completely and utterly over.

And deep down, you knew that. The doctors said that there was a chance that you could recover, even if it didn't occur naturally, surgery was always an option.

You had recently been diagnosed with vocal chord paralysis, which prohibited your ability to talk and sing. And no singing meant no concerts.

No concerts meant no more performing.

No more performing meant that you couldn't be an idol anymore.

You were told your worsened condition had something to do with your hectic rehearsal schedule, and how you pushed yourself to the point of self-harm during practice. Suzuki, the nurse that had been assigned to assist you, insisted that you come to the clinic for weekly check-ups and vocal warm ups.

Your agency managed to fund all of this because they wanted you back performing with the rest of your group members as soon as possible.

But you weren't sure if you could even continue to perform. You could deny it all you wanted, but you weren't in shape to be an idol anymore.

So here you are, rotting in a waiting room, waiting for your parents to come and get you. Once a musical sensation, once hailed as the pride of the idol industry.

Now I'm nothing more than a helpless patient.

You leaned back in your chair, a random sports article in your hand. You hadn't paid any mind to what it was about when you picked it up, all you knew was that it wasn't about you and your doomed career, and that was all you needed.

But your parents weren't coming anytime soon, and you needed to kill some time, so reading a couple pages wouldn't hurt. You glanced at the front cover. It appeared to be some local newspaper that covered soccer teams in the prefecture.

"Chigiri Hyouma: The Red Leopard!"

The front page had those words printed out in a vibrant pink font. You snorted, it would be one thing if this was about some world-class pro, but all this fuss over a high school kid? The picture on the front page wasn't the best either, it was a blur of bright red hair and you could make out what seemed to be a jersey.

But you couldn't discern a clear image of his face though. So naturally, out of curiosity, you had to flip the page.

Chigiri Hyouma huh? You heard that name mentioned somewhere before. You remembered passing by a few girls a couple of months ago that couldn't seem to shut up about him.

Please, he's probably just some amateur that happens to be somewhat good looking, there's no way he's actually all that-

But, it certainly wouldn't hurt to read about him a little more...

And so you did just that, flipping to the next page due to your insatiable curiosity about this Chigiri fellow.

Let's see what you're all about Mr. Red Leopard-

You finally flipped the page not expecting much, but then you were greeted by a very flattering image of the very subject that peaked your interest.

Holy fuck he's really pretty

Luscious red locks, bright pink eyes that you could get lost in, gentle, feminine features yet he still looked so god damn handsome?!

Your eyes widened as a blush crept up to your face. What was this guy doing playing soccer?! He could've easily been a model, or an idol, or a movie star, you weren't even that pretty what the actual fu-

You had to stop your train of thought. You weren't seriously crushing on a photo of some stranger were you?

Yet, against your better judgment, you continued reading the article, it listed a few details such as his stats, position, and his high school among other.

You were consuming all of this information at an oddly fast rate. Why was this guy so captivating to you?

Before you knew it you had sped through the article. And you had somehow memorized everything on those few pages.

God, I'm pathetic...

You rubbed your temples and sighed, you put the article down, and you were about to read a different magazine about something other than your new found infatuation, but as your hand was about to reach to some political newspaper, your gaze quickly shifted to another photo of a familiar red head.

Another article about him?

Looks like someone's local celebrity...

You moved your hand away from the previous paper you were about to pick up, and you exchanged the current article in your hand for the other one about your newest subject of interest.

Surely one more magazine about him wouldn't hurt....

The front cover was a clearer photo of Chigiri, but it wasn't the happiest. It was a picture of him leaning against one of his teammates for support as they escorted him off the field.

"The Red Leopard's Career: OVER?!"

It was from the same local paper that you were reading earlier, seemed the editors had a soft spot for him.

"Chigiri Hyouma damages his leg in his most recent match?! Further statements are awaited from his family, could this be the end of the genius speedster?"

You sighed at the writer's attempt to dramatize the situation, surely Chigri was in pain. Having something you're so passionate about being taken away my your own physical limitations. You definitely knew the feeling.

The feeling of your dream being snatched right before your eyes. The feeling of a critical condition with some complicated-sounding name being the only thing keeping you away from your goal.

