#3k puts an interesting timeline on things though..........

[asexual-levia-tan]

ohhh, i thought he declared war on diavolo! ive never read the devilgram myself, so i guess i just assumed. especially since he was labeled an "unknown sorcerer" i guess i just thought they didnt realize it was him pfft. i wonder if he made his initial judgement about diavolo based on how he is compared to the demon king?

still, im interested in the idea that babs' work for the demon king was mostly field work, especially knowing that he has admitted to being a bit wild in his youth (enough to harm diavolo)(especially if thats how he met 13 and, rather than a mentor, he was a bad influence on her and he's where she got the whole free spirit thing from to begin with pfft)......

and as much as reading biblical canon about solomon will probably fill in some gaps, the same way that biblical lucifer didn't fall from heaven because of an angel named lilith (depending on the text, lilith was adam's first wife, who was cast out of eden and married satan), we should probably not assume that all biblical details about solomon will be reflected accurately here. 3k is a good starting point, but we should be open to in-game info that contradicts that too :0

i had a thought about solomon and the nightbringer while in the shower but its gone now

i shall return if i remember it--

[h0ly-fire]

Timeless:

Chapter 3 part 1

Hi! So this is chapter three and chapter three will have 2 parts because its already at 3k plus words and I don’t have the energy to post it all ,but the good news is that it is edited this time! Hope you enjoy ! Part two will be finished and Posted tomorrow and than I will try to get chapter 4 out next week ! Also message me if you want to be tagged!

“I’m sorry, but who’s y/n? “You Questioned Loki. Loki looked at you like you were stupid before replying “You’re y/n. Do you not remember? “You shook your head no in response “sorry, but you probably have me confused with someone else. My name is Red.” Loki looked dumbfounded “Pardon, but Red? Seriously, that is your new name?” he put his hands on his hips before ranting “I mean come on. Did they just not know what to call you looked around and saw a red item and thought to themselves “Oh look, a red book, let’s just call her Red.” “I mean come on” he looked over at Mobius “Red?”

You made eye contact with Mobius before looking back at Loki “Are you done now? Because if you, are I’d like to carry on with my day.” Loki looked at you again with a sad expression this time “do you really not know who you are?” at this point you were fed up “Of course I know who I am! My name is Red, and I’ve worked at the TVA all my life!” and with that you stormed out the door. Loki had looked disappointed at your answer before turning back to Mobius “can we go now?” Mobius said yes before leading Loki out the room.

There were very few things in your life that made you confused, if any at all really, but Loki was a complete puzzle. What did he mean by “do you really not know who you are?” of course I know who I am, you huffed to yourself. A dull ache in your head and a flash of memory caused you to trip and run in to the wall. “Ouch!” you Hollard, rubbing your head while getting yourself off the floor. “Are you okay there Red?” Mobius asked. Him and Loki had left the room shortly after you stormed out and were headed the same direction. “Yes, I’m fine I just got this really sharp pain in my head, and I freaked out and fell.” Brushing yourself off you turned around to face them “What are guys doing anyway? Are you following me?” Mobius shook his hands “No, we were just on our way to get lunch. Well, I was on my way to get lunch, Loki here is going to the office to learn more about the TVA. Matter of fact why don’t you go show him where it is, so I don’t have to?” You opened your mouth to protest but Mobius walked away before you could get a chance to say anything.

You looked back at Loki before walking ahead of him “Are you coming along or what?” He ran, catching up to you, setting a brisk pace. “So, I get to see your office?” you rolled your eyes at him “just shut it.”

