#yeah 9 out of 10 times it’s fake blood but that doesn’t stop my brain from panicking

[pendinganchor]

the best part about having blood as a visual trigger is that nobody ever fucking tags it 🤪

[twistedtranslations]

Rook Hunt - The real culprit is... you!

You can unlock this story by getting Rook’s SSR Dorm uniform

Translation under the cut

Rook calls Epel “himeringo”, the Japanese word for plumleaf crabapple. I shortened it.

As we know already, Epel sometimes slips in his country accent, hence the weird wording.

Chapter 1

Courtyard

Vil: …8…9…10! Next up is the camel pose. Push your chest out and lean your upper body backward. Hold your ankles with your hands and keep that pose.

Everyone: Yes!

Epel: Ugh… Rook…

Rook: What is it, monsieur Crabapple?

Epel: I came to help with the shooting of the next work of the cinema studies club, but… Argh! Why are we doing yoga… Ugh?

Rook: Epel, you know, it's because we wanted you to take part in relaxing activities. If people relaxed, they will become more flexible mentally, and more active in discussions and communication. Yoga is the best exercise to improve your blood flow, metabolism and it soothes your mind. Moreso, your posture and physique will become much more beautiful! That's why Vil does yoga before his cinema studies activities.

Epel: I, I see… Is there…. An easier method?

Rook: By the way, Epel. You should bend your back more if you want to call it a camel pose. Okay, I will help you out and pull your arms back!

Epel: Eh, no, I'm fine- OUCH!!!!

Rook: Hahaha, monsieur Crabapple, you're body is quite stiff.

Savanaclaw Student A: Hey, look, it's the guys from the cinema studies. What a weird-looking pose is that! Man, I'd be way too embarrassed to wriggle like that in front of everyone.

Cinema studies Student A: Why are you guys butting in suddenly? This is just yoga…

Cinema studies Student B: Leave it be. Those muscle brains from Savanaclaw wouldn't understand our graceful bodybuilding.

Savanaclaw Student B: Huh? Are you picking a fight!

Rook: Oh please, there's no need to get angry! Why don't you join us? We can polish our beauty and deepen our friendship with yoga!

Savanaclaw Student A: Who'd do that! Beauty won't fill your belly. C'mon, let's go.

Epel: … friggin' irritatin'. Rook, I don't know how or why you could invite those guys…

Rook: I thought they might understand the benefits of yoga if they did it. How regrettable. Oh, me of all people! While I was talking, I forgot to help you out. My bad, let's continue.

Epel; Um, no, I don't need it… OUCH!!!!

Vil: Epel?

Epel: Ah… Vil.

Vil: I thought I heard a crushed frog's ugly cry, but that was my imagination, wasn't it?

Epel: Ugh… I'm sorry, I'll pay attention to it.

Vil: Rook, I think there will be no problems if you are by his side but… If anything happens, I hope you will "properly" discipline him. Not only does he lack in manners and aesthetics, but many other facets as well.

Epel: Is… that so?

Vil: Didn't you get frustrated when the Savanaclaw students reprimanded you? Do not involve Pomefiore in trivial arguments. Understood?

Epel: Understood…

Vil: Rook. If Epel quarrels with other dorm students during the shooting period… I will expel you two from the cinema studies- no, the dorm.

Epel: … I'm only here because you asked me to help.

Vil: Did you say anything?

Epel: Nuthin’- I mean, I said nothing.

Vil: In any case. Please refrain from idiotic behavior that could tarnish Pomefiore's name.

Rook: Oui, Roi du Poison. Leave it to me!

Cinema studies Student A: Those three seem to get along well as usual…

Cinema studies Student C: Epel and Rook are amazing. Leaving out the fact that they're from the same dorm, they can talk to Vil so casually. Perhaps I'm still too nervous because I saw him on the TV and in magazines before I entered the college?

Cinema studies Student A: Right. They're amazing for being able to to talk with him without constraints.

Interior Hallway

The next day

Epel: Ah, Rook.

Rook: Hello, Epel. You're here early.

Epel: Yes. My class finished early…

Students: Congratulations!

Rook: You guys too… We are the most enthusiastic people in the club today.

Classroom

Rook: Vil isn't here today because of work, therefore I will instruct you on the activities…

Cinema Studies B: … Is something wrong?

Rook: La vache (Oh the cow)… how terrible. Look at that.

Epel: Argh! Vil's clothes are torn into pieces!?

Cinema studies Student A: And it's not only his clothes but also the photo sets on the wall…

Everyone: !!

Epel: The heck, what are those weird words written in red…

Rook: "A defective beauty"… It must be a message from the one who tore up the clothes. Fufu, this is quite a case… And a direct declaration of war on us!!

Chapter 2

Classroom

Rook: Fufu, this is quite a case… And a direct declaration of war on us!!

Epel: Is there anyone in the cinema studies club who’d tear up his clothes with ill intent…? Who would do that…

Cinema studies Student A: Hey, those marks on those ripped clothes… Don't they look like they've been made by sharp claws?

Cinema studies Student B: Claws… Then this could be the work of the Savanaclaw students. But why would they…

Cinema studies Student A: … Could it be those guys from yesterday?

Epel: Do you mean the ones who made fun of us..?

Cinema studies Student A: Yeah. The guys from Savanaclaw said it then, right? "Beauty" won't fill your belly.

Cinema studies Student B: So a Savanaclaw student with a grudge from yesterday wrote a message on the wall and tore up Vil's clothes?

Epel: If they didn't like it, they can face us up front. This is cowardly.

Cinema studies Student A: Epel, you are a good person. Even though you aren't part of the cinema club, you still get angry for us.

Epel: I ain't forgivin' them for goin' behind our backs… I mean, we cannot allow them to do this.

Cinema studies Student C: Yeah. We won't stay quiet about these precious clothes being destroyed!

Epel: Yeah! Let's search for those guys from yesterday and have'm complain to our face!

Everyone: Yeah!

Cinema studies Student A: Hey, wait everyone- ... And they went.

Rook: Oho, everyone seems very passionate.

Cinema studies Student A: Rook, are you not following them?

Rook: The sadness of losing such a beautiful thing stunned me for a moment.

Cinema studies Student A: … I see. I'll stop Epel and the others.

Rook: Oh my, to be in such a situation on the day Vil isn't here. Or to be more precise, "because he isn't here". Moreso… "A defective beauty". I should solve this case before Vil returns. 

Rook: I should investigate to see if I can find evidence that links to the culprit. Let's start at the place where the fabric was torn. …As I expected. It's not a scratch even though it resembles one. They used 25 cm long scissors with 9 cm long blades to cut it. From the angle of the tears, I can guess that the culprit is right-handed. They held it with their left hand by the torso and used their right hand to cut from the shoulder to the waist with the scissors… 

Rook: The culprit is probably around 168-172 cm. That narrows it down a bit! Fufufu…  Even though I've experienced the hunt for an animal's traces many times, it still elates me. Oho, I can't let myself get carried away. I have to concentrate on the investigation… … Aha. I see… Fufu, I have deduced the animal. Now it's hunting time!

Courtyard

Savanaclaw Student A: Shut up! We didn't do it. Who gives a shit about your clothes!

Epel: If there's anythin' you wanted to say, tell 's up front instead of harassin'… you're so unmanly, senior.

Savanclaw Student A: What!?

Cinema studies Student B: If we cannot agree and don't progress then… We will have a duel!!!!

Savanaclaw Student B: Hah, come at me. I don't think you culture boys will be much of an opponent though.

Everyone: HAAAAH!!

/Fighting sounds

???: Stop it!

Savanaclaw Student A: Huh…

Cinema studies Student A: All our magic was swept away!?

Epel: Rook!?

Rook: Turn your magical pen in, everyone. It's forbidden to use magic for your personal struggles. Besides, you’re in the wrong by blaming them. They have nothing to do with what happened.

Epel: Huh…

Savanaclaw Student B: Pf! You got us involved in some weird stuff. We did nothin' so we're off.

Cinema studies Student B: … How foolish! If they didn't do it, then please tell us who did such a horrible thing!

Rook: The cause of this tragedy is deep love. The real culprit is… You!

Chapter 3

Rook: The cause of this tragedy is deep love. The real culprit is… You!

Courtyard

Cinema studies Student B/Epel: Huh…

Cinema studies Student C/D: No way…

Cinema studies Student A: …

Cinema studies Student B: He can't be the culprit, Rook! He's the costumer of the cinema studies club!?

Cinema studies Student A: That's right. You saw it, right? That "A Defective beauty", what a disgusting and criminal declaration!!

Rook: Yes, I saw it. That felt out of place. As the Savanclaw students said, they don't only not care , but even negate the very existence of "beauty". Despite that, do you think they would use an eloquent expression like "Defective"? While I was thinking about that, I inspected the garment that seemed to be torn apart by claws carefully.. And followed the clues to you.

Cinema studies Student A: Why… Me?

Rook: The scratches on the garments. They were cut by scissors in the shape of a beast's talons. And by examining the traces of your cut, I could deduce their height and their dominant arm, which happens to concur with yours. And there's more evidence. What I hold in my hand right now is a piece cut from the garments… Look at the lining?

Epel: The lining? What's wrong with it?

Rook: It's loosely sewn. This garment hasn't been used once for a photoshoot, and it's not the only part that doesn't harmonize well on the camera… Vil is the kind of person who strives for perfect quality from the fabric to the sewing and the accessories. He wouldn't have let this shoddy tailoring pass.

Epel: Um, so someone tore up the garments of the cinema studies club. But it was a fake, and not the real one…? I, I'm confused.

Rook: He hesitated at the moment of the crime when he was about to tear Vil's clothes, so he replaced it with a fake. The essential part is that the fake was made intending to fit Vil perfectly. There are only two people besides Vil that know his measurements exactly. The first one is me. And the other one is…

Epel: The costumer… who is in charge of taking his measurements?

Cinema studies Student A: Ugh…

Rook: I suggest you don't make more excuses now. Won't you tell us your reason?

Cinema studies Student A: I-, I did it because… I was jealous! You and Epel get along great with the esteemed Vil!

Epel: Huh! You think we're getting along great? The only thing he does is scold me though…

Cinema studies Student A: That's plenty! I admire Vil, studied what he likes, and devoted myself with all my might to the cinema studies club! Even so, I never got any closer to him since I enrolled! So I tried to make you two fight the other dorms…  and have you expelled from the cinema studies club.

Epel: Well ain't you a peach…

Cinema studies Student A: … I'm sorry for causing an inconvenience to everyone in the club. I'll take responsibility and quit the club.

Rook: Quit the club? Non!! That would be outrageous, my dear costumer!

Everyone: Huh!?

Cinema studies Student A: W-Why…

Rook: This case. His love for Vil created and destroyed it. Thus… Love only won't make you able to finish a piece that can be mistaken for the real thing. The way your fingers assembled this with thread and needle, it's actually beautiful. If the cinema studies club were to lose a talent like yours, Vil wouldn't be pleased. Your atonement will be your contributions to the club.

Cinema studies Student B: It's just as Rook says. You are the best out of us at dressmaking, if you weren't here it would stump us. Come on, let's go back to the clubroom. Let's repair this garment before Vil comes back from his work!

Cinema studies Student A: ! Y-Yes!!

Rook: Okay! That settles one case.

Epel: Rook! That was splendid. You are so observant, to tell it's a counterfeit just by the seams.

Rook: Ah. That was a lie! No one hand-sews anything these times. They all use a sewing machine. You can't see that with the naked eye, right? It was a trick.

Epel: Huh… Huuuh!? Then how did you know it was a fake?

Rook: Fufufu, the truth is much simpler. Smell. The counterfeit clothes didn't have a single atom of the characteristic and unique mellow fragrance that Vil has, so I knew immediately.

Epel: What!? That investigation method is kinda… gross, you know?

Rook: Listen, Epel. I regard the information you can get by smelling highly, as it's useful for hunting. You can know the places one visited or in this case, the person's characteristics, by the traces of their smell. For example… sniff sniff. What you had for lunch today-

Epel: Argh!? S-Stop this!

Rook: Hahaha! Just kidding. My nose isn't that good either.

Epel: I thought you were amazing like a detective, but… maybe you're really just a weirdo.

[manicdragondreamgirl]

I haven’t had chemistry since like 2008, and I’m also an idiot who likes to make my friends upset, so I rated the periodic table in order to tilt my friends:

Hydrogen - this is like your childhood friend who has always been with you more or less and always will be down to get a drink and chill even tho you haven’t spoken in years. Solid bro imo 7.5/10

Helium - always down for a good time, even if probably created Alvin and the Chipmunks which in some places is considered a war crime. 4/10

Lithium - Gives me bitchy vibes and is flammable as fuck if I remember. Skinny bitch with an attitude 3/10

Beryllium - idk this sounds like a sailor moon villain lol for that it can have a 6/10

Boron - more like BORONG amirite ha ha wait no seriously I have no idea lol 5/10 clean neutral rating

Carbon - *screaming* 2/10 I will not be taking questions

Nitrogen - cool cool cool tight tight tight 9/10 Nitrogen just is the cool hot chick you wish you were

Oxygen - kid who takes up all the glory for the group project even tho you did all the work, 4/10 for natural charisma

Fluorine - lol what are you knockoff chlorine lmfao bitch 3/10 reminds me of the dentist

Neon - I can vibe with this boy for his contributions to signs which cause my eyes to scream 8/10 modernized Art Deco thanks you

Sodium - 10/10 this is me and I won’t be taking questions next element

Magnesium - magnesium is a close relative of magnificent and therefore I think the case is closed folks 9/10

Aluminum - 10/10 for providing a home to my Diet Coke addiction I’d be dead without you

Silicon - 6.9/10 :smirk:

Phosphorous - This has a very soundly name and it’s welcome to do that but idk, not a fan, seems like he’d be smelly, 2/10

Sulfur - 1/10 pretty sure that dog farts are purely comprised of this and as such if I was leaving negative ratings I would

Chlorine - 7.8/10 for being in pools so we could swim without brain eating amoeba in the south you a champ

Argon - he seems like a nerd jk this guy has a good color 9/10 for just being himself

Potassium - I hate bananas and this word gives me the physical sensation of biting into one but only by thinking of abstract letters and making them into something which we can nutrientise from bananas and to me that shit is bananas, b a n a n a s — 3/10 for making me sing hollaback girl thru adhd word association

Calcium - hm my brain went to mega milk so you get a 2/10 today bud I don’t make the rules

Scandium - pretty sure this is fake lol what’s next faxdium, e-Mailite and copinium? 5/10

Titanium - this song’s a banger and also is the only thing that lets me wear earrings 10/10

Vanadium - if your erection lasts for longer than like idk it’s supposed to then don’t take vanadium wait what do you mean it’s not an ED treatment 4/10

Chromium - decent bloke shame the browser eats all your memory 5/10

Manganese - if a weeb tries to tell me how to pronounce mayonnaise one more time... 1/10

Iron - excellent tool against the fey, in your blood, what a bro, 10/10 this bitch slaps

Cobalt - has a powerful energy; I respect him. 8/10

Nickel - if I had a nickel for every time someone made this joke lol 5/10 he’s doing his best

Copper - taste bad 3/10

Zinc - isn’t that the dude in the green tunic and white tights who saves premcess Lelda or something lol 7/10 those games are good

Gallium - seems like a prick 4/10

Germanium - sounds like a child pronouncing geraniums which are superior 3/10

Arsenic - bad vibes coach 1/10

Selenium - isn’t this just sailor moon lol 10/10 love this bitch

Bromine - farmine wherever you aremine - 9/10 I love a good bro

Krypton - he’s okay I guess 5/10

Rubidium - yet another Steven universe villain who will be redeemed I imagine 4/10 seems a bit dull

Strontium - I feel nothing when I see this lad’s name and that seems like a shame 1/10 I don’t like it

Yttrium - this is an atrium in Yharnam, or something 8/10 would love to sit in one and make contact with higher beings

Zirconium - oh wait THIS is the sailor moon villain from the dead moon circus! 9/10 I enjoyed that arc

Niobium - seems sassy, I like that in an element 7/10

Molybdenum - I hate this one, rancid. 1/10 for making me have flashbacks to difficult Ancient Greek vocabulary there is no fucking way that sound combination is anything but Beta and Delta borking and then Latin being like oh imma steal that

Technetium - 6/10 decent name but seems a bit forced

Ruthenium - 5/10 kindly old lady element I guess lol

Rhodium - 10/10 this ain’t my first rhodium babee this lad has good vibes what a name what a king

Palladium - 10/10 for making me think of paladins

Silver - 12/10 I’m breaking the rules for this silver is the best it is so cool and also it is the other best tool for dealing with supernatural creatures when iron has failed you highly suggest Even if I am extremely allergic to it going into my ears...wait hold on

Cadmium - 2/10 sounds like a total douche

Indium - 8/10, i just think it’s independent and neat

Tin - 10/10 good ear sounds when involving rain and roof shapes and automatically reminds me of Nora Jones’s come away with me album which is also 10/10

Antimony - 7/10 decent protagonist good name all around seems rad

Tellurium - tell ur mom what? That’s so early 2010s league of legends humor bro 2.5/10

Iodine - strikes fear in my soul from having it poured on my wounds but this is why I have more pain tolerance than god 5.3/10

Xenon - I think this is a declension of Xena warrior princess which is a win in my eyes, 8/10

Caesium - kind of has a cunty Latin name, 4.5/10

Barium - yeah boss, bury’im! 7.5/10 I love a good mobster gag

Lanthanum - A bit pretentious on the Tolkien spectrum sorry bud 3/10 sounds like you’d be the dickwad elf everyone hates

Cerium - 6.5/10 I like this one, gives me a clean vibe

Praseodymium - the fuck who sneezed all their alphabet soup onto the paperwork and called it an element Christ we can’t keep doing this 1.5/10

Neodymium - oh my god what did I just say 1/10

Promethium - thank Christ we’re back to greek 9/10 Prometheus was a Chad I could get behind

Samarium - 5/10 gives me boring wizard vibes

Europium - 4.5/10 don’t rename opium chrissake can’t take these nerds anywhere

Gadolinium - 5/10 it’s a starship knockoff but it’s trying to be bold with the G sound

Terbium - 2/10 I don’t vibe with this one

Dysprosium - sounds like an antidepressant that has a lot of shitty side effects 3/10

Holmium - sounds like someone anxious asking their beloved to hold them 8/10 I like hurt/comfort fics

Erbium - you can’t just describe something as herby you daft bastard 2/10

Thulium - sounds like a spell I like it 8.5/10

Ytterbium - macguffin in a shite sci-fi show that gets highly overrated because BBC produced it and superwholock stans emerge and go utterly feral 1/10

Lutetium - bards are an element I agree 10/10

Hafnium - sounds like a river (my dog) sound and has a cute vibe, I’d offer it head pats 7/10

Tantalum - noooo you can’t be sad yuor so sexe haha 6.9/10 tantalizing

Tungsten - 10/10 this is a lad with history

Rhenium - 5.5/10 it’s ok

Osmium - 4/10 I wasn’t a big wizard of oz fan

Iridium - 9/10 sounds like iridescent and that’s in my top 10 favorite words and concepts

Platinum - 10/10 best Pokémon game

Gold - 7.9/10 all that glitters and all but it’s still pretty on some people, silver is better tho

Mercury - yikes 8/10 so it doesn’t kill me

Thallium - sounds like the brother character in a ps4 exclusive western rpg that oddly falls under the radar in terms of reviews and gets shafted at awards for no reason 7/10 I’ll support you tho

Lead - 2/10 that’s gonna be a no from me dawg pretty sure I still have lead in my hands from stabbing myself with my mechanical pencils

Bismuth - 6/10 sounds good in mouth and reminds me of biscuits for some reason, I’ll take it

Polonium - to thine own self be true so stop trying to act like the arts don’t influence science jk pretty sure this is named for Poland but hey that’s where we get the Witcher so you get a pass 6/10

Astatine - 1/10 I don’t even know what you are

Radon - 7/10 this motherfucker knows his shit and how to party, rad is right

Francium - I bring you francium...and I bring you myrdurdium... 7/10 for a good vine

Radium - killed the video star probably 9/10 I can get behind her

Actinium - as opposed to passtinium I prefer actinium in the voice of writing 8/10

Thorium - overrated Norse god 5/10 because lightning is still cool

Protactinum - sounds like some pretentious condom brand 4/10 wouldn’t do it with a dude who bought these

Uranium - I always thought she was a hot sailor scout 10/10

Neptunium - same for her I knew they weren’t cousins you couldn’t lie to me 4kids 10/10

Plutonium - sounds like a macguffin unfortunately 5/10

Americium - I read this with a pivotal letter missing and nearly died, 7/10 for the laugh

Curium - 10/10 gives me Curie vibes and also reminds me of curiosity which reminds me of—[old yellered before the association could set in]

Berkelium - what I shout when I want Burke (fam dog) to slaughter innocents and raze territories 2/10 world was not meant to know his commands

Californium - 1/10 California is cool with geography but probs could stand to chill with the ego sorry to my friends in Cali

Einsteinium - 6/10 it’s alright but we’re really running out of ideas huh

Fermium - 3/10 this one is porny

Mendelevium - 1/10 my brain didn’t like parsing this and I stand by my earlier statement of running out of good names

Nobelium - 0/10 you didn’t name any noble gases this cowards this gas can’t be a noble oh wait it’s NOBEL I take it back 5/10 seems an alright chap

Lawrencium - fear the old blood my sorry dead hunter’s ass I’ll never get back my life from the hours I spent trying to beat this lava shitting bastard 2/10 for being a boss who eats Taco Bell specifically before being challenged to have fresh lava shit with which to punish you for having the audacity to exist in his space

Rutherfordium - my god what a snob 4.2/10 I respect him a little but only because he sounds like a right lad

Dubnium - DROP THE BASS 10/10

Seoborgium - not sure about this one but it can have a 7/10

Bohrium - as an American English speaker this sound combination makes my pathetic throat become a black hole as I try to properly create the sound of it 10/10 I love when my body becomes a massive void in the universe

Hassium - lazy 2/10

Elements 109-118 can go fuck themselves I hate them all, collective 6.66/10 for their general demonic vibe

[hitsuackerman]

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.19

a/n: so... uhh... nothing much happens here but the last part is worth it :’) i guess? hope ya’ll like this nonetheless! 

warnings: this cannot be read solo

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 20

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased @infinite-universe-love @dirtypride @blackymomo03 @azzie @purple-rabanito​ @meximorrita @awesomeee19​​ @celestial-kanzakii​ @laure-lo​ @team-wang-puppy​ @aydience-world​ @choros-main-hoe​ @colorseeingchick​  @but-kairis-not-that-smart (i cant seem to tag again :( hope this lands in your timelines!)

Two days since that fated encounter with Chronostasis, you were now left with a vacant rest day. And where better place to spend it than with Dr. Hanayaka. Setting an appointment with him, as he liked to call it, you were tasked to help with the blood pressure for each patient he had. Luckily, his schedule wasn’t that straining.

“So you mean to say, his henchman met with you in secret?” Gei asked and raised an eyebrow. With his stethoscope resting on his shoulder and white coat on, it was sometimes hard to believe that this flamboyant man was a well respected doctor. “And handed you trash man’s sim card?”

“Yeah. I’ve already checked the contents of the sim and there’s not a lot to go on.” Aside from your messages, the contents of his inbox were that of an average man’s. Expecting some tea about his trade or even important numbers of other villains, you had to think whether or not Chrono deleted some or not.

“And what about that plan of yours, hmm?” Gei fixed his eyelashes before staring back at you. “What if it backfires and Chrono takes the blame?”

“He won’t. My instructions were clear and I set a time frame as well. Just something to please the heroes for setting me up.”

“You movin over to the dark side, baby girl?”

“Just balancing things out.” You shrugged. “Levi made it clear that they shouldn’t interfere with my relationship with Overhaul. Even though I’m on justice’s side, I still want to tip the scales a bit due to personal reasons.”

“Wouldn’t your badge and title be removed if they found out? And why in Todrick’s name are you so chill with this topic?! Are you certain you don’t have a bug on you?” Your friend eyed you down so quickly. Worried that policemen might end up barging inside his office.

“Don’t worry. I’m wearing new clothes so there’s no way they can. Besides, I’m being as cautious as ever. Seriousness aside, I do have some information you might want to feast on.” You smirked at the mental image of a maskless Chrono.

“Spill…” Gei shifted in his seat and leaned in closer. The look on your face only meant one thing.

“Okay, so Overhaul’s right hand man was the one who met me right? Well~ He took off his mask and I will have to admit the man looked hella fine~”

“Describe! Describe!”

“For starters, he has bluish-gray eyes. Though he looks like he wants to kill a person right there and then, he probably could since his jaw was rather prominent. His voice without the mask is different too.” You watched as Gei listened with such focus. “But, if I were to be honest, describing him doesn’t do him good. He looks really handsome.”

“Why is it always the villains who look good?” Gei commented with a pout. “Hawks aside, because that man is something else, but they just hit different you know?”

“That’s true. Shame they have to wear those masks, though.”

“On the contrary, I think it’s good that they do. Otherwise they’d have to endure the wrath of fan girls.”

“Right. Also feels good when they trust you enough to show what’s behind the mask.” Nodding at your own statement, the memory of having lunch with Overhaul came back. With no given warning, he took off his mask and casually drank water. Realizing that he had done it on purpose, a tiny smile formed on your mouth.

“If you miss him that bad, just call him.”

“He changed numbers and I’m not that desperate to ask Chrono for it. Nao said in due time he’ll contact me but the chances of that are negative.”

“Honey, it’s the modern era. Women aren’t as shy as they were before. If you want something, go and get it. If it is a guy’s new number, then go ahead. It’s not just men who make the first move. And besides, I think Overhoe would be surprised if you just suddenly ring his doorbell.”

“You do realize, I do not have the same confidence as you.”

“Fake it till you make it, boo.” He snapped his fingers in a z-formation.

“You’ve been watching Soopernatural again, haven’t you?”

“Okay, first off, Jenred Padackles is a god and I would worship his feet. Second, that show has references to everything and you can’t deny that.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Standing up from the sofa, you stretched your limbs. “Anyway, I gotta scram.”

“Where you headin’ off to missy?”

“I have to meet up with Nao regarding the Fukuo Kai case.”

“But it’s your day off. Get a life and do something else other than work, (n/n).” Gei threw a pen to your direction but you dodged it effortlessly. “Don’t make me tell your father.”

“It’s only for a few minutes. It’s in preparation for tomorrow.” Not bothering to wait, you exited the room and sofly closed the doors to his office. Time spent with Gei was always an eye opener. However, it still wasn’t enough for you to stoop so low and ring his doorbell.

Making your way out of the hospital, you took a quick stop to the vending machines and chose a cold cafe au lait. Perfect for the hot and humid weather Japan had to offer. Feeling the cold liquid running down your throat was amazing and within seconds, you downed the whole drink. Tossing the empty bottle to the recycle bin, a gust of wind caused you to lose balance.

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

“I have a meeting to attend to Hawks.” Hawks took his visors off and ruffled his wings. Offering to buy him a drink, he chose a tetra pack of  apple juice. Walking to the vacant bench, you followed him and decided that perhaps his visit would be worth it. “So what did the bird hear today?”

“Twice and Toga Himiko.”

“League of-” Then it hit you. “I see. Since when?”

“Yesterday. One of my informants saw them entering the base and left late at night. They didn’t look too happy about it, though.” Lowering his headphones, he ruffled his hair and stared at the clear blue skies. “Do what you will with this information. Just thought I’d let you know.”

“How and why do you even bother?”

“I work for the HPSC dove. If I don’t want them getting in my head, I gotta kick their crotches first.”

“That’s not the best analogy.”

“Still works though.” He winked and put on his headphones and visors back. Standing up, he offered a hand and you accepted it. Tailing you, Hawks was now opening the door for your car. “And one more thing, another of my birdies caught the scent of the quirk erasing bullets nearing its completion stages. Probably 80% now.”

“That’s fast.” You had to admit.

“Heard he’s been pissed. Be careful baby bird.” Hawks closed your door and saluted before flying off.

80%? That was enough information to speed up the Shie Hassaikai raid. Reaching out for your bag, you took the burner phone you recently purchased and reread each message the both of you exchanged. With two League of Villains now part of the yakuza, the possibility of casualties was much higher now.

Within minutes, you were now on the road. Fingers tightly wrapping the steering wheel. Your thumb bouncing with growing guilt at choosing to hide what Hawks had just said. Of course this wasn’t to ensure his victory, it was to even the field, right? It was the pettiness taking over you and Nighteye going against his words. It had to be.

Turning towards the precinct, you saw your designated parking area. The basement parking was a bit crowded today.

Heading towards the meeting room Tsukauchi had prepared for the small info sharing, you greeted fellow coworkers and kept conversation till you disappeared around the corner. Not too long after, you were now fiddling with your fingers. Basking in the silence till the doors opened revealing your partner and Shinezu. Both men took their seats and commenced the meeting.

“So, Shinezu will be tagging along.” He nodded at your coworker who seemed to be trembling at the thought. “It’ll do you good, Shinez. Trust me.”

“I-I know, Tsukau-kun.” He adjusted his tie, loosening it a bit. “I just think I’m not cut out for this mission you know? I do better behind the scenes.”

“While I believe that’s true, the 4th division works best when you’re around.”

“That’s true.” You agreed. Shinezu may not be the most social cookie out there but his brain was close to Namase. He also had the knack of coming up with solutions when things went wrong. All he needed was to amp his social skills. “We all know the 4th division leader is weak for you.”

“Not t-true.”

“All too true. You’ll be fine, Shinez. Have I ever lied to you?”

When the raven-haired man finally nodded his head, Tsukauchi cleared his throat and relayed the plans for tomorrow. It was the standard undercover data gathering in your books.

“So, to recap, the 4th division will be handling the snooping and we’ll remain on guard should all else fail?” You repeated the information given. Tsukauchi scratched his chin and nodded. Confirming that you had fully understood his message. “All this should happen within 5 hours. Got it. That’s quite cramped but manageable.”

“5 hours was the only allotted time I could fit in.” He scratched his nape and looked away. “You were right when I had to take it slow with my cases.”

“I’m not one to comment~” Waving the conversation aside, you stood up and the others followed.

With the short meeting now over, Tsukauchi and you were now seated in the break room. Cups of coffee present as you exchanged more information about your days and current mission. For a brief moment, despite him not being a part of the Shie Hassaikai Raid, you wanted to pour every single information you had just gained from Hawks. The lingering guilt was much more present now.

“You’re spacing out.” He snapped his fingers in front of you. “You alright?”

“Aside from the growing problem of trashman, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.” Taking a sip from your coffee, the usual taste of bitterness was strong today. “Nothing to worry about~”

“You should go home, (n/n). I already took up a portion of your time. Any more and I might drown from embarrassment.”

“That’s gross. Even coming from you.” Kicking him from under the table, the two of you laughed before chugging the remaining drops of coffee. “I will take that offer though. Need me some beauty sleep before shit happens again. See ya!”

Hours had passed and you were now stuffing your face with chips. He was right when he said you had purchased too much but you weren’t complaining. The movie playing now was one of your favorites, Prisoner. Gake Jyllenhall was divine in this movie. It was always the twist of the movie that kept you watching it over and over again.

“I wonder if we had watched this… would the wall pinning  happen?” You thought out loud. Shaking your thoughts away from him, you stopped the movie and stored the chips.

Now that you were settled in bed, Overhaul’s jacket rested on top of you. By now, his scent had disappeared and was now replaced by yours. Grabbing your phone, you opened the messaging app and clicked on a certain conversation. Rereading his messages was not the best idea but at least you would be able to relive whatever memories you had created.

Glancing at your desk calendar, in just two months time, you would meet him again. Would things still be the same? Or would things go back to the way they were? Tucking your phone under the unused pillow, you willed yourself to sleep and surprisingly succeeded.

Waking up not so refreshed happened again. But, nothing out of the ordinary. Not being a morning person, you dragged your body away from the bed and began the necessary clothes. Deciding to just buy breakfast, it took you less than an hour to lock your doors and head over to the parking lot.

Making your way up the steps, you met up with Shinezu.

“You look like shit, Shinez.” You teased him. “Take a chill pill.”