He's just like me...

Wait- what were you thinking? First you ogle at a bunch of photos at him, now you're coming up with a bunch of weird parasocial fantasies about how the two of you actually have some things in common?!

I need to get a grip...

You absentmindedly flipped to the next page of article, somewhere you had made peace in the back of your mind about your attraction to the boy. You were like some little school girl, crushing on some cute actor or model that you saw in fashion magazines.

Of course you were soon snapped out of that trance by an unfamiliar voice.

"Didn't know I was such a big deal that a world-class idol would be reading about me."

You lifted your head to the source of the voice, standing in front to you was a young man around your age leaning against a crutch.

Of course before you noticed any of that, you saw the same red hair, gorgeous pink eyes, and soft features that you had been religiously staring at for the past hour.

Holy shit it's actually him.

Holy shit, he knows who I am

HOLY SHIT CHIGIRI HYOUMA KNOWS WHO I AM-

You had a whirlwind of thoughts about the situation. And you had made a countless amount of observations about him. His hair was longer than it was in the pictures, he looked a lot leaner too, but taller as well.

You were probably shamelessly checking him out right about now, but who could blame you? If it wasn't for the crutch, and the evident exhaustion on his face, you would've thought he was an angel rather than a patient.

And so you did what you always did when confronted by an incredibly attractive person.

You panicked.

Am I checking him out? I'm probably checking him out, I should look away. But what if that's rude?! Should I continue making eye contact? Or should I avoid it?! WHY DIDN'T THEY TEACH ME HOW TO TALK TO BOYS WHEN I WAS A TRAINEE?!-

"It's rude to stare you know."

He had nonchalantly said, snapping you out of your thoughts.

Oh god, even his voice was gorgeous

"Sorry..."

You muttered, looking down at the floor, averting his vivid eyes using any means necessary.

Great, now he probably thinks I'm a creep, nice going...

"Nah it's fine, sorry if I startled you when I came over, I recognized you 'cuz my sister's a fan, and you looked so engrossed in that article about me so I was pretty curious."

You simply muttered a quiet "Oh" in return.

Why am I like this?! He's trying to make an effort to talk to me, and I'm not even contributing at all!

He moved closer to you, he sat himself down on one of the seats close to you, and pulled out another sports magazine with his face on it.

"I never quite liked that one author that you're reading right now, has a habit of exaggerating the least important details and not giving the full story."

He handed the paper he was holding to you.

"This one's one of my personal favorites."

He smiled and handed the magazine to you. Your hands brushed, and you felt your heart skip a beat. His hands were really soft and gentle.

You took the article from his hand and opened it, your eyes greeted by a huge headlines in all caps; "Chigiri; RISING STAR OF THE FOOTBALL WORLD!"

You couldn't help but snort at the title, these editors were really something else.

"Cheesy I know, but it's better than most."

You giggled again, flipping through the pages of the booklet in your hands. You had pointed to a paragraphs that you had found amusing, to which Chigiri had said "Not everyone is a famous idol you know, some of us locals have to take whatever we can get!"

Next thing you knew, the two of you were talking like two old friends, giggling over silly comments and misconceptions that the media had about the two of you.

You didn't know how, but much time had passed, and quite frankly, you didn't care, Chigiri was charming, and rather fun to talk to.

Now, you were showing him a tabloid about some dating rumour about you and some model that your agency had done a collab with.

"Seriously? One slightly suggestive photo and now they think the two of you are hooking up? Wouldn't your managers be scrambling to cover that up? Doesn't it ruin your "idol" image or somethin'?"

"The higher ups at my job were trying to cover it up before realizing that this sort of publicity was actually pretty positive for my image."

You laughed as you pointed to a few more photos of you and said model. It was nice, being able to laugh about this with someone, it was nice, letting the pain go away, even for a little while. But, Chigiri was a lot more than just a distraction at this point.

Suddenly your phone buzzed.

"Sorry, let me check this real quick."

You took your phone out of your pocket, and it turned out that your father was outside of the clinic waiting for you. You tried to hide the disappointment on your face. You didn't want to leave just yet, not when you were finally making some progress with Chigiri.