“This is my desk and that one over there is Mobius’s, but you can sit there.” You said pointing to the desk adjacent from your own. “Sit” you told him. “Now just stay and listen, okay?” you walked to your own desk, finishing up paperwork. Loki looked around him for a bit seeing other people work and walk by and then looked at you. “How did you get here?” he thought to himself “what did they do to you?” he looked at you for a while, but you had not noticed being too engross in your work. He then looked at the desk in front of him spotting a magazine on jet skies before that stupid animated clock he saw earlier on the television started talking to him. “Alright ya’ll what happens when a nexus event branches past red line?” the clock asked Loki. Loki, still reading, answered nonchalantly “very bad things.” You looked up from your paperwork hearing Loki’s reply and quietly laughed. You were learning quickly that he had a smart mouth. You noticed the clock did not find it amusing though, putting her hands on her hips and frowning.” Come on Loki what is it?” Loki sighed saying “It’s when the TVA can no longer reset the Nexus event.” You could tell by his tone that he was getting annoyed. You did not blame him though, that stupid clock annoyed the hell out of you too. The clock continued on seeming satisfied with his answer “right, and that would lead to destruction of the timeline and the collapse of reality as we know it.” Loki put his magazine down questioning the clock “can you hear me?” “Are you a recording or are you alive?” By now you were to busy hearing Loki’s conversation with the clock to finish your work. Your smile growing bigger by the minute as he continued to argue with her. The clocked looked up in thought “uhhhhh, sort of both.” Loki shook his head while he rolled up the magazine. You could tell where this was going and tried your hardest not to laugh at him. He looked over to the side at you. He had noticed your smile and smiled back before trying to smack the clock. He continued trying to hit the clock before she jumped back into the computer screen. Mobius had walked in and looked at you weirdly seeing you smile. In all your time of being here he hadn’t seen you smile like that. That is odd. Mobius went up to Loki “Is that my jet ski magazine? Put it down. Gear up there’s been an attack we have to go.” He then looked over to you “You coming along?” You looked at the mountain of paperwork and then to Mobius “Of course I will.”

“C20 and her team went dark shorty after they jumped to the 1985 branch. All signs look to another ambush. We’ve grabbed enough temporal aura to know if it’s our Loki variant, but which kind of Loki remains unknown.” The women said briefing you all on the mission at hand. You had a hard time listening though due to the dull ache in your head coming back. What was wrong with you? You have never felt like this before. Another flash crossed your mind, this time you could see it clearly. A women blonde hair and kind eyes and a little boy black hair and green eyes. The boy reminded you of Loki in a way, but that was odd. How could that be? Another ache caused you to bend over clutching your head. The only one who noticed was Loki. He wanted to ask what was wrong but figured now was not the best time. He turned his attention back to the women that stood in front of them all before replying to her “The lesser kind to be clear.” He said, looking at everyone. You rolled your eyes at him standing up straight again. The dull ache slowly dissipating. The women sighed and told him “Let me see the back of that jacket.” Loki looked confused, but complied showing the back, allowing everyone to see the big bold letters of ‘Variant’ written across it. They all chuckled amongst themselves before Loki turned back around “Very subtle, well done.” he said, the women then replied” I don’t want anyone out there to forget what you are.” “Oh, your only hope to capturing a murder.” He spoke. “No, a cosmic mistake,” she said.

You hadn’t paid attention to the rest of the conversation to busy trying to figure out who that woman and that boy you saw were. You looked back at Loki, him noticing your stare and looking back at you. He gave you a kind smile but frowned when he saw you holding you head again. “Are you okay?” he whispered to you. You looked up at him before softly replying yes and looking away. Mobius cleared his throat at you two before speaking and pulling out a device. Explaining the many different Loki variant before Loki interrupted him. “Duplicating Casting.” He spoke. Mobius shut the device off before saying “Illusion projection.” Loki shook his finger at him “they’re two completely different powers actually.”

“How?” Mobius asked. Loki than went off on a tangent about how Illusion projection and Duplication casting were different. They all had looked very confused, but Loki had looked proud of himself. He wasn’t wrong though, somehow you faintly recalled someone telling you the exact same thing once. Maybe it was a dream, but why would you dream of illusion projection and duplication casting? Either way you were confused as to why you knew those things, but you weren’t going to question it further.

“We’re gonna break into two teams. Including myself, Red, and Professor Loki.” Mobius said. You nodded, clearing your head before following everyone.