“I already did. But it’s still not working. This would be the first case in a while where I’ll interact with others.” Leading the way, the both of you were now walking through the empty hallways. The sounds of your footsteps muffled by the cheap carpeted floors. “How do you guys even manage to survive situations like these?”

“By taking it one step at a time~” Not the best advice for someone who’s socially challenged but it is what it is.

Opening the doors for you, the both of you entered the room and took your designated seats. A bunch of people from the 4th division were now present. Tsukauchi had not yet arrived but it was still early so it was excusable. Exchanging a few small talk, you caught up with what the 4th division was up to till the doors finally opened.

“Good morning everyone.” Tsukauchi greeted. Feet glued to his spot. His eyesight focused on you. “Before we head out, we have a special guest joining us.”

“Holy shit.” Shinezu uttered under his breath.

- - - - -

a/n: shits bout to go down again! I would like to take this time to thank each one of you who take the time to read this! Unpredictable was supposedly a 10 chapter story but we bout to reach 20 now! i cant really respond to your comments as much but i read all of ‘em and they always make my day :’) my schedule has just been very hectic these days huhu and yeas that ends my rant~ see ya’ll next week! :* and yes, the waiting list is still open :)

[quietlyimplode]

@whumptober2020 - Day 19 - Survivors Guilt.

Day 1 - Waking Up Restrained // Day 2 - Kidnapped // Day 3 - Manhandled // Day 4 - Caged// Day 5 - Rescue // Day 6 - No More // Day 7 - Support // Day 8 - Isolation // Day 9 - Take Me Instead // Day 10 - Blood Loss/Trail of Blood // Day 11 - Psych 101 // Day 12 - Broken Down // Day 13 - Oxygen Mask // Day 14 - Alternative Prompt - Comfort // Day 15 - Into The Unknown // Day 16 - A Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day // Day 17 - Wrongfully Accused // Day 18 - Paranoia // Day 19 - Survivors Guilt

CW - Discussions of Child Abuse.

She’s looks at her hands.

“Nothing. It’s fine. It’s just thoughts.”

“Sometimes talking through your thoughts helps, right?”

“They’re not good thoughts.” She cautions.

“That’s ok, that sometimes happens.” He says carefully.

——-

She’s been cranky all day. He doesn’t want to bother her again with a suggestion to do something so he sits on the laptop and writes up mission specs, research into bows that can have delayed explosions once they hit and anything else that lets him sit with her but not interact. Every time he’s suggested something like getting something to eat or watch or do, he’s met with a ‘no’ or a look. He’s stopped now, the days pretty much gone. She’s been intermittent in reading and staring at nothing, he wonders if he should be concerned. It’s like she’s mulling over something, but whatever it is it must be a big something, because whatever got her into this funk is not going away anytime soon.

He throws a cookie at her and it hits her in the chest. Leaping up, she draws her gun on him. Hands up, he cocks his head. “That’s not the response I thought I’d get by throwing you my last cookie,” he says flippantly for someone how has a gun aimed at his head.

“What the actual fuck, Clint.” She puts the gun back under the pillow (god she has guns everywhere) and sits back on the couch. Where before she was laying down and relaxed, she’s now on edge. Whoops. He hadn’t meant to do that.

“You okay?” He checks in, knowing the answer is no.

“Yeah.. I -“ she lays back down, not finishing the sentence.

“You hungry?” He looks pointedly to the cookie now on the floor. “I can throw you something else?”

“No,” comes the response, then a beat and “thanks though.”

He gives up.

If she wants to be in a mood, that’s ok. He tries not to let it send him into one.

As a last ditch effort, he asks, “wanna spar?”

She looks up.

“Yeah. Yeah ok.”

He grins big. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, just let me get changed.”

He tells her he’ll meet her on the mats, and heads down to the gym, making sure they’re free and that no-one is around. They haven’t spared in ages and he’s seen her take on Steve. They’ve come to an understanding since they spoke the other day to come together in the gym. He knows Steve is going easy on her, hell she knows too.

She arrives in a zip up hoodie and shorts, still not ok with neck things, he notices.

“How you wanna do this?” He challenges.

“Wanna do take downs?”

“Umm. No. How about tagging?” The ‘game’ of choosing a body part and protecting that by all means whilst trying to attack your partners and tagging it. Clint finds it a good warm up game, but also helps to gauge where she’s at.

“Sure. What part? Head?” She follows up immediately.

“God Nat, are you angry with me? No. You’ve lost enough brain cells.” A wry grin.

“Ok, stomach?”

“Nah, how about butts?”

She rolls her eyes. “Fine. But I chose next. Best to five?”

“Ok, but no heads,” he cautions.

They move around each other, Clint throws some easy shots, which are parried by Natasha, each choosing opportune times to attack. They’re up to 2 shots a piece when Clint calls for a break. They’ve been going for 20 minutes and he’s tired. Deconditioned might be the better word. Grabbing water from the nearby fridge he throws one to her, and takes another for himself.

“What’s up?” He says sitting on the mats next to her. “You’ve been in a mood all day, and you’re clearly not thinking here - I left several openings and you didn’t take one.”

She’s looks at her hands.

“Nothing. It’s fine. It’s just thoughts.”

“Sometimes talking through your thoughts helps, right?”

“They’re not good thoughts.” She cautions.

“That’s ok, that sometimes happens.” He says carefully.

“Do you ever think that we shouldn’t be here? That I shouldn’t be here?” She starts. He ponders whether to cut her off or let her go now she’s started, if he interrupts he worries that she’ll shut down. He lets her go on, prepared to cut her off.

“The odds of me surviving the Red Room, the sadists, the torture, the lessons; I can’t tell you how slim that was. It was only by chance that I survived that and others didn’t. Once, they had us locked in the basements with no food, only water and then gave us food after 5 days. I think the expectation was that we’d fight over it, kill over it. But you know, we were smart; we knew what they wanted and even though we knew we’d be punished; we shared it. I think we all thought it would be our last meal, we didn’t say it but I know we all felt it.. I don’t even remember their names. But I know their faces. The repercussion of that incident was, for lack of a better word, brutal.” She pauses takes a drink of water, Clint nods at her to continue, these are things Natasha never talks about. Things he’s only heard snippets of, from dreams or nightmares, from flashbacks to dissociation. Therapy must have opened some wounds right up, because volunteering this information is something he’d never thought happen. “we were separated after that. Only brought together for lessons. To fight each other. To best each other. Kill. Maim. Torture. To weed ourselves down to 28.” She takes a deep breath. “And now. Gods and monsters, we hold our own Clint, but I don’t have your skills, Tony’s armor, Bruce’s abilities. I have a boss who trusts my judgement on others but doesn’t trust me. Not enough to tell me that he’s faked his death or to tell me that Hydra was coming because in my previous life I was a turncoat, a ‘predatel'’ and that I might be playing both sides as well..”

Traitor, Clint’s mind supplies, tripping up on the Russian.

“Sometimes I can’t help but wonder, why me? Why did I survive it, when so many others didn’t? I’m not special or smarter or anything.. I just. I don’t even know..” she stops. Looks up at him.

“You know?”

He does. He really does. But he really doesn’t know how to address it other than talk of his own feelings of self worth. A story for a story, he supplied in kind.

“Barney would leave me, for hours, when we were at the circus. I didn’t trust any of them. Some of the others would pick on me, come looking for me when they knew Barney was out. I didn’t know at the time he was helping them with some pretty illegal shit, but I did know to hide myself, and I did know how to become invisible. There were others, my age, maybe older, that didn’t have that skill so when they’d move on from me, they’d go look for them. Beat them. Make them do tricks for the sheer fun of making them do something over and over again; taunt them. I’d watch, from up high, and wonder if I should save them from it. But if it wasn’t them, it’d be me. Those kids, they didn’t last long; they’d leave, some died and others; well I don’t really know what happened but I know it wasn’t anything good.” he grabs his own water and feels his heart rate quicken. Suppressing a memory.

“My point is, that there’s been shit that’s happened to us that no kid should go through. That’s not on us, yeah?”

She nods, slowly.

“And I suppose as adults we build our own support systems. Look at you, and how much work you’re putting into getting rid of this trigger? God Nat, we’ve made it this far. Not only that, we’ve found each other. And others that have our backs. Look at Tony; he’s done everything to make sure we are safe, Pepper keeps baking us shit, and Steve holds back on whooping our asses daily, Bruce and Cho, even Fury and Maria and May too. What are the chances we’d find them, or find a team that’s as fucked as us?” He smiles.

“Right?”

She nods slowly.

“I suppose.”

“It’s never going to go away, that feeling of why us.” He reckons. “but maybe it’s like the lottery; you win some you lose some.”

Natasha stands. Looking, he supposes, somewhat brighter.

“Come on slowpoke. It’s 2-2, someone has to win. Like the lottery,” she teases.

———

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste, ch. 11

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Lila Rossi/karma, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/aneurism, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Plagg & Tikki

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Lila Rossi, Jagged Stone, Plagg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Penny Rolling, Anarka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Wayhem, Nadja Chamack, Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Tikki, Fang, Principal Damocles, Caline Bustier, Ms. Mendeleiev, original minor character, Alec Cataldi, Lila Rossi’s Mother, Sabrina Raincomprix, Roger Raincomprix, Mylène Haprèle, Le Gorille | Adrien Agreste’s Bodyguard, Nino Lahiffe, Nooroo

Tags: Lila Rossi salt, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Swearing, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Crack Treated Seriously, Lila Rossi’s Lies Are Exposed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Paparazzi, Parentification, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Gabriel Agreste Needs an Aneurism, Uncle Jagged Stone, we’re all queer here, the spirit of punk is sometimes just being allowed to be yourself, Kagami Finds Her Groove, punk rock fashion, Savage Kagami, Marinette protection squad, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Protective Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Sharing a Bed, Pet Names, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Instagram, Bullying, Social Media, Anxiety, Makeover, Hugs, will cure your acne, Face Punching, Bad Ass Juleka Couffaine, Rumors, Protective Juleka Couffaine, Protective Adrien Agreste, Lawyers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Holding Hands, accountability, mental health, Jagged Stone’s well-paid pet shark, How to Make the Evening News, Sexy eyeliner for days, one fish two fish Lila is a screwed fish, How to have fun and piss Gabriel off, Fuckery, sweet litigious karma, Alya sugar, lawyer shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Schadenfreude, Bad Ass Alya Césaire, Gaslighting, abuse denormalization, Jagged likes his lawyers like he likes his pets: toothy af, Blood in the Water, Everything you didn’t know you wanted and some things you did, Gabriel Agreste is shark bait, Denial, Consequences, Principal Damocles salt, caline bustier salt, the impotence of Gabriel Agreste, snarky Nooroo, lies and the lying liars who tell them, Lila’s brain is a narcissistic hellscape, Lila’s mind is built like an Escher piece, Alec Cataldi salt, Adrien Sugar, wholesome salt, Fu Salt, Kwami Shenanigans, Nooroo is a little shit

Summary: Snuggles and Pastries: An Interlude

Notes: Jagged ships it.

AO3 link

Chapters 1-2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10

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Adrien woke to find that he’d moved close enough to Luka in the night that they were snuggling, one of Luka’s arms over his chest, and Adrien’s head tucked against his chest. Their legs were tangled together. He’d never experienced this sort of thing before.

And it was wonderful.

Luka was warm and soft, and while Adrien was worried he’d be offended or embarrassed, he wasn’t inclined to move.

He was halfway back asleep when Luka’s phone alarm went off, and the other boy stirred.

Adrien felt him grope for the phone and the alarm silenced… but Luka didn’t move further, just settled back with a soft sigh.

Adrien figured it was only a matter of time before Luka woke further and pushed him away. He felt selfish as he stayed still and tried to enjoy the closeness.

Nino had once called him “touch-starved,” referring to how he liked being close to people, and he wasn’t wrong; having been starved of people and with an unaffectionate father did that, apparently. He craved it. An arm around the shoulder, hugs… anything, really. This, though, was a special sort of torture—accidental instead of on purpose, the sensation without the meaning.

“Why so tense?”

Luka’s voice was so unexpected Adrien couldn’t stop himself from jerking back, gasping.

“Shit.” Luka propped himself up on one elbow. “Didn’t mean to startle you. You okay?”

Adrien nodded. “Y-yeah. Sorry. I guess I snuggle in my sleep.”

That got a soft chuckle. “You aren’t the only one. Don’t worry about it.”

“I know, but…” he sighed. “I don’t want to cross your boundaries.”

“Hey, I like cuddling. It doesn’t have to mean anything sexual unless the participants want it to.” Luka smiled. “And anyway, it’ll give everyone the idea we want them to have.”

Adrien nodded. “Yeah. I just hope I’m not inconveniencing you. I mean… I know you’re interested in Mari, and if you’re fake-dating me, you can’t real-date her.”

Luka sighed softly. “Marinette’s heart is elsewhere, Adrien. And she may never see me the way I see her. And, anyway, I want to help you.”

“I know… but last night you said Mari does what you do—hides her feelings,” Adrien bit his lip. “I just… let me know if anything bothers you. Your feelings matter, too.”

The soft look Luka gave him made his heart flutter a bit.

“Thanks, mon étoile,” Luka murmured, pulling him into a warm hug. “It’s… not easy, but I’ll work on letting you know.”

This snuggling was real, and Adrien let himself relax, snaking one arm around Luka. He was drifting off again when Luka’s phone alarm went off again.

“Secondary alarm,” Luka told him. “We’ll have to get up if Jagged’s going to have time to do your kohl.”

Adrien grumbled, but grudgingly extracted his limbs from Luka’s. “Do you think it’s okay to wear the jeans I wore yesterday for photos?”

“Probably not. Wear one of the distressed pairs—it’ll piss your dad off more, you wearing clothes with holes in them.”

That got a giggle from the blond. “‘We are not paupers, Adrien. You will dress appropriately,’” he mocked, using an approximation of Gabriel’s voice. “That’ll be perfect for the media frenzy.”

After they’d gotten video of the three of them jamming and posted it to social media, Jagged had sent hotel staff to get pajamas for the two of them. Fortunately Chloé hadn’t started pounding on the door until after those were delivered, so they had all ignored her. Adrien hasn’t been ready to face her, or to put Luka through that. She could see him in the morning like the rest of Paris.

It didn’t take either of them long to dress, and then an espresso-chugging Jagged demonstrated on himself how to apply kohl before doing it for Adrien.

“Decided less is more for you,” the rocker said. “Just enough to make your eyes pop. Makes you look like… I dunno. Otherworldly or whatever.”

In the mirror, Adrien could see what he meant. The kohl lining his eyes contrasted the green in a way that made them almost gem-like, giving him a fey appearance.

“I like it,” he said. “Should I wear the leather today, or the hoodie?”

“We want to sneak you into school, so the hoodie might be better,” Luka said. “So we don’t get intercepted.”

Jagged grinned. “You’ll both be in the limo and we’ll pull right up to the school. The leather gives a bigger statement.”

Adrien pulled on the leather.

“And we’re picking up Marinette, as well,” Penny added. “I’ve called her, and asked her if she’ll dress up for effect.”

“Are you sure?” Adrien asked. “Father might go after her.”

“He does, he has me to contend with,” Jagged muttered. “And anyway, we gotta get you in some of her designs. Even if your bullshit underage contract—which I bet wouldn’t hold up in court given the fact that it was forced on you by your shithead dad—says you can’t model for anyone else, Instagram isn’t a modeling gig.”

Luka patted his shoulder. “And she wants to, anyway. You know how stubborn Marinette can be.”

Adrien smiled, thinking about that. “She really is. It’s endearing.”

“Sometimes. Other times you just want to help her, but she won’t let you.”

He felt his smile fade, reminded of what Lila had done, how Marinette had shouldered it all herself.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “Definitely. She does do that.”

Luka offered a wry smile. “We’ll help her. And we know Jagged and Penny will too.”

“Damn straight,” Jagged said. “And we best get going.”

Adrien blinked. “Um… Shouldn’t M. Dupain and Mme. Cheng also be part of this?”

“Penny called them earlier, while you two were still cuddling, and they are. They got part-timers who’ll cover while they go to the collége with us. Lawyer’s at the bakery already. Tom and Sabine have breakfast waiting for us, even.”

Jagged chuckled. “Oh, and I’ll send you lot the picture I took later. Cute as hell, you two are. Might be good for Instagram, eh?”

Adrien felt his cheeks heat, and Luka had a blush that he was sure matched his own.

“Anyway, Penny’s waiting in the limo with Fang. Got André to clear the route through the hotel to the limo, so we’re good.”

He handed each of them a pair of sunglasses—replicas of the ones Marinette made for him. “Ready to do this in style?”

They made it to the bakery without issue, and were joined by Marinette, Tom, Sabine, and a stern-looking woman in a skirt suit.

Marinette was wearing ripped fuchsia leggings and a pair of black high-waisted shorts with two rows of silver buttons. Her top was a crop-top, a long-sleeve black fishnet over a pink sleeveless shell that matched the leggings. All were obviously her own design.

She blushed when she saw Adrien and Luka staring. “Um, I designed this but hadn’t had a reason to wear it yet. Though I put the rips in the leggings last night before bed. Figured it was more rock ‘n roll, and I can make another pair later.”

“Definitely,” Jagged told her.

Tom handed out pastries from a large box while Marinette passed around coffee. Jagged showed Sabine how to pet Fang—who was pleased with the attention.

“Kagami’s meeting us in front of the collége, too,” Marinette told them. “We’ll be able to greet her and then she’ll confirm our story to the press.”

Jagged turned to Luka. “After your public goodbye to your boyfriend, the limo’ll take you home. Anarka knows what’s going on, too. Been harassing the paparazzi—she’s good at that. Bet she’s run some of ’em off.”

Luka nodded, then pulled Adrien and Marinette in for a hug. “We can do this.”

A flash surprised them, and Sabine lowered her phone. “You do. And we have your backs, kids.”

Adrien took a bite of his pain au chocolat, glad Marinette had thought to bring his favorite breakfast. He was ready for this—as ready as he could be.

It was time to meet the press.

[remiwarner]

   ❝𝕴𝖙 𝖇𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖘 𝖆 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖞𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖋𝖊𝖊𝖑𝖘 𝖎𝖙.❞

                    – – a Remi Warner playlist.

1. “Snufs” Kaveh, OnklP   /  (TRANSLATED)

Long fingernails, on some pimp shit Out to find a fucking nightclub to paint white Tony Montana, don’t think he accepts credit But he’ll happily give you your first hit Yo, come and get a (bump of cocaine)

And she asked me if I was keen on something And the line to the bathroom was fucking long cause all the boys were on some

2. “Day ‘N Nite” Kid Cudi

Slow mo When the tempo slows up and creates that new, new He seems alive though he is feeling blue The sun is shining, man, he’s super cool, cool The lonely nights they fade away He slips into his white Nikes He smokes a clip and then he’s on the way To free his mind in search of

Day and night, the lonely stoner seems to free his mind at night He’s all alone and through the day and night The lonely loner seems to free his mind at night At, at, at night

3. “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” Cage The Elephant

Oh, there ain’t no rest for the wicked Money don’t grow on trees I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed And ain’t nothing in this world for free Oh, no, I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back Though you know I wish I could Oh, no, there ain’t no rest for the wicked Until we close our eyes for good

4. “Cold Wolves” The Gromble

‘Cause there weren’t many times that we shared a bed In the presence of strangers, you’d be sharing with them Needed protection and kept me around But I would always let you down Oh, I can always let you down

Machines keep on working I want to believe But tries are to no avail Some of us were born to fail

5. “Let It Bleed” The Used

This poison’s my intoxication I broke the needle off in my skin Picked the scabs and picked the bleeding And assumed that it was all in vain Pulled at a scab that’s never healing Callused, hit me in the face A burning bridge that’s so misleading Poison’s more potent now with the flame

Let it bleed, take the red for what it’s worth Watch the fire Fill your lungs with smoke for the last time If you feel like dying, you might wanna say

The fire department couldn’t drown the city They didn’t even try to wash it clean And what did you think – that I was sober? Put me out ‘cause I’m on fucking fire I pulled at a scab that’s never healing Regret that I kept this clean The most that I can do for you is keep on lying

6. “Prescription” Mindless Self Indulgence

I’m the doctor, I’m the patient Don’t forget that; it’s important If you love me, like I love me Everybody will be sorry

Well, I don’t need nothing before the show I don’t need nothing, well, that’s not so I need something before the show Just a little something to make me go You know what I want You know what I want Give me more, give me more Pretty please, a prescription Give me more, give me more Pretty please, a prescription

I don’t need no one screwing up my fun Over the counter, fill that prescription I don’t need no one screwing up my fun Turn down the bass and fill that prescription

Make it stop, make it stop Pretty please, a prescription Make it stop, make it stop Pretty please, a prescription

7. “Overdose” Grandson

I couldn’t find the thrill again I couldn’t seem to kill the pain I was living in the moment Searching for a little serotonin But this shit ain’t so fun now I can’t deal with the comedown I’ve been living on the run, now Oh, I gotta get out of this town somehow

‘Cause the bad’s been slowly getting worse In this fast lane, living, it’s a curse Better tell me, what’s your life worth? I think it’s time for a change ‘cause the drugs don’t work Anymore, anymore, anymore

Overdose, overdose, overdose, overdose, overdose All fun and games ‘till I hit the floor, comatose

8. “Little Lion Man” Mumford & Sons

Weep for yourself, my man, you’ll never be what is in your heart Weep, little lion man, you’re not as brave as you were at the start Rate yourself and rake yourself, take all the courage you have left And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head

But it was not your fault, but mine And it was your heart on the line I really fucked it up this time, didn’t I, my dear?

9. “Dread In My Heart” Mother Mother

There’s a godawful shitty feeling of dread in my heart Yeah, it’s got a lot to do with having to finish what I start And at any second now I think it all might fall apart ‘Cause there’s a godawful shitty feeling of dread in my heart

There’s a devil in my brain with a pitchfork and a flame Yeah, he likes to poke around and he likes to tell me things And whenever I begin to feel like I might be deranged I remember there’s a little shitty devil in my brain

Oh, I wonder what it’s like to be the type who doesn’t burn Yeah, the kind who fights the good fight Not the kind you’d find fisti-fucking-cuffing in the dirt

10. “Heavy Shit” Blake Rose

They tell me ‘why, this is all part of life, you see’ But the world keeps circling around me No, can’t seem to stop beating so hard on myself Hence all the shit I pour out Still haven’t found what I’m looking for No, all of these people keep closing doors They told me ‘you can’t keep holding all this shit to yourself Go find a way to let it pour out’

So here I am, trying to figure where it all went wrong Feel like a ghost in my own damn home Starting to wonder how I got so numb To this heavy shit I pour out Bottoming bottles in the mirror when I’m on my own Feel like I’m lost in my own damn bones Can someone tell me how I got so numb To this heavy shit I pour out?

11. “Discoloration” Dawn Golden

You took my hand and brought me down in the morning And I was sitting waiting for the telephone to swallow me whole I saw your face reflected on the resonant screen And I watched your mouth moving like a tired machine Trying to plead with me Trying to swallow me whole

It’s been a while since I’ve been gone and away And I watched your eyes reflect me in a terrible way As you cast your gaze to the flickering hall

And you knelt beside me and you started to pray And the whites of your eyes blackened with a hardened decay And you talked to me in a broken voice

‘In your open mouth Silence me in your coursing Blood in my eyes Dress me in your clothes And swallow me whole’

12. “Blue And Yellow” The Used

And it’s all in how you mix the two And it starts just where the light exists It’s a feeling that you cannot miss And it burns a hole through everyone that feels it

And you never would’ve thought in the end How amazing it feels just to live again It’s a feeling that you cannot miss And it burns a hole through everyone that feels it

Well, you’re never gonna find it if you’re looking for it Won’t come your way, yeah Well, you’ll never find it if you’re looking for it

Should’ve done something, but I’ve done it enough By the way your hands were shaking Rather waste some time with you Should’ve said something but I’ve said it enough By the way my words were fading Rather waste some time with you

13. “Past Life” Trevor Daniel

I’m trying to be honest with my happiness Don’t know why I’m bad at this And I don’t wanna settle in my sadness I know it’s a habit of mine

Perfect, perfect timing I start what I don’t know how to end Don’t re– don’t remind me I ruined it before it began

Last night was the last night of my past life Got me here like ‘you can never figure me out’ Last night was the last night, was the last time I’ll never let you figure me out Sitting here, talking to myself Thinking how I used to use you, only thing I’m used to Last night was the last night of my past life

14. “Graceless” The National

Graceless Is there a powder to erase this? Is it dissolvable and tasteless? You can’t imagine how I hate this Graceless

I’m trying, but I’m graceless Don’t have the sunny side to face this I am invisible and weightless You can’t imagine how I hate this Graceless

I’m trying, but I’m going through the glass again Just come and find me God loves everybody, don’t remind me I took the medicine and I went missing Just let me hear your voice, just let me listen

All of my thoughts of you Bullets through rotten fruit Come apart at the seams Now I know what dying means I am not my rosy self Left my roses on my shelves Take the wild ones, they’re my favorites It’s the side effects that save us Grace Put the flowers you find in a vase If you’re dead in the mind it’ll brighten the place Don’t let ‘em die on the vine, it’s a waste Grace

There’s a science to walking through windows There’s a science to walking through windows There’s a science to walking through windows There’s a science to walking through windows without you

15. “End Credits” Eden

Cigarette ash like wildfire, burning holes in the nighttime Open scars cut like barbed wire White lies flying high like a ceasefire Dropping flags on the shoreline This is as far as I can feel right ‘Cause what you don’t know can harm you

And all we ever wanted was sunlight and honesty Highlights to wanna repeat Let’s get away from here and live like the movies do I won’t mind when it’s over At least I didn’t think for a while

So let’s run, make a great escape And I’ll be waiting outside for the getaway It doesn’t matter who we are, we’ll keep running through the dark And all we’ll ever need is another day We can slow down, ‘cause tomorrow is a mile away And live like shooting stars ‘Cause a happy ending’s hardest to fake

16. “Bloody Shirt” To Kill A King

What you wanna do tonight? I got wounds to lick in life All you’ve said Standing like a stick, this tie could invert to be a noose instead

Oh, you’re lying next to me Heart is beating heavily Blood in your hair, though, oh, and blood on your shirt

It’s too late to say you’re sorry, say you’re sorry still And I stepped out with heavy heart to bail you out again All those things you do, and all those things you do

Get out, get gone, this town is only gonna get worse Get out, get gone, this town is only gonna eat you

17. “No One’s Here To Sleep” Naughty Boy, Bastille

Every carpet, every floor, everywhere I look, I fall Climbing up the walls, I’m climbing up the walls What goes on behind these doors I’ll keep mine and you keep yours We all have our secrets, we all have our secrets

Behind every door is a fall, a fall And no one’s here to sleep

You were always faster than me I’ll never catch up with you, with you Oh, I can feel them coming for me

Here’s the pride before the fall Oh, your eyes, they show it all I can see it coming, I can see it coming As I rise up through each floor Shit gets dark when you lose it all I can hear it coming, I can hear the drumming

18. “Shots” Imagine Dragons

Am I out of touch, am I out of my place When I keep saying that I’m looking for an empty space? Oh, I’m wishing you’re here But I’m wishing you’re gone I can’t have you, and I’m only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I’m gonna mess this up Oh, this is just my luck Over and over and over again

I’m sorry for everything, oh, everything I’ve done From the second that I was born, I sense I had a loaded gun And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved

Am I out of luck, am I waiting to break When I keep saying that I’m looking for a way to escape? Oh, I’m wishing I had what I’ve taken for granted I can’t have you when I’m only gonna do you wrong

Oh, I’m gonna mess this up Oh, this is just my luck Over and over and over again

19. “Apartment” Young The Giant

After leaving my apartment I feel this cold inside me It howls away all through the market It calls your name

On my way to your apartment I write for fear of silence You carved a boat to sail my shadow Now I walk alone Alright, alright

I hit the sidewalk, and this is how it starts Hide in a raincoat when things are falling apart

After leaving your apartment I hear the coast by nightfall So sure to keep you dreaming You understood Oh, I know you understood Yes, sir, it shows I was no good Alright, alright

I hit the sidewalk, and this is how it starts Hide in a raincoat when things are falling apart ‘Cause sooner or later this is bound to stop Come on, let’s savor What we’re falling over

20. “Munich” Editors

It breaks when you don’t force it It breaks when you don’t try It breaks if you don’t force it It breaks if you don’t try

People are fragile things, you should know by now Be careful what you put them through

People are fragile things, you should know by now You’ll speak when you’re spoken to

With one hand you calmed me With one hand I’m still With one hand you calmed me With one hand I’m still

21. “Tamer Animals” Other Lives

Oh, living for the city And it’s always troubling to keep it in the high lane I don’t care about no scenery And you run from it then Now you can’t escape

‘Cause it’s all you see But we’re all just an end to a simple thing And it’s all you see And it’s all you see

We’re just tamer animals We’re just tamer animals

22. “Silhouette” Jacob Lee

I have tried to quantify the reasons I feel incomplete I guess sometimes my wisdom it figures that’s what I need I have tried to sit beside these demons that trip up my feet I guess sometimes it’s weakness that strengthens the skin on your knees

I’ve not liked myself for quite some time now Standing at the mirror with the lights out Try to keep my shadow at a distance Scared of what it’d say if it could listen

I’ve not known myself for quite some time now Staring at the mirror with the lights out Screaming words that I should probably whisper Terrified the light above might flicker

[codylabs]

Chapter 23: Limbo

Links: P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

In the middle of Dipper’s mindscape, Mabel’s hunched form stood alone, glancing about uncertainly. “Dipper…?” She asked, as if doubting her own voice. “Dipper, are you… Here??”

Hi Mabel… Yes. I… I guess I am.

She put a hand to her head, as if confused or overwhelmed by something. She stuck a finger in her ear, as if trying to clear a blockage. “Uh…” She said. “Uh… Dipper? Can… Is that you?”

Can you hear me? He focused on thinking the words as hard as he could.

Mabel shook her head again, and turned in a circle. “Uh… No…” She said. “No I can’t…”

…Yes you can. Otherwise you wouldn’t have known to say ‘no’.

“Oh… Yeah… That’s right… I guess… Wait… Where are you?”

I’m looking right at you, uh… I can’t move or speak, I don’t think I have a body… We’re inside… Well, I guess we’re inside MY mind inside YOUR mind I think… I guess I’m dead? Did I get that right? I died?!?

“Uh…” Mabel turned slowly in a circle, her eyes passing right over the place where Dipper perceived himself being. If she couldn’t see him, his form must really be gone. Finally, Mabel settled down onto a nearby rock, with folded arms and a frown that looked annoyed and very, very tired… “Well… Yeah, mysterious brain voice;” She addressed him curtly. “Dipper IS dead… And he can’t come back… So… I think you’re Ford. You plugged me into a weird machine just to talk weird and cheer me up…”

Huh? No, I’m…! Well, I don’t think I am…

“Say something only Dipper would know.”

Uh… He racked his memory for something tangible to grasp onto. Everything was so blurry… So he stared hard at Mabel. At the shape of her hair, and her eyes, her red cheeks, her braces…

Her braces…

In the corner of his eye, one of the many hatches in his mindscape pushed aside some rubble far enough to open a crack. Mr. Upsidedownington is overrated… He finally recalled. Little bits and pieces seemed to follow the scrap. Some incomplete, some without form, some without image, but he mentally recited them as they came. A few more doors opened, here and there. And… And dad won’t let us race syrup after the waffle incident of ‘08… You ship anime characters while I pretend to listen… And… You were the one who invented the awkward sibling hug, but I was the one who named it… Uh… Uh… Dippy Fresh rocks and Disco Girl is stupid… Wait… No, the other way around. Dippy Fresh was stupid, and Disco Girl rocks… And… I don’t know… I can’t really remember what else… Oh, yeah, and you sing in your sleep… You inherited it from mom…

“You…” He saw tears coming to Mabel’s eyes, as she stood up again. Her eyes were searching him out more urgently now. “You… You really are Dipper…”

…Yeah… No… Well… I guess what’s left of him.

“Why can’t I see you?”

I dunno.

“Like…” She sniffled. “Like, just imagine a body for yourself! Everything you imagine comes true in here… Right?”