But, your dad definitely wouldn't take it well if you wanted to stay out later with a boy, a new boy no less.

You sighed, shoving the device back into your pocket.

"I take it that you need to leave now?" Chigiri asked, maybe your mind was playing tricks on you, or maybe you were just super delusional, but it almost sounded like he was disappointed that you had to leave.

"Yeah, sorry..."

"It was nice meeting you, by the way."

He held out his hand.

"Chigiri Hyouma, but you probably know that by now."

You were confused by the gesture at first, you certainly did know his name by now, so why was he doing this?

Oh right, I was too busy crushing on him, so we never formerly introduced ourselves...

You placed your hand in his, reciprocating the handshake.

"(L/N) (Y/N)."

He smiled as you got up, your hand still intertwined with his, you felt butterflies in your stomach, and you almost felt your heart jump out of your body."

You really have me under your spell, Chigiri Hyouma...

[steddieunderdogfics]

Rebellion in Your Back Pocket by RurouniHime

@Thegertie

Rating: Explicit

51,735 words, 7/7 chapters

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apple

Tags: Developing Relationship, Eddie Munson Lives, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Stranger Things Spoilers, Explicit Sexual Content, eddie munson is a virgin, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Secrets, Idiots in Love, Dungeons & Dragons References, Eddie Has Issues, Soft Eddie Munson, Not Canon Compliant - Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2, Post-Vecna (Stranger Things), Fluff and Angst, Don't copy to another site, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Minor Will Byers/Mike Wheeler, Will Byers & Eddie Munson Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, safe sex, Mixtape, Podfic Available

Summary:

Okay, so… Okay. Steve thinks that Eddie has a rubric or, or a checklist of some kind. A scale of sexual gratification, because he has a grand history of previous guy on guy fooling around, and Steve, first timer to all things gay, wanted to make sure he was doing right by Eddie and all his worldly experience. There are, Eddie thinks, several problems with this assessment. (In which Eddie has a teeny tiny secret, the Party just wants to have fun for once, and Steve is just rolling with the punches.)

Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @Thegertie. Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!

You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!

[lonely-parrot]

Masterpost/ Presentation

I haven't really presented myself, so here we are!

You can call me Sky, my pronouns are she/her, and I'm 18. I'm a history student, in France, and my main fandom is the Marauders (obsessed, if we're honest), but I absolutely don't support JK, because trans lives matter, as well as the ones of all the queer people <3

EDIT:

Coming back here due to the latest jk abomination.

I absolutely DO NOT condone any of that. Unfortunately, that fandom is also my biggest safe place these days, and i'm not ready to let it go.

I just want to be clear that i do not support jk financially speaking, i don't buy official merch, i don't buy books, do not watch the movies and do not plan on watching the reboot.

I want this space to be as safe as it can be, and i'm here for anyone who might need to 🥺

END OF EDIT

My ao3 username is the same as here but with a _ instead of a - !

And now, for a quick presentation of my fics:

My WIPs:

You're The Closest To Heaven That I'll Ever Be 3 chapters/?

So, this one is a Jegulus and Wolfstar ff, modern AU, without magic, and Sirius stayed with the Blacks for Regulus, and the fic is on how it impacted their lives, and how they get out. Reg is trans in this one, and misgendered for a while, bc he doesn't even know he is trans. Once he knows, pronouns are adapted.

I Do Amazingly Bad/ I Make Magnificient Trash 2 chapters/?

Barty is transmasc and starts going out with Lily :)

Finished works:

Don't Let The Sunlight Blast Your Shadow One shot/ 15k

It's a Sirius centric fic, with eventual Wolfstar. It takes place during the Marauders fifth year, and i didn't include the Prank, because I didn't want to.

Just Remember Lovers Never Lose 3 chapters/3

Sirius and Remus adopts a little werewolf girl. A little bit of angst, but mostly fluffy.

And I Thought Of Ma' And I Wanted To Get Back There 5 chapters/5

It's the continuation of Just Remember Lovers Never Lose, in which Sirius gets in therapy, and it's his trials before he find someone adapted to him.