You all had ended up in what seemed to be some sort of fair. Why these people found this something worth while you would never know, but you did like some of the clothes the people were wearing. They looked cool. Looking back at the group you noticed you strayed off a bit and joined back up with Mobius and Loki. You listened in on their conversation, but it hadn’t interested you that much. Just Mobius explaining common sense to Loki as to why they couldn’t just show up to when the attack took place. You all had entered a large tent. “So, he’s taking hostages now?” You had heard the women ask another minute man. The man said something, and she said something back before Loki made a comment about underestimating him. The women ignored Loki before ordering everyone to fan out and search for C20. “And hurry up because we’re at three units until red line.” She spoke. “Come on, let’s go.” You told Loki and Mobius walking off, but Loki shouted “wait.” and said “If you leave this tent, you’ll end up like them. “Mobius walked up to him before asking “what do you see?” “I see a scheme. “But it wasn’t Loki that said it, it was you. Mobius looked at you tilting his head “what?” you ignored him turning your attention to Loki “You see it too don’t you Loki?” you asked. “Yes” he said “and in that scheme I see myself. “He started walking before continuing “We have a saying in Asgard. Where there are wolfs ears” he said “wolfs teeth are near. It means to be aware of your surroundings.” You finished for him. Mobius and the rest of the team looked at you strangely, but Loki looked like he was proud of you. He gave you a smile before standing straight again. “How did you know what he was going to say Red?” Mobius asked. You looked at him saying you didn’t know and that you were just as confused as he was. How did you know what Loki was going to say? Were you a mind reader now?

Loki continued saying the TVA and the Gods of Asgard were one of the same “Drunk with power and blind to the truth.” He spoke. “Those you underestimate will devour you” he said towards the women leading the group, walking closer to her. “You underestimate me. Just as you underestimate this lesser Loki. Which is why you walk into one wolfs mouth after another.” He spoke.

A device started beeping, signaling it was almost time to leave and reset. “Two units. He is wasting our time!” the women said, walking away from Loki. “We need to Look for C20.” The women told Mobius and you. “It’s a trap.” You told her. Loki shook his head in agreement “That’s exactly what the variant wants you to do. He’s waiting for you outside this tent.” He spoke. A minute man spoke up asking “do you want me to reset the charges?” but before the women could reply you interrupted “No, he wants Loki. He’s the key to his plan. “You said, Loki spoke up” He knows that I’m stronger than him.” The women looked frustrated before looking back down at the device “one unit left.” She spoke. Loki continued about how he could deliver the Variant but asked for assurances that he wouldn’t be disintegrated when the job is done. Mobius looked away from you, confused on how you knew this stuff, and then looked to Loki. “Right” Mobius said keeping a long pause before telling everyone “He’s lying, just playing games. Reset the timeline.” Mobius turned back to Loki, pointing a finger at him “you had me for a second.” “Well, here’s a thing. My ears are sharp to.” And then he walked away form Loki.

“Red can I speak to you?” Mobius asked you while you two walked through the portal back into the TVA. “Sure, what about?” you answered, looking at him. “How did you know what Loki was going to say?” “Did you two plan that all out or what? What is going on? Has he done something to you?” “Made up lies or false promises to you to get you to help him out?” It was one question after another with him and you had to stop him before he asked you even more. Putting your hand out to stop him you cut him off. “Okay first of all I don’t know how I knew. I just did, okay? “Putting your hand down you continued “second, no we didn’t plan out anything why would you even think that!” “And third of all, no, he didn’t do anything to me and No! he didn’t make any promises or lies towards me! “Exasperated, you quilted down “now if you’ll excuse me, I’m hungry and would like to eat lunch.” With your head down, that dull ache coming back, you headed towards the cafeteria.