I… I can’t… I mean… I’m having a hard time… Imagining. I mean, I can’t remember things. And I just feel really, really confused, and I don’t know, I can barely think… I can barely think…

Mabel put her fingers to her head and squinted really hard for a minute, as if trying to be psychic. When she finished, Dipper found he could feel his body again. He looked down, and saw himself.

“Oh.” He wiggled his fake, imaginary fingers, flexed his fake, imaginary neck, and found he could speak. “Hey. Thanks. Uh…”

Before he could continue, Mabel had rushed up to him, wrapped her arms around this fake, imaginary body, and was already crying in his fake, imaginary shoulder. He fell silent. And the hug he gave her back was neither fake nor imaginary.

And so they just stood there like that. It felt like a moment but was probably longer.

Mabel wouldn’t stop crying.

“So…” He finally ventured. “I died, huh?”

The body Mabel had imagined for him flickered for a moment, and he felt parts of it go numb. Blood trickled down his forehead to blind one eye. He looked down and saw that he had a busted leg, big gashes in the chest, and one of his arms missing entirely. It didn’t hurt, not in here, but the injuries were somehow familiar. “Oh…” He said.

“Uhmf!” Mabel gasped and shook her head. “Sorry, sorry…” The body flickered again, and turned back to what they both recalled as ‘normal’. “Sorry… That’s… That was how… I’m sorry…”

“Hey…” He hugged her a little tighter. “It’s okay… Uh… Uh… You know, uh… Wow, 13 years old, huh? That’s… That’s pretty… I… How did I die? What was I doing? And… Why… How… I…” His mind began jumping around, fixating on those unfinished scraps of his life that now would never be realized. Ford’s apprenticeship that I wanted someday… Publishing a book… Hosting a ghost-hunting show… Wendy… Something with Wendy… “I… I had dreams…” He said.

“No…” Mabel sniffled. “Let’s talk about something else. Anything else…”

“…Okay…”

But, of course, one’s own death has a way of dominating the conversation. Neither of them could think of anything else to say.

“So…” Dipper finally released Mabel from the hug, and sat down in the grey grass. She eased herself down across from him. “So, uh… I dunno, is anyone else here? Is… What happened to Wendy? Is Wendy here? No, never mind, I mean… Is she okay? Weren’t we together when…? Did she…?”

Mabel shook her head. “No, don’t worry, she’s fine… Well… Like, she kinda… When… Well, she took your journal and stormed off into the woods 4 days ago and nobody but her dad has seen her since… I… I think Great Uncle Ford said she had radiation poisoning…”

“Radiation poisoning…? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know… The same thing happened to Great Uncle Ford, and he’s fine, just really really sick…”

“Ah.”

“I think she blamed herself for the crash…”

“Crash…?” In the corner of his eye, another memory hatch struggled open. Beyond, he saw a replay of the explosion, the impact, the escape from the wreck… He saw himself standing over Wendy’s unconscious form, and in front of him was… that… “Oh… Oh yeah…” He stared. “I… I died fighting that… Geez…” He couldn’t seem to remember the duel itself, but he saw the beast as it last had stood.

“Yeah…” Mabel sniffled.

“Is Wendy fine…? And… Wait, did I kill it…??”

“Yeah…”

“Wha…? How??”

“I don’t know…” Mabel wiped her eye. “But… You wrecked Gideon’s robot with your bare hands too, and beat Rumble McSkirmish, and won Globnar against a trained adult… This… This is like a stupid habit for you…” She tried to make a joke, tried to smile too, but neither worked.

“Ha ha…” Dipper rubbed his arm awkwardly, and almost smiled. “Dumb habit…”

“Really dumb…”

“Yeah…” He glanced about once more. It seemed to him there was something profoundly important he ought to be remembering right now, but he couldn’t recall what it was… Maybe it would come to him. “Hey, you’re right.” He said. “Let’s talk about something else. Anything else.”

“Yeah.”

The silence stretched on.

“Dipper…” Mabel finally worked up the courage to choke out the words. Dipper thought he could hear her heart racing from where he sat. “Dipper…” She repeated, trying to convince herself to talk. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

“Hey, woah.” He put up his hands. “Don’t blame yourself; I was the one who chose to fight it. You and Wendy didn’t have anything to do with—”

“N-no, not for that, for everything else… There’s… There’s a lotta stuff I never told you, and I never meant to tell you, but now you’re dead and… And I need to tell you so, and… I… Is Ford listening?”

“Uh…” Dipper glanced up at the sky, as if he would be able to see Ford up there, maybe hunched over his computer screen looking down at them. “He was reading my mind earlier…” Dipper recalled. “But I think he’s giving us some privacy right now…”

“Okay…”

“So…?”

“Dipper… I messed up… And I kept messing up…” Her voice broke, and warbled as it raised an octave. “Everything I do I try to do for the right reasons. I try to be nice, and to be sweet, and to love everybody and everything and make them love me… But it keeps breaking! And I want so bad to do whatever I’m doing that I just keep on doing it! Even when it gets stupid and things start to happen that I don’t want to happen, I just keep on being STUPID and SELFISH and DUMB! And… And…” She tried to wipe away her tears, but more just flowed in to take their place.

“Hey, it’s okay, what are you even talking about…?”

“And I’m just lucky!” She continued. “Lucky because everything always works out in the end! Lucky because everyone is always looking out for me! If it weren’t for you guys… Dipper, I’m not a good person at all…” She bent over, as if feeling sick. “I’m not a good person, the unicorns were right! And I’m sorry…”

“Hey, what? No…” He told her. “It’s okay… You’re okay…”

“I’m not though.” She sniveled. “I’m a terrible person…”

“No you’re not… You’re my sister; you’re Mabel! You-”

“Mabel is a terrible person then…”

“Yeah, well… She may have made her mistakes; everybody does bad things now and then… I mean, I know I do… It doesn’t make her a bad person. Just makes her a regular person… And the thing about Mabel? I love her.” He put an arm around her shoulder; it felt cold. “No matter what she’s done. Even if she’s crying, even if she’s hating herself, even if she marries a fish person… Even when I’m mad at her, even when we FIGHT, I’ll ALWAYS love her…! Always! Don’t… Don’t you know that…?”

“But…” She turned away from him by a couple degrees. “But I never told you the things I’ve done… If you knew…”

“It wouldn’t change a thing. I love you. And I forgive you. You understand?”

“But but… Oh… Oh yeah?!? Well… Well guess what?!? Well… Well last summer I almost ENSLAVED sev’ral people! I wanted to make them my toys for all eternity, until my friends stopped me! I never told you about THAT, did I?? And I never told you how I beat up Steve in 4th grade just because he was stepping on flowers… And I stole Rebecca’s birthday cake in 3rd grade because I was feeling really hungry… And I never told you about the vampires, did I? And… And… AND YOU NEVER KNEW WHY WEIRDMAGEDDON HAPPENED!”

“Hey, woah, calm down! That’s all… That’s… Listen…”

“YEAH!” She turned toward him, and was practically screaming at herself. “Yeah, you know how the little snowglobe thing with the galaxyness broke? You know how Bill got into our world?!? I never told you that because I promised I would never tell anyone because I LET HIM IN! I GAVE HIM THE SNOWGLOBE! ALL THE PEOPLE WHO DIED THAT WEEK, I KILLED THEM! I LET HIM IN!!”

“Woah, woah woah…! Hey… Hey… Uh…” As Dipper stood up and wrapped his scrawny arms around her again, he wished they were bigger; wished he could pretend to be strong enough to hold her.

I may not be all that Dipper was. He thought. I may not be able to stand beside her much longer… But I can tell her what Dipper knew.

“Hey… Look…” He said. “You know… You know why I never mentioned this whole thing before?”

“Why, cause you figured I was just a klutz and dropped it?” She snapped.

“Well… At first, yeah… But… But then I figured it out. I figured out why you never talked about it, and why Blendin left his last message… I put it all together; filled in the blanks. And I understand. Not just understand what happened… But I get why too… I do. I get it.”

She sniffled. “You do…?”

“I get what he promised you. I get that you were trying to do it for me… I get that you didn’t know… And for the record, you’re far from the only one, or the first one to fall for him… You were just unlucky enough to be the last.”

“But… But… But he almost gooshed the universe… And… He…”

“We all make mistakes. It’s just life… And as soon as you saw the truth, you worked harder than anyone to save the day, now didn’t you?”

“But…”

“So… That means you’re cool, right? It’s-”

“But that doesn’t make it all okay!” She wailed, shook his arms off, and pushed him away. “Because THAT’S NOT ALL!” She continued. “TODAY… Today I almost did it again!! Because after last summer, Bill left behind a statue in the woods, just a stone statue sitting there with one hand up like this, and… And I wanted you back so bad that I almost shook his hand and almost let him in AGAIN! I almost accidentally the whole thing AGAIN…! So… So how about THAT! Explain THAT away! Justify THAT! Tell me I’m still a good person after THAT…! I’m… Grunkle Stan found me and saved us all again… And… And… And also I was so mad at the robots for killing you that I tried to kill Juan with my bare hands, even though he never did anything and he’s just a BABY, and that makes ME the monster and… And… I’m so sorry Dipper, I’m so sorry…” She buried her face in her hands, and sobbed.

Dipper considered this for a long while.

Well, this was a dilemma.

What could he say? Could he call her evil a ‘mistake’ to try and lessen the blow? Could he tell her she hadn’t been in her right mind? Could he tell her ‘all’s well that ends well’? Could he tell her they were certain that Bill was dead for good? Could he tell her that anybody would have done the same thing in her place? Could he tell her that nothing wrong had been done?

No. For those were all complete lies.

She was right; there was no rationalizing or justifying her actions. She HAD done wrong. She HAD willingly repeated the mistakes of the past. She had betrayed herself and everyone else, and tried to throw away everything she knew… If things had run a little differently, if Stan hadn’t been there, if some piece of Bill really was still alive and present in this universe… She may very well have let him have his way. She might have. And she’d meant to.

His sister was guilty.

…But she was sorry.

So the only true thing Dipper could tell her was: “I forgive you.”

Ford kept his eyes off the screens; he’d promised Dipper’s simulation a time of privacy with his sister. After all they’d both been through, it was the least he could do.

He found a few cushions and propped them up as best he could around Mabel’s neck. Sleeping sitting up like that for hours on end couldn’t be easy on the neck, especially not when you’re wearing a helmet the size of a colander.

As he squeezed the last pillow in there, he took a look at her face. There were dark rings under her eyes, tangles in her hair, tear stains on her cheeks, and her face was almost pale; the last few days must have been horrible for her. Indeed, he didn’t think he’d ever seen her looking this bad. Even during Weirdmageddon, where showers, clean clothes, and fresh water had all gone extinct, she’d stayed strong and happy and hopeful. Even when messed up and dirty and oppressed on the outside, she’d always seemed to be… Glowing inside…

Pity what it all had come to. Such a pity.

But as he watched, a change came over her. Tears began to trickle down her face. But she didn’t struggle or move or show any other sign of distress; indeed, the beeping of the heartrate monitor seemed to slow down.

And on the edge of her mouth, there appeared the first hints of something precious: a smile.

Finally a smile.

Ford breathed a sigh of relief and shot a glance at the biological diagnostic screen. The Dipper backup file was decaying fairly rapidly inside Mabel’s head, and would eventually reach a point where he was no longer compatible with his sister’s brainwave. They’d have to uninstall him at that point, and, hopefully, be left with a Mabel in slightly better condition… One step forward, three steps back, I suppose. He thought. Even if we can’t save him, perhaps he can save her… I wonder what happened to her. Stan seemed to think this was pretty urgent.

Ford eased himself to his feet. Dipper wasn’t decaying quite as fast as anticipated; they still had 5 hours or so left before terminal failure.

Ford shuffled over to an old couch in the corner of his study, set an alarm for 4 hours, and eased himself down for a nap. The ever-more slow and calm beeping of the heartrate monitor lulled him off to sleep, though he couldn’t shake a vague, implacable feeling of paranoia…

“So… Uh… Well, anyway, we’re in the mindscape.”

“…Yeah…” She shrugged.

“So that means this reality is our playground. Like a lucid dream…” He glanced around, fishing for some fun idea she might enjoy. “Wanna imagine… Like… I dunno… Jetpacks or something?”

She seemed to consider briefly, and shrugged.

“…Rainbow powered jetpacks?” He elaborted. “…Made of Plush?”

“No…”

“Why not?”

“Not in the mood.”

He chuckled. “I think somebody mixed up our lines.”

She smiled off one corner of her mouth. “I guess somebody did…”

“Well… Come on…!” He encouraged her. “We’re inside my brain… I mean, normally you’d fight tooth and nail to dig up all the secrets and deep, dark thoughts… There must be something interesting around…”

She scratched her head. Then something seemed to occur to her, and her face finally broke open into her old, familiar, full smile.

Dipper was so happy to see her happy that he didn’t even question for a moment. But then, an enormous, rainbow-powered plush jetpack materialized behind her, swung its big fuzzy buckles closed across her shoulders, and rocketed her into the sky on a thundering blast of color, knocking him for a loop. He stumbled back to his feet, wiping some of the indigo off his face (Was this paint?!?) and looked around for where she was headed.

He saw the rainbow’s vibrant band arc up from his current location, turn a couple loops through the grey air, then swoop down near a shadowy grove of trees in the far corner of his mind.

He had a hunch what that corner was. A signpost leaning nearby confirmed his suspicions: romance. “Of course.” He sighed and smiled at the same time, before imagining a (not rainbow-based) jetpack of his own, and lifting off after her. It’s okay after all… He assured himself, as the rockets began to roar. It’ll all be okay.

She’ll be okay.

He turned the jetpack’s engines forward to slow himself down, then undid his straps and jumped clear just before it exploded on the ground. (Why did he have to imagine it being so explosive?)

Soon as he got his legs under him again, he followed Mabel down through a tangle of brambles and into the romance sector. “Oh, come on, you know what’s in here, Mabel! It’s not like you need to see or anything…!”

“Yuh-HUH!” She grinned back at him. “You never talked about it, and always shushed me when I did, so this is like my one chance!” She began to giggle. Then giggle harder. Her giggling rose to a feverish pitch as she scurried onward. “Besides, just try to stop meeEEE-HEE-HEE-HEE…!

“Uuuuugh…” He broke into a jog as he followed.

By the time he reached her, she’d already popped open several doors, and was moving further down the line.

Dipper glanced inside each as he ran past.

He saw just about what you’d expect: Him and Wendy playing at the arcade. Him and Wendy stunt-jumping the golf cart. Him and Wendy playing marbles with the jar of eyeballs. Him and Wendy messing around at the pool. The smell of her beef jerky still lingering on the goodbye letter… Each memory made him awkwardly blush a bit more, until he was sure his fake, imaginary face was as red as a stop sign. Mabel’s laughing didn’t help either.

He finally caught up to her when she stopped for a minute to inspect the contents of a particular door. He jogged up behind her. “Mabel, please, do—”

“Okay.” Mabel grabbed his cheeks and pointed his head toward the door. “WHY. Is THAT in here?”

The memory was him and Wendy trapped underground, being swarmed by the endless hordes of ravenous, razor-sharp, creeping, crawling, alien robot bugs from chapter 13.

“Uh…” He scratched his head. “Why is that in ‘romance’, you mean?”

“Just… Why?” She rubbed her temples. “Killer robots, fighting for your life… And then romance. Really. I… Uh… I don’t quite see how that fits really.”

“Well… Y’know… I was doing it with Wendy so I guess… Eh...” He shrugged. “I dunno. It felt just a tiny bit romantic at the time. If you were there you’d have been having fun too.”

Mabel looked again. The robots were tying Dipper down and starting to drill through his armor. He dropped his gun and was starting to really panic as their cutting bits burrowed deeper. “You do not look like you’re having fun.”

“Yeah, well, I was.”

The memory showed Dipper screaming for help. Wendy wasn’t able to reach him, but hollered at him to find his magnet gun. Her voice was the one non-hectic, confident part of the scene, and Mabel saw Dipper’s memory hold onto her voice, and use it to calm down. He reached out his hand, wrapped his fingers around the gun, and pulled the trigger. The EMP ended the battle, and Wendy finally reached him.

She hugged him, and promised it would be alright.

Mabel could see how much they cared about each other. “Oh.” She nodded. “…I get it now.”

“Yeah.” Dipper shrugged.

“Okay, enough of that, what’s over this way?!?” Mabel shook her head and rushed off.

Dipper saw where she was headed: a place where the trees crowded together ominously overhead, and the path sloped downhill, down into deeper and darker parts of his memory…

“What, NO! NO don’t go that way!” He squealed. “That looks like, I dunno, really forbidden stuff! Like stuff I don’t think about, or try not to think about or whatever! See?” He pointed to the wayside. “My subconscious even put up a sign here that says ‘off limits!’”

“What was that?” Mabel asked. “That sounded a lot like ‘blackmail fodder’ to me…!”

“Augh!”

“Hey, here’s one where Pacifica hugs you!”

“Look—”

“Ah-HA! And here’s where she kissed you on the cheek after your date! I always wanted to see that part… Aww that wasn’t a very long kiss at all! Shaaaame!”

“Won’t dignify with response.”

“Where’s the rest of the Pacifica junk?” Mabel peaked in a few other doors. “I can’t find it anywhere? Didn’t you help de-curse her house…? And where’s the rest of the date?”

“Probably over there.” Dipper pointed way across his mindscape, toward a more secure, less shady area. “’Paranormal event records’.”

“Why’s it all the way over theeeere?”

“Because, umm… Duh.”

“Hmm…” Mabel opened another door. “Oh, hey, there’s that girl! That… Like, that one girl! One of the girls that you flirted with during the road trip! …Hey, where’s Candy?”

“I would be profoundly confused if you found any candy down here.”

“No, not candy as in sugar snacks! I mean, like, Candy Chiu!”

“Oh… Her. Yeah, same for her.”

“Yeah, well… OOOOH HEY LOOK!” Mabel found a small, boarded-up door, stuck her fingers into the crack, and levered it open. “It’s Abby Lenin from 4th grade! I never knew you had a thing for her!”

“I dunno… Like… She could play piano and that was kinda cool…”

Mabel watched the memory, and gasped. “You gave her a valentine’s day card? I never knew that!”

“Yeah, well, I almost got a nervous breakdown writing that card. And then she didn’t give me one back, and wouldn’t talk to me for a while, so… Yeah. That door was tiny and boarded-up for a reason.”

“Yeah, okay, that makes sense. But how about now we… GO DEEPER!” Mabel turned and sprinted even further down the path. “How about THIS one then?” She flung open a very deep door. “Heeeey, who the heck is that? She looks like an adult…?”

“Hmm?” Dipper peeked over her shoulder to see what all the fuss was about. “OH AGH! Mabel that’s not even a human! That’s an anime character!” He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her off the door.

Mabel burst into uncontrollable laughter, and wrapped her arms around the handle. “Who is she?!?” She screeched hysterically. “What anime is she from?!?”

“Like, just some random thing I found on the internet! I don’t know! She’s like a secret agent cyborg ninja or something stupid and you really…! GRR! JIK! AKK!” Dipper got his fingers under her fingers, pulled them free of the handle, slammed the door shut as fast as he could, and then ripped the entire doorframe off the wall.

He stuck the doorframe under one arm, and extended his other to keep Mabel a safe distance away from it. “Look, it was kinda cool, but it shouldn’t even be in romance!” He pointed to the removed door. “I’m putting this over by my Star Trek junk! Now can we please just turn back! We’re getting into the weird, repressed stuff now! I bet none of this has even been in my conscious mind for, like at least a year now!”

Mabel stuck the sleeve of her sweater in her mouth, and chewed for a minute as she glanced deeper down the path. She was beginning to see the wisdom in that… “Uh… Just one more?”

“And then you promise that we leave the romance sector?”

“Fine.” Mabel carefully selected one last door, and opened it…

“Dude.” Said the memory of Wendy. “You’re lying on my bra.”

The memory of Dipper screamed his lungs out and fell off the bed.

Mabel giggled and closed the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

As they walked out, Dipper breathed a pent-up breath in through his nose and out through his mouth. He wanted to be mad at Mabel for what she’d just did… He wanted to be even slightly annoyed… But anything negative was rather difficult. He glanced at his sister out of the corner of his eye, and saw her braces glint from within her smile.

Given what she’s been going through. He thought. I’m happy to see her smile… Really, that’s all that really matters, isn’t it? “Hey…”

“That part of your brain is big and weird.” Mabel interrupted, gesturing one thumb over her shoulder.

“Uh… Yeah. But yours is probably bigger and weirder and crammed full of miscellaneous hunky guys, so shut up, that’s what.”

“Ha ha! Yeah… And really, yours wasn’t as big and weird as I thought it would be.”

“Oh… Well, that’s good.”

“Now how about we talk about your crush on Wendy?” Mabel poked him in the cheek. “You know, that one you totally just moved past last year… The one you know will never work out and that you swore to just forget about…?”

“Ugh! …Uh… Yeah… I guess I forgot to forget…”

“I always knew you forgot.” Mabel smiled. “You two have been practically glued together ever since we came back this Summer.”

“Ha ha… Ehhhhuuuuhhhh… Yeah, just a one-way train to nowhere. That’s what that is.”

“Whaaaaat?? Whaddaya mean?

“Come on. She’s a chill, athletic, 16-year-old human girl, and I’m a broken-down, laggy simulation of the brain of an awkward, sweating 13-year old… I mean really, come on.”

“Bah! We…! Uh… All this… Well… Well, if this hadn't of happened, I think it would have worked out.” Mabel said. “…She likes you.”

“Umm… No. No she doesn’t… I mean does she? Do people say that? Who says that? Does she really?”

“Okay then…” Mabel stopped walking. “…Did she dance with you? Remember? That night when we had the big party? I went up to set up a sleepover with Grenda and Candy, and what were you two doing?”

“Umm…” Dipper scratched the back of his neck. “Oh yeah…” His voice got small. “I, uh… I guess we did dance, huh…”

“EEEEEEEE! WAS IT BEAUTIFUL?”

A door hesitantly creaked open behind them. Party sounds echoed in through it, and Mabel saw the magical moment unfold… Well, it wasn’t really all that magical. Dipper never did just straight-up ask her, he just kind of started awkwardly dancing on his own, then she jumped up and joined him and started firing party crackers everywhere… The never held hands, never twirled together to the slow music, never did anything intimate at all really, but both of them were beaming the whole time.

“Umm… Yeah…” Dipper admitted. “It wasn’t all that beautiful really.”

“But look! Boom! Right there man!” She pointed to the door. “Look at her face! She’s having fun! That means she likes you! You don’t dance with people and enjoy it that much when you don’t like them!”

“Uh… Huh… I dunno. I guess… I couldn’t dance though.”

“So? Nobody can dance perfectly right away. My first time, I almost drowned in the punch bowl.”

“…Surprising no one.”

“I bet if you asked her on a date now, she’d be happy about it… I bet she’s waiting for it.”

“Well…” Dipper spread his arms toward the grey landscape around them. His fake, imaginary body flickered once, to fully remind Mabel of how absolutely, entirely un-date-able he was at the moment. “It’s not like there’s any point talking about it.” He told her.

“Yeah…” She nervously fiddled with her sweater for a minute, then turned and left the romance sector entirely. “Hey, c’mon!” She said. “I bet we can find a lot of cool memories over there!”

“Yeah, I bet…”

He pushed Wendy from his mind, and continued after her.

Ford lurched awake two hours before his alarm. He’d just had the strangest nightmare… A nightmare where a terrible enemy lurked both near and far, between and among, above and below… Who was it?!? Where was it?!? WHEN was it?!? He hadn’t a clue, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that everyone was gone.

Everyone, every single one of his friends, family… Dipper, Mabel, Stan, Fiddleford, even the Corduroy lass, every last one of them, GONE. Were they dead? Were they insane? Or both? Or worse? Yes, they were all dead, and worse! But even more certainly, they were just utterly GONE! There was NOBODY LEFT! AND I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO GO!

He shook his head. No… All a dream… No, nothing but a dream… Just a dream. And, as everybody knows, dreams never mean anything at all…

He fished his phone out of his pocket, and pressed 2 to speed-dial Stan.

The line was quiet for a moment. Then it connected to his voicemail. “Get outta here lady!” Stan’s pre-recorded voice snapped. “I ain’t goin’ ta your resort, and I’ve told ya that 5 times now, so quit calling me! Beep.”

“S-Stanley…?” Ford stuttered. “I’m sorry, just… Just call me back. Just call me back. I’m sorry… Uh… Is everyone alright? Just need to know… Call me back. Sorry.”

He hurriedly closed the phone again.

What’s wrong? He racked his brain. What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with him? Why didn’t he pick up? Why am I so scared right now? What the heck is with that stupid nightmare? Why does it still feel more real than reality? What the devil is happening?!?

He looked down at his hands. Two palms, two thumbs, twelve fingers, fifty-three wrinkles, he counted twice. Every one of them shaking and sweating. Look at me. He thought. I’m already half-dead from the radiation poisoning of that blasted crashed ship… He was still on a liquid diet, and the past few days had been spent fading in and out of a dreadful fever. What more might it take to kill me?

He looked over at Mabel, comatose and helpless, plugged into the machine. What more might it take to kill her?

He looked at the computer itself, a most delicate assembly of wires, transistors, and little brown chips. What more might it take to erase all we have left?

No… No… ‘Just a dream’ my butt! Dreams… Dreams! What if… What if, what if…

What if what if what if…

Whatifwhatifwhatif…

WHATIFWHATIFWHATIF…

He struggled to his feet, grabbed a shotgun out of a cabinet, and collapsed back onto the couch with the barrel pointed toward the door. Without once taking his eyes away from it, he reached a trembling hand out, snagged half a mug of stone-cold leftover coffee off a shelf, and downed it in one gulp. This is a secure area. He reminded himself. Nothing could break in here. I can sit here and defend Mabel when something terrible happens… Or until… Until I come to my senses… Am I really going mad? I hope not, but what if? What if…

His eyes quickly grew sore from staring, his ears remained sharp, his fingers sat loose across the trigger, and so did he wait.

He waited…

What if what if what if…

What if I just haven’t been getting enough sleep?

What if I’m slowly going crazy?

What if it’s all real?

Just on the threshold of his hearing, he thought he heard something moving in the Shack above.

What’s if it’s already much too late?

Dipper pried the weeds and clutter off a hidden door, and got it open a crack. “Hey, look! It’s our first show and tell!” He smiled when he recognized the scene. “You remember that?”

“No…!” Mabel hurried over. “Did you really find it?”

“Yeah! Check it out…”

They watched the memory together.

“You brought a Lego X-wing.” She put her hands on her hips. “Because of course you did.”

“And you brought… Oh yeah. Look at that. A pinecone.”

“Wait, is that really a pinecone?” Mabel squinted hard at the memory of the shiny, egg-like object. “Are you sure…?”

“Yeah. It was so covered in glitter that nobody thought it was… I was the only one who believed you.”

“Ha ha…”

Dipper straightened up. “How ‘bout you? Did you find anything good?”

“Yeah, over here…!” Mabel beckoned him over to another part of his mind, and showed him a door. The scene it recalled was Dipper playing with model dinosaurs, making a pretend documentary. Little did he realize, Mabel was sneaking up behind. In an instant, she snatched his plastic camera, and ran off through the house, laughing like some kind of maniac… It seemed horrific to him at the time, but they both had a good laugh about it now.

They closed that door and continued on.

There was a lot of good stuff in this part of his mind. A ton of strange, hidden little memories here and there, memories that both of them had forgotten they’d made together… Bedtime stories, baking cookies, playing tag, stargazing, minigolf, the waffle incident… Even that time in Kindergarten they’d tried to dig a hole to the other side of the world, and Dipper insisted on bringing flippers and snorkels for when they came up in the Indian Ocean… That was fun.

Mabel ran on ahead to inspect another group of memories, her face finally alight were her smile.

As he ran after her, Dipper’s eyes strayed across all the great expanse of the inside of his brain.

Huh. He thought. We might’ve gone our entire lives without ever thinking of this stuff again. It’s only now that I’m dead that we really take the time to go back and relive all the good times… Only now do we realize how good we had it…

But I’m still dead… Which means all these doors, all these memories, all this stuff I have locked away, it’ll all just vanish into oblivion as soon as they unplug Mabel. And nobody will ever see them again… Nobody will ever remember them again. Nobody will ever even care.

I guess it’s like our lives. We’re all impermanent. We’ll all pass on. Everything we do will fade into obscurity and disappear, leaving nothing behind, not even a memory… And all we can do, all I’m doing right now, is procrastinating that… Delaying for a few hours the onset of eternity, the eternity where I am forgotten…

He shook his head. No! Don’t think about that… Don’t think about the future, think about the past instead… Because who wants to go to the future?

Don’t think about the future.

Don’t think about it…

Don’t think…

Future…

Mabel noticed he’d stopped running.

She turned around curiously, and saw the look on his face.

“What’s wrong…?” She asked, as if she didn’t know.

He tried a few times to compose his voice and gather his thoughts, but he couldn’t really hold back his tears. “Remember me, Mabel.” He finally managed to choke.

She took a minute to process that, then ran up and wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t say that Dipper!” She pleaded. “You know I will! I’ll remember you forever and always and you know that and I love you and…! And we’ll bring you back and it’ll be okay and—”

“No!” He struggled against her hug. “No, it won’t be okay.” He told her. “Don’t… Don’t hold on to me. Don’t rely on me. Don’t… It… Look, I AM going away, Mabel. I’ll be gone. I AM gone. Ford said this simulation is decaying, which means I’m basically rotting in fast-forward… And… Look, even if you DO somehow bring me back, as a robot or a clone or… A centaur? Heck if I know… I still won’t be able to be there for you all the time… You’ll still head off on adventures from time to time without me… Go on dates without me… Go to college without me… Get a job without me… Raise a family without me… Sooner or later… You’ll have to learn to live without me.”

Mabel eyes fell.

“And you…” Dipper struggled to find the right words. “You know what would make me happy? What I need you to do? What… What this entire world needs you to do?”

“What…?”

“You need to be stronger, Mabel… No matter what happens, to me or anybody else, we need you to be strong. Strong enough to hold together when something hits you. Tough enough to take a thousand hits and never break… So that you’ll never lose your hope, so that Bill will never tempt you, so that you’ll never be hoodwinked by some jerk guy… Just… I dunno. Don’t build your entire life on me being there for you, but don’t change a lick, even when something goes wrong… Be hopeful. Be loving. Be cheerful, and caring, and good… Be that way forever. With or without me. That’s… That’s what we need you to do.”

She held his eye for a long minute, then nodded slowly.

“I will.”

“I love you, Mabel… More than the world.”

“I know.” She nodded. “I love you too… More than the world.”

“I know.”

“And I’ll remember you.” She said. “I promise I will… I’ll remember everything…”

“I know… And thanks.”

A loud, distant sound interrupted them. A noise like a blast, that echoed into Dipper’s mindscape from somewhere beyond, resounding between the clouds and trees like a whisper of another world. Mabel was seized by a sudden spell of dizziness, and put her fingers to her ears.

“Was that a gunshot?” Dipper frowned.

“I dunno…” Mabel scratched her head. “Was that from real life? Did that, like… Maybe he accidentally bumped the helmet. Or maybe he’s trying to wake me up? I dunno, but that did not work.”

“Uh… Uh… I dunno, but we might not have a lot of time left.” Dipper assessed. “Okay.” He turned back to Mabel. “If this is it.” He said. “Uhh… Uh… Okay, just be careful out there. Be careful. Dying isn’t something that only happens to soldiers, old geezers, and evil henchmen, alright? It’s fast, easy, and it sucks.”

“Got it.” She nodded. “But… Uh… Okay, what do I do? What do I do? You and Wendy were right in a middle of some mission to find out where those alien robots came from, and to save the day or something, right? What do I need to do to finish it?”

“Uh… Okay, we found out where they came from: they were all farm animals brought to this planet aboard that giant ship. They came from a low-gravity, airless planet somewhere in another galaxy, but found they could survive after they crashlanded here.”

“Farm--?”

“The farmers themselves are dead, so they don’t need the animals anymore. Wendy and I were going to… Uh… To reprogram the gravity engines in the main ship to smash the entire robot forest… I don’t know. Maybe Wendy’s already on it.”