When You Rock'n'roll With Me/ No One Else I'd Rather Be One shot

Sirius with a collar and a leash (wolfstar)

That's it, that's the plot

I, Carrion 8 chapters/8

It's a Regulus centric fic, where he is trans. There's no pairing in this one, but once i finish this one, it will be in a serie, and the rest should have a Jegulus pairing.

It's rather angsty, and we see the Black brothers rekindle, bc despite everything, Sirius wants to protect Reg

Stars That Burn The Brightest/ Fall So Fast And Pass You By One Shot/ 12k

Black sisters character study!

It's a canon compliant story, so it's angsty, but there's also exploration of who they are, them falling in love, falling away from each other, autistic and aro Narcissa, Sybill and Bellatrix relationship, Andromeda and Ted! a lot of fun :)

Le désir fou d'une minute enlacés 11 chapters/11

Sirius Black is an artist, Remus Lupin stumbles into him, they fall in love.

Pairings: Wolfstar + past Jegulus + present Jily

I Ain't Got The Power Anymore One shot/ 2k words

Sirius gets his hair cut as a punishment - muggle au, with a happy ending

So He Laid Me Down And I Felt Happy One shot/ 3k

Regulus is having a bad day, luckily, James and Sirius are here for him

Jegulus, and good Black brothers

Uncontinued because of a lack of time:

The Light Catches The Mirror In My Brain, It Gives Me Shade 3 chapters/?

70's without magic AU. The Marauders arrive in a boarding school all at the same time in their fifth year. Features BPD Sirius, ADHD James, good Peter, stammer Remus. Oh, and French Sirius, Desi James, Welsh Remus.

I really want to continue this fic, if anyone is interested in brainrotting this fic with me, dm me, I'm all for it!

And that's it (that's already a lot, I know)! Hope you can find one that you'll like! Don't hesitate to reblog if you think more people should see it (that's how the algorithm works, and i desperately need more people to interact with my ff to find the motivation to finish them 😭)

[right-there-ride-on]

A Dinotusk Manifesto

i love dinotusk aus one because there was minimal closure between them in canon and two because I love exploring all the potential fucked up dynamics they could have depending on one’s interpretation of how they function in canon. below are just some basics for how I envision different ways the ‘relationship’ could pan out:

1) Unrequited (Diego) - love implementing this on a character study of Diego. Focusing on this aspect lets me emphasize Diego’s flaws and turn the toxic all the way up. Maybe Diego considers being with Johnny as a status symbol, in that hes now made it to the point where even the Joestars have to recognize him as having climbed the ranks.

Usually in these kinds of AUs he’ll have earned the favor of George and gotten Johnny; Johnny hates him for it but Diego relishes finally being in a position of power, and having a Joestar of his own solidifies that position. To take even further, Diego could tell himself that Johnny is nothing more than a symbol of having finally achieved his ambition, but the truth is that something about Johnny softens him - which in turn is something Diego can’t stand. Also, since Johnny hates him, Diego subconsciously knows hes basically making himself weak for someone who could never love him back.

For yet another twist of angst: it’s really too bad he doesn’t know Johnny secretly admires him, and despite his verbal vitriol is a very loyal person who, given enough time and reason, would most likely come around to him. Diego though just doubles down on being a control freak and disregarding any concerns about how his actions would affect Johnny’s feelings in order to insist to himself that he doesn’t care about anyone. Oh well! Plenty of angst to go around

2) Unrequited (Johnny) - oh now we’re entering spicy territory. If I focused on this dynamic it would probably concern incidents during their be racing days (and in this case function as a Johnny character study). Essentially, in this au Johnny seeks out Diego and picks fights, and tells himself it’s just to knock his smug face in. Diego meanwhile can’t understand his animosity and continually brushes Johnny off as just another aristocrat, which in turn only pisses Johnny off more since now Diego is dismissing him like his father did. I imagine in this kind of au it would be Johnny continually making himself a problem until Diego actually paid attention to him; then when Diego asks what the hell his problem is, Johnny would get really defensive, call him a bunch of names, then make his escape. Probably some sort of internalized homophobia, though could also function without it. At one point Johnny finally gets drunk and comes onto Diego but when Diego kind of just lets him work it but doesn’t really reciprocate, Johnny feels even more humiliated. He immediately gets mad at himself for even trying and shoves Diego away, then avoids him as best he can.