Mobius sighed and went to the judge’s office. “Is it just me or does this office just get bigger and bigger?” “Where did you get that one, the snow globe?” He asked her, pointing to the shelf across from him. “I love those, I don’t remember bringing you back that case.” The women popped open a bottle and poured herself a glass “You’re not the only analyst working or me.” She told him. “What would you say. I’m your favorite one?” He asked her as she went to go sit down. “Let’s talk about the mission you just botched.” She told Mobius. Mobius looked like he wanted to do anything other than that. She passed him his own drink “You might need this for discussion.” He accepted the drink lifting it up and saying, “I hope it’s a double.” And then drinking it. “This variant is insubordinate, stubborn, unpredictable. Sounds like someone I know.” The women said. Mobius put his glass down and nodded his head “Sounds like someone I know.” “Listen Ramona, I’m sorry. I’ve realized that my methods with this, you know, with this Loki are controversial.” Ramona interrupted him saying “Don’t, bringing a dangerous variant into the field is controversial.” “Yeah, it didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to today, but here’s what we did find out the variant likes to stall for time and the other will do the same thing. Because understanding this Loki helps me get closer to the one we’re chasing, right?” he said and then continued “oh, and also another thing we found out is that y/n or Red as we were told to call her is regaining her memory and I think it has something to do with Loki being here.” Ramona looked away before saying “I need you to make sure y/n doesn’t regain her memory, okay? She’s one of our most powerful assets and she can be extremely useful to us if need be. We do not need her regaining her thoughts and screwing everything up like she’s already done.” “You and I both know why we keep her here.” Mobius shook his head in understanding “Yes, I do, because she’s already destroyed the timeline once and destroyed the multiverse and we don’t need it to happen again.” He said. Ramona sighed “Look I know you have a soft spot for broken things, but Loki is an evil lying scourge. That is the part he plays on the sacred timeline.” “And y/n is his lover, his partner in crime and if she finds out or he tells her who she truly is. It’s on you Mobius.” She told him.

After leaving Ramona’s office Mobius walked off with Loki trailing after him. Loki explaining himself to Mobius, but Mobius wasn’t having any of it and called Loki out on his bullshit before the two walked into the elevator. Mobius had left Loki at a desk putting him to work “Work like your life depends on it. I’m gonna go grab a snack.” He said before walking away. Loki sat down looking through all the files on the desk finding nothing of interest. After that he decided to go up to the women at the front desk, but she was too busy typing on her computer to notice him. After a few attempts of trying to get her to answer she looked up from her keyboard. “Can I help you?” she asked. “Yes, I’m on some important TVA business. Follow up to a field mission.” He leaned on her desk “You know how it goes.”

You had gotten back from lunch, the whole ordeal with Mobius behind you know, you were looking through some files for another case you were working on when you heard a familiar voice. Peaking out from the isle you spotted Loki at the front desk talking to the older women. “Um, I’d like all files pertaining the creation to the TVA, please.” He asked her. At that you silently laughed. “What and idiot.” You thought. “Those are classified.” She told him. “Okay I’d like all files pertaining to the beginning of time.” He asked. “Those are classified.” She said again. At this point you sat your files down and walked over to stand next to Loki. “Hi, can’t help but notice you’re having a little trouble here so why don’t I help you.” You placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder looking at the women. Loki looked at you “Y/n, what are you doing here?” he asked. You looked up at him “Again my name is not y/n, and I was here because I was doing work of my own, but I overheard you and thought I’d show you what you are allowed to see so you can stop pestering this older woman.” He pointed to the lady at the desk and said, “but that’s her job.” You shook your head and patted his back before looking at the women “I got it from here, sorry about him.” The lady rolled her eyes and continued typing.

You walked along the aisle with Loki tagging along until you got to the right spot. “No, no, no, AH HA! Here we go!” You than threw a stack of files into Loki’s hand. He looked down reading the file “Variant Case file” and then the name “Laufeyson, Loki” He sighed before following you back to the desk. You opened your own files while Loki had started to read his own. “Destruction of Asgard” was written in red bold letters at the top of the file. You looked up from your own files to see Loki’s disappointed face. He looked sad, but about what you didn’t know. Loki kept reading. Total Planetary destruction. Zero Variance energy detected (Entire Civilization Annihilated). Casualties: 9,719. Loki had looked up at you and then back to the file. “What is it?” You asked him. “I think I figured out how to catch our Variant. Follow me y/n we need to find Mobius.”

tags: @queenotaku23

[cmescapade]

hey, cement ✨🚀 always wanted to ask how do you go about organising your stories, if it's not a secret? how do you plan all the scenes, dialogue, etc.? what kind of media inspires you?

heyoo 👋

It’s no secret, I’m an open book made of... cement...?