“… And that’s it?” Mabel winced. “They have to die?” She knew she’d do whatever she had to, but that didn’t mean she’d have to like it.

“Yeah…” Dipper answered. “Well… Actually no… Actually I don’t know.” He caught himself. “We really didn’t see any other way, we didn’t think of anything else. But we have to get rid of ‘em somehow. They’d do no good for mankind, only harm…”

“But what if…” Mabel wrapped her head in her sweater sleeves. “Hmm… What if… Hmm… What if there was a happy way?”

“I dunno, people might not go for it…” Dipper shrugged. “They were the ones that killed me, after all.”

“But they didn’t mean it… And… And they aren’t all bad…”

They were suddenly interrupted, as loud, voiceless words pounded through their minds:

-INPUT: The mindscape interface is ending. Prepare to exit.

“No! Wait!” Mabel looked up at the sky and waved her arms, as if that would do anything. “Wait Great Uncle Ford! Not now! Give us half an hour or something! Not now!”

-NOW UNINSTALLING GUEST BRAINWAVE.

-HOST BRAINWAVE, PREPARE FOR DISCONNECTION.

“But…!”

-UNINSTALLING:

- 2%

“LOOK!” Dipper grabbed her. “If there’s a better way, if there’s a happy ending here, a way to make things okay again, with me, with the robots, with everything…! Then you WILL find it! I believe in you! Just… Just I know you will. You always see the upside. You always bring the upside. It’s who you are… O… Okay?”

- 5%

She got a feeling in her gut; a feeling that agreed. “Okay.” She said.

- 7%

Dipper’s body flickered once, and he felt himself leaving. This might be it. He thought. I’ll never remember this, and I might never even live again. This moment, this might be all.

- 10%

“Do you think there’s a God?” He asked.

- 11%

Mabel blinked.

- 13%

“GOD!” Dipper turned his head skyward. His voice was starting to lose its form and its steadiness, though whether that was from panic or from getting disconnected, nobody could tell. Nonetheless, he prayed. “If you’re there, please save us! Help Mabel to be strong! Help Ford and Wendy and Stan to know what to do! Make everyone do the right thing…! Please help everything turn out all right!”

- 24%

“And God!” Mabel added. “Please bring Dipper back from the dead!”

- 32%

Mabel’s head began to hurt.

- 39%

Her sight got blurry for a minute, and when it cleared, Dipper was no longer there.

- 46%

The mindscape around her began to fade in and out; parts of it began to glitch and disappear.

- 58%

Trees toppled. Rocks split. Doors shattered. The ground crumbled beneath her.

- 72%

She felt herself falling.

- 85%

The pounding in her head became excruciating.

- 91%

Up was down and in was out and sane was mad and he was gone,

- 95%

when suddenly,

- 100%

Input: deactivating motor and sensory dampeners. Subject is awakening.

She awoke.

The massive computer buzzed tiredly as it finished its work and turned off. The helmet was warm from all its recent electrical activity. The pillows were damp from the tears she’d shed in her sleep. Her neck was just a little cramped from so long asleep sitting up.

The was a big hole blasted in the door, and a lot of overturned furniture and broken equipment.

Ford was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, there was only the monster, looking down at her.

She looked up at it, and remembered that the world still needed her to be strong, brave and kind. She still needed to keep her hope. “Please God.” She whispered quietly, as she tried to smile. “Please help everything turn out alright.”

The Shapeshifter shrugged.

[alia-turin]

Aaaand things happen. Somebody unexpected appears. 

Fic Title: Not Strong Enough Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Rating [Warnings]: M [mention of body injury] all chapters will have different warnings Pairing: Luche x OC, Nyx x Luna Summary: 3 years have passed since Noctis disappeared and Luche finds himself on the side of unfamiliar road with no recollection how he got there Note: I was listening to Apocalyptica’s Not Strong Enough while writing that hence the title. It’s VERY suitable sing for the fic.

Tagging: @birdsandivory @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy @lazarustrashpit @jojopitcher

One of the fishermen had agreed to take them to the island up north where most of the imperials were. Ironically everyone had agreed that the imperials have to be reached but nobody wanted to help. They had barely convinced this man to help, and Tredd calling him a coward didn’t really help the situation.

“So, I’m thinking a king size bed for the bedroom.” Luche was standing next to her and looking in the distance toward heir destination.

“You realize you have to build that right?” Ada laughed as he winced slightly. “Maybe we will find one lying around who knows.”

“He will have to build it.” Nyx joined them. “Whatever furniture is not used has long been burned. You build it yourself or pay someone to do so.”

“Explains why yours is so unformattable.” Ada said and Nyx pretended to look hurt.

“I’m not a carpenter, neither is he for that matter.” Nyx made sure to return the gesture as now Luche pretended to be hurt by his words.

“We have to agree however that whatever I have ever started doing I have done it to perfection.” Luche didn’t let his reputation go down that easy and Ada laughed. She missed that.

“I will remind you about that.” Nyx was going to say something else but they had reached the dock at the island.

The fisherman refused to come with them, fearing for his life and said he will be back tomorrow around the same time. Ada thought that wasn’t enough time, they had no idea which part of the island to look at nor how long it would take them to negotiate with the Imperials, but Cor just nodded at the man’s words and he was the boss after all.

It was colder here and she had to zip her jacket. Humidity and lack of sun really wasn’t working very well for Galahd. The place was awfully silent, there were no traces of demons but there were human tracks. That at least was hopeful.

“Should we split?” Nyx asked as he was studying his environment.

“No…” Cor was running his hand over the handle of his sword and Ada knew that movement very well, he was expecting something to attack them. “We don’t know how many of them are here and how armed they are.”

She tried to follow Cor’s gaze but even if he was seeing or hearing something, she didn’t.

They walked down an old road which seemed like it was barely used. Grass and plants had started growing over it and destroying almost anything human made. Wherever the Imperials were, they probably didn’t care much about the place.

“Hey, Luche.” Tredd started as he cut a branch that almost slapped him in the face. “You want to join Axis and myself in making the most amazing brew on the star?”

“That poison of yours that causes the mother of all hangovers?” Luce said and Ada couldn’t hide her laugh. Tredd was so proud of his ‘business’.

“Yeah chemistry is not my thing. I just know that you let things go bad and alcohol happens.” Tredd said as he stretched and yawned loudly.

“You do know that if you mess up the alcohol you can go blind or worse?” Luche sounded amused and Ada had to agree with him. These idiots somehow did things correct using just the very basic knowledge about how alcohol was made.

“Yeah, Soni said something like that but neither of us knew how to avoid it.” Tredd chuckled and wrapped an arm around Luche’s shoulder. “But now that you are here, smart boy, maybe you can give us a hand…”

“I don’t really have a choice do I.” Luche patted the redhead’s back. He was going to say something else but Cor suddenly stopped and they all went silent. Ada looked around and saw it. Slow movement in the woods, someone was stalking them. Before she could even ask Cor what were they going to do the first shot came, and then another one. Chaos rose amongst the trees as Imperial soldiers rushed toward them. She shoved her knife in the first one that approached her, but the she froze in place. She knew the man standing in front of her. Tall, broad shoulders, stoic expression that could freeze the sun…

“Captain…” was the only words that came out of her mouth before she felt Drautos’ hand on her throat. He turned her around, her back pressing against his chest, his fingers squeezing so hard into her skin that she started struggling to breath. She tried to fight him off but he was way stronger than her, he had always been stronger.

“Marshal!” his voice pierced her hearing. “You should drop your weapons or I will have to break her tinny little neck and then take your weapons.” He lifted her up a bit as if to show he wasn’t joking, Ada struggled to keep her feet on the ground. “Let’s make sure no one else died today, Cor.”

“Let her go Titus.” Cor pointed his sword in Drautos’ direction. “Let’s solve it between us as it always should have been.”

“Titus is dead, Marshal.” The man behind her said with metallic voice. “Do it Cor, she doesn’t have much air left, but I’m sure you see her struggling. Same goes for you guys.” With his free hand he pointed and Nyx and the others. The Captain didn’t even need two hands to hold her.

“I killed you once, I will do it again.” Nyx spat but Cor placed his hand on his shoulder. Neither of them brought their weapons down however and Ada could feel her vision starting the blur. She turned her head toward Luche, as best as he could, his guns were pointed at Drautos, she wondered if he could take the shot without scratching her, but somehow didn’t want to test it. Then her breath almost stopped in her chest. It wasn’t because of the Captain, she could barely feel his touch now. Luche turned around and pointed his guns at Cor and Nyx.

“Lu…” she tried to speak but the massive hand on her throat stopped any sound from coming out just failed gasps for air. She saw Tredd pointing his guns as well in the wrong direction and Titus snorting behind her. The lack of blood to her head started making her dizzy, she knew what followed she was going to lose consciousness.

“Luche, what the fuck?” Nyx shouted as he looked at Titus and then at the other two. It was just a blur. The blur in front of her that was Nyx was shouting at Luche and Tredd, Cor…she couldn’t even make the lines of Cor’s face.

“Marshal, consider that my resignation. I have always been loyal to the real captain of the Kingsglaive.” Luche said with a smile on his lips.

 She remembered almost nothing from the trip to the fortress the Imperials have built. Tress, imperial soldiers, Drautos…she couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was…different. He looked aged, his body still strong as she had experienced herself, but somehow tired. Part of his face was badly burned and judging by the scars that followed down his neck it wasn’t just the face that burned. He was walking somewhere ahead with Tredd and Luche, neither of them even looking at the other three. She wishe she had the strength to just fight the soldiers away and strangle Luche and remove that smug smile of his face. She couldn’t see him but she knew he had a smug expression.

Her brain started working as one of the soldiers shoved the three of them in a cell somewhere below the fortress. They had put some sort of cuffs on her and Nyx that didn’t allow them to use magic. Every time she tried to cast a spell, nothing happened and by his expressions he could tell he was trying as well. Ada was sitting on a bench, Cor was kneeling in front of her gently touching over her neck with two fingers.

“It is bruising, but you will live.” Cor said and offered her an encouraging smile. There was nothing encouraging about it, he was never good in faking emotions and it was obvious he was pretending to be calm and relax.

“I’m going to kill both of them.” Nyx was pacing around the cell, talking to himself. “Fucking believe them. Why did I believe them?”

“We all believed them, Nyx.” Her voice came out broken but was enough to make him stop.

“Well of course you did, one smile from Luche and you were in bed with him, I should have known better.” He said in anger and Ada got up. She was going to shove his head right trough the bars of the cell or die trying. Most likely die trying.

“At least I didn’t hide like a coward in Galahd while the world was falling apart.” She responded and saw him clenching his jaw.

“That’s enough!” Cor roared. “You both know better, and we all made a mistake, don’t put blame somewhere else.” He looked around the cell as if trying to find exit but there wasn’t one.

“I’m sorry.” Ada told Nyx and sat back. She wasn’t angry at Nyx, but she was angry. At herself, at Luche…she should have never allowed him back, feelings or no feelings. Cor was right, why didn’t she listen to Cor when he warned her not to trust him. But that was the real problem wasn’t it. She didn’t trust him for a while and then it was all the smile and gestures and…last night.

“Yeah me too, I wasn’t thinking.” Nyx said as well and sat next to her. “When we get to them, I’m going to let you kill him. Tredd is mine however.”

Ada nodded, it was fair deal she guessed. She should have seen that coming, she had no idea why she was so surprised by that development. She had really believed him with all his fixing things and proving that he was better and that all he did was because he believed in the greater good. She should have known better. But also that was his thing. He was smart and cunning when he needed to be. She wondered if he had known along that Titus is alive, somehow. Or he had been looking all the time for an opportunity and that opportunity just presented itself? Or maybe he was going to use the imperials for his own needs, Titus just happened to be in the picture and Luche had no option but to play ball for the time being? Regardless of his motivation, he has betrayed her, again, and it still hurt.

“Here is a question. If the Astrals are brining glaives to atone for their mistakes, how come Drautos is alive.” Ada said as she didn’t want to think about Luche, that hurt too much, for second time.

“Maybe he didn’t die.” Cor suggested.

“I beat him to death, he was a corpse when I…died.” Nyx chuckled at the irony. “I have a better question, why are we still alive?”

“Information.” Cor was still looking around as if there might be an exit they missed. “He needs something otherwise he would have killed us.”

Ada ran her fingers over her bruised skin. Whatever the captain’s deal was he wasn’t any weaker than he used to be. He could have snapped her neck there and then with very little effort.

“Marshal.” Speaking of him Drautos appeared at the cell with two imperials at his side. “Let’s take a walk.”

[notdeadjack]

annual rec list: 2017 edition

18 Fandoms represented: 

Voltron: 85 fics Haikyuu!!: 8 fics  Avatar: The Last Airbender: 1 fic  Yuri!!! on Ice: 2 fics  Naruto: 2 fics Star Trek: 8 fics  Boku no Hero Academia: 9 fics Marvel: 8 fics  Big Hero 6: 1 fic Teen Wolf: 100 fics Star Wars: 5 fics Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: 5 fics Harry Potter: 3 fics  Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: 2 fics Dream Daddy: a Dad Dating Simulator: 3 fics  Lucifer: 1 fic Stranger Things: 1 fic Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency: 3 fics

247 fics, under the cut!

(to those of you the “read more” doesn’t work for: I am so sorry.) 

If you find any dead links, incorrect/missing information or if you’re the author of a fic and want me to remove the link from this list, please contact me and I’ll take care of it :D

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Voltron

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9557762     Lonely (But Not When You Hold Me) by SouthernBird     4k, Lance/Shiro, h/c,

It’s an unsettling thing, something sickening that doesn’t sit well at all, almost as if he should have noticed the lack of presence earlier. Wary as he is to admit it, there’s a tiny voice of longing that dances in his chest through the silence of the corridor he’s standing in, as if the lack of the warmth of Lance’s presence has made him cold.

(A bit of a fix-it story after Episode 8/10 of VLD: Season Two!)

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9550874     A Good Day to Slack Off by UnknownAuthorPerson 3k, gen, fluff, team bonding, truth or dare, 

It definitely wasn't how Shiro planned his day, but finding his teammates playing Truth or Dare was probably better than going through another day of rigorous training.   

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9137215     burn and break by epiproctan    2k, Keith-centric, smut, tentacles, 

Keith follows some local alien tips on how to work off his frustration.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8655217     Just Like Sunlight by literal_trashbaby    3k, Keith/Lance, fluff, pining, 

when Lance found Keith milling near the fringes of the crowd and made some lame joke, he was expecting the usual snide remark, or at least that somewhat endearing incomprehension that bordered on naïveté. instead, Keith laughed. Keith laughed, and Lance’s world turned on its end.

OR: Keith laughs at a corny joke and Lance Was Not Prepare(TM)

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9124741    Too Busy Being Yours by Resamille     10k, Keith/Lance, pining, alcohol, 

Keith is in love, Lance is a mess, and maybe things might actually work out for once.

(alternatively: Keith pines, the stars are pretty, music boxes, Pidge can't hold their alcohol, lasers, and Blue is going to disown Lance after this.)

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9035474    Slowly, Surely by needchocolatenow    3k, Lance/Shiro, AU, pining, 

Shiro is tasked with an assignment to deliver important cargo to Altea. Lance is his second.

--

Or, the fic in which Shiro and Lance take a road trip through space in an unfortunately named shuttle.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8408143     A Kiss is a Kiss (But it's never like this) by GibbousLunation    25k, Keith/Lance, 5+1, slow burn, h/c, injuries, 

“How does this keep happening to us, every time.” Lance grumbled.

“You’d think they’d stop sending us on away missions,” he agreed. Honestly, between the poisonous plants of their last planet, and Lance’s tendency to always end up on the business end of every blaster or pointy ended stick, Allura was just being inefficient at this point.

Or, five times Keith kissed Lance but the situation was less than ideal, and one time Lance finally kissed him back.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8152486    Heatwaves on Autopilot by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot    56k, Keith/Lance, sex pollen, dubious consent, slow burn,  

Keith and Lance unknowingly inhale an alien aphrodisiac during a simple resource retrieval mission. But unlike the common aphrodisiac, this particular one reactivates under certain unknown conditions, later leaving them craving in situations that don't necessarily present them with many options. Keith tries to work through it, concerned with the sudden lack of control of his body, until he realizes the same thing is happening to Lance. So...great. How are they supposed to deal with this, keep it a secret, AND tend to the thousands of other responsibilities that come with defending the universe? (Together, of course.)

As someone who LOVES the sex pollen trope, let me tell you this fic is perfection. it has continuous sex pollen! and feelings! :D :D :D 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8628142     Bedroom Hymns by Bosstoaster Smut (ChaoticReactions)    26k, Shiro/Everyone, smut, aphrodisiacs, biting, fucking machine, D/s elements, body modifications, 

His arm wasn't the only thing the Galra changed. They also gave him certain... needs.

Shiro learns to make it work for him.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7491141    Lost and Found by battleshidge (Amiria_Raven)    75k, Shiro/Pidge, slow burn, pining, 

The dashed line from their current location to the box was labeled 00:02:47:29:12. Two hours, forty-seven minutes, twenty-nine seconds, twelve milliseconds.

In just under three hours, they would be headed away from the last known location of Sam and Matt Holt.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8101003    BloodCam by hollo     116k, Keith/Lance, AU, blood play, self harm, cutting, cam show, asexual character, paraphilia, minor stalking by secondary character, 

It was Pidge who drew his attention to it, groaning at the pop up ad that had somehow broke through their ad blocker. “What sort of depraved bullshit is that,” She grumbled as she closed the window, but not before the site’s name was ingrained on Keith’s brain -DarkSinCams - along with a tempting teaser shot of a graceful neck pinched harshly in a prong collar. Exactly the type of bullshit that piques my interests, Keith thought. 

As an asexual with a thing for blood, let me tell you this fic is one that I never thought I’d ever get to read, a part of me that i never, even in my wildest fantasies, dared to think would ever get representation. Even if it deals with such a dark, dangerous kink that is arguably neither safe nor sane, it NEVER does so in a sleazy or creepy way. And, since Keith is asexual, it is sexual in a way where it’s not sexual at all? idk, i can’t really explain it. But, it is hella good and i love it.

Do take note of the warnings tho, if graphic self harm and cutting is a trigger for you, give this one a pass, yeah?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9102247     strength of the small by nowweareunstoppable     12k, gen, h/c, graphic injury, BAMF!Pidge, 

A false distress signal lands the paladins in a tough situation. It falls to Pidge to earn their freedom, and it doesn't come without a dangerous cost. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9067054    String Theory by kingkoganes (noero)    4k, Keith/Lance, accidental soul bond, frottage, first time, 

The prospect of piloting the Red Lion had excited Lance at first, even if the mere thought of abandoning the Blue Lion made him uneasy. In hindsight, that should have been his first clue that something was bound to go wrong. Omnipresent robot lions were usually right about these things. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9081937    Stir by wynnebat     4k, Pidge/Shiro/Keith, threesome, first time, 

Shiro, Keith, and Pidge find each other after the battle with Zarkon. It's finding the others that's the problem. And boredom. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9197414     How Far Will You Go For Your Leader by WashiPuppy    24k, Lance/Shiro, Lance/OMC, dub-con, consensual voyeurism, marking, 

"You would throw yourself at my mercy his place?" The Druid asked with a curious tilt to her head, "And what would I do with you?"

"You could do anything you wanted with me, Babe. Just tell me what you want." Lance heard himself say low, sultry, and entirely without his rational brain intervening. He could practically hear the minds of the Galra in the room grinding to a halt.

Great, now when the rest of the team rescued Shiro, he'd have to tell them "Lance died after flirting with the enemy. There was nothing I could do. I think we all knew this was inevitable."

"You should be throwing yourself upon the Commander's mercy, not mine," The Druid stood and grinned down at Lance.

Ah well, what was the french saying? 'When the wine is drawn, you have to drink it' or something. He leaned slightly to give him direct line of sight to the Commander.

"You could do anything you wanted with me, Babe. Just tell me what you want." Lance repeated in the same sultry tone.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8495119     popping tags by ladyfnick    8k, Keith/Lance/Shiro, clothes sharing,   

Sweaters are basically communal items, right? Lance has some unusual habits when it comes to other peoples things. In that he keeps accidentally stealing them. Whoops? Keith doesn't have that excuse.  

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9157693    Objects in Motion (When Unbalanced) by Mytay     37k, Keith/Lance, slow burn, pining, 

Lance and Keith are constantly being mistaken for a couple. Lance is highly offended. Keith is quietly outraged.

Pidge decides if she can’t have peace, then she can write an epic scientific dissertation on the romantic failings of two exceptionally dense paladins.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7836556     Fake It Til You Make It by nikkiRA    26k, Keith/Lance, fake dating, pining, sex pollen,  

“No, it’s not that –” Keith tries to backtrack. “We just – we –” he isn’t sure what he’s going to say, he just knows he has to say something before he and Lance are forced to have sex with some weird alien species, while also keeping the weird alien king happy enough to create an alliance with them.

But not for the first time and not for the last, Lance pulls through.

Of course, this time pulling through almost gives Keith a heart attack, because Lance slips his fingers through Keith’s so that they’re holding hands.

“What Keith here means to say,” Lance says, and although his voice is steady, he is gripping Keith’s fingers so tightly it’s painful. “Is that we can’t mate with your people, although we, um, appreciate the offer, because, well. We already are. M-mated, I mean. With, you know. Each other.”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9301076    in stasis by ilgaksu     26k, Keith/Lance, injury, physical disability, artificial intelligence, 

The story starts like this: with a story where you think you know the end, until it turns out you don’t, until it turns out you didn’t have a clue.

In which for three months of Lance McClain's life, he lives as an AI, waiting for his prosthetics to come online. It goes about as well as expected.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9355586     monachopsis by DJBunn3     7k, Keith/Lance, pining, 

It’s not that family-like situations make Keith uncomfortable, per se. He enjoys spending time with his fellow paladins and the Alteans, obviously. And in a way, they’re almost like a real family. Shiro and Allura are like the parents, and Hunk and Pidge are the younger siblings, mischievous and playful. That makes him and Lance the twins, polar opposites and incredibly similar at the same time, and always arguing over something. And no, he hasn’t thought much about this at all. So obviously he’s got no problem with families. They’re fine, even great. Just because he never had one before, doesn’t mean he’s made uncomfortable by them.

But now? Now that he’s witnessing Lance’s charisma firsthand once again, watching his easy interactions with complete strangers that Keith can only hope to achieve with Shiro and the others, he feels strangled and alone. His heart thumps unevenly in his chest. He’s opened the can of worms in his head that he swore he’d never touch again, and now they’re just crawling around his brain.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9379301     I Got You by dumpsterdiva      7k, Keith/Lance, pining, h/c, 

What do you do when you’re an overemotional kind-of-smol teen who likes engaging physical and emotional fisticuffs BUT NOW your crush is feeling insecure because of you??? Compliment him until he sUBMITS. THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM MY LOVE.

Lance is a self-sacrificing idiot and Keith is #done and frankly so am I

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9519404     All My Reasons Why by tylerproposey     11k, Keith/Lance, slow burn, pining, 

But what if Keith's favorite color isn't red...what if it's blue.

Keith who has never really had a favorite color. Then one day at the Garrison he catches a glimpse of Lance's eyes and it stops him in his tracks for that moment.

"That's it?" He realizes, "That's my favorite color,"

It starts off as an infatuation, nothing more than admiration for the entrancing blue eyed boy. It turns into a crush - something he’s never had - and suddenly every shade of blue reminds him of Lance. It ends with love, something deep and turbulent, really he never stood a chance.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9462965     from the mouths of liars by csoru     7k, Keith/Lance, Galra!Keith, xeno, rough sex, under negotiated kink,   

“Dude,” says Lance — foolishly, because it means he has to breathe and now if they get sucked out into the vacuum of space, he’ll suffocate — “Are you mutating? Is this going to be the kind of deal where you get all messed up and turn into a horrible monster?” 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8474725     He Who Fights Monsters by magisterpavus     64k, Keith/Lance, AU, dragons, injury, h/c, slow burn, kidnapping, 

In a world where monstrous dragons terrorize humanity daily, the Garrison trains valiant Knights to slay the evil beasts and defend Earth. But when Knight cadet Lance Espinosa is kidnapped by a strange red dragon who kills its own kind, certain truths are revealed...and so are the true monsters. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9645266     Practice Makes Perfect by ryuuou     2k, Hunk/Lance, mild dub-con, blow jobs, 

Lance goes to Hunk for some help on studying for extra credit.   

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9713744     i just want you to know who i am by Kyoshu_Koi     10k, Keith/Lance, AU, soul mates, 

"It's you!" Keith screamed, "It's always been you."

Or the fic where I combine every possible soulmate au together into one big mess 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9722156     We're Onto Something by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)    3k, Hunk/Lance, cuddling, 

Over their years of friendship, Lance and Hunk slept pressed together many times. All that changed were the places.

Until things did change.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9964355     Pollination by Saucery      4k, Hunk/Lance, sex pollen, 

In which a species of alien flower plays matchmaker.

Or, the obligatory sex pollen story.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9623936     Make Me Your Home by Reader115     38k, Keith/Lance, pining, galra!keith, 

“Oh my god, Keeeith,” Lance wheezed. “Keith you’re the best drunk space cadet I’ve ever seen.”

“Space cadet,” Keith mumbled. He repeated the words again although his eyes had zeroed in on Lance’s hands and Lance offered no resistance when Keith picked one of them up and pulled it possessively towards his lap. He began to gently trace over Lance’s fingers, sending shivers up Lance’s arm and down his spine. “You have looong fingers,” Keith murmured after a few moments.

Keith’s face perked up then, as if he’d just had a brilliant idea, and Lance could almost not wait to hear what new obscure thought had entered Keith’s pretty head. He was prepared to laugh, and instead found himself shivering again as Keith leaned far into his personal bubble, lips practically touching Lance’s ear when he spoke next.

“I bet you could reach all kinds of things, Lance.”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9782123     Closer by Carvingknife     17k, Hunk/Keith/Lance, 

Keith understood that he was expected to bond with the other paladins, but he never expected Hunk and Lance to edge their way in as far as they did. Enemies, he could handle, but emotions. . . not so much. He entertained the option of ignoring the way his heart pounded all together, but one inebriated slip-up later, and the walls began to crumble. Suddenly, Lance is in trouble and Keith has to put confronting his feelings on hold in order to work with Hunk to get him back.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10020137     speechless by scriveyner (trismegistus)     1k, Lance/Shiro, pining, blow jobs, 

Keith was the same as ever in training, in sparring - his violet eyes narrowed in concern when he was able to throw Shiro and pin him to the mat; he had one palm on Shiro's heaving chest and weirdly that touch sent electric tremors down Shiro's spine. "You all right?" he asked, and Shiro's chest heaved.

No, he wasn't.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9630806      There's a love I've been keeping inside; by kirargent      10k, Hunk/Keith/Lance, 

Keith thinks, utterly certain of himself: Lance likes him, too. Lance likes Hunk, too.

And that’s just fucking annoying. Leave it to Lance to make Keith’s life even more complicated.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9768674     starlight by scriveyner (trismegistus)      873 words, Lance/Shiro, pwp, 

It turned out that there were a lot of things about Lance Shiro didn't expect.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9569120     Not The Human Definition Of Normal by BrOwNiEfOx     2k, gen, 4+1, non-consensual body modification, 

Four times the paladins noticed things Shiro gained during his time as a Galran prisoner and one time he got to rest and it didn't matter.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9853094     Like a Bolt from the Blue by Mytay     5k, Keith/Lance, 

Keith has a near-death experience, but he’s actually pretty okay afterwards — he considers it all part of the Paladin calling. Lance, on the other hand, is wrecked by it, and so he trains his butt off to ensure that Keith will never die on his watch.

Or, as I originally posted on my Tumblr: Keith unintentionally spies on Lance in the training room ...

… where the Blue Paladin is kicking ass. And Keith’s kind of mesmerized by it. Then he’s more than mesmerized — he’s freaking out because he’s actually kinda sorta into this brutally efficient soldier version of Lance.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9817643       Junkyard Gods by warschach     28k, Keith/Lance, AU, greek mythology - modern setting, 

What happened to old, forgotten gods?

They moved to L.A. apparently

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9904898     Hold me close by percyinpanties     4k, Lance/Shiro, BDSM, 

Shiro takes Lance apart in the best way possible, only to put him back together.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9913883     Heavy, Gentle Hand by aurumdalseni (kyo_chan)     2k, Hunk/Shiro, 

Hunk trusts Shiro with his life, but he can't really trust Shiro with his own life. He makes it a point to step in to take care of his leader.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10025414     Come Back (as pure as gold) by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)     3k, gen, time travel, bittersweet, 

When Shiro steps out of his lion after the final battle with Zarkon, something is off.

Seems like he missed something. Ten years of it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9959891     Count On Me by st4rlabsforever (omaken)    5k, Hunk/Keith, 

It’s not until a couple of weeks after the Weblum incident that Hunk realizes how much time he and Keith have been spending together lately.

Or, rather, it’s not really spending time together per se, just that Keith seems to always wind up wherever Hunk is in the evenings, whether he’s cooking up a late night snack in the kitchen or lounging in the common room with a bowl of Altean cracklepops and a movie.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9820193     All About that Space by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)    6k, Hunk/Shiro, AU, pining, secret admirer, 

After an accident that cost him his arm and his position on the first manned Mars mission, Shiro transfers to work at the Jet Propulsion Lab. Shortly after, Hunk gains a secret admirer.

These facts are probably coincidental.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9727223     Rushing To Say Nothing by LynnLarsh     36k, Keith/Lance, mild dub-con, alien brothels, angst, pining, 

“What the hell was that?” Keith says, sounding strangely pissed. Probably jealous; whatever happened, Lance is a lucky son of a bitch and Keith knows it.

Coran clears his throat before answering, and when Lance finally pulls his eyes away from the crowd, that purplish blush from earlier has increased to a noticeable shade of violet across his cheeks. “It seems our boy Lance here has just been propositioned by the local brothel.”

A.k.a. That time Lance went into an alien brothel to prove a point and came out perhaps a little too enlightened.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10026671     a truth in the blood by angstinspace     7k, Keith/Lance, missing scene, galra!keith, 

“I’m Galra, Lance.”

It's the first time he's said those words out loud––and to Lance of all people. He should feel horrified at himself but somehow, he doesn't. In fact, an eerie calmness has settled over him. Everything comes sharply into focus as he stands there, still holding Lance's wrist, breathing in and out, waiting for a response.

A post "Blade of Marmora" fix-it fic. Mostly broganes & klance bonding.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10088447     Hot Like Magenta by Methoxyethane     14k, Keith/Lance, galra!keith, heat, marathon sex, xenophilia, 

“I’m just saying it might be a little early to dismiss the possibility that you might be… you know.” He gestured to Keith’s alien junk as a whole. “In heat, or something?”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8365993     electromagnetic by seabear      25k, Keith/Lance, pining, fake dating, 

Lance spends a lot of time wondering about his place in the universe. And his place with Keith. Oh, also there’s a heist and some fake dating.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7797733      Entangled by mackerelmademedoit     101k, Keith/Lance, telepathic bond, pining, 

When Keith found himself mentally linked to Lance of all people, he never thought that it would end in anything but irritation and misery on both sides. He certainly never imagined that it would be a useful asset in team Voltron's fight against the Galra Empire. Now if he can just keep his feelings in check, they might actually have a chance at defeating Zarkon.

Needless to say, when he'd wished for a 'bonding moment' with Lance, this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind.

This is a fresh take on the mind meld/telepathic bond/mental link trope, and i enjoy v much

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8549284     Closer to Your World by CastleSL      29k, Lance/Shiro, canon AU, role swap, pining, 

Students will be carefully selected and tested for the opportunity to fly out to Kerberos for scientific research. Only one student may be selected. Application and Testing will commence during the third trimester, June 21XX.

There was more on the page, statistics and requirements and more details, but it was legit. The flyer was printed on standard Garrison announcement paper, the document signed by the Dean and board of directors. The chance to go to Kerberos. Hunk took a moment to think, then clapped his hand on Lance’s back, smiling.