I would probably end this au with a sad ending / canon compliant sort of deal. Bonus if Diego sends out wedding invitations to all of his acquaintances, which includes Johnny; but at that point Johnny was already losing it and/or shot so the invitation is just salt in the wound. Bonus Bonus if canon plays out and Johnny finally gets his self-esteem up during the SBR and then Diego realizes partway through that Johnny used to have a crush on him but at this point has moved on (and just when Diego was starting to appreciate him too. Darn darn)

3) It’s complicated -

Whatever the hell was happening in canon.

Basically, in this kind of dynamic they just feel very intensely toward each other; Diego probably had a crush on Johnny in the past, while Johnny maintains his association of Diego with Nick’s accident. Sometimes I like to throw in a past fling between them too, just for fun. Canon already gives strong exes energy so when writing this au I would mostly expand on that aspect of it, in the sense that it’s an ‘old flame’ situation, and focus on the implications of past interactions between them that was only hinted at in canon. Usually with this one I go for a ‘god-dammit-why-him’ approach, but even something a bit softer like a ‘rivals-to-friends’ relationship could work. This au would probably be the only one with a happy resolution, as in a good version they bury the hatchet and decide to give things another try. In the bad version, Johnny sees Diego get hit by a train and realizes there were still things that needed to be said between them. Now Johnny will never get the closure he’d unconsciously been running from. Too little too late. Sorry dude!

4) An actual, genuine relationship

When I write their dynamic in this way it’s usually a comedy-focused au. However, note that there is plenty of opportunities for drama, especially since they’ve both still got a lot of issues besides how they feel about each other. Probably I’d write this as a slowburn, with some larger plot happening while they (at first reluctantly) get to know and care for each other.

Johnny realizes Diego has his good spots (though few and far between) and forgives the past animosity between them. He appreciates Diego’s ambition and is drawn to him because Diego is the only person who ‘hungers’ the same as Johnny does, and in that sense understands him in a level no one else does. Also, when Diego gets some crazy idea in his head, Johnny can logically talk him out of it since Diego actually values his opinion; unless of course they get the same insane idea in which case that idea will absolutely come to fruition. Johnny would come to admire not just Diego’s drive but also his understated qualities, like their shared compassion for animals and Diego’s continued pain from his mother’s loss. Johnny, having also experienced the death of a family member while young and feeling not just the grief from that but also coming to believe that he now has something to prove, is surprised to realize they have common ground, and at that point he softens towards Diego and they start actually being friends / flirts.

Meanwhile Diego begins thinking to himself that Johnny isn’t as bad as the rest of society; Johnny’s lived the high life but had a fall from grace of epic proportions, and in that way he’s also dragged himself through the mud to survive, like Diego has been forced to since he was a child. Knowing Johnny as a kid probably softens Diego to him (in this sort of au, that’s how I’d write it at least!) He’s known Johnny since the beginning; Johnny can’t let him down or betray him because Johnny has always been honest about his dislike of Diego since the start. Diego (thinks he) knows what to expect from Johnny and finds peace of mind in that, in a way that he doesn’t when playing roles for everyone else in his life (i.e. the wealthy elites he surrounds himself with). Johnny has always had the uncanny ability to see right through him. Furthermore, Diego admires Johnny’s determination and likes having someone who challenges him, forcing him to rise to ever-greater heights. He also quietly appreciates how loyal Johnny is to the people he cares about, which is not something Diego would care for and would possibly even manipulate / dislike in other people.

But because you can’t have interesting dynamics without some friction, here are some issues I maintain that communication would be a major issue between them no matter what version of the dynamic I’m writing. They both have so many complexes it would take a multipart slowburn for them to begin approximating normality. But who cares about normality anyway?

There’s more to unpack but these are my most basic thoughts on different ways to explore the relationship. I need the world to know Dinotusk shippers are NOT ✋ delusional. Ok, well, maybe a bit 😋

If you read this far, thanks!