I primarily use OneNote to organize my thoughts, along with a basic notebook I jot things down in for brainstorming. Here’s what my OneNote tab for Remember Me Until Tomorrow looks like:

...Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess on the actual pages, but lmao 

I blocked off potential spoilers... Though it’s not hard to figure out what it all is 🔫 

For all my stories, I tend to keep it under their old titles, so “Remember Me Until Tomorrow” is categorized as “FBTS/From Beyond the Stars” in my original word documents, which leads into my answer for scene planning:

I typically write everything from start and finish on a word document, but never much of the in-between so I would have more freedom. While for White Lies and Half Truths I have each chapter saved separately (since my later ones are massive), Remember Me Until Tomorrow is written out completely. The only things I have to do is edit my text to replace my placeholder names, omit scenes and take screenshots, which is my bane whenever I’m not in the mood 😔

I have a massive list of omitted chapter scenes as seen from my cropped screencap above... I usually cut down chapters with scenes I consider irrelevant in order to speed things up a bit from my original document. Sure I could keep 300 words of banter in a ~25k chapter, but I’ve been told my chapters are too long to read when using The Sims as a platform so here come the scissors ✂ and we snip it down to like ~3k ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sometimes I’ll reuse a part I deleted in another chapter if I actually need the context, but otherwise it’s lost in space ✨

I don’t really do big outlines since I find it restraining to my creativity (yes this is an excuse for me to let my brain vomit all over the page at 3am and delete my regrets 5 hours later)  Instead, I keep a timeline for significant events that serve as a reminder to write in detail to lead up to that event. Minimalistic, but it works best for someone like me who gets bored of systematic order lmao

For dialogue, I try and figure out how a character would react in a specific situation. I love it when I read varied characters, and I want to have the same variety in my own writing. Every other day I’d do personal exercises where I’d write out a short AU with situations like “X & Y are trapped in an elevator” or “X just found a dead body,” that kind of thing. ...Yeah, I write a lot in my free time, and yes it is flaming hot garbage No I will not be posting any of it, for it will stay in the trashbin where it belongs

Inspiration wise, I love horror movies--the kind of imagination that goes into a super/natural monster and the context in which they’re born is interesting to me. The reasons why a murderer’s MO would be whatever it is, why a non-human creature would be prowling around, etc. I like analyzing book characters to try and sympathize with their thinking, which puts me in a good headspace to write someone I find difficult writing.

Oof, this was a long answer Thank you for the ask! 💕💕💕👽 

[catsitta]

Handle With Care - Post Mortem

When I first started writing Handle with Care, it was going to be 100 chapters long and there were a few key differences in the plot. These changes occurred generally slowly as I gained a better understanding of my world and characters, while some shifted dramatically due to my feeling they were thematically inappropriate for the story I wanted to tell. So with the conclusion of the main fic and its various continuations, I decided to detail a little more in how I approached a 100 word daily drabble fic, and why certain events occurred or why certain characters played certain roles. This post is mostly for the folks out there who like all the nitpicky background information that goes around in the author’s head while writing.

100 WORDS A DAY

In choosing to write 100 words a day, I gave myself both a goal and a challenge. 100 words is often little more than a paragraph. Maybe two. I often found myself writing on my commute into work or during lunch on my phone, because while 1000 might feel overwhelming, 100 is not. Right? Yet some days I found just enough time to type up 100 words between work and other commitments (October was interesting, since I did Inktober and well as Promptober, on top of my usual working schedule). But the most challenging part was not writing 100 words. Writing 100 words was easy. Writing ONLY 100 words was where things became tricky.

In my original intentions for this fic, scenes were not supposed to span over multiple chapters. Each drabble was to be a self contained snapshot of time. But as the story became more emotionally centered, I shifted away from that idea and focused more on making each drabble exist as a chapter. Chapters can have cliffhangers. But they need to communicate a thought. An idea. A feeling. With 100 words a day, my objective became: Progress the story in a meaningful way or communicate some important information to the audience. With 100 words, there was often little room for getting lost in details.

Now one my ask again, why 100?

100 is the number of words in the definition of a drabble. 100, again, is an easy minimum to reach. But when you are used to writing 2-3k word chapters, flexibility is minimal and you have to decide what needs to be said, and what you were saying to fill space. And I found it a wonderful learning experience and valuable exercise as a writer. I’ve attempted to start drabble fics in the past, but rarely did they ever get past a couple chapters before I would get frustrated by the limitations. Because let’s be honest. Writing a 25,000 word story, 100 words at a time, is a test of one’s patience as much as anything else.