“Well, I’m rooting for ya, buddy.” He said, and Lance beamed like that was all he needed in the world.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10371303     theorycrafting by glhf     3k, Lance/Pidge, pre-canon, unrequited crush, 

Katie overthinks it. At least Lance is oblivious, and not interested. Pre-canon, set during the semester at Galaxy Garrison.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9816713     Kiss the Rain by robotjellyfish     7k, Lance/Shiro,  

After another mission where Lance gets tricked by the enemy and captured Lance is feeling pretty down his usual insecurities getting the better of him. Shiro is determined to show him he's not as useless as he thinks he is.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10088642     Small Fierce Things by playswithworms    5k, gen, injury, PTSD, 

Pidge is badly injured. Shiro does his best to angst over it, but is foiled.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9924476    Catch & Release by anonymous_scapegoat     2k, gen, 

Some Galra grunt makes the mistake of putting Pidge and Lance in the same cell. It goes about as well as you'd expect.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10057184    Stuck on You by carpemermaid     25k, Keith/Lance, forced proximity, pining, 

Go to Thalgor, Coran had said. It will be easy, he’d said. Well, it wasn’t easy being literally stuck to his rival thanks to getting exposed to some stupid alien plant in the middle of a humid jungle, after hiking all day with said rival. Lance and Keith just have to make it through two weeks of being around each other constantly, with their arms glued together, before they can go their separate ways. But first, they’ll need to make it through sharing a room and learning how to live on top of each other until they’re free.

oh hey look, it’s my favourite trope: forced proximity~

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10091792     Pendulum by noero     5k, Keith/Lance, rough sex, 

The funny thing about falling for someone is you don't even realize you're falling until you hit the ground.

It just happens that when Lance falls, he hits hard.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9608048    It Takes a Village by Zemmiphobia    18k, Thace/Ulaz, canon-AU, fluff, kid fic, grooming, 

One decision by an injured soldier changes not only the fate of the universe, but the fate of her young son.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10053452    Got Your Back - Platonic VLD Week Day #5 by hufflepirate    4k, gen, injury, h/c, cuddling, 

The mission started going badly long before Shiro realized Lance was injured and trying to hide it. Now, stranded alone on a strange planet and completing their mission on foot while they wait for the lions to self-repair, Shiro also has to figure out how badly Lance is hurt, why his uniform isn't healing him, and what to do about it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10553376     Antiparticles by yourfaveisproblematic     3k, Pidge/Shiro, 

an·ti·par·ti·cle Noun. A subatomic particle having the same mass as a given particle but opposite electric or magnetic properties. Every kind of subatomic particle has a corresponding antiparticle, e.g., the positron has the same mass as the electron but an equal and opposite charge.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10431945     After Me Comes the Flood by Qpenguin98    25k, Keith/Lance, trans character, h/c, 

The interior of this ship is cold and boring. The Galran soldiers that try to bond with you are cold and boring. Zarkon is cold and boring.

You are sick of being cold and bored.

A story following the Red Lion.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10540689     Touchdown by InsominiacArrest     4k, Keith/Lance, bondage, spanking, 

Lance starts to get hot and bothered by the fact Keith sometimes gives out congratulatory ass slaps, and it becomes an issue when they start dating and it's hard for Lance to ask for what he wants.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10540284     Hot in Here by SugarSweetRascal     5k, Keith/Lance, dub-con, rough sex, 

Lance and Keith have been pining after each other, so much so that their lions are thrown into full blown estrus. Will the paladins survive going into heat, or find a way to quench their thirst for one another?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8104807     Infection by 5557     73k, Keith/Lance, horror, injury, drowning, slow burn, fluff, 

While exploring an alien planet, Lance is nearly killed by a mysterious monster. Now he's convinced that he is infected with an alien sickness. Why doesn't anyone believe him? It must be Keith's fault.

This is a horror-comedy (but like, also a romance?), and I drew pictures.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10411245      The Doctor Is In by InterdictedKai, minus___zero     10k, Lance/Shiro, AU, trans character, medical kink, 

Lance had always hated going to the doctors for anything to do with his reproductive biology. But transitioning and other medical issues meant that Lance had spent more than his fair share of hours around doctors. It wasn’t until he was nineteen and having serious pain issues that his local GP finally referred him to the Gynaecology department at the hospital in the next town over. Fortunately for Lance, it wasn't that far of a drive. Unfortunately for Lance, his doctor turned out to be young and hot. Fortunately for Lance, that doctor thinks Lance is temptingly hot as well.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9559535    Running Flat by SKayLanphear     11k, Keith/Lance, pining, crushes, 

Lance, like all the other paladins, is finally getting used to the “mind meld” they all have to indulge in when controlling their lions. Until someone’s uncontrollable crush comes in and knocks them all back in surprise. It’s a crush that circles persistently through their thoughts and only gets stronger as time goes on, until they begin to realize this might be a bit more serious than the term “crush” implies.

Meanwhile, the unfortunate paladin behind it all is trying desperately to bury the feelings away, yet failing at every turn.

oh gosh this is so cute

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10450977     Reach out for you (break these walls) by Utsukushin (UserFromPluto)    9k, Keith/Lance, h/c, past abuse, touch starved, fluff, 

Keith is trying to make himself smaller, to bury his head deeper in his knees, and Lance’s heart freezes in his chest. Anger dissipating like an exploded firework, Lance lets his hand fall limply to his side, mind blurring with static. When he tries to speak, nothing comes out but a choked noise, so he tries again.

“Keith,” he breathes. “Keith I’m not going to hurt you.”

(Keith has an abusive past, but with time and care Lance helps him become accustomed to positive touch.)

This fic was inspired by my fan art (!!!?!) and i’m still screaming about it ngl it’s amazing go read iiiit

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10465326    Katie by gemiinous    5k, Pidge-centric, coming out, trans character, 

"I'm a girl."

The reactions from the team should have made her feel better. They should have eased the months of dysphoria and anxiety, should have made her smile and relax into her own skin once more.

Instead, the casual acceptance--and even incredulity, were they even supposed to believe that she was a boy to begin with?--just left her off balance and whirling.

-OR-

Pidge slowly comes to terms with the idea that gender might not be as cut-and-dry as she thought it was.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10906425    Crushing Hard by donutwolf     15k, Hunk/Lance, wrestling, size kink, body worship,

Lance has a crush. But also, Lance wants to get crushed.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10842192     the potential of you and me by Katranga     15k, Keith/Lance, AU, first time,

“And then other times,” Lance said. “I’m just, like, dying to know what a mouth would feel like around my dick.” Keith choked on air and said, with absolutely no go-ahead from his brain, “I have a mouth.” Half-laughing, Lance said, “Is that an offer?” He pushed his wet hair out of his eyes. His throat was dry. “Is that an acceptance?” -- The summer after freshman year of college, Lance drags Keith back to their hometown to hang out. But the two of them rarely spend time together without Hunk and Pidge around, because things had a way of getting out of hand real quick. This summer is... no different.

make sure to read the reddit post this fic was inspired by. it’s precious~

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10713636     I Like It When You Touch Me by emogod669    2k, Lance/Shiro, smut, 

“I know, but tell me anyway.” Lance pouts and damn, Shiro’s weak just like that.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10379589     Songbird by Faequeen40     105k, Keith/Lance, injury, non-consensual body modification, h/c, 

After an ambush on a strange planet, Lance gets captured in Keith's place. Will the others be able to rescue him before Lotor breaks his new prize?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10776273     wipe these stars from my eyes by scriveyner (trismegistus)    10k, Lance/Shiro, 

Lance flung his arms out and yelled, "I did not sleep with Shiro!"

There was a long moment of silence as the last of Lance's words hung in the early morning air. "So ... you were just naked in his tent when I walked in, then," Pidge said. "Yes!"

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10767930    Public Displays of Affection by JessenoSabaku    19k, Hunk/Lance/Pidge, voyeurism, 

Lance and Hunk have been hooking up since the Garrison days. They usually manage to keep their business private, but when Lance gets in the mood, there's no stopping him. Thanks to that, Pidge caught them getting it on in the showers, and ever since then she's gotten more and more distant. Now Lance has to find a way to close the rift between them.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10892712    Lusty Dust by Brewrites    5k, Pidge/Hunk, sex pollen, mutual masturbation, 

Pidge and Hunk are on an alien soulmate planet and have been blasted with sex pollen. Pidge for the second time on the strange planet.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10888098     In the Still of the Night by zombiegardener    17k, Lance/Shiro, slow burn, PTSD, 

Sleepless nights can wear you down. But sometimes they can also be the start of something beautiful.

Or how to build a relationship you didn't even know you wanted in sleepless nights and stolen moments.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10883565     small parts of something big by TEARSoverBEERS    4k, Lance/Shiro, 

“Yeah, no one's gonna be like 'oh, Shiro is in love with me, we gotta date now', just in theory, which one of us do you find the most dateable.” Lance agrees. --------------

Aka. the Paladins are stuck in a fight over who is more dateable and somehow Shiro get himself wrapped up in that (and then in Lance)

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10927908    Jaded by Creepofish    8k, Lance/Shiro, injury, 

Shiro is the leader of Voltron. He is the strength and the calm in the face of the thundering storm of the Galra. Lance is someone Shiro doesn't quite understand. Shiro is someone Lance wants to understand with all of his heart.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10935372     You Always Say the Stupidest Shit by mischiefmanager    13k, Keith/Lance, first time, fuck buddies, bickering,  

"I know what your problem is," Lance interrupts, pointing a finger at him and smirking as though he's just personally discovered the deepest secret of the universe. God only knows why Keith stops talking then, but in hindsight, he wishes he'd have just gotten louder.

"You need to get laid," Lance announces.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10698537    the anchor by Sarolonde    1k, Lance/Shiro, h/c, 

Lance can feel the anger burning within, sizzling and searing through his veins like explosive fuses networking through his body. The spark that lit the match had been Pidge’s agonised cries and screams, the destruction that shattered through her armour and broke her body in horrible unknown ways. She should never have been there, if they had have just listened to him…

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10312844    Something Just Like This by Sarolonde     40k, Lance/Shiro, AU, 

[19:09] Lance glad my photos were accidentally sent 2 a nice guy like u <3 thank u for not being a creep [19:22] Shiro Uh, you’re welcome. I guess? I don’t know what else I would have even done with the situation. [22:11] Lance u innocent sweet angel unicorn ^_^ g’night kind sir *tips hat* [22:13] Shiro Goodnight, Interesting Stranger.

The wonderful, unexpected consequences of Lance sending partially-nude pictures of himself to a stranger.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10522167    For the World to See by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)    10k, Lance/Shiro, AU, 

In which Lance is a dork for space, Shiro brought Lance's album with him to the ISS, and everyone else in their lives wishes they'd shut up about it for ten damn minutes.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10986474     in love again by Incertitude     10k, Lance/Shiro, power bottom!Lance,

when Lance's half baked prank causes an expected stir Lance is thoroughly pleased but the unexpected outcome is having Shiro inside his room unravelling Lance's buried feelings

or

the fic where Shiro says Keith's name during sex and provokes Lance into taking charge of the situation

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9630881    Black to Blue by PuppetMaster55     153k, Lance/Shiro, role swap, universe swap, 

Lance, the undisputed (no longer, since he finally got the team to stop questioning his position like a month ago) leader of Voltron finds himself in the absolute strangest scenario: being the Blue Paladin.

Lance, still finding his place on team Voltron, wakes up to the weirdest world: one where he's the Black Paladin.

OR, I take a universe where Lance was always the Black Paladin and have him swap bodies with canon Lance, throwing both sets of teams for a trip.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11094996    Cradle me in your arms by WHUMPBBY    8k, Lance/Shiro, sex pollen, 

“Shiro, I have an idea.” Hearing the vicious excitement in Lance’s voice, Shiro stopped his slow climb and sighed. “No, Lance, we will not set the tree on fire.” “How did you know?!” He was never quite sure how Lance could pitch his voice into the ‘angry teenager’ register even at the age of twenty. “Because I thought it through ten minutes ago and it’s too humid to light fire.”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11986935    assess the situation by redlight    3k, Lance/Shiro, masochism, stuck in a wall, 

Lance is stuck, Shiro tries to help, and hopefully this is all just some weird, perverted dream, 'cause Lance really can't handle this right now.

Voltron NSFW Week, day 5 prompt "tricks and traps."

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11974986    A Helping...Hand? by magisterpavus    13k, Lance/Tentacles, consentacles, h/c, 

“It’s kinda cute,” Lance mused as the plant oozed blue slime all over his hand and wrapped a tiny green tendril around his thumb. “Aww, look!”

“Sure, cute, in a Cthulhu’s spawn sort of way,” Pidge muttered. “Put that thing back where it came from or so help me, Lance.”

“No way,” Lance said, holding the plant to his chest protectively. “I think it likes me.”

(DAY 8: FREE DAY - TENTACLES! )

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/12345033    Keeping the Nightmares Away by MizuLeKitten    20k, Lance/Shiro, cuddling, h/c, PTSD, 

Lance had had the occasional nightmare as a child, who hadn’t honestly, so having them while in space fighting against an alien tyrant hell bent on controlling the whole universe? At least some things were universal. As the nightmares persist, Lance takes to wandering the castle at night, and it appears he’s not the only one. After a chance run in with Shiro the two come to a simple agreement: If they can't sleep alone, why not try sleeping together?

If only things stayed that simple. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/12781515    Power and Control by Bosstoaster Smut (ChaoticReactions)   7k, Hunk/Shiro, dom/sub, collars, praise kink, 

Shiro can't let go of the stress of the day. Hunk might have a solution. 

.

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Haikyuu!!

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9280169     Routine by someonestolemyshoes     16k, Hinata/Kageyama, AU, porn, cam show, 

Kageyama Tobio has a routine.

Up, shower, dress, breakfast, classes, practice, work, dinner, laptop, show time.

It’s simple, and it works for him. Kageyama has never been all that much interested in socialising—not to say he doesn’t like talking to people, but…honest, for the most part, he’d rather not be doing that—and there is comfort in a system that never changes. No matter what party he is invited to, what club meal or class drink or work social they try to wrangle him into, Kageyama does not cave, because the rest of his routine is waiting for him at home.

And if he’s late, he will miss it.

**

Hinata is a well-known cam boy, and Kageyama is his biggest fan.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9375023     Don't Mind, Don't Mind by runswithwolves (ConstantComment)    1k, Hinata/Kageyama,  exhibitionism, public hand jobs, mild dub-con, 

Shouyou has always been aware that Kageyama gets riled up after a win. Very, very aware.

While everyone else is practically knocked out from a match or, you know, four -- the team’s snores and silence palpable on the bus back home -- Shouyou’s heart races and he imagines he could run to Tokyo and back, and maybe after have go at a couple more rounds of spiking drills.

And Kageyama... well.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7972708     Some Other Name by Gemmiel     14k, Hinata/Kageyama, college roommates, pining, misunderstandings, jealousy, 

Hinata and Kageyama are college roommates now, and Kageyama kind of wishes Hinata would call him by his given name every now and then. After all, they've been best friends for three years now, and aren't best friends supposed to call each other by their given names occasionally?

Not that he CARES, or anything. Except he does, sort of...

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7214293     I am what I am by Gilrael     40k, Ennoshita/Tanaka, AU, roomates, slow burn, demi character, 

“Uh, hi. I'm Ennoshita Chikara,” he introduced himself with a shy little smile that made Ryū's heart skip a beat. “Tanaka Ryūnosuke,” he replied mechanically, stepping aside so that Ennoshita-san could enter the flat. “C-come i-in.” --- Chikara moves out, because he has enough of his shitty flatmate. Ryū happens to need a new flatmate.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6198364     campfire in your chest by deanpendragon     74k, Tsukishima/Yamaguchi, slow burn, pining, jealousy, UST, 

Kei realizes in their second year of high school that he's probably been in love with Yamaguchi since they were ten. However hopeless he might be in handling that situation, Kei prays he's at least not as hopeless as Hinata and Kageyama. But he just might be.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9147199     The Video by Navybluewings     53k, Hinata/Kageyama, college, masturbation, dirty talk, slow burn, praise kink,

Kageyama Tobio knows that he and his roommate, Hinata Shouyou are low on cash. And he's aware that part of that is might be his fault. So when Hinata comes to their college dorm with the promise of a paycheck, Kageyama almost overlooks the video camera sitting in his spiker's hands. All he has to do is record whatever Hinata plans to do, right? How hard could that be?

Funny how one video could change everything.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11573157   Dragged into Your Pace by nebulia    8k, Hinata/Kageyama, dirty talk, praise kink,

[You’re incredible, Kageyama, Hinata had whispered that afternoon, straddling his waist, elbows on either side of Tobio’s head, and Tobio had gone cold and hot and cold all over, jerking like his strings had been cut. It had been so much. And giving Hinata that much leeway is scary, but Hinata’s also kind of gentle, sometimes. Like he knows how to handle the parts of Tobio that are fragile.]

The working title of this fic was “praise kink tobio,” which...pretty much covers it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11240220    a game we both could win by kagome_angel    7k, Hinata/Kageyama, voyeurism, mutual masturbation, 

If he were a decent guy, he’d pretend this wasn’t happening, but apparently he's not really a decent guy.

It's an accident, initially. But it spirals into something else, and it's incredibly easy to get lost in it.

(It's just a game, right?)

(Of course not.)

.

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Avatar: The Last Airbender 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/33751    The One Where the Fire Nation Clearly Loses by miarr    4k, Sokka/Zuko, frottage, 

Okay, so there was a little scenario with the guards.

.

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Yuri!!! on Ice

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8836096     From Almaty, With Love by BoxWineConfessions    71k, Otabek/Yuri, slow burn, pining, 

It’s quiet here. Even if the car alarm on the neighbor’s goddamn BMW has been going off for the past twenty minutes. Quiet, even though the alarm’s got the neighbor’s dog howling like crazy, and the neighbor works second shift and isn’t there to comfort the dumb dog.

It’s quiet…They haven’t spoken to each other since that morning, when Yuri went off to go see his tutor, and Otabek went off to do whatever the hell it was he did in the mornings before he hit the rink.

“You’re used to the noise?”

“Yeah, but…I think I like the quiet too.”

Or: Yuri spends the summer with Otabek in Almaty.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9135670     all the world's a stage by braveten     112k, Victor/Yuuri, AU, anxiety, 

Everyone has a guilty pleasure.

For Yuuri, it just happens to be romance movies starring famous heartthrob Victor Nikiforov.

(And, honestly, on the spectrum of guilty pleasures, he figures that his is on the far, far more innocent side.)

.

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Naruto

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http://archiveofourown.org/series/266068    blood of the covenant series by 100demons    15k, Sakura/Sai, developing relationship, 

Sakura and Sai come home after the war.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/5339486    reverse by blackkat    386k, Kurama/Kakashi, time travel, fix-it, slow burn, 

To make a tragedy, you break something beautiful and frame the pieces. To make a victory, you break something mighty and rebuild it piece by piece. To make a life, you glue the pieces together and hope for the best. Kurama's still getting the hang of this ‘human’ thing, but given that he’s 30 years back in time with catastrophes to prevent and a blond brat to save, he’ll have to figure things out on the fly. Luckily, living with Naruto's been good for his ability to improvise, if nothing else.

an absolutely amazing read! masterfully plotted and perfectly balanced between action, character growth and fluff. i barely noticed the length tbh. contains more rare pair ships than the main one, all which i now ship. also, contains character deaths in the previous time line that is referenced often as the MC deals with the grief, but all in all it’s a lot ligther and fluffier than one expects.

.

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Star Trek 

TOS & AOS

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1179148     We Two Boys Together Clinging by rabidchild67     21k, Kirk/Spock, mission fic, h/c, kid fic, de-aging, 

One day, 9-yr old Jim Kirk wakes up in the middle of nowhere with a big headache and no memory of how he got there. He’s not sure where he is, but it’s definitely not Earth, and there’s not another living soul around. Well, except for this other kid - an actual Vulcan! - who’s annoying at first, but turns out to be pretty useful to have around. Guess it’s time for the adventure of a lifetime he’s always wanted.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1731203    AT THE SAME STARS by spicyshimmy     136k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, slow burn, 

First Officer Spock of the USS Enterprise is part of the away team that discovers the survivors of Tarsus IV. Captain Pike assigns him to the curious case of James Tiberius Kirk, who steals one of Spock's sweaters. 

-There were no sufficient Vulcan poetics to describe the emptiness of the colony as it was found on the morning of stardate 2249.43. The fully-completed residential sector was neither ugly nor beautiful but simply remote; a hollow landscape of metal alloys and sensible architecture, with determined vegetation growing alongside the support beams. They did not flower.- 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1013237    Only Fools by museaway    63k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, h/c, 

Spock has just graduated with highest honors from the Vulcan Science Academy when Nero destroys his planet. Lucky to escape with his life, he is bound for Earth on a rescue ship where he meets a strange fellow traveler: an elder version of himself. Disturbed by his counterpart's experiences in his own timeline, Spock vows never to follow the desires of his human half. But when a man named Jim Kirk comes into Spock's life, he's faced with a struggle to find the balance between Vulcan and human. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1011854    Measure of Happiness by writeonclara    38k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, roommates, slow build, 

When Spock chose Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy, he had not anticipated cohabiting with the most illogical, irrational, emotional human he ever met.

On the flip side, Jim never asked for a Vulcan chaperone, especially one as snotty as Spock, son of Sarek.

A Starfleet Academy AU in which Spock adapts to human life, Jim learns very, very quickly never to play a prank on a Vulcan, and there are far too many people after Jim Kirk's life.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/883469    THE SUM OF BOTH OF US by spicyshimmy     207k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, kid-fic, slow build, 

Jim Kirk is nine when a massacre on Tarsus IV leaves him without a family and without a home. Spock is twelve when a strange boy in the desert saves his sehlat. Families aren't born; they're made. 

-The look in mother’s eyes at his correction remained a mystery long after the colors of the night sky and the complex patterns of distant nebulae had become translatable by means of distinct and relatively straightforward equations. -

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3896413     The prominence of a simple word by Exploding_Space    5k, /Kirk/Spock, pet names, 

Captain Kirk keeps referring to his First Officer as “sweetheart”. He does it when they are in mortal peril, when he is bored, when he wants to be annoying. Neither expects the term of endearment to actually become dear to them.

~ response to the „Hey, sweetheart“ challenge. reposted here from the k/s archive

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9488996     Sha Ka Ree by ThereBeWhalesHere    180k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, slow burn, time travel, pining, bed sharing, 

The year is 2258. Jim Kirk is a Lieutenant on the U.S.S. Farragut, Spock the science officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise. When the ships come together for a priority landing party, these two strangers find themselves fighting against the odds for a chance at life in an alien world, and the only way they'll make it through is by relying on each other.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10607232     Undiscovered Terrain by battybatzgirl     32k, Kirk/Spock, canon-AU, first contact, fluff, 

After an attack on his ship from a Romulan warbird, prince Spock crash lands on a nearby primitive planet, directly into the backyard of one Jim Kirk.

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Boku no Hero Academia 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6589822     Hitsuzen by Methoxyethane    10k, Midoriya/Todoroki, pre-slash, 

He would have ended up falling for Izuku at some point no matter what, he was certain. No matter what path life took him down he'd have still ended up here, not because of anything as elaborate as destiny or fate but instead due to the simple fact of inevitability. Because Izuku was Izuku and Shouto liked just about everything about him, couldn't help but admire him and would always want to be around him, just for who he was.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10020833     the sunshine people by dellsey     12k, Kirishima/Bakugou, AU, 

The shitty red hair, the bright orange tank top with the word ‘Zumba’ written across it in huge bold letters, the goddamn pants and the green sneakers. Talk about a fucking combo. “That’s not a lady,” Bakugou states, squinting at the dude. “That’s Kirishima. He’s the instructor,” Jirou simply replies.   

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/10551482    downhill by eggstasy    5k, Kirishima/Bakugou, 

Bakugou sleeping in the common areas like it’s no big deal seems to give everyone else permission to be just as bizarre, and little by little Kirishima starts learning things about his classmates he never knew. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11095629     Pure Morning by bigstupidjellyfish     10k, Kirishima/Bakugou, sex pollen, post-series,    

a classic sex pollen fic with a dash of sad excuse of worldbuilding 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11227647    nothing has changed me quite like you by akhikosanada     10k, Midoriya/Todoroki, fluff, pining, 

"Touching someone for the first time, Shouto found out, did not draw electricity or any other romanticized chemical reaction described in books and movies. It did, however, make his chest tighten harder than it ever had before, and as he drew the shape of lightning over Midoriya’s skin, his lips parted on an almost inaudible sigh. Midoriya’s breath caught in his throat, and Shouto wanted to catch it in his own mouth."

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11483757     Shudo by signifying_nothing     4k, Kirishima/Bakugou, 

It was so easy to take someone who acts like Bakugou and write them off as just another overly-aggressive future villain. It was so easy, and that was why Kirishima hadn't done it. He'd refused. Bakugou was loud, and aggressive, and strong, but Kirishima knew bravado when he saw it, he knew what a person looked like when there was nothing on their mind but their pride and their self-esteem.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11286987    i want you to show me by crunchrapsupreme    3k, Kirishima/Bakugou, smut, 

“I already told you, I’m not gonna break, you don’t have to go slow.”

“What if I want to, though?” Kirishima murmurs quietly. “What if I wanna take my time with you?”

Bakugou shivers.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11725113      get tough, straight up by qactus   11k, Kirishima/Bakugou, 

Then again, Kirishima never had this Bakugou Katsuki thing under control—probably everyone's known that, too.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/12886323    Katsuki VS Friendship by downtownfishies    13k, Kirishima/Bakugou, 

Katsuki knew he was an asshole. He just wasn't used to being so bothered by it.

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Marvel

all the franchise 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7396714    Angel of the Morning by iFlail, Jenetica    49k, Peter/Wade, canon-AU, slow burn, deadpool as a warning, 

"Peter sucks in a breath and hides his face with a sip of cocoa. Aunt May repeating his own idea back to him cements it in his mind. Deadpool needs a friend more than anyone else in the world right now, and Peter’s job is to protect people. Even if that means protecting them from themselves.

He’s going to be the best fucking friend Deadpool ever had, even if it kills him. Which it very well might."

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6260548     Damage by dontcareajot    42k, Peter/Wade, h/c, slow burn, 

Peter Parker finds himself in a sticky situation and who should show up to rescue him but the infamous Deadpool? Now Peter feels indebted to the mercenary... And maybe weirdly charmed by him.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6148600     5 Times Peter was Having Issues (And 1 Time He Wasn't) by VyxenSkye   16k, Peter/Wade, 5+1, 

.... And How Wade Was Involved in Each One

A random '5 times' fic. Peter getting into trouble and Wade being there to get him out of it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4720682     Project Phoenix by TheAvalonian    73k, Bucky/Steve, slow burn, pining, kid fic (kinda), 

“They told me you were enemies,” the girl said blankly. “They told me I had been forged in hatred.”

Neither Bucky nor Steve said anything for a long time. The girl stayed with her hand pressed to the glass, waiting. This time, the question was there, even if she hadn't asked it outright.

Bucky cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from Steve's and pushing down on the handle. “Well, they lied,” he said gruffly, and strode out the door without looking back. (Post-TWS, Steve and Bucky's lives are just starting to resemble some kind of normal when a young Hydra agent shows up in the lobby of the Avengers' Tower, claiming to be their daughter.)

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3135464     Peter Parker's Home for the Wayward Villain by BeanieBaby     90k, Peter/Wade, canon-AU, fluff, protective bad guys, 

A really long redemption story.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3903769     Bad Lines by DustToDust     11k, Clint/Pietro, 

It's Tony's fault. Someway, somehow, Clint just knows that the man is behind this new level of annoyance.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4102126     Music to my Ears by astheoceanfalls    13k, Clint/Pietro, deaf character, prank war, 

“This music is awful. You have old man taste.” Pietro looked serious, but his eyes were lit up with mischief.

Clint did splutter this time. “This is it. I’m going to educate you on Real Music.”

Or, the one where Clint flirts with Pietro by forcing classic rock on him, and Pietro has no choice but to retaliate.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9819023    What Pals Do by basilique    4k, Steve/Bucky, pre-serum, 

Bucky's lips are soft, and his breath is hot as he pants against Steve's neck.

“It’s just what pals do…other fellas do it too, they gotta. I bet you there's no fella in the world who hasn't...who hasn't with his best friend. Just…just kiss me, Steve. Don’t worry.”

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Big Hero 6 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3498686    Dirty (when done right) by thehomodabrothers     94k, Hiro/Tadashi, AU, not related, stripper, masturbation, pinning, 

You know the kind of guy who looks like he'd suck your dick, the money out of your wallet and the soul right out of your body?

Yeah. That half-naked waiter over there? He looks like that kind of guy.

(There's a stripper Hiro's having a little trouble staying away from. If his personality is anywhere near as nice as his ass, then Hiro's pretty fucked - and not in the fun way, either.)

starts out pretty damn dirty, but rapidly turns sweet af 

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Teen Wolf

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/629953    Monsters by nightanddaze     10k, Derek/Stiles, dubious consent, possession, 

Two (three) souls walking in the woods, looking for and finding monsters.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4683653     Stepping Off the Razor’s Edge by MissAnnThropic    25k, Stiles/Derek, angst, happy ending, 

After the events of season 3b, the group in Beacon Hills graduate high school and move on with their lives… everyone except Stiles and Derek. Beset by their demons, they decide they need to get away for a while to clear their heads. Cue the road trip.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/507930     taking the bus to chinatown by hito    13k, Stiles/Derek, 

Stiles' home economics teacher forces him to knit mittens. Nobody wants Stiles' mittens, but then Stiles offers them to Derek, and Stiles is pretty sure Derek does these things purely to drive him crazy. What else could it be?

hito writes the most precious Derek

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1647245    Knight of the Night by calrissian18    -1k, Stiles/Jackson, long distance snarkery, 

Jackson grins, chest still heaving. He points at Stiles. “Princess.” Then to himself. “Knight.”

Written for mating_games Challenge 1: Happily Ever After. AND WON FIRST PLACE!

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http://archiveofourown.org/series/103751     Shatterproof series by pyes    90k, Stiles/Derek, h/c, car accidents, pining, injury, recovery, 

The first time that Derek kisses Stiles, they're in the Jeep—which is sideways—while they're trapped in an overpass collapse.

It's the second time when things really get scary.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3187547    Come Hell or High Water by blacktofade     14k, Stiles/Derek, AU, a/b/o, pining, saliva, 

As an alpha, Derek goes into heat, which means he has to deal with endless amounts of saliva at any given point.

an original take on the, uh, biology of the trope.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1991601    The Lawn Ranger by Snowjob    47k, Stiles/Derek, high school AU, jock!Stiles, pining, 

In which Derek is an adolescent werewolf with a penchant for chocolate bunnies, and instead of the dream summer of lazing around the house playing video games and nibbling on his hoarded supply of easter candy his mother makes him get a job.

In which Stiles is a showoff jock with a broken arm and an embarrassing crush who can no longer push the lawn mower around the yard.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3879556     UST (An Unfortunate Series of Tropes) by ureshiiichigo    54k, Stiles/Derek, pining, UST, bed sharing, accidental marriage, telepathic bond, donuts, 

Stiles and Derek sitting in a tree, M-A-R-R-I-E-D.

Wait, what?

Or: Stiles thought he and Derek were finally getting to be bros, and then Deaton had to go and ruin everything with his stupid spell.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3575022    Plus One by migratoryslashfan    101k, Stiles/Derek/Scott, Stiles/Peter, polyamory, accidental pregnancy, dub-con, fuck-or-die, underwater sex, graphic injury, traumatic birth, fluff,

Stiles takes a pregnancy test as a joke. It turns up positive.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4248903    Our Skin, Our Bones, Our Silent Poem by staylorpotato    7k, Peter/Stiles, deaf character, fluff, angst, nogitsune fix-it, ASL, 

Peter is a Deaf werewolf. Stiles is a CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult). They’re a kind of unlikely pair. But sometimes things you wouldn’t think of as a good combination, end up turning out to be the perfect combination, you know?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1932642    Reluctant Allies With Benefits by veterization    93k, Peter/Stiles, 

Peter suggests he and Stiles start having no strings attached sex. It's that simple. No, really, it totally is. Stiles will make sure of it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/3643614    Prison Break by cywscross    21k, Peter/Stiles, Eichen house, mentions of torture,  

The last time Peter was locked up and abandoned, he went crazy and killed a bunch of people. Stiles can’t understand why anyone would consider it a good idea to repeat history. So he decides to do something about it.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/2542955    The Trouble with Threesomes and Supernatural Soul Mates by Akira_of_the_Twilight   87k, Peter/Stiles/Chris, canon-AU, polyamory, soulmates, slow burn, 

Peter looked at Stiles from the corner of his blue eyes and smirked. Stiles swore he saw a flash of red Peter’s eyes, but it might of have been his brain’s lack of oxygen making him hallucinate. “I’m looking for my soul mate. Christopher Argent. I believe he volunteered to be taken in for questioning.”