[createserenity]

Master List of My Fics and WIPs

All titles link through to the fics on AO3.

24 Hours (I've Waited My Whole Life) (E, 26k - wip)

Aziraphale was not expecting any visitors on his birthday. He definitely was not expecting a tall, handsome man with glorious copper-coloured hair and a wicked grin, yet he couldn’t deny one seemed to have turned up at his door. It was not exactly clear why the man was there, but Aziraphale had a sinking feeling about the whole thing. He was going to be having some very stern words with Anathema when she got back from her honeymoon. (Human AU)

Earth Is Hollow (But I Have Touched the Stars) (G, 5.7k - complete)

Nina wants to know exactly what Heaven and Hell are like, so she asks Crowley. What starts as a rather confussing discussion about the nature of the universe soon turns into something she did not expect at all.

Can a human ever understand what it's like to love someone for 6000 years and then lose them?

The Painted Veil (E, 90k - complete)

Written for the Silver Screen Bang for @do-it-with-style-events. With beautiful art by @mirjam-writes

When circumstances force them into an ill-advised marriage Crowley finds himself undertaking the journey of a lifetime, first to Shanghai and then beyond into the heart of China, where he faces challenges he never expected and is forced to confront not only outside dangers, but also his beliefs about himself, Aziraphale and what their marriage could be.

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people.

Why Are We In A Box (E, 7k - complete)

Smutty fun when the two ineffables accidently get stuck in a box. Featuring one disaster demon and one bastard angel.

Sunlight In Your Smile (M, 77k - wip)

Aziraphale has to attend a family wedding and he may have told a bit of a white lie. Of course he doesn't actually have a boyfriend. So now he needs to find one and in despair he turns to an escort agency for help. (Human AU)

It's You (M, 3k - complete)

He doesn't like Crowley and Crowley doesn't like him. Right? Azirpahale can't possibly have got that one wrong. (Human AU)

Waking Up With You (G, 1.6k - complete)

After six thousand years together and free from Heaven and Hell, Azirpahale realises they need to take the next step in their relationship. Fluffiness all round!

All The Pieces of You (E, 92k - complete) All The Pieces You Are (E, 15k - wip) - Part 2

A through the ages, mostly canon compliant mixture of angst, smut, fluff and ridiculous historical adventures.

In The Beginning (E, 8.9k - complete)

In the beginning there was a garden and the Angel of the Eastern Gate and the Serpent of Eden decided that there are better things to do than stand around in the rain getting wet.

Better Than Today (E, 4k - complete)

Whenever they fucked, Crowley said, "I love you."

Smut with a fluffy ending.

Give In To Desire (E, 4.4k - complete)

Just another fic speculating on what happened in the basement during the Job minisode, because you can never have too many of those, right?

A Day For Magic (T, 3.4k - complete)

In which there is a bench, a park and a coin, which leads to silliness and fluffiness all round.

Fic inspired by these kisses.

A Time of Wanting (T, <1k - complete)

Short ficlet that's fluffy and happy, despite how the summary makes it seem. Also inspired by the kiss picture linked above.

Romantic Nonsense (G, 1.4k - complete)

Established relationship fluff where Crowley is a sappy, romantic demon (though he'll deny everything) who takes Aziraphale ice skating.

Goodnight Angel (E, 14.4k - wip but also works as it is)

Post lockdown-phone-call fic.

Aziraphale had told him not to come over, but he was a demon and obviously he wasn't going to listen. Besides he was going out of his mind with boredom and going to see the angel was a much better idea than a long nap.

WIPs

Apart from my main wip All The Pieces of You I've also got a follow up to In The Beginning in the works and eventually I'll go back to Goodnight Angel as well. Apart from that I'm going to list my wips here and try to keep track of them with tags and get a bit better at posting about them.

After The Swap

Blind date

Dance for Me

All The History (That Ever There Was)

Entertain Me

Books, books and more books

Lockdown Lifted

So You Can Take It Off (Desperately want to finish this because it's different to anything else I've written)

South Downs

University

You Are The Best Thing

This Land of Ours (fits in the Pieces of You universe)

1200s fic for the Pieces of You universe

Golden Age of Piracy fic for the Pieces of You universe

[cutestkilla]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤

Thank you so much for this ask (and @bookish-bogwitch and @aristocratic-otter too). You're all amazing and your self-recs are too - I cosign them all!