THE STORY

Handle with Care was originally supposed to be pure romantic comedy with just a splash of darker undertones in the background for color. But as much as I love fluffy comedies, as I wrote, there were conflicts that I didn’t feel should be glossed over. As some of my long term readers and commenters will know, I’m terribly fond of bitter with my sweet. Angst with my fluff. The bad things in life make the good all the brighter. And conflict drives a story forward.

So what changed?

There were many different variations on how Sans ended up raising Papyrus alone. Some took our overbearing science dad, Gaster, and outright cast him in the role of a villain as opposed to a mid story antagonist. Straight into, why aren’t you in jail, territory. Others barely featured Gaster at all, as he was disconnected from Sans after his son didn’t end up pursuing a ‘productive’ career in the sciences. There were even a couple considered drafts where Papyrus and Edge did have another parent and the reason Sans was distrusting and cagey was because of a broken Soulbond. (And for those of you who were Web/Sans theorists, well, there was a version where you weren’t wrong! Sans started an affair off with Web after the LOADs began as a sort of ‘regain control of his life’ thing.)

What may interest folks is that the story was originally not supposed to end with a wedding and a house in the planning. The happy ending was going to be less sugar and more height of the moment drama. Around the time Frisk intimidates Red into silence, she was going to instead start him on the path to discovering answers. No confessions from Sans. No journals. Instead Red goes on the hunt for clues and gets fragments of the story from different people, especially Gaster and Frisk. It was all quite emotional, but the pacing felt off, and I felt it would be more rewarding if Sans grew as a character and he was the one to confess all his secrets.

Another altered thread was Red being only Web’s son. Early, early on, Red was the product of Web and some other monster. I even considered that monster having died in birth with Edge. But I scrapped that quickly, and decided that instead, Edge was Pap’s twin, and that the grim mood Web was in, was because of what he saw as well as what he remembered from past timelines. He almost watched his friend and coworker dust in his arms. Properly traumatic, eh?

There is a completely cut scene that I may write in the spin off that goes more into detail about Red’s similarities to Gaster, and Sans’ to Web, and how people often choose partners that are like their parental figures. You may ask. Wait. What do you mean? Well, Webdings didn’t smoke. He drank. Red, despite having dabbled with the stuff, is never shown to drink recreationally or get drunk in the fic, for more reasons than being underage to do so. However, it is very lightly implied that Sans’ coping method of choice is alcohol, though Red quickly quashes this habit after the drunkenness incident. Now, who else smokes? Gaster. Sans doesn’t like that Red smokes (for obvious reasons it reminds him of his father and Red does try to quit in the fic, though ends up falling back on it when stressed.) There are other similarities if you look close. It’s one of the reasons that Gaster and Red don’t get along. They’re both strong personalities, and can be pretty quick to pass judgement on someone.

THE CHARACTERS

As many folks picked up on, Handle with Care, has multiple meanings. It is a moving pun based on the CAUTION: FRAGILE | Handle with Care, labels on the sides of some boxes. It is also one of the main themes of the fic itself. Everyone in the story is a person with their own pasts and pains, which makes them fragile in different ways. And some of them even represent different types of relationships and people we encounter in our lives.

Red - Our protagonist. He’s a young man picking up the pieces of his life after his father’s apparent suicide, left to raise his baby brother when he was only sixteen. He’s the child of an alcoholic and forced to take on an adult role too young. As a result, he has a few unhealthy coping mechanisms, struggles with his temper and his sense of self worth. But he’s the one that got out. That put his life on the straight-and-narrow.

Sans - The love interest. Grew up young from the sheer expectations in his life. He was never without, but when the LOADs happened, he cracked under a lifetime’s worth of pressure. He broke down. Stopped trusting anyone, including himself. And very likely only kept himself from Falling because of Papyrus. Much of his struggles is based on the single mothers who would say that their child is what saved them or got them through those darkest time by just existing. He is also the individual who was groomed for success that ended up with absoluting no proper coping skills because of his rigid upbringing.

Papyrus - The optimist. He stays positive through everything. Everything and everyone can do better, and he sees the best in all situations. But he also has a responsible streak with an urge to organize everything (clean/cook/no desserts before dinner). His relationship with Sans could have very well ended up problematic, with Paps taking on a parental role for his parent early on in his life.