An iron fist clenched Stiles' heart. This man was Argent’s—Christopher’s soul mate?

Stiles stared at the Peter’s wrist, examining every detail of Peter's soul mark. Stiles couldn’t find anything different between his and the blond’s.

Stiles lifted his hand and ghosted his fingers along Peter’s forearm.

It was lightning all over again, and Stiles yanked his hand back, only to have it caught in an unbreakable grip.

Frosty blue eyes burrowed into Stiles', and he couldn’t stop himself from gulping. The smirk on Peter’s lips grew as the corner of his mouth quirked higher, and he drew Stiles’ hand close to his face.

Peter’s nostrils flared slightly as he stared at Stiles’ soul mark. He pulled Stiles forward, pressing soft lips to Stiles wrist.

“Now what would your name be?” Peter purred.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6490537    According to plan by FeelingsDusk    16k, minor Peter/Stiles, time travel, BAMF!Stiles, 

The plan was very simple: go back in time, kill Kate, kill Gerard, never ever make contact with his parents, try to find a place within the Hale pack or not, but either way, live the rest of his life displaced and without the people he loves.

Of course, as it always is with him these days, nothing goes according to plan.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8370943    All My Stars Aligned by Green    21k, Peter/Stiles/Chris, Peter/Chris, AU, a/b/o, alpha/alpha, pining, 

Stiles needs to find an alpha ASAP. Actually, the doctors say he really needs two. Damn biology.

Chris and Peter are two alphas in hopeless, doomed love with each other.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6454288    Don’t Forget to Breathe by cywscross     11k, gen, canon-AU,  kidnapping, codependency, injury, trauma, 

The fire destroys every last reason Peter has to continue living. Stiles gives him a new one.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/2521997    This Could Be So Dirty That it Just Ain't Right by taylorpotato   10k, Peter/Stiles, a/b/o, omega/omega, 

Ever since Stiles presented as an Omega, he hasn't been feeling the same urges as his peers. When he's around an Alpha that's not Scott (who is pretty much his brother at this point), his first reaction is to shrink away, not try to press closer. Until he meets Peter Hale. Who acts like the most annoying, entitled kind of Alpha on the planet. Except he's not one. He's an Omega. Of course, Stiles would turn out to be every type of gay possible.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4013770    Lucky Penny (Tastes Like Copper on Your Tongue) by pibroch    11k, Peter/Stiles, AU, dark stiles, injury, groping, 

When Peter woke up, he spent a good fifteen or twenty seconds earnestly wishing that whatever had hit him had the courtesy to kill him outright. Because this? This was bullshit.

AKA the time I decided to give Peter all the nice things, but made him get hit by a car first. Like you do.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7233526    Written in Red by gryvon    5k, Peter/Stiles, canon-AU, soulmates, humour, 

Peter had given up hope of ever finding his soulmate until the red string on his finger leads him to a four-year-old. He's going to Hell. Or jail. Or both.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/820526     just like the ocean under the moon by rain_of_stars    23k, Peter/Stiles, love potion, dub-con, fluff, 

When they find the alpha pack, Stiles is calling first dibs. Because trying to kill them all is one thing, but making Peter follow him around like a creepy undead puppy is unforgivable.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6273163    Save Me by DiscontentedWinter    39k, Peter/Stiles, canon-AU, aftermath of rape, torture, attempted suicide, 

Peter is the Alpha. He's nobody's savior. Not his pack's. Not his town's. And not that kid's. But sometimes salvation goes both ways.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1601951    Under The Weight Of Living by SatanInACroptop    16k, Peter/Stiles, survivours guilt, 

Stiles is having trouble reconciling with the aftermath of the nogitsune. Namely the notion that if Allison were here, Stiles might well not be. Namely the heart stopping fear of what could happen to those still breathing if the next time he wakes up, someone else is opening his eyes for him. Fortunately, there is at least one soul in Beacon Hills with whom he can relate to. Sometimes a little bit of help can be found in the most unlikely of places, including the domicile of Peter Hale, and sometimes, a little bit of sanctuary is all it takes.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/715949    no moral compass, pointing due north by AuntieClimactic    4k, Peter/Stiles, 

“I certainly didn’t suggest anything untoward,” Peter says, honestly perplexed but hiding it by widening his eyes innocently. “I can’t help it if you overreacted to my natural sexual magnetism.”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1158050     betrayed by bones by veterization    25k, Peter/Stiles, love potion/sex pollen,

Stiles stumbles into wolfsbane that forces him to seek out contact from a particular person to stay alive. That person just happens to be Peter. Stiles hates his life sometimes.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/761191    Feet on the Dash by veterization    9k, Peter/Stiles, road trip, 

It's strange, because to the random unknowing passerby they're just two friends, maybe even family members, taking a road trip in the middle of a sweaty, endless June, but Peter's an ex-serial killer werewolf and Stiles is a little puny human who's eating all the chips like Peter won't rip his throat out if he eats the whole bag without sharing. The road trip part, however, is true.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/754957    Trust Fall by Stoney    144k, Derek/Stiles, body swap, h/c, slow burn, 

Stiles is fairly certain that a case could be made for every bad thing in his life coming back to Peter Hale. This time it's pissing off a powerful witch, who retaliated by swapping Stiles and Derek a la Freaky Friday, because sure. That makes sense. Um, there are GPAs on the line, not to mention the whole thing where his dad wants to shoot Derek on sight. Except who he sees as Derek is actually Stiles, and Stiles did not sign up for filicide.

Great. Wait...does this mean he's the Alpha until they figure this out? Holy. Shit. ****

Derek had stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a few minutes trying to control the panic as he saw himself as Stiles. As the loud mouthed human friend of the pack. He was going to kill Peter. He was going to kill the witch, then he was going to kill Peter. Maybe even resurrect him again just to kill him all over.

They were going to have to play this cool. They would have to stay calm and focused. Which is of course why the universe threw him into this situation with someone who physically couldn't be calm and focused.

Of course.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1884876     But Then What... by Stoney    24k, Derek/Stiles, AU, High school, 

Senior year is almost over, and all Stiles needs to do is keep his head down to survive. A teacher calls in a favor, leaving him stuck tutoring Derek Hale, one of the most popular jocks in school and a member of a group of douchecanoes who have bullied Stiles for years. He's someone Stiles totally hates. Totally. Like, doesn't like him even a little bit. DEFINITELY isn't attracted to him.

Except that is a total lie. Fuck his life, seriously.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/2532104    That's How They Deal With Boys Like Me by taylorpotato    12k, Peter/Stiles, genderfluid character, trans character, misgendering, 

Navigating puberty is hard enough on it's own. But on most mornings, Stiles also has to deal with feeling like he woke up in the wrong body. Peter Hale, of all fucking people, is the only one that seems to understand.

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http://archiveofourown.org/series/684416     The Sheep Chronicles by Guede    122k, Derek/Peter/Stiles, Sheriff/Chris Argent, AU, incest, polyamory, sheep, 

After Derek’s nearly seduced by a hunter into betraying his family, his mother thinks it’s a good idea to send him out into the world and learn how not to fall for traps like that. Peter comes along, because Peter likes exploring, and that’s why they decide to explore a haunted mountain.

Stiles lives on that mountain. With his sheep. They’re very tasty-looking, and well, Derek and Peter are werewolves.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/581108    Men of a Certain Age by peroxidepest17    15k, Sheriff/Chris Argent, 

The Sheriff and Chris Argent do their best impression of Scott and Stiles except without the flailing (because they're too old to flail anymore).

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/971281    Concrete by RarePairFairy    8k, Sheriff/Chris Argent, 

Chris Argent does NOT have a man crush.

Except maybe he does, a bit.

There are hostile creatures appearing in inconvenient places around Beacon Hills, and three families - the Argents, the McCalls and the Stilinskis - are resembling a taskforce.

Chris is beginning to realize that he's tired of watching loved ones get hurt. Sheriff Stilinski couldn't care less, because he's been trained how to use a gun and the bad guy's getting away, so on your feet, old man.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11414910     Poacher’s Delight by Guede    7k, Sheriff/Chris Argent, AU, BDSM, 

What’s clear is that Chris has no right to be hunting where he is, and John’s caught him red-handed. But then it gets a little confusing.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4678247     Ecosystem Engineering and the Werewolf by Guede   19k,Derek/Peter/Stiles, canon-AU, BDSM, dub-con, 

Stiles and his dad work for the U.S. Forest Service, which sends them to Beacon Hills. It’d be nice if Stiles could stop running into the Hales. He’s got bodies to get rid of. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4272609    I'll Walk with Your Wolf by iCheat    33k, Peter/Stiles, body swap, 

When Stiles wakes up in Peter's body, he's understandably freaked out. As Stiles starts connecting with the man's wolf, he can't help but reconsider his opinions of Peter. Needless to say, it's a rather confusing time for all involved.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6147194     Beautician and the Beast by MaroonDragon     18k, Peter/Stiles, AU, 

Peter likes to look good. He sells himself through his looks. So why shouldn't he make sure that he's as handsome as possible when he's shifted? Why would anyone want to have a dry and coarse fur when it's not needed? So he goes to a dog beauty parlour on a regular basis. When Stiles opens up a new shop in town, Peter finds way more than a new place to have his nails trimmed and his hair done. The only problem is, how can he seduce the guy when he's on four paws and believed to be just a very large dog?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/8124766    All In A Spin by ShippersList     12k, Peter/Stiles, AU, permanent injury, aphasia, trauma, 

Stiles can't really talk anymore but, with Peter, he realizes he doesn't have to. Even if their spoken communication consists of one swear word and stuttered syllables, they understand each other. And that's what counts. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/969413    Come Out With Your Hands Up High by dedougal    5k, Sheriff/Chris Argent, magic made them do it,

Kidnapping is all too current an occurrence for Sheriff Stilinski nowadays. But spell casting is one bit of the supernatural he hadn't quite got his mind around just yet. Especially when it's directed at him and his partner in kidnapping, Chris Argent. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/983275     Baby It's Warm Inside by RarePairFairy    4k, Sheriff/Chris Argent, smut, 

Chris is a combination of lethal weaponry, bad dad jokes and domesticity. John is a combination of hot, Old Spice and Jack Daniels. On date night, that somehow translates into lethal hotness, old dad jokes and drinking on the couch. Neither man has extensive experience in the sexual side of man love, but both have extensive experience in improvising. And that will do. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/4316862    To Catch a Fallen Star by cywscross    7k, Peter/Stiles, AU,

Stiles falls. It is not as great a tragedy as he thought it would be. 

actual star!Stiles 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1110615    Sympathy for the Devil by KouriArashi    72k, Peter/Stiles, canon-AU, child abuse, 

Stiles gets a job as a hospital orderly and finds himself becoming strangely attached to the catatonic man on the long-term care ward, and finds out that there's a lot more to Peter Hale than there seems... 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/633727    Amends by AuntieClimactic    18k, Peter/Stiles, future fic, 

Stiles blinks, “You’ve spent the last twenty years in therapy?”

“I had some emotional issues,” Peter admits.

“That’s… hilarious.”

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/5298617     Proposing To Strangers by moonstalker24    50k, Peter/Stiles, AU, bikers, fluff, 

At the end of a strained relationship, crime novelist Stiles chooses to hide from the world inside a bar with far too many motorcycles outside it for comfort. Here he'll meet the man of his dreams, eat food and propose marriage, all within the first five minutes.

Peter doesn't know who this kid is, but he's cute and looks like he could use a break. So he feeds him. He's not expecting a marriage proposal, but with what comes after, he doesn't really mind.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/597049    Bonds of Power by Miya_Morana    18k, Stiles/Derek, power swap, alpha!stiles, human!derek, 

When Stiles suddenly wakes up as an Alpha werewolf and finds out that Derek has become human, he reluctantly accepts Derek’s pack as his while they attempt to find out what exactly happened and how to reverse it. But as they all try to adjust to the situation, the Alpha Pack is breathing down their neck, and they’re going to need all the help they can get to face that threat.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/826201    Miner For Truth and Delusion by blacktofade     20k, Stiles/Derek, love potion, 

Stiles stumbles across what he thinks is a cult in the preserve and ends up cursed so that everyone wants to get with him. It makes it harder for him to get things back to normal, but luckily there's one person who's unaffected.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/877251     Divided We Stand by KouriArashi    156k, Stiles/Derek, AU, misunderstandings, mystery, 

Derek is being pressured by his family to pick a mate, and somehow stumbles into a choice that they didn't expect and aren't sure they approve of....

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/850923    Hard Pressed by pandacowhipster    4k, Stiles/Derek, masturbation, voyeurism, 5+1, 

Derek maintains this wouldn't be an issue if Stiles would just learn to knock.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/1381153    Roommate Wanted: No Supernatural Creatures Allowed by veterization    38k, Peter/Stiles, roomates, future fic, 

Stiles is in college, living in a pleasant apartment, and absolutely does not need a roommate. He ends up getting one anyway, and as luck would have it, his roommate turns out to be Peter.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/8214182    Adult Wolf by KouriArashi    82k, Peter/Sheriff Stilinski, canon-AU, 

As if Sheriff Stilinski doesn't have enough to deal with, now he's been attacked by some enormous dog in the forest, and that's normal compared to what happens next...

Season one re-telling with Sheriff Stilinski being bitten instead of Scott.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1518449    Binomial Coefficients by DevilDoll     20k, Stiles/Derek, AU, high school, 

In which brainy freshman Stiles Stilinski wants star quarterback Derek Hale to join the math team, AKA math nerds in love.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1204642    Kindred Spirits by Stoney    104k, Stiles/Derek, AU, slow build, pining, homophobia, 

Anne of Green Gables/Teen Wolf AU. [ You do not have to know AoGG to follow this fic, it would only enhance the reading experience. :D ] Essentially the world of Teen Wolf set in the late 1890s, with themes and some minor character names/places specifically borrowed from Anne's world (and no disrespect meant to LM Montgomery, because I love Anne Shirley to bits and pieces.)

Stiles is the adopted son of the Sheriff, brought to Beacon Hills to hopefully stay for good. A family, a best friend, school, Jackson as Josie Pye (because who else could he be?) and the mystery of a dark haired, green-eyed boy which leads Stiles to discovering a secret within himself.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5299154    here comes trouble by grimm     105k, Stiles/Derek, AU, a/b/o, past rape, past abuse/slavery, trauma, 

All Derek wants is one day where he can sleep without worry of being woken by gunfire, without the threat of death hanging over his head. He wants a full stomach and no pain clinging to his bones, no ache in his feet from months of running. He wants a shower, a safe place to put his head. He wants his family, the healing comfort of pack. He'll never have any of that again.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1124860    What You Can't See by darkmagess    54k, Stiles/Derek, kidnapping, PTSD, torture, 

A new threat comes to Beacon Hills, putting all its supernatural inhabitants in danger. A true alpha and banshee are rare and valuable quarry, but Stiles and Derek are the easiest targets.

do read the short fics linked in the first A/N

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1022356    Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach    76k, Stiles/Derek, AU, kidnapping, captivity, h/c, torture, 

"Stiles knew damn well what a pissed-off wolf sounded like, and every hair on the back of his neck was telling him that somewhere in this room was a very pissed-off werewolf." An AU in which Derek is feral, Stiles is magical, and they eat a lot of fast food.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1491730    Handsome Hobo by relenafanel, Swing Set in December    8k, Stiles/Derek, AU, misunderstandings, humour, 

Derek should probably stop rummaging through garbage if he doesn't want people to assume he's homeless.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/479349     I'm Hunting on the Night (We're Playing for the Fights) by PaddyWack    6k, Stiles/Derek, AU, wolf!Sties, Human!Derek, 

Stiles is the unfortunate wolf that gets into some trouble during his moon cycle. Derek is the hapless hunter that finds him.

Or, the one where Stiles steps in a bear trap and has to be rescued.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/896999    And If I Die Before I Wake by consciousness_streaming    60k, Stiles/Derek, true mates, 

When Stiles wakes up on his eighteenth birthday from a chaste dream about Derek Hale he doesn't think it's a big deal. But when he wakes up the next few days to the same dream, he knows something is going on. And he's going to get to the bottom of it. Once is an incident, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern. More than three is just torture.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/7946302     These Woods Sigh by blacktofade      80k, Stiles/Derek, friends with benefits, pining, accidental pregnancy, 

Derek and Stiles never plan to start a family together, it just happens. Or, the one where Derek accidentally wishes for a baby.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11640030     Falling In, Not Through by Julibean19    49k, Peter/Stiles, h/c, body horror, wing kink, alcohol abuse, 

“You need to help me,” Stiles says eventually. He’s still in too much pain to move off the floor, but he’s picked up a stray feather, twirling it between two fingers with a look of pure terror on his face. Peter nods immediately, eager and willing to be involved in whatever this is.

Peter’s eyes flick between the feather spinning between Stiles’ fingers and the harsh angle of the bend of his wings above his shoulders. He doesn’t look like any picture of an angel Peter has ever seen. There should be an elegant swooping curve there, neat little rows of white or gold or silver, pointed tips flung far out from Stiles’ body and a halo above his head. If Stiles is an angel, the myths are all wrong.

In which Stiles finds that he has wings and Peter finds that a pack doesn't always need to be made up of wolves.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/2027388    Revenge Fake Dating Is Totally A Thing by seraphina_snape    32k, Stiles/Derek, fake dating, slow build, 

Sheriff Stilinski walks in on Stiles and Derek in a compromising position and assumes they're in a relationship even though they were just sneaking around to keep the sheriff out of their supernatural shenanigans. Obviously it's all Derek's fault for being so damn suspicious - at least that's Stiles opinion and the reason why he gives Derek a taste of his own medicine when he invites him over for family dinner at his dad's request.

Only then Derek turns the tables on Stiles and before Stiles knows it, they're fake dating for reasons of revenge, one-upmanship and the preservation of Stiles' relationship with his dad.

No way this can go wrong, right?

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/924398    Imperfect Isn't Easy (But It's Us) by RayShippouUchiha    11k, Stiles/Derek+Lydia, voyeurism, possesiveness, 

Derek is so tired of everything being his fault, so tired of always losing. He's also tired of not admitting that he wants to own Stiles in ways he can barely describe.

Or

Derek is far from perfect but maybe that's okay. Maybe in the right company perfect isn't necessary.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/487228     There Ain't No Heaven by blacktofade    4k, Stiles/Derek, masturbation, voyeurism, forced proximity, 

Derek and Stiles are forced to spend the night in a car and Stiles pops an awkward boner.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11066634     I Don't Blame You for Being You (but you can't blame me for hating it) by LadySlytherin    39k, Stiles/Derek, injury, 

Derek hits Stiles with his Camaro - 'Dammit, Stiles, it was an accident!'...'Why don't I believe you?' and hilarity ensues.

this fic contains mpreg, but it’s only a minor plot point and doesn’t actually take place during the actual plot.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/7513226     your soul fits where mine feels empty by wishingonalightningbolt    19k, Stiles/Derek, smut, 

He pulls open the door without knocking and gets half a step inside the loft before he notices. Derek—lying on his bed—face down—naked.

-0-

Stiles gets an eyeful. Things go downhill from there.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/612585      Tell me how all this, and love too, will ruin us by queerly_it_is    12k, Stiles/Derek, bdsm, sub!derek, 

Derek doesn’t get why he likes it so much.

It’s just not -- he hadn’t expected to need this. Not from Stiles. Not from anyone, ever. He doesn’t do this.

Except he does, now. Because it’s for Stiles, and Derek -- fuck, he likes it too.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/8179690    I've Been Everywhere With You by Leslie_Knope     61k, Stiles/Derek, theraphy, slow build, 

“Dude, you should totally come with me.”

“What? Like on the road trip?"

“No, come with me. To Austin. Get out of Beacon Hills.”

Derek paused. “What?” he asked again.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/717364     Brilliant & Ridiculous by maderr    10k, Stiles/Derek, fake dating, 

All Derek wanted was for the woman to leave him alone and ring up his groceries. How that led to her thinking Stiles is his boyfriend is something he blames on Stiles and his inability to stay out of trouble for five minutes.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/783841    John Hughes Did Not Direct My Life by nascentgalaxies    48k, Stiles/Derek, AU, high school, slow build, 

Stiles and Derek are childhood friends who drifted apart. When Stiles joins the lacrosse team against his will, the universe (with a little help from Laura and Lydia) chooses to push them back together.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/676633     The Sweetest of Words (Have the Bitterest Taste) by Omni     9k, Stiles/Derek, fake dating, 

“Ah, yeah, Desiree, I told you I was meeting someone. Well, that someone is Derek. My boyfriend. We’re totally in love.” His heart was racing and Derek was holding him so tight it was difficult to turn enough to face the young woman. What he did see of her had his breath catching on fishhooks in his throat. She was normally a relatively pretty girl, with cute round cheeks and large dark eyes, but in that moment she looked…terrifying. Her cheeks seemed gaunt, her eyes glowing like they were little windows peeking into a deep pit of raging flame.

(Or: Five or so years after the show. Stiles is in college, and finds himself getting stalked by a succubus. Derek's determined that the best way to thwart her is to prove that he and Stiles are madly in love. It's not really as much of an act as either seems to think.)

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1183688    i want to say all those things that would be better unsaid by aeneapsych  24k, Stiles/Derek, AU, phone sex, praise kink, teacher/student, 

Derek is a lonely professor who decides to call a phone sex line.

Stiles is a poor grad student who needs to make a living somehow.

"One night stands were never this good. Hell, his previous relationships were never this good. Derek was so screwed, but right now he didn't care."

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1060026     Sense of Home by siny    53k, Stiles/Derek, h/c, angst, hallucinations, 

Home can be a place, but it can also be a person.

After the events with the Nemeton, Stiles starts suffering the consequences of their sacrifice. A journey he attempts to make on his own, but only becomes worse with every step he takes. In the process he seeks comfort in an unexpected place and it draws him toward an unexpected person.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/508648    You Saw Me Standing Alone by orphan_account    43k, Stiles/Derek, 

A pack of alpha werewolves is burning a war path through Beacon Hills; Stiles shouldn’t have the luxury of trying to get laid.    

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1168884    What's Up Pinocchio? by Brego_Mellon_Nin    11k, Stiles/Derek, 

Stiles has settled in for a bit of self indulgence, favorite porn uploaded and ready, his recently neglected dick already stirring. For a few minutes he simply watches as the two guys start kissing and touching, but as soon as the bigger guy starts sucking his partner, Stiles groans and grabs for his own erection. Except, when he grabs hold of it, it feels… foreign in his hand. Pulse jumping, he snaps his eyes downward. Then he sputters and flails, nearly tipping over the edge of the mattress. What the everloving fuck?

Stiles knows his dick, okay? He knows it well. He knows how long it is, how thick it is - measuring is a normal thing for a curious teenager, it really is - but somehow, that’s not true anymore.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/550277    This Time With Feeling by Crimson1    36k, Stiles/Derek, 

"Derek Hale, if you refuse to learn from your past…then you will be doomed to repeat it." In which Derek is turned into a 16-year-old and has to stay with Stiles until they figure out how to turn him back.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/7451080     Drown Me with Kisses by LadySlytherin    19k, Stiles/Derek, pining, 

When a rusalka in the preserve nearly kills Stiles with a kiss, Stiles is in grave danger any time he’s near a source of water - not just rivers, lakes, and oceans, but pools, bathtubs, the shower, a sink full of water - you put water in it, and it could probably kill Stiles now. Deaton’s advice? Break the rusalka’s magic with a kiss of opposite power - love to beat out death.   

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/3569615    I Dream of Stiles by runningwithdinosaurs    12k, Stiles/Derek, AU, 

In retrospect, Derek never should have rubbed the lamp.

But Derek did, which is how he got stuck with Stiles, who was truly a terrible genie. He didn’t even do things the way a normal genie was supposed to.

“What do you mean ‘it’s not three wishes’?” Derek bit out, glaring at Stiles, who was perched on the end of his couch. Literally perched. Like crouched on his tip toes.

“I don’t really know how to make it clearer,” Stiles said, long fingers twisting in the bright red hoodie he was wearing. “Is English not your first language? No son tres deseos. Ce ne est pas trois souhaits. To nie trzy życzenia.”

(Or the one where Stiles is a genie and Derek lives broken and alone in New York until a certain mole-covered immortal teenager LITERALLY pops into his life.)

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/751941    Graceless by AsexualDerek (Cammerel)     22k, Stiles/Derek, straight men having gay sex, 

Stiles doesn't ask for much in return, but a 'please' would be nice.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/3097259    Run To You by Emela    31k, Stiles/Derek, feral!derek, h/c,

A witch casts a spell, turning Derek feral and leaving him the equivalent of a frightened puppy. Stiles is the only one he trusts to protect him and of course, Stiles is only too happy to help. (Which has nothing to do with all these feelings he's suddenly having, okay? Derek's just a really cute werewolf puppy.)

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1783486    Lap Magnet by Prairie_Grass    30k, Stiles/Derek, 5+1, accidental bonding, 

Wherein an ill-advised floral arrangement leads to a whole new definition of obliviousness, accidental mate-bonds, and far more sex and tropes than one fic really needs.

or

Five times Derek and Stiles didn’t notice how close they were (literally) and then a whole bunch of times when they did... 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/4035982    You'll Grow Into Your Skin by crossroadswrite    11k, Stiles/Derek, implied mpreg, 

“So funny story,” Stiles winces, “Remember when I joked you couldn’t get me pregnant?”

Derek nods his head. He remembers pretty much everything from that day.

“Right,” Stiles bobs his head, stops himself and does a little ta-da gesture towards Jacy, “Surprise?”

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/696562     Invited Inside by blacktofade    14k, Stiles/Derek, biting, bloodplay,  

Of all the things to finally bite him, a vampire is truly at the bottom of Stiles’ list.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/7806307    Hot Pocket Ratio by ShippersList    12k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, incubus, 

At the threat of the alpha pack, all Derek wants is to keep his pack safe and alive. As the last resort, he tries summoning a demon to help with fighting the alpha pack. He gets a bit more than he bargained for.

Or, the story where the classic demon deal of "Will you pledge your firstborn to me?" takes some unexpected turns.  

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/761973    Cosomination by zoemathemata    11k, Stiles/Derek, 5+1, pining, bed sharing, 

For Fictional Force/Hoktauri who prompted “pining! Derek/oblivious! Stiles, graduation day”

Cosominate - To sleep together in the same bed or similar space.

Five Times Derek and Stiles Sleep Together - 4 platonic bed shares and one not-platonic bed share! Features Pining! Derek, Oblivious!Stiles and a very tense moment where Sheriff Stilinski has been hurt! But it all turns out okay. 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/8016247    Between Dogs and Wolves by artemis69    25k, Stiles/Derek, AU, mafia, violence. pining, 

"This is…not four million in cash,” remarks Stilinski.

“Isaac. Did you fail to get my money back and decided to pick up a stripper on the road to bribe me? Because let me make this perfectly clear: this would totally work. Well done.”

Or

The mafia!AU where the Hales owe four million to the Stilinskis, Laura rents Derek (but not as a stripper), Stiles gets a new favorite, Derek gets a new boss, a new puppy and a new family.

Sometimes they break people, but mainly, they just snark at each other. 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/3992896     Wolf in the House by JoeLawson     33k, Stiles/Derek, wolf!derek, 

“What? It’s totally an improvement. He’s not scowling, or dating bad guys, or slinking around in unsanitary places. Still a bit paranoid, but what can you do. At least he’s a lot easier to get along with when you can buy his affections with ear rubs.”

“And you always wanted a dog,” Sheriff added wryly.

“And I always wanted a dog.”  

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1727696    Just the Same by ericaismeg    68k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, highschool, pining, 

Something is seriously up with the captain of the lacrosse team. There's just no way Derek Hale is human. *** “I was wondering if you're even human. You move so quickly. I mean, it's ridiculously fast. No human should be able to move that fast, y'know? It's unfair for us. I mean, it's obvious you work out, and I don't, so that could be why, but like...I was just wondering if you were human, that's all.”

“Stop talking, Stilinski, or I'll—”

“Put me on the bench all season?” Stiles asks knowing full well that Derek Hale can't threaten him with shit.  

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1162093    Lie Down with Dogs by uraneia    3k, Stiles/Derek, slightly subby!derek, aftercare, wolf!derek,

Stiles gives Derek a flea bath. Then things get weird.

*

“Is this a joke?” Stiles says when Derek hands him the bottle. It has to be a joke, right? This is just more evidence of Derek’s redeveloping sense of humor. Ha-ha. He’s hilarious.

“Does it look like I’m joking,” Mr. Murder Eyebrows himself says flatly.

Fuck, he’s not joking.

Stiles turns the bottle over in his hands. No matter how many times he reads it, it still says Flea Treatment Shampoo for Dogs. 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1251133    Under The Wolf, Under The Dog by Narcissistic_Ninny    5k, Stiles/Derek, wolf!derek, 

“So, uh, I noticed you’re commando most days. Is that because you have to transform, or cause you just don’t-”

“Oh my god,” he said. “I’m not having this conversation with you.” 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/962660    The Scent of an Oncoming Storm by accol    13k, Stiles/Derek, scent marking, watersports, 

In the weeks after Derek becomes alpha, he and Stiles form a reluctant team   

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/723433    I Ran (So Far) by thepsychicclam    33k, Derek/Stiles,

“But, you don’t run,” Derek pointed out, confused.

 “People can get new hobbies,” Stiles snapped. “Geez, if I’d known it was going to be this big of a deal, I’d have called you first. Want me to give you my workout schedule? That way you can coordinate your nose accordingly?”

In which Stiles' summer starts off so badly he starts running, gets pelted by paint balls, and decides he is, in fact, going crazy if he willingly wants to hang out with Derek Hale.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/467550    The Life of Stiles by rispacooper   14k, Stiles/Derek, scent marking, 

First Stiles is in denial, then he is just confused.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5640295    As Cryptic as the Moon by Formaldehyde_Eyes    30k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, scent marking, psychic powers, 

“So,” Stiles started, everything about him unsure with how to explain it. “I sometimes have these dreams. About wolves.”

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/10374501    It's Platonic Until It's Not by hbunting1403     16k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, scent marking, 

Yes, Scott and Stiles sleep in the same bed. Stiles would rather cut off both of his hands than touch Scott sexually, but he’s no stranger to showing affection, and they cuddle on a pretty regular basis. Their relationship is, in Stiles’ eyes, normal and healthy and exactly what they both need. Then Scott meets Alison, and they fall in love over a fucking pen (which is sickly sweet but so Scott), and Stiles suddenly has a lot more time on his hands.

Cue pottery classes, stargazing, a new friendship, and a lot of (totally platonic) fantasizing.

Even if Derek is hotter than the sun.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/446553     Flipped and Awkwardly Reversed by harlequin421    13k, Stiles/Derek, h/c, 

Scott getting bitten by a werewolf didn’t only change his life; it brought a sourpuss of a creeper werewolf into Stiles life who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space or that windows aren’t doors, or you know, manners.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/4620849    Proprietary by Osidiano    8k, Scott/Stiles, scent marking, praise kink, facials, 

Written for the TWKM: Stiles needs to smell like he's having sex with Scott because SERIOUS REASONS and they decide that a facial is the least awkward way to accomplish that, except they're both way more into it than they expected and things keep escalating. Like, Scott has no idea how this got from 'werewolf-awkwardly-masturbating-several-feet-away' to Stiles telling him, "Maybe. . . Maybe you should rub your dick against my face a little. You know. To make sure I smell believable."

". . .Yeah," Scott pants. "Yeah, that makes sense." 