So: this is the first time I've gotten one of these where I actually HAVE 5+ fics (of my own) to choose from 😂 so you know what, even though it's a *somewhat* trivial process, I'm gonna DO THE THING and come up with a Top 5.

1. What's Left (133K, M)

My first fic, and still my favourite. Probably because conceptually, I don't think I'll ever come up with something this cool or interesting again. And also because I got to spend so many words with my version of the Humdrum (who many of you know as Sid), expanding on what we know of him from canon and all the ways he intersects with Simon, and I kind of just love him alot. This is definitely the plottiest thing I've ever written, with lots of twists and turns and what I think is a sort of an arc you can't predict from the start (pioneering the Baz/Humdrum tag!!), and that made it really fun to write, and I hope fun to read too. Also, this is the most painful thing I've written (it starts with Simon dead, folks), which if you know me at all, explains why it would be my favourite. 😂

2. Hiding Out in the Open (48K, M - WIP 5/7 chapters)

This takes the #2 spot for sure because: a) it's also got a decent amount of pain courtesy of an alt-WS divergence setting and b) it's also kinda high concept. And c) I'm writing it as a very drawn out birthday gift for my beloved @artsyunderstudy in honour of what is now OUR beloved psychology podcast of choice, Hidden Brain. My favourite thing about this one is the way I've worked all these real concepts in psychology (and real episodes of Hidden Brain) into the narrative in a way that I think feels organic and true to the characters. It's been a challenging puzzle to solve, but man have I learned some cool things along the way. This one IS a WIP, but I'm going full steam ahead on it, and even though the story is NOT over, ch 5 ends in a decently satisfying place.

3. Slamming and Smashing (18K, E)

My first (and only) E-rated fic! I'm more of a soft smut writer, but I had so much fun writing this one as a gift for @ic3-que3n based on prompts that included: NSFW, Simon slamming Baz into a wall (as referenced in Snow for Christmas), a very specific line from Bram Stoker's Dracula about wild rose, AND an Anastasia AU. This one is pretty low on pain/angst and high on post-canon fluff, but I did still give Baz a *bit* of a breakdown in it 😂. I'm proud of this one because I think it's hot and also because I managed to hit ALL those prompts in one smutty fic, and tell what I think is a pretty relatable story about how hard communicating can be in relationships.

4. Episode 5: The Tardigrade and His Boy (25K, T)

Another gift fic, this time for @raenestee! This was not only an amazingly fun collaboration with @facewithoutheart @aristocratic-otter @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @thewholelemon

@mostlymaudlin and @artsyunderstudy, but I found a way to have the Humdrum front and centre again which makes me so happy. I also cut my teeth writing Shep and Agatha POVs for the first time in this one, which was very fun. And I managed to write one of my most favourite types of fics: one that is both an AU and also secretly canon-compliant. This is my only true AU and I think it's a really fun romp (just like the rest of the series which I highly recommend).

5. This Is Your Place (18K, M)

This one was for Prompt Fest 2022 (a fest to celebrate the anniversary of @carryonprompts where - reminder - you can submit your Carry On fic prompt ideas and maybe someone will write them) and filled this prompt by @bookish-bogwitch:

"@ionlydrinkhotwater wrote this meta: "Omg Simon is such a ho, in retaliation for Baz pulling the open sesame move, he dashes to their room, showers, shaves (nicking his skin so he's a little bit bloody and therefore yummy) and "accidentally" comes out in just pajama bottoms with his tits full out, without the necklace." ... And I want to read a fic where Baz fuckin' Takes. The. BAIT."

What I think I did well in this one is building up both the tension and the empathy between Simon and Baz in a way that makes the payoff feel earned, even though the story only takes place over the course of a few hours, the day Baz gets back to Watford after the numpties. I also really love my Baz inner monologue in this, and that Simon gets to be a little bit smooth, too.