Edge - The pessimist. Edge is the other side of the coin from Papyrus. While his world view is often just as rigid, he is emotional. While it is implied he was always a fussy baby, he’s very sensitive to change, and shows that children are capable of picking up on things that the adults in their lives try to hide. His abandonment issues run deep, and will cause him to lash out until he is older and learns better self control and comes to terms with his father’s death. It is not uncommon for children of single parent homes to become resentful, if not at their present parent, but at the one that is gone. It is difficult for Edge to separate his father’s death, and Red’s fights with Sans, away from himself, and his self-centric view of the world.

Gaster - The (sympathetic?) antagonist. There are points where you love to hate him, and other times, you have to step back. He’s the authoritarian parent that dictated most of his child’s life up until that child literally vanished and became a hermit for a while. It isn’t through callousness or unkindness that he acts this way, but in what he believes is the opposite. He struggles with emotions, especially showing them, an example of how often older generations, especially males, often don’t/can’t/won’t show emotional vulnerability. He wants the best for Sans and those he cares about, even if he often fails to show it properly.

Web - The dead dad. Red’s relationship with Web is complicated. He remembers when Web was a brilliant man, even if not the most fatherly of fathers. But he also laid witness to his fall from grace as well, his drinking habit the most evident. His role is ambiguous much of the story, though he’s left behind hole. His death is the catalyst to a number of the story’s events, and Red’s struggle with him in death is to show the complicated feelings people may have when they lose a loved one who may have not been the best person. Sans’ relationship with him was more to highlight how far he’d actually fallen in the end from where he used to be.

Toriel - The mother. She is a maternal presence in many character’s lives. Her mothering is revealed to be related to her inability to conceive a child. Infertility is a common problem for women. She goes on to foster, babysit and even adopt after Asriel is born. She also an example of the powerful bonds we form with others and how sometimes families are found. Toriel was as much of a mother to Sans as she was Asriel.

The Fallen Humans - The catalyst. If Frisk didn’t exist, there wouldn’t be a story. After all, she was the child that climbed the mountain, starting the events of Undertale. Frisk and Chara both are implied to have troubled pasts, which lead them to being vulnerable to that idea of absolute power corrupts absolutely. The meddle. They are often selfish and don’t consider the consequences of their actions, and when they do, there is a sense of it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters when you can manipulate reality itself. But where Frisk possess a sense of guilt for what happened with Sans, Chara does not, and even outright tells Red that he is willing to do anything to accomplish his goals (even if that means hurting everyone else). Kris is a ‘dreamer’, and while he has more control over tweaking the events that play out, he is far less calloused by RESETS and LOADS. He just wants to be close to his brother Asriel, as well as help his ‘siblings’ find a sense of belonging.

Undyne - The Protagonist’s parallel. A child of divorce, which for monsters often leads to trauma and death, she is left to be raised by Gerson. She’s angry, resentful and prone to get in fights. Red often compares her to Edge, but can also empathise deeply with her troubles. At fourteen she is old enough to understand the reality of the situation, but also young enough to be deeply affected by the changes. Given the rarity of divorce, it is implied that her home life was unstable before the events of the story. Red tries to help her as he never got help himself.

Asriel - The miracle child. Mostly a background character. Asriel’s main connections are to Kris and the Dreemurs. He was the child that a couple struggling with fertility finally conceived. His being born, however, resulted Gaster creating Red for Webdings.

Asgore - The powerful person. Gaster and Toriel both have names that are impactful in the community, but Asgore is the founder of Dreemur Medical and Biotech. He was the King of Monsters. Despite his passive role, he influences many of the character’s choices and actions but simply EXISTING as a person of importance. Gaster tries to literally create viable monster cloning/fertility enhancement methods for him which lead to Sans and Red being born. His inviting Web to work with determination led to the creation of the Machine.

Gerson - The substitute parent. His main role in the story is as a family friend of Undyne’s and in the end, her new parental figure. She resents him and he takes care of her. He cannot replace what she’s lost, but he tries to provide her a future. A hard role to fill in a child’s life.

Grillby - The old friend. Grillby plays are far more subtle part. He’s survived a broken Soulbond, he’s friends with Sans, and through every up-and-down, he’s remained open to Sans when he comes back around. Sometimes as children we form friendships with adults that are just as strong as those we form with our peers. This is true for Sans.