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/751583    The Boy and the Beast by Dira Sudis (dsudis)    116k, Stiles/Derek, canon-AU, slow build, 

In which events in Beacon Hills go rather differently from the start, and a Beauty and the Beast (ish) story ensues. (Scott is not a teacup and no one sings about their feelings.)

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/1035300    Dude, Werewolves by mysecretashes    29k, Stiles/Derek, canon- AU, scent marking, frottage, 

Stiles gets partnered with Cora for a history project, and they become bros. Also, he kind of falls in love with her older brother, Derek.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/2141295    What the Body Grasps Not by sexyvanillatiger    21k, Jackson/Stiles, pre-canon, 

Fulfillment of this prompt from the Teen Wolf Throwback Fest:

"So I have this headcanon that the reason Jackson and Stiles don't get along is because Jackson adored Claudia Stilinski. She was the children's librarian or volunteered at their school a lot, maybe watched Jackson after school, whatever, but she spent a lot of time around the kids, maybe helped Jackson overcome some reading issues, talked to him, listened to him in a way his mother didn't and so Jackson grew attached to her and jealous of Stiles, who always seemed to be acting up and giving her a hard time (pre-medicated ADHD) and Jackson was convinced Stiles didn't deserve her. Then she died. So Jackson doesn't know how to deal with that and Stiles is barely coping and maybe words are said which leads to years of actual, seething hatred, culminating in hate sex. Lots of hate sex. That. Keeps. Happening."  

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/625632     Goldilocks by tourdefierce    11k, Stiles/Derek, bed sharing, 

It may be the wrong fairytale to fit their odd world, but Derek was most definitely Goldilocks, and somehow, Stiles' bed was juuuuuust right.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9641306     Without You by fearfrost1211    4k, Stiles/Derek, touch starved, frottage, first time, 

Half a choked laugh boils up out of him. He had sex with Derek Hale.

Sex. With Derek.

He's never going to be able to shower in the locker room again.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/3904933    Little Wild Animal by DiscontentedWinter     61k, Stiles/Derek, AU, fluff, 

Derek Hale finds a feral human on his pack's property. Humans are supposed to be extinct. But then, Stiles is full of surprises. 

.

.

Star Wars

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5638204    step out into the sun by plutos    71k, Poe/Finn, slow burn, fake relationship, accidental marriage, pining, fluff, 

“I gotta talk to you, buddy, real quick,” Poe says lowly, and grabs Finn’s hand to haul him back out of the mess hall. His pilot friends cheer loudly, Karé yelling something about keeping it decent, and Finn barely has a second to process it before Poe’s yanking him away and into a deserted side corridor.

“I can explain,” he says quickly, running his spare hand through his hair.

“Well good,” Finn snaps hotly, “Because I’ve had a really fucking weird day.” _____________________________

Otherwise known as: Finn Is An Oblivious Numbskull, or: the one where Finn gets a name, a jacket, a droid, and a marriage out of nowhere in only a few short weeks.

the softest fic

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5926144    tell me about the big bang by thebrotherswinchester    37k, Poe/Finn, slow burn, pining, angst, 

There is a part of him that says: you are not human.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5798602     have you heard by peradi    42k, gen, side ships, revolution, propaganda, redemption, 

"I heard FN-2187 was a Stormtrooper."

--

Finn sparks a revolution.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5619475    my own secret ceremonials. by ameliorates    3k, Finn/Rey/Poe, UST, mutual masturbation, 

the mathematics are simple. the reality is a hot, sticky delirium. -- poe struggles with frustrated longing.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5753218    BB-Gate by ignitesthestars, nymja     5k, Jessika Pava/Rey, 

Jessika and Rey attempt to solve one of the galaxy's greatest mysteries: was BB-8 giving a thumb's up or the middle finger?

.

.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/8763691    Horrible and Terrible and Good All At Once by Mellow_Yellow    72k, Credence/Graves, arranged marriage, 

Graves was a lead Auror, and as such prided himself on his ability to stay calm in a crisis, to keep his head, to remain even-keeled and articulate no matter the situation. So no one was more surprised than he was when he opened his mouth and heard himself blurting out, “Excuse me, ma’am, but I would like to purchase your son.”

Seemingly without hesitation, and before Mary Lou had the chance to respond, Credence burst forth with his own, “Yes, sir, you may have me.”

Then they both fell silent, equally shocked at their words. Merlin’s balls. Somewhere upstate, Graves was sure his father had just burst into laughter and had no idea why.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9136114    Roche Limit by Rrrowr    19k, Credence/Graves, a/b/o, 

Thirty years, Graves has managed to hide this, smothering the very base notes of his scent with suppressants while keeping intact the identifying markers — chocolate, blood orange, and ash. Thirty years, he's managed to kill every instinct he has to bare his throat when challenged, funneling his nurturing instincts into a desire to protect, widening his idea of family to include all of wizardkind. For thirty years, he spent his heats doubling up on potions and taking sick days when that wasn't enough.

Thirty years spent facing that challenge, and now — all of it threatened by the fact that he wanted, for just one night, to be himself.

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9095290    the king of oak bysaltpans    38k, Credence/Graves, recovery, slow burn, fae, 

The first thing Percival Graves does after being released back into the world is buy a new wand. He's at Greymalkin's for ten minutes and the only wand that works for him is raw aspen, whiter than bone and so rough that Graves gives himself a splinter conjuring a storm of birds. The wand—dragon heartstring, a most unusual wand for an American wizard, according to a flustered Greymalkin—feels wild, and Graves empties half his wallet on the counter and keeps his hand on his new wand all the way home.

The second thing he does is quit his job, because honestly.

("Grindelwald did his research before he put on your face," Seraphina says reasonably. "And it's not like you're open with your personal life. He has us all fooled."

"He wore scorpion stickpins!" Graves shoots back, somewhat less reasonably.

Seraphina looks at Graves, his pressed creases, his immaculate shirt, the red ruby cufflinks he's wearing to hide the starved brittleness of his wrists. "I'm sorry," she says. It is not enough to make him stay.)

The third thing he does is get jumped by Credence Barebone in an alley.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9904355     Nothing Shall be Impossible by terriblelifechoices    61k, Credence/Graves, dub-con, forced pregnancy, prison, protectiveness, fluff,

Inspired by a prompt on the kinkmeme:

Grindelwald figures Credence is too old and damaged to be useful, but his genes are clearly strong. Graves' genes are pretty awesome too with wandless magic and whatnot. So he decides to make them do it and train their offspring as perfectly loyal soldiers.

___

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?” Graves asked.

Grindelwald sighed, as if he found Graves’ questions tedious. “I told you,” he said. “I’ve Seen your child. Together, the two of you will produce a wizard so powerful that the armies of the world will tremble before him. He will be the first and most honored among my generals, and together we will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for wizard-kind.”

“You know,” Graves said, conversational. “When I asked you if you were out of your goddamn mind, the short answer would have been to just say yes.”

.

http://archiveofourown.org/works/9157615    your need grows teeth by alamorn    10k, Credence/Graves, 

There is something that Credence never told Mr. Graves. The man he thought was Mr. Graves. The man who cupped his skull and slapped his face.

Some of the wounds he healed for Credence were not from Mary Lou. Whenever he woke from lost time, he would find deep gashes around his fault lines, like a cheap toy put poorly together. He did not tell Mr. Graves that he did not know how he got them, just allowed him to smooth them away.

Note: this does not contain self harm.

.

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Harry Potter   

(also, The Cursed Child) 

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http://archiveofourown.org/series/583285     Alone series by mischiefmanager    3k, Albus Severus/Scorpius, masturbation, 

Albus is an angst-monster who is in love with his best friend and it is absolutely tearing him apart.

Scorpius is a cinnamon roll who is in love with his best friend and it's...well, maybe a bit lonely but mostly overall it's pretty brilliant!

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7331278    Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi    93k, Harry/Draco, canon-AU, pining, 

'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.    

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/6239806     Stately Homes of Wiltshire by waspabi    57k, Harry/Draco, post-hogwarts, pining, 

Malfoy Manor has mould, dry rot and an infestation of unusually historical poltergeists. Harry Potter is on the case.

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Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/247621    Detente by entanglednow     3k, Dr.Horrible/Captain Hammer, 

"I'm your nemesis, you're not supposed to be having sex dreams about me, what would your psychiatrist say?"

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/138889     Echoes in a Lonely World by etothepii     8k, Dr. Horrible/Captain Hammer, empathy bond, 

Dr. Horrible carries his device (it doesn’t have a name yet, but he’s been mentally referring to it as "That Empathy Thing") with him on heists for a week and a half before Captain Hammer finally shows up. Not nearly as serious as the title suggests.

.

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Dream Daddy: a Dad Dating Simulator

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11613825    An Intervention by Tenebrosa    2k, Craig/Robert, praise kink, 

Craig needs to loosen the fuck up and damn if Robert isn't the King of Relaxation. How he does it might be a little...unorthodox, but really, who's gonna judge them all the way out here?

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11652366    I'm Selfish, I'm Obscene by passionfruits    7k, Joseph/Robert, 

A collection of Roseph intimacy. A bittersweet treatise on the unholy trinity of Joseph, Robert, and Mary.

AKA how much kink, fluff, and angst can I shove in one messy PWP dump? If you haven't read covet yet, I recommend doing that first. It's a good prequel.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11688816    Whatever's Written in Your Heart by captaincharming    16k, Joseph/Robert, infidelity, 

“Hey,” Robert says again, turning Joseph’s face back to his. “Look at me. You think Mary don’t already think this is happening? She’s been asking me for years if I’m screwing her husband yet.”

.

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Lucifer

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9329171    Worthy and Forgiven by Erya    31k, Lucifer/Dan, friendship, 

In which Dan accidentally winds up in a confused sort of maybe friendship with the Devil himself, through absolutely no fault of his own.

.

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Stranger Things 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/7662067    Have Happened by cortexikid    43k, Jonathan/Steve/Nancy, slow burn, 

"I overheard you. You were talking in your sleep.”

Steve's heart fluttered nervously.

“It was a little funny at first,” Nancy admitted, her tone a mix of teasing and apologetic, “you were moaning my name and I thought it’d be kinda funny if Mike accidentally overheard you having a sex dream about his sister—”

Steve couldn’t control the guffaw that escaped him.

“But then you said Jonathan’s name. Right after mine. All in the same breath.”

.

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Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/11917929    the destiny of human handwriting by cosmicocean, princessparadox   53k, Todd/Dirk, soulmates, 

Even from a young age, he isn’t a romantic. It’s around third grade that kids start writing to their Match, eight year olds asking questions about their name, where they’re from, what they like, who they are. Todd doesn’t. He’s not really into the idea of Matches, even if it’s something he can’t change. People fall in love with people. If he falls in love, he’s not going to fall in love with someone who he knows only from ink on his arms that he didn’t put there.

Whoever his Match is, however, does not feel the same way. His left arm (so he must be right handed) is covered with doodles. Crude flowers drawn with what looks like ballpoint pens, so lots of skipping and gaps in the lines. Sometimes the outlines of hearts that look like fountain pens, but are smudged quickly, the ink running too hard.

Soulmate AU where anything you write on your arm appears visible on your soulmate's. Written for the Dirk Gently Big Bang 2017.

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9630893    Electric Ghost Rhino by Lavellington    8k, Todd/Dirk, pre-slash, bed sharing, 

Dirk and Todd are not co-dependent, exactly. They've just had a rough couple of weeks. 

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http://archiveofourown.org/works/9619238   Delete Me, Repeat Me, Let's Try This Again by coloursflyaway    6k, Todd/Dirk, pining, 

Dirk is in love with Todd, that much is clear. The question is what Todd intends to do with that information.

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[lonestorm]

The Inugami - Short 6: Inuyasha

Summary: When Kagome Higurashi moved to the bad side of Chicago to help with her grandfather’s restaurant, she expected chaos. Being thrown into a fake gang, caught in the middle of a drug war and grudge that stretches centuries back in time, befriending a grumpy half demon along with a ragtag bunch of three other misfits… wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. High school AU. Inukag.

Rating: T (some language)

Pairings: Inukag, Mirsan

Chapters: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 |  Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14

Shorts: 1. Sesshomaru | 2. Miroku | 3. Shippo | 4. Sango | 5. Sesshomaru | 6. Inuyasha

**Also on ff.net here and ao3 here.

Inuyasha had a love-hate relationship with Kagome’s locket.

He would stare at it for infinity, at the picture inside of he and Kagome sleeping on his couch. He liked the picture a lot better in his locket than on the internet. And the other frame, her laughing at him after getting splattered with cake batter in the restaurant, his ears drooping. But in the picture, when he’d heard her laugh, he couldn’t help but smile back. He liked that picture more after it happened, too. But it hurt.

He’d tried to keep himself from it. Releasing aggressions on punching bags, binging on Naruto and popcorn (again), and playing music so loud that it would surely block out any thought of going back to that stupid little torture device around his neck.

And maybe… seeing her but not being with her was the source of the torture. She was unreachable. Inuyasha couldn’t touch her, get drunk on the warmth of her body wrapped in his embrace, couldn’t feel her breaths move in harmony with his own. And he had no idea when he’d see her again.

But that stupid, stupid, precious locket.

It was a Tuesday. He had no work at the restaurant. So Inuyasha sat in the living room window seat, turning over the necklace in his hands. Part of him prayed that the pictures would move, her familiar eyes would light up in the image, and her laugh would drift to his ear like a favorite song.

Gritting his teeth, he tossed his locket down onto a cushion and leaned his head against the wall with a sigh. Instead of the cursed little jewelry piece, his hands held his phone as he turned on Spotify. His eyes dully drifted to the Chicago skyline, past skyscrapers and out to the everlasting lake. The sun had only just set, and the last pinks and purples setting over the water gave way to stars. It would be daytime in Japan… He wondered, as he did whenever he thought of her, if maybe, just maybe, she was thinking of him, too.

Maybe she still listened to this stupid playlist she put on his account with songs he didn’t even like, like the one playing now:

...Oh you can fit me

Inside the necklace you got when you were 16

Next to your heartbeat

Where I should be

Keep it deep within your soul...

Inuyasha picked up the locket. He turned it over again. And again. And-

“It is almost August,” Sesshomaru’s voice interrupted his haze. “Will you be moving into a dorm, or commuting?”

Inuyasha’s head snapped up, and he took out his earbuds; he hadn’t even noticed that Sesshomaru had gotten home, locked in his own world.

But then, Inuyasha just scowled. “Hopin’ to get rid of me to make room for your new kid?”

Sesshomaru raised his eyebrows, walking over to stand a few feet away and cross his arms. “I do not need your room clear. We have an extra room. It’s a reasonable question; it makes sense that I would want to know if someone is still going to be living with me.”

Someone, Inuyasha internally repeated, scowl deepening. “What does it matter? Not like you notice if I’m here or not.”

Sesshomaru seemed unaffected as always. “Your presence is rather difficult to ignore.”

“Well, by all means,” Inuyasha muttered, turning his gaze back to the window, “keep trying.”

“If you have a problem with me, Inuyasha, I would rather you have it out then remain in a constantly passive aggressive state.”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘passive’ aggressive. I’m going more for ‘aggressive’ aggressive.”

“Inuyasha.”

“And it’s always been like that with us, so I don’t get why you’re suddenly asking me to talk about it.”

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. “On the contrary, after we defeated Naraku-”

“Kagome defeated Naraku-”

A sigh. “Yes, your woman shot him in the head. I was not putting importance in specifics. In any case, after she defeated Naraku, you almost weren’t cursing my name every day and you asked me to pass the salt without an insult afterwards.”

“Oh, what a miracle. Not my fault you went and thought it was important.” Inuyasha kept his gaze on the horizon. “Not like you care.”

“You make many assumptions. I simply asked if you were moving into a dorm.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and finally grumbled, “Yeah, I am. Rooming with Miroku. I’ll be out of your life. Yay.”

Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose. “I did not force you to live here, Inuyasha.”

“You used the ‘Dad would want it’ card,” he argued back. “Pretty much forcing.”

“I did not send Higurashi-san away. That was you. You do not need to take out your misery on me.”

Inuyasha sat up, snarling, “You don’t get to talk about her! You’ve never given a damn about anyone other than yourself and Rin; you wouldn’t understand what’s it’s like to lose your fucking soulmate.”

Then, he felt himself grow embarrassed by the outburst. Inuyasha stood, beginning to walk back to his room before his brother could make fun of him about it. “Whatever. I’ll stop being all human at you. The only humans you like are tiny orphan girls you can boss around.”

“How can you accuse me of such things,” Sesshomaru answered in a low voice that made Inuyasha freeze in place, “when you do not understand either what it is to lose your child?”

Inuyasha paused. Then, surprised it was coming out of his mouth, he muttered, “I’m sorry. I liked Rin.” And he breathed out, pushing his bangs back. “I’m sure the kid you adopt will be great too. After all, you have high orphan standards.”

Sesshomaru kept talking. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

“I bet they’ll be damn perfect!” Inuyasha shouted, decades of anger suddenly lashing out. He turned, leaning toward his brother mockingly and baring his fangs. “And you’ll just be a fucking saint, won’t you? Taking in the orphaned child! Oh, poor kid, all alone and abandoned and rejected without a home! Bet you’ve hardly seen any of those! What a fantastic person you are!”

Sesshomaru was not intimidated, but took a deep sigh. “This is not about the child, is it?”

The damn burst. “Where the hell were you when I was that kid?! Wasn’t good enough for you, huh?! Too human-oh wait!” Inuyasha let out a maniac laugh. “You adopt kids that are one hundred percent human! Mad at me because it must be my fucking fault that our father loved my mother more?! Wanted a stupid sword that Father left me?! No, I was a half breed! I wasn’t good enough to have a home with my own fucking brother!”

Inuyasha laughed again, wondering if he’d be full, rampaging demon right now if Tessaiga weren’t strapped to his chest. “Well, you thought, you’d rather just kill me! Why actually try to give a damn about your own brother who kept having the shit beaten out of him for things he couldn’t control?! Adopt a kid--ha, that’s so fucking rich, coming from you! That would’ve been a fantastic idea about a few hundred years ago, oh, I don’t know, when Naraku killed our father and my mother! But this kid is sooo much better than me--doesn’t have dirty hanyo blood! Well, great find, Almighty Sesshomaru! So you go on caring about some random kid--see if I give a damn! Better tell them how special they are, because hey, you cared about them, but not your own brother! Have a blast trying to pretend that you’re not a fucking piece of-”

Inuyasha stopped breathing when Sesshomaru put a hand on the top of his head and pulled Inuyasha’s forehead to his shoulder.

His older brother held his head to his shoulder for several moments before saying, “Inuyasha… I am… sorry.”

Sesshomaru let him go, moving further away. Inuyasha was gaping at him, brain having shorted out even at the possibility that he was hearing this. But his bewilderment only got worse when Sesshomaru said, “I do… care.” His brother’s face was impassive as ever, but Inuyasha could tell he wasn’t lying.

Inuyasha couldn’t think of anything to say.

For once in his ridiculously long life, Sesshomaru looked a tiny bit awkward. “Anyway.” Sesshomaru cleared his throat. “I got something for you at the station.”

After digging in his pocket, Sesshomaru pulled out a regular-looking cellphone. Inuyasha took it numbly, after which Sesshomaru explained, “The screen is cracked, but it still works. We are replacing it and they were going to throw it away, so I took it. It is untraceable; we usually use them in undercover operations. No remaining Spider will be able to track any place you call.”

“So,” Inuyasha choked, gripping the cracked phone like a lifeline, “so I can…?”

“Yes. Check on that strange human of yours and make sure she hasn’t gotten herself into another ridiculous situation.” Sesshomaru’s voice was back to normal now, eyes wiped clean of emotion. “Since she met you and ended up taking out the most notorious drug and crime lord ever in history for the both of us only months later, I assume she has a knack for finding trouble.”

Sesshomaru strode off to his room.

Inuyasha stared at his brother’s back.

I am sorry.

I do care.

He remained numb from head to toe. He never would have expected… never.

And slowly, his gaze turned back down to the phone.

His fingers seemed to dial the number on their own; he’d memorized it, before deleting it from his contacts.

The dialing tone sounded, and he only breathed again when the line was picked up.

“Hai! Kagome desu.”

Damn. Forgot how to breathe again.

“...Kore wa daredesu ka?”

Finally, Inuyasha took in a breath and forced himself to speak. But the first thing out of his mouth was, “You idiot. Sayin’ your name right away like that; what if I was an enemy lookin’ for you?”

“...Inuyasha?”

For the first time in months, Inuyasha felt a huge, real smile spread across his face. “Hey, Kagome.”

[nine-butterflies]

Home

A little bughead fanfiction I whipped up after seeing the deleted scene. I didn’t proofread it, and it’s 11 o’clock at night, so I don’t plan to. It’s kinda of a little spec fic for the beginning of season two, with a little dash of canon divergence thrown in. For @littlemermaidlove

Word Count: 2111

Rating: T

“Jughead, Mrs. Cooper and I would like to volunteer to be your guardian. You’d stay at Riverdale High and you’d come live at our house.”

Jughead thinks about The Coopers’ offer a lot as he sits in the waiting room in the hospital, Hal Cooper’s jacket just brushing his arm.

Archie sits across from him, hands, jacket and cast covered in vibrant red blood as he bounces his knee, eager for any sign of the doctors emerging from the operating room. Veronica sits at his side, looking somewhat lost; Jughead’s not sure she really knows what to do. Her mother sits at her side, but makes no move to comfort or help her daughter. Alice’s hand has found her husband’s, just as Betty’s has found Jughead’s.

It’s something solid for him to focus on. His thoughts feel jumbled, overwhelming; Fred Andrews has been more of a father to him than FP has been in a long while, and sitting in the waiting room of a hospital while one father is locked up in prison and the other lies open and bleeding on an operating table has Jughead more than worried.

He’s terrified.

Betty’s hand in his keeps him grounded. He knows that breaking in front of Archie would only hurt his friend even more, and the weight of her elegant, small fingers twined through his long and strong ones keeps him from shedding the tears that press behind his eyes.

Jughead doesn’t remember falling asleep, but he does remember Betty shaking him awake. He starts when he realizes his head had fallen onto her shoulder, his hat slightly askew. Despite the affection she’s shown him in the past few hours, they’re still plenty the two of them need to talk about.

Archie stands ahead of them, his free fingers grabbing at the bottom of his jacket as the doctor speaks. With a steady voice, she informs them, “Mr. Andrews survived the surgery, but he’s still in critical condition. Now, we’ll just have to wait. Archie, you can see your father now. As for the rest of your…friends, as he is in the ICU, it might be best that they leave, or do not come in such large groups. If he does wake up, we don’t want him overwhelmed.”

Jughead watches his friend nod in response to the doctor’s words, but he’s not sure Archie is taking them all in. He’s just quick enough to catch Archie as his legs give out, helping him into a seat. Veronica is quick to sit next to him, rubbing his back in a soothing manor.

Mr. Cooper takes action, sitting down in the chair on Archie’s other side. “Archie, whoever you want to stay, you just have to ask.” It’s the first time Jughead has seen Hal be the least bit considerate to another person, but he doesn’t seem to be faking it.

“Ronnie,” Archie manages. “I want Ronnie to stay.”

(Jughead’s not disappointed, but he’s a little disappointed).

“Alright.” Hal stands, but Veronica doesn’t make any move to get up. Jughead isn’t surprised. “Let’s get going, then.”

Archie doesn’t look up as Betty squeezes his hand or Jughead rubs his shoulder. Jughead calmly states, “Whatever you need, Man, we’re here for you,” and Archie finally responds, his hand reaching up to grab the hand on his shoulder and squeezing it slightly.

Betty and Jughead follow Hal and Alice out of the hospital, Hermione slightly behind them. Betty’s parents stay behind to speak to Hermione as the two of them walk forward. Betty is the first one to speak.

(Neither of them are surprised).

“Are you coming back to the house with us?” She asks.

Jughead raises his brow. “I…didn’t think you’d want me to.” He answers honestly.

Betty sighs. “Juggie, it’s been a long day. And we haven’t had any time to talk, but we need to. For now I just want to go home and go to bed, okay?” Jughead finds himself nodding. “Oh, and another thing….just because you’re insistent on leaving us doesn’t mean I’m going to let you.”

Jughead smiles; it’s halfhearted and closed-lipped because with everything going on, smiling wide doesn’t seem like something he can do. Regardless, Betty smiles back, her arm linking through his and her head lying on his shoulder in exhaustion.

For the first time all day, Jughead finally feels like he has a family.

Hal stops by his foster home so Jughead can grab some clothes, and by the time they arrive at the Cooper residence, it’s nearly 10 o’clock at night. Polly is lying on the couch in the living room when they enter, a bowl perched on top of her large stomach and the TV on as she flicks through the channels. Polly struggles to stand but still manages to, embracing her sister when she spots the fatigue on the younger Cooper’s face.

Jughead leaves them to it, allowing Alice to show him upstairs to the guest room he already knows the location of. He’s been in plenty of homes in the past few months-the drive in, the school, the Andrews’, his foster family, and now this one- and in every single one, he’s always felt somewhat out of place. He knows this one, has known it for a while now, but knowing that Mr. and Mrs. Cooper reside just down the hall and Betty in the room next door makes him feel…odd. He knows this family by now and knows their habits, and he feels like he’s imposing on them with his dark colors and dark attitude.

He changes into plaid pajama pants and leaves his shirt off as he brushes his hair out and then pulls the covers to the bed down, slipping into the bed. He still feels off, running his hand through his hair as he tries to quiet his thoughts, and fails.

The look on Archie’s face when they had walked into the hospital is something Jughead will never forget. The complete and utter devastation in his eyes, the way he had sobbed into the embrace…Jughead doesn’t even try to stop the tears gathering in this eyes, squeezing them shut and letting them fall. The wetness coats his face as he lets himself cry, and just as he lets out a sob, the door creaks open.

Jughead bolts up, hastily wiping the tears off his face. He figures its Hal or Alice checking up on him to make sure everything is alright, but the figure in the doorway is too short to be either of them.

“Betty?”

Her blonde hair glows in the light as she shuts the door, her slippers scuffing against the floor as she makes her way to the other side of the bed. Wordlessly, she pulls the covers back, toeing her slippers off as she slides in next to him.

“What…” Jughead’s mouth drops open as she scoots closer to him, but his body seems to know what it’s doing as he settles back into the pillows, letting her curl into his side. “Bets, you parents…”

“Will understand, eventually.” Betty responds. Her hands finds its way onto his chest and he doesn’t hesitate to bring his arm around her, his fingers tangling in her blonde locks. “I’m just tired, Jug. I can’t shut my brain off, but I thought maybe…” Her green eyes move up to meet his blue ones, nearly glowing in the darkness. “Just hold me. Please.”

If Jughead had more willpower, he would refuse. Tell her that it’s not a good idea, because her parents are just down the hall, and he’d rather not be kicked out of the house after his first night. But he’s tired and desperate for some sort of comfort, and he sees the same feeling he has in her eyes when he searches them.

Without another word, Jughead simply nods and pulls her closer to him, pressing a feather light kiss to the top of her head. He feels her sigh lightly, but knows her eyes are closed-he can feel the slight brush of her eyelashes on his chest.

He lets his eyes close too, and doesn’t open them for hours.

\When Jughead wakes up, he’s alone. The clock on his bedside reads 9:27- he’s surprised he slept so late. Rubbing a hand over his face, he stretches, jumping when the door opens abruptly. As if knowing he’s just awoken, Alice is at the door, fully dressed and rambling on, “Good morning, Jughead! Hal and I are headed off to work, Polly has an appointment, and Betty’s out getting breakfast, so you’ll have the house to yourself for a little while. Is there anything I can get you?”

Jughead’s slow to take things in; he watches Alice bustle about the room as she speaks, opening the curtains and taking his laundry from yesterday. Finally, he manages to respond, “I’m all set, Mrs. Cooper. Thank you,”

Like a freaking fairy, she just seems to disappear.

Jughead dresses and heads downstairs in a few minutes, but the house seems to be empty when he gets down there. He pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the kitchen counter and settles down to read the newspaper lying on the kitchen table when the front door opens.

“Mom!” Jughead smirks at the sound of Betty’s voice, coming into the house with a bag from Pop’s in her hand. She blinks when she spots him at the kitchen table. “Hey, you’re finally awake!”

He smirks. “Yeah, I guess everything that’s been going on just kinda drained me. It was one of the best night sleeps I’ve had in a long time.”

He doesn’t miss the smirk she shoots him as she responds, “Should I take that as a compliment?”

Instead of responding with one of his usual sarcastic comments, he pauses for a moment before insisting, “Betty, we should talk.”

“Now?” She questions, but she seems to realize that her protests are futile. “Okay. Let’s talk.”

Without skipping a beat, Jughead responds, “I’m sorry.”

Betty’s head turns to the side in confusion. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I reacted the wrong way when the serpents showed up at the door.” Jughead clarifies. “I should’ve hesitated, taken some time to think about everything, but…I’ve never fit in anywhere, Bets. And for a second there, I thought that maybe I could fit in with the serpents. But these past 24 hours, being with you and Archie and Veronica and your family, I don’t want to fit in with the serpents. I want to fit in here. And I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out.”

Betty reaches out to grab his hand. With a small smile, she responds, “And I’d be happy to help you with that.”

Jughead smiles; and not his one with just his lips, where he’s not really trying to smile, but a real smile. He beams at the blonde standing in front of him, so happy that they’re finally on the same page about something other than a murder investigation for once.

He’s just…so happy. For the first time in a very long time.

Betty reaches up, grabbing the back of his neck to pull him down to her. He’s still smiling as she pulls her lips to hers, more teeth than anything else because of the grins on their faces. Jughead responds in kind, his hands moving up to cup her cheeks. She pulls away before he can get too into it, reaching down to grab his hand and pull.

“Wha…?” Betty smirks as she pulls him towards the stairs, not saying anything in response to his confusion. She drags him along behind her, pulling him into her bedroom and locking the door behind her. Her hands move up over his shoulders, up to caress his cheeks and then to his hat, easing it off his head and onto the floor. Looking into her vibrant green eyes, he asks, “Betty, are you sure?”

She smiles lightly, nose brushing his as she leans in. “Yes,” she confirms, adding a quick, “I love you,” for good measure before pressing her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling her into him.

Jughead laughs lightly, reaching down to loop his arms around her legs and pick her up. She chuckles too as she pulls his sweater over his head, letting him land on top of her on her bed. He pulls away to pull her shirt up too, faces barely separated as he whispers, “I love you too, you know.”

Betty’s smile brings another to his face, but with this girl in his life…she doesn’t think he’ll ever stop beaming.

Edit: now on AO3!

[jmcmxciv]

Get to know me

Tag game! Rules: you must answer these 85 statements and tag 20 people

Tagged by @stellagetides​, thanks wifey! Even tho you didn’t tag me first...... I’m not tagging anyone bc this was hella long and i don’t want any of y’all to hate me but if you feel like doing this, obviously go ahead!

THE LAST: 1. drink: peach ice tea 2. phone call: my sis 3. text message: a friend 4. song you listened to: Beth Ditto - Fake Sugar 5. time you cried: this morning, watching the OB finale. i was NOT ready for any of it

HAVE YOU EVER: 6. dated someone twice: eh, sorta but not really. i wouldn’t really call that dating so, no. 7. kissed someone and regretted: yup 8. been cheated on: no 9. lost someone special: yeah 10. been depressed: nah 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: unfortunately

3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12. black black black when it comes to clothing 13. purple 14. orange

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. made new friends: yes!!! 16. fallen out of love: no, i’ve been head over heels for katie all this time 17. laughed until you cried: i always cry when i laugh, i’m a weirdo i know 18. found out someone was talking about you: yes, when @czasemsraczkaczasemnie​ showed me the texts between her and Alice​ when she was on her way to see me in Krakow. that was a wild trip hahahhaah 19. met someone who changed you: i believe everyone we come across in life change us in some way so yeah, definitely 20. found out who your friends are: i don’t know honestly. i guess nothing that big has happened that it would’ve made me rethink my friendships in any way 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: yeah

RANDOM: 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: i don’t accept anyone i don’t know at all but most of them are still just acquaintances. so i really know maybe half of them. 23. do you have any pets: my mom has a dog who i affectionately call a Little Idiot 24. do you want to change your name: nah i’m cool with it 25. what did you do for your last birthday: CRIED BC I HAD JUST SEEN LANA DEL REY IN THE FLESH WHAT THE HELLLLLL. but anyways, that was at midnight on my birthday and on my actual bday i raved at a techno party in a thunderstorm and that was pretty cool. until the festival was interrupted for a few hours which made me miss Sampha and Goldfrapp and half of The xx. but it was still cool altogether. 26. what time did you wake up: about 10 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: watching Glow with my sister 28. name something you can’t wait for: for my thighs to stop being sore. me and my sister downed a few beers before we entered the festival area on sunday and for some stupid ass reason we thought it would be fun to try to squat on one leg and then try to get back up. which was impossible obviously bc i do not exercise ever but yes that happened. a lot. and i’m in a lot of pain now. please, do not ask. i do not know. 29.When was the last time you saw your mother: a few hours ago 30.What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: i would love to start uni this fall instead of having to wait yet another year bc i didn’t pass, again. it sucks so hard knowing exactly what you want to do for the rest of your fricking life but not being able to bc you didn’t pass the exam you thought you had aced. #foreverbitter 31. what are you listening to right now: Au Revoir Simone - Somebody Who 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: yeah 33. something that is getting on your nerves: right now? me being so damn bitter over me not starting uni this fall. like, just get over it already??? 34. most visited website: i wish i didn’t have to say this but it’s the truth so, tumblr 35. what do you like about yourself: i’m kindhearted and always put others before myself. and also, my taste in music is 6/5 36. favorite food: carbs in general but pizza and chinese are always my go-to’s 37. hair colour: dirty blonde with lighter blonde highlights/sorta ombre 38. long or short hair: shoulder length 39. piercings: ears 40. blood type: i don’t know even. we tested it at school once and i was AB i think but i’m pretty sure i messed it up somehow 41. nicknames: jess if you don’t speak finnish and jesu if you do, plus a bunch of dumb ones my family calls me 42. relationship status: a single pringle 43. zodiac: leo 44. pronouns: she/her/hers 45. favourite tv show: ORPHAN BLACK ORPHAN BLACK ORPHAN BLACK damn i’m gonna miss that so much. Bones is amazing as well and so are Got, AHS, HTGAWM, JtV and HIMYM and yes i definitely picked them bc i love acronyms 46. tattoos: not yet but i have a couple of ideas 47. right or left handed: right 48. surgery: haven’t had any 49. If you could choose to be an animal, what would you want to be? I’d wanna be a tiger bc they are fricking gorgeous 50. sport: i watch hockey and sometimes ice skating if i happen to flick through the channels when it’s on. i don’t really enjoy doing any at the moment. except tipsy squatting apparently. 51. vacation: what are you asking really? my last vacation? or my ideal one? i have no idea so i’m just gonna say that my mini euro trip this summer was amazing and next i’d like to go anywhere i haven’t been before. my goal in life is to see as many places as i can 52. pair of trainers: again, what are you asking??? my favorite ones? how many i own? what? i don’t know what to tell ya man

MORE GENERAL: 53. eating: love it, not eating anything right now unfortunately 54. drinking: i would be drinking water but i left my bottle somewhere and i’m too lazy to get up from the couch. but dehydration is cool too so no problem. 55. i’m about to: i should go to sleep but chances are i’m just gonna keep refreshing tumblr until i pass out. if i ever finish this, thank you a-lice for making me suffer 56. waiting for: this thing to be over 57. want: money and world peace. not necessarily in that order. and actually, if you just give me world peace i’m happy without the money. 58. get married: definitely 59. career: i wanna be speech language pathologist so baddddd and i wanna specialize in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation

WHICH IS BETTER: 60. hugs or kisses: both are great obviously but i’m gonna say hugs 61. lips or eyes: ummm eyes i guess?? i don’t know??? 62. shorter or taller: i really do not care, except that maybe if a girl is a loooot shorter than me i’ll feel like a giant and that’s not something i would necessarily enjoy 63. older or younger: preferably about my age but it doesn’t really matter if we click. i wouldn’t date anyone under 20 tho 64. nice arms or nice stomach: i literally do not care at all. all arms and all stomachs are nice and i will fight anyone on this. 65. hook up or relationship: relationship all the way 66. troublemaker or hesitant: hesitant, but i sometimes make trouble unwittingly

HAVE YOU EVER: (why are there two different parts for this?? just asking) 67. kissed a stranger: yeah 68. drank hard liquor: unfortunately, yes 69. lost glasses/contact lenses: nope 70. turned someone down: yeah 71. sex on the first date: i wouldn’t plan on it (okay i forgot this was have you ever so edit: yeah) 72. broken someone’s heart: i don’t think so 73. had your heart broken: kinda yeah but that was super dumb and i’m 1000% over it 74. been arrested: not yet but if i ever enter the US again i probably will be. the smooth criminal that i am 75. cried when someone died: yeah 76. fallen for a friend: sorta yeah but only briefly

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 77. yourself: sometimes 78. miracles: not really 79. love at first sight: no 80. santa claus: sure 81. kiss on the first date: why not 82. angels: girls? angels? absolutely

OTHER: 83. current best friend’s name: i don’t really have a best friend 84. eye colour: greenish blue 85. favourite movie: WONDER WOMAN was amazing and also i love carol and the handmaiden. hidden figures was good too. somehow i’ve forgotten the names of all the other films i’ve watched in my life so i’m just gonna go with the four. plus, i’ve definitely seen mean girls more times than any of you combined and this is something i’m legitimately proud of. no joke.

[hrrytomlinson]

hiiii, here are a bunch of fics I’ve enjoyed and loved reading throughout the month of february. I recommend that you read these great fics in march, if you haven’t already. there are SO many good and unique AUs this round, so please check them out!!

(all fics with a star are my favorites and if there are two stars then it was a favorite favorite)

1. Saved Tonight (30k)**

Harry is the world's most persistent seduction-baker, a questionable dog-sitter, and Louis's biggest fan. Louis hasn't written in years, is trying to pass loneliness off as cynicism, and absolutely hates his fans. It's probably destiny.

2. Too Real to Fake It (82k)*

With seven years of blissful marriage behind them and four wonderfully unique kids to brag about, Harry and Louis seem to finally have life all figured out and under control. How much more real could it get?

Very real it turns out, when Harry reluctantly leaves home for a 5 day business trip leaving Louis to manage their rambunctious, hyperactive household. Do they really have it all under control or are they just faking it?

Featuring all the usual suspects, inside jokes, embarrassing moments and of course, Harry and Louis' wild antics + the addition of their four equally wild and outrageous kids.

3. When You Look Like That (16k)*

“You… you still have the dress form I got you for your eighteenth birthday? You've kept it for ten years, Harry?” Louis’ eyes flick around Harry’s studio. It’s big and modern, with floor to ceiling windows that help flood the room in bright sunlight, just like the lobby. However, he can't stop staring at the faded, but present, heart surrounding the “H + L” written delicately in Louis’ handwriting in the center of the mannequin.

Louis is a songwriter who is nominated for a Grammy and he needs a suit. Fast. He seeks out help from a very popular, very mysterious designer who just so happens to be his ex-boyfriend.

4. Dress You Up In My Love (103k)**

Harry is single, and more than anything wants to find love. Agreeing to sign up to a dating website was a bad, bad idea. Niall's bad, bad idea. Louis is single, but has no interest in relationships. Or so he tells himself. 

Harry is a lawyer whose boss, Nick, happens to give him a bonus, which he decides to splurge on a new work wardrobe. Louis is a frustrated designer, working as a personal shopper at Selfridges. Louis happens to be working on the day a very beautiful, but out of his depth, new customer ambles into their department in need of advice. Louis might have just found the muse he never knew he was looking for.

5. Of Honey (24k)*

Harry wants what most hybrids don’t have. Love, for instance. Companionship. Understanding. And sex so good it hurts.

6. If You Keep Holding Me This Way (22k)**

Harry is a uni student who just so happens to enjoy dressing up as a long-haired androgynous sub persona to go out to bars and pick up men to dominate him. He tries to keep his BDSM life and his personal one separated, but that gets difficult when his crush on a classmate gets serious and his two worlds collide.

7. Then We Talk Slow (20k)**

The picture showed Harry smiling widely (with a fucking dimple) at the camera, his glossy brown curls situated artfully around his shoulders. Louis couldn’t see his whole outfit, but it seemed to consist of a pink, floral button-up with most of the buttons undone. Louis could also detect the dark outlines of tattoos on his chest, although he couldn’t quite make out what they were underneath the shirt.

What he could make out was that his own heartrate seemed to have picked up significantly.

Shit.

This was so not good. Not only had Louis drunkenly sent messages in a deliberate attempt to interact with this man, he was now insanely attracted to him without ever having met him in person.

Maybe Liam was right – drunk tweeting really was a horrible, rotten idea.

A famous/non-famous AU in which Louis banters back and forth with his new record company on Twitter, only to find out that Harry is the man behind the tweets.

8. Love Endless (The Road to Recollection) (171k)**

The year is groovy 1973, and eighteen-year-old Louis Tomlinson is as gay as the rainbows that never waste their time in gloomy ole' Fortwright. Would be fine if he wasn't so viciously bullied at both home and school for such a "harmful" sexual preference.

Yeah, yeah, we've all heard this story, haven't we?

Believe him, Louis didn't think he was anything special either.

Until he found the mansion. The notoriously haunted mansion hidden deep within the forests of his tiny blip of a town in Bumfuck Nowhere, Idaho. No one with a brain ever goes near it, but Louis could use a little excitement in his life...and possibly a Band-Aid or two.

After discovering the mansion was less abandoned than he'd thought, he's now left with the most riveting mystery of a lifetime; every new finding leaving him with more questions. Who is this elusive owner, and why won't they show themselves? Why is there a set of journals in the same handwriting that span over centuries? Why in the world is there a padlock on the refrigerator...and who the hell is Alexander?

9. Dance Me (to the End of Love) (19k)*

You would think that it's a simple process - you meet, you fall in love, you get married. But when you add one lawyer and one overly-competitive high school teacher to that equation, it's no longer a straight line from beginning to end. Or the story of how a simple proposal becomes a competition where no one loses in the end.

10. For a Spell That Can’t be Broken (8k)

“Why do you have to bug him so much, Lou?” Niall asked, chewing on the sleeve of his Gryffindor robes. “He’s a good kid.”

“I’m aware of that,” Louis argued petulantly.

“Are you sure?” Niall asked, his expression sincerely concerned.

“Don’t mind him,” Zayn spoke up. “Louis’ just got a weird fetish for tormenting boys he likes.”

Or a Harry Potter AU where Louis' got a secret crush on Harry and won't admit it until a late entrance into potions class outs him.

11. Cocoons and Crow’s Nests (10k)*

Harry is happy to live his life in the confines of his Cocoon. Louis specializes in breaking down barriers.

It's a young love, coming of age Larry Stylinson one shot.

12. Dance Like Warriors On A Battlefield (20k)*

Down in the arena, the triumphant gladiator places his foot on the back of the loser, holding him there as he waits for instruction on his next move. Kill or let live. It’s barbaric, really, the bloodlust involved in this sport. Louis is pretty sure that if it wasn’t for his distaste for the killing there would be a lot more blood soaking that sand.

As it is, his father rarely gives the kill order anymore. He gives the order to let the loser live. Louis rolls his eyes, turning away. He doesn’t miss the way the gladiator’s eyes linger on him.

13. Record Your Fate (and Write Me In) (13k)*

Harry is the Archivist, it's his job to record what happens in the universe.

He's only a few days into the job when things take an odd turn.

Suddenly, the small blue eyed boy seems more important than writing about crowning dignitaries.

14. Tangled Up in You (45k)

Harry blinks once. And blinks again. And says, his voice dangerous: “Niall, did you get me a mail-order bride?”

Because what the actual fuck. It kind of looks like Niall’s just purchased a person. For Harry.

“What did you get me, then?!” Niall must hear the tinge of hysteria in his voice, because he’s pulling himself together, trying to stop himself from laughing.

There’s still a big grin on his face, though, when he says, “I got you a professional cuddler.”

A professional…what. “What?”

15. This Ain't Just a Thing That You Give Up (34k)

Harry turned to Liam to whisper something about not being in Kansas anymore but his best friend was frozen to his spot with a look of complete disbelief on his face. Harry looked to his right, the direction Liam seemed to be focused on, and saw a small group of people who had paused their discussion to look towards him in confusion.

A small group including Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.

Harry is fairly sure his jaw actually dropped.

"Li, is that...?"

Liam nods his head emphatically. "I'm about 110% sure that yes. It is."

Or… The one where Harry is a baker in addition to being a college student who just happens to meet the crazy famous Louis Tomlinson while on spring break. Featuring personal assistant!niall, roommate and best friend!liam, and costar/model!zayn.

16. Resist Everything Except Temptation (100k)**

The lethargic sound of heels clicking against wood resonated across the sea. Footsteps descended the staircase, every assured step creating a menacing aura as it grew closer. Perspiration gathered along Louis’ palms as the rhythmic sound halted in front of him.

There was a metallic slide of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, the sound startling Louis out of his cocoon of sterile shock. His shoulders jumped as the tip of a blade flattened underneath his jaw. Louis’ distorted reflection stared back at him in the polished metal. Engraved rose petals twisted his appearance as they crawled up the length of the sword. The sword lifted and took Louis’ chin with it.

Standing in front of Louis was Captain Styles.

OR The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

17. Far Afield (11k)**

Harry Styles is a witch who owns the best flower shop in Manchester. Lottie Tomlinson is planning her wedding, and brings her brother along to her first appointment. Both men have been having a bad day and sparks fly.

18. You’re Either In Or You’re Out (12k)

Louis' tone is maybe a bit harsher than necessary, but he still stinging from the suggestion that he was staring at Harry. Sure, the way his legs are encased in those skinny jeans is mildly intriguing. But Louis is here to be the next Top Designer, and he'll be damned if he lets a pretty boy with a sinful mouth get in the way of his dream. Especially if that sinful mouth is spewing phrases like bohemian pantsuit. Honestly.

Or the one where Louis tries out for Project Runway, Harry is his stupidly gorgeous competitor, Liam is Tim Gunn, Zayn is the supermodel host, and Niall is the guest judge who knows nothing about fashion.

19. These Bountiful Silences (123k)**

They live in a world where they can only say four words per day. Harry meets some people that don't want to live that way.

20. Kiss the Boys (8k)

“Being able to blatantly kiss pretty boys out in the open is my favorite part of Pride,” Harry says without preamble, leaning into Louis’ space, inviting pink lips quirking up as they get closer to him. “You up for it?”

“Um,” Louis glances at Zayn for help. He’d thought for sure after the way he’d just seen Zayn and Harry kissing, there had to be something more going on there. The last thing Louis expects to see on Zayn’s face is a knowing grin.

Harry leans closer and for a split-second, Louis wants to meet him halfway but then he thinks better of it. He doesn’t know the landscape here and in just a couple of weeks living with him, he’s already learned that Zayn is really bad about holding his feelings in. He doesn’t want to risk stepping on the toes of his closest friend here at Uni. So, at the last second, Louis raises his empty hand and covers Harry’s mouth before the boy can complete his mission.

“Sorry, Curly,” Louis says jokingly, “I just don’t know where that mouth has been.”

21. Manhattan From The Sky (47k)**

Harry's been raised to know that successful men do not fall in love. Louis believes that love is all you need to be successful in life. They meet.

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: The Rebellion of Adrien Agreste, ch. 16

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Luka Couffaine, Lila Rossi/karma, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/aneurism, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Kagami Tsurugi, Plagg & Tikki

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Lila Rossi, Jagged Stone, Plagg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine, Penny Rolling, Anarka Couffaine, Rose Lavillant, Juleka Couffaine, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Césaire, Chloé Bourgeois, Wayhem, Nadja Chamack, Nathalie Sancoeur, Sabine Cheng, Tom Dupain, Tikki, Fang, Principal Damocles, Caline Bustier, Ms. Mendeleiev, original minor character, Alec Cataldi, Lila Rossi’s Mother, Sabrina Raincomprix, Roger Raincomprix, Mylène Haprèle, Le Gorille | Adrien Agreste’s Bodyguard, Nino Lahiffe, Nooroo

Tags: Lila Rossi salt, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Swearing, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Crack Treated Seriously, Lila Rossi’s Lies Are Exposed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Luka Couffaine Needs a Hug, Paparazzi, Parentification, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Gabriel Agreste Needs an Aneurism, Uncle Jagged Stone, we’re all queer here, the spirit of punk is sometimes just being allowed to be yourself, Kagami Finds Her Groove, punk rock fashion, Savage Kagami, Marinette protection squad, Good Parent Sabine Cheng, Good Parent Tom Dupain, Protective Kagami Tsurugi, Protective Luka Couffaine, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pansexual Luka Couffaine, Sharing a Bed, Pet Names, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Instagram, Bullying, Social Media, Anxiety, Makeover, Hugs, will cure your acne, Face Punching, Bad Ass Juleka Couffaine, Rumors, Protective Juleka Couffaine, Protective Adrien Agreste, Lawyers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Holding Hands, accountability, mental health, Jagged Stone’s well-paid pet shark, How to Make the Evening News, Sexy eyeliner for days, one fish two fish Lila is a screwed fish, How to have fun and piss Gabriel off, Fuckery, sweet litigious karma, Alya sugar, lawyer shark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Schadenfreude, Bad Ass Alya Césaire, Gaslighting, abuse denormalization, Jagged likes his lawyers like he likes his pets: toothy af, Blood in the Water, Everything you didn’t know you wanted and some things you did, Gabriel Agreste is shark bait, Denial, Consequences, Principal Damocles salt, caline bustier salt, the impotence of Gabriel Agreste, snarky Nooroo, lies and the lying liars who tell them, Lila’s brain is a narcissistic hellscape, Lila’s mind is built like an Escher piece, Alec Cataldi salt, Adrien Sugar, wholesome salt, Fu Salt, Kwami Shenanigans, Nooroo is a little shit

Summary: Kwami Omake

Notes: This is the last chapter already written, and next week is finals week at my institution, so I won’t have time to write more just yet. I’ve been getting in snatches of paragraphs for a different fic (for The Untamed), but I now feel more motivation for this fic. Some crap went down a few months ago and made writing for ML hard for a while. As it turns out, wonderful people creating fanart for it is inspiring af.

AO3 link

Chapters 1-2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15

------------

Tikki was almost falling asleep after the excitement of the morning when suddenly Plagg was in Marinette’s bag with her. She only barely managed to stop from letting out a startled cry.

“Plagg!” she hissed, glaring. “If my holder—”

“That’s why we need to go talk somewhere else, Sugarcube.”

Plagg was, at least, keeping his voice down. Small favors.

She scowled. “We’re not tempting Mme. Mendeleiev again. It was bad enough last time!”

He rolled his eyes. “Ugh, fine. We stay in the walls and floors until we find an empty room.”

“You had best hope there isn’t an Akuma Alert while we’re gone.”

It was unlikely, given that Marinette hadn’t had a chance to purify the Akuma Mme. Mendeleiev had captured. She likely wouldn’t even notice Tikki was gone, as Alya was sticking to her like glue, still occasionally crying when her guilt overflowed.

They did have to have a conversation—their holders had managed to get rid of the threat of the liar, but there were other issues to address. Namely the way his holder’s father was likely to react to what was happening as it continued. It wouldn’t do for Chat Noir to be on lockdown, after all.

They were able to make their way to the locker room and into an empty locker without any issue.

“Have you been reading the news?” Plagg asked once they had ascertained they wouldn’t be discovered. “Good ol’ Gabe tried to fire Lila a second time. Forgot he already had, I guess.”

Tikki frowned, not sure whether that was a good development. “So he’s irrational over it?”

Plagg snorted contemptuously. “When’s he not irrational, is more the question. Just more so than usual. My kid deals with way too much shit from that man.”

She was well aware of that, having heard enough through Marinette, who had always wondered how to help—both Adrien and Chat Noir, at that, since she was aware both had awful home lives but had no idea they were the same home life.

In many ways, Gabriel Agreste’s latest act of assholery was a blessing in disguise if it finally made Plagg’s holder snap and actively seek help. The boy was far too passive, and it was nice to see him finally put his foot down.

That it had involved an attempt to force him to date his “muse” the Liar was beyond the pale and more than a little creepy, in Tikki’s eyes. Sure, in some centuries their holders and all their friends would be married with kids by now, but allowing kids to grow more was a civilized move and a boon of modern society.

“If he likes her so much, he can date her,” Plagg commented.

Tikki had to suppress a smile at how in tune he was with her thoughts, truly her other half. “It’s illegal now.”

“Like Gabe cares about illegal,” Plagg scoffed. “The man’s a moral abyss. It’s shocking Adrien is such a good kid given his sire, but I guess it’s a good thing he’s had little involvement in his life beyond donating sperm.”

“Plagg!” Tikki frowned at him; that was taking it a bit far. Or at least she hoped it wasn’t that bad. “I hope you don’t talk like that around your holder.”

“I wish,” he muttered. “But no, the kid still hopes for his dad’s approval. Though from recent events that might’ve waned a bit.”

That was probably as good an opening as she was going to get.

“Recent events that might compromise your holder’s identity. His dad is obviously a loose cannon, and while it’s good the Liar was taken out, we need to counsel our holders to get the rest taken care of and their lives stabilized. Otherwise Hawkmoth could win.”

“Yeah, I know. But no Fu.”

Tikki already knew all the arguments he could bring up there, and she agreed with them. The man had trauma, certainly, but he kept making mistakes based on them that were hurting the kids. She had expected he would mentor them, not hide in his massage parlor and expect them to learn to swim on their own.

“Agreed. He’s prone to panic and bad decisions.”

Plagg looked briefly startled, but grinned. “Ah, always knew I’d create a rebel out of you, Sugarcube.”

She rolled her eyes affectionately. “I trust our judgment better, is all.”

“Been waiting a few millennia to hear you say that!”

He preened, and Tikki fixed him with an unimpressed stare.

“‘Our,’ Plagg. I know better than to trust yours alone. The dinosaurs, Atlantis…”

“Yeah, yeah. Make a few mistakes, everyone reminds you of them forever.”

Thankfully he knew better than to argue or mention her own. She hated reminders of her own failures, particularly the one that had gone beyond its target and through the millennia to the present. Tikki hadn’t expected the creation of abnormal cell growth to take on a life of its own… but maybe that was why she so rarely let herself lose her temper.

Plagg yawned widely, as though putting on a show to distract her, knowing she needed it.

Stinky Sock, always being so observant, making himself likeable.

“They’ll all be at Pigtails’ place tonight. We can plan more after we know their plan, right?”

Tikki hid a smile. “Let me guess. It’s naptime?”

He smiled. “You know me so well.”

She considered for a moment.

“Mind making a pit-stop along the way? I can purify that Akuma so my holder doesn’t have to worry about it.”

“Ooo!” Plagg brightened. “I wonder if that teacher has any of that delicious magic cheese…”

“Ugh, Stinky Sock. You and your cheese!”

Still, she felt the anxiety of the day start to ease at his antics as she led the way to the science room.

As it turned out, there was cheese, and a very pleasant teacher who actually apologized for trying to capture them and wished them luck fighting Hawkmoth. She even had a cookie for Tikki.

Life was good.

[impatient14]

EMP Theory is Alive and Thriving

I want to preface this post with this: I am in no way trying to offend or upset the people who do not believe in EMP. This show can be read in so many ways, even by the people who agree on most things. I respect everyone’s opinion. This is just mine! 

So, with that said, I want to go through some things I noticed in The Six Thatchers that (to me) are Extended Mind Palace smoking guns. Let it be said that I have only watched the episode twice so there is definitely going to be more to add to this list. 

1.) The story about death in Sumara. It was mentioned multiple times, by multiple characters. Almost like they were all given the same script. And you may be like, well, yeah, they are actors in a show, but writers do not give actors the same brain. But it is like Sherlock, Mycroft, and Norbury all share a brain. They all bring up the story without any of the characters speaking to each other about the story first. Sherlock’s dialogue is a voice over, which is not time stamped. It is possible that Mycroft and Norbury brought up the story and then Sherlock used it in his monologue to the audience, but why did Mycroft and Norbury both think of the story? Because they share a brain. Sherlock’s brain.

2.)  As @tjlcisthenewsexy pointed out, the sharks, CAM, water, and the death story are also very telling. This post/thread sums it up far better than I could.

3.) Intuition, Premonition- these words were used to describe Sherlock’s feelings about The Six Thatchers case. Premonition is defined as a strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant. Sherlock is anticipating his death, and his intuition is telling him that Mary is involved. Its almost as if she is responsible for his murder in the first place…

4.) The odd transitions and reality breaks. The water imagery over Sherock’s face and in the background of certain scenes, Mycroft and his office busting just as the MT busts were doing throughout the episode, the overlay of a cracked bust on the side of Sherlock’s face. There is an argument for production style here, but its all so very over the top. Much more so than ususal for BBC’s Sherlock. Its almost like they want you to question what you are seeing…

5.) The Damn Skull. In case you can’t tell. Its glowing, almost like an x-ray. Like, an x-ray of someone who is currently laying in a hospital bed. Its fucking glowing guys. Adding onto the fact that it was blue in HLV, something is seriously wrong here.

6.) Mary and John sleeping on opposite sides of the bed from where they slept at the beginning of HLV.

7.) AJ doesn’t care about killing people enough to slit the throat of one of the Thatcher bust owners (unless it was really Mary who killed her), but doesnt shoot Sherlock when Sherlock tells him he is Mary’s friend and he will protect her. Um. Okay.

8.) Sherlock Holmes. His first and last name was said multiple times, by multiple people. Almost as if the entire world is centered around him. We hear his full name multiple times in his confrontation with AJ at the pool. “Who are you? Sherlock Holmes. Who is Sherlock Holmes? Not a policeman.” (This is a reference to ACD or canon Sherlock Holmes who is always described as “Not a policeman or vigilante, just a logical man with an eye for detective work.”) AJ’s “Goodbye Sherlock Holmes” is haunting me too, and not just because of the cheesy line. Where else have we heard someone say, “Goodbye Mr. Holmes”? (Honest question, I know its significant…help! EDIT TO ADD: A couple people have pointed out that this is what Irene texts Sherlock in ASiB. I do remember this, but it isn’t what I had in mind. I feel like I can hear someone say it…like in a threatening way the way AJ does…any takers?)

9.) “Sherlock the dragon slayer.” Mary says this to Sherlock after she gives him what looks like a wickedly smug smile. First of all, how the hell does Mary know Sherlock sees himself this way. When he and Mycroft had this conversation, she was in the middle of passing out in John’s arms. Unless she knows Sherlock sees himself this way because the conversation with Mycroft took place in Sherlock’s mind, just as this ones does. 

10.)”My Darling.” Mary begins her letter to John in the most old fashioned, cheesy way. Its not the way Mary Morstan talks…but it is the Mrs. John Watson talks- from TAB. “I don’t mind you going, my darling, I mind you leaving me behind.”

11.) Mary’s disguise on the plane was a joy to watch, but it reminded me of someone else. Sherlock. Sherlock loves disguises and theatrics. The vicar from ASiB and the french waiter from TEH spring to mind. 

12.) The number 6. Six months of bristly kisses. 6 months until SHerlock was to die in exile. 6 years that AJ was held in captivity. 6 Thatcher busts. A metaphorical 666 carved into the baby’s head. Highlighted 6 before giving us this:

The number 6 is important to Sherlock, but why?

13.) John’s blog. There should be multiple blog posts for us to read and yet, there aren’t. Its not that Joe is no longer available, bc they’ve told us he has a project for this series…why stop updating the blog? Because there have been no more cases and John is too busy sleeping by Sherlock’s hospital bed. oH, and The six Thatchers? Already a case Sherlock solved. Years ago.

14.) Scene in Georgia. The ambassador says, “I’ve got something they’d love if I could just get out of here” (Paraphrasing). The man asks what and the ambassador replies, “Amo.” She has love. Just like Sherlock has love and has figured it out and if he could just get the hell out of that coma, out of the damn hospital bed, he could give it to John- and John would love him in return.

15.) The two lengthy rapid deductions Sherlock makes are about Mary.

16.) The white papers of doom. There are three of them. Mary to Sherlock (drugged), Exx to John (temptation), and Molly to Sherlock from John (emotional distress). There was a white note of doom in TAB too. Miss me?

17.) John’s cheating story line. It fits in with TAB (see below), but I think its more complicated than just that. We get him texting someone Hey and them replying with the same.Then we get the night time text messages. They seem to be written between people who are at the beginning stages of their relationship, but are still intimate in some way. The Its been too long and Miss you implies they’ve spent time together, but the Night Owl? implies they don’t know each other very well. So, taken alone, this could definitely be from the bus woman. John then breaks it off with his This isn’t a good idea. I’m not free. Things wont end well. It was fun getting to know you a little. I’m sorry. Then the bus stop girl is waiting for him at the bus stop and he smiles at her and then looks guilty- the same look he had when he decided to keep the paper instead of throwing it away. This is what we see. HOWEVER there is more there. First, when John opens the paper to text Exx for the first time he does so horizontally, however, the image they show us has the number broken vertically, as if the paper were folded vertically and Exx isn’t broken up.

Then we’ve got Sherlock saying he deletes all messages from John that begin with the word “Hi”, then we see John text someone (E xx) with the word “Hey.” .The paper that the woman (E) gave John was already in her hand when she was sitting on the bus, she was fiddling with it when they made flirty eye-contact. She then wrote something on it before giving it to him, but the presence of the paper beforehand is suspicious. Almost as if she was planning to hand that exact paper to John anyway, before they even flirted. We’ve also got Sherlock telling John and Lestrade, very specifically, to take the bus home from the crime scene. Sherlock set John up. Why? Because that is the part he needs him to play. He needs John to feel guilty while Mary piles on the manipulative hero-worship and then dies in his arms. All of the text messages themselves are off. Almost like they are in code or written to different people. As if it is Sherlock writing for LiR, while channeling himself as well. 

18.) TAB. Basically the existence of TAB is the biggest smoking gun of all. Within that episode, Mofftiss established multiple things. 1.) Sherlock sometimes goes through lengthy mind palace scenarios (with the aid of drugs) to work out a case and we, as the viewer, could be subject to watching them. 2.) A bride fakes her own death with a big splat of blood and drama, then returns to kill her husband- who was cheating on her. 3.)Sherlock made a promise to someone about keeping their spouse safe, and that promise was broken. Lady Carmichael- “You promised! You promised you’d keep him safe!” John- “You made a vow!” Let it be said that Lady C was playing Sherlock there and that she wanted her husband dead all al- OH WAIT. Actually, we never get confirmation that it was Lady C that set up the whole thing. Sherlock makes that deduction, but then Moriarty shows up and ruins the reveal. Either way, its the same story line. Sherlock makes a promise to keep someone safe and fails. 4.) we have the text messages that Sherlock sends John and Mary at the end. Mary’s reads: The Curtain Rises.The Last Act.Its Not Over. John’s is just literal directions as to where to go. He didn’t tell Mary where to meet him. There could be an argument that this would imply that Mary was already in on some sort of plan to fake her death, but the exact same phrasing was used in TAB. 

19.) Mary’s video. A posthumous message that parallels Moriarty’s in many, many ways, which includes the phrase, Save John Watson. Where have we seen the phrase Save John Watson before? It was the answer to part of the skip code in TEH. John or James, indeed.

20.) “You’ve been having a reoccurring dream.” I feel like this might be an actual scene, just placed out of order. This scene might be from after Sherlock wakes up. He explains to her what he went through in his MP and she (as any therapist would do) interprets it as a dream. A reoccurring dream. That’s exactly what TAB and TST is. Its the same dream told differently. He goes to Ella after he has awoken and recovered and asks for her help in figuring out what to do with the emotions he has decided to acknowledge. (EDIT: This may actually be EMP too…read this.)

I think 20 is a good number to stop at. Im sure there will be more in the future. Please feel free to add on at your leisure. 

The most important thing to realize here is that Mary is the villain and Sherlock is figuring out how to best her, protect John, and stay alive at the same time AkA- The Final Problem. 

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