There are a few more characters that show up mostly for color and world building but don’t play a significant part in pushing the themes of the story.

CONCLUSION

Would I do this again? Yes. I am planning on continuing the 100 word trend in the Pre-Sequel This Way Up. It may be truer to the spirit of drabbles since we will have a lot more ground to cover since it will be telling Sans’ history. We’ll get to learn more about Gaster, Webdings, the Dreemurs, Grillby and the Fallen Humans. And for those of you who want to know more about the HwC boys as they are? Moving Day will fill in the blanks. And I also promised a sequel. Bubblewrap Blues will take place significantly in the future and center around a certain aptly named skeleton and the edgy boy that likes to get coffee in his cafe.

I’m pleased with how the story turned out.

I never expected the reaction and the feedback. To those of you who commented and kudosed. Thank you. And to those who quite literally followed me from the start, reading and commenting near every day if not every day? You’re extra amazing. Thank you. Thank you so much.

[heroes-writing]

Hello! There's an ask that I made for other opm blogs some time ago but it never really got answered. Weird as it sounds I would like either a scenario (short story? idk) or headcannons about how Sonic would be if he was hired to kill someone but in the process of stalking them, he became enamored with them? Not in a yandere way (lol) but in a genuine way because the person is so kind and sweet in everything they do. (Anyways, welcome back! I was surprised when I saw you on my dash xD)

Yee! And since I’ve talked to you further about thisrequest, I’ll add some more info for those who don’t know.

The character/oc featured in this as belongs to @vocakira! Andthe timeline is a little before Sonic meets Saitama, while trying to stay trueto Sonic– so he’s kind of crushing in this, but not fully enamored (Yet)! (ALSO I CANT BELIEVE I HIT 3k WORDS WITH THIS skjdbvksjdv)

:D Please enjoy!  

Word Count: 3350

There were a few ways Sonic could tell if someone was a liar.

Unsteady eye contact, hiding of the hands, and a sweaty facewere the biggest tells. His weaker employers, the greedy and the doublecrossing were the ones who he could easily call out.

Then came the businessmen, with their shady contracts, and theirwords holding two meanings. Unluckily for them, they always had an inability tokeep a story straight…

And finally, there came the liars Sonic was the mostfamiliar with:

The hardened killers.

With their cold voices, and their addictions to pitilesscruelty.  

Sonic knew he was dealing with the latter at his firstglance around the facility.

He never walked into a place blind– he always scoped outthe defenses, the ins and outs, the weaknesses and strengths. There were armedguards at every door, sealed entrances, and human sized cages they usedfor who knows what… Sonic could tell by the pristine lab coat of hisemployer and the copious amounts of sedative the facility kept in barrels—hewas in for an interesting contract.

Usually he wasn’t one to judge, maybe they had a real monsteron the loose, but there were too many alarm bells ringing for him to feel likehe could completely trust this place.

They were apparently a medical company, tackling issues ofmonsterfication and psychic powers running wild. Whatever. The detached way thehead scientist spoke of it was so fake Sonic wasn’t too focused on listening.

The contract was to assassinate a hero, after all.

“That’s not very noble of you.” He remarked, as dry as adesert. It was a low A-rank as well.

“She is showing signs of instability and refusing help atevery turn. It’s truly unfortunate.”

Sonic scoffed at first, but then narrowed his eyes inthought.

He was given a thick file, and when he opened it he was metwith a picture saturated with warm colors. A woman. Young. Notlooking at the camera.

His silver eyes ran over paragraphs of text, then large blocksof dense black ink of redacted information. He wasn’t fond of thateither…

Not even upon reaching the second page, his dark eyebrowshiked up his forehead, the rest of his expression twisted in apathy. “She won’teven hear me coming, huh?” He asked in his usual crass way. He shut the fileand fanned it slowly even in the cold lab in which he stood.

The scientist before him nodded and pushed his glasses upwith a thin finger. He had burn scars around his wrists.

“Partially. Her powers are likely to deafen you as well.Explosions and a refined ability for pyrokinesis have made our previousattempts at capture impossible. So, if you would be so kind, please keepher body well preserved. She is like a daughter to me.”

“Hn.”

That was the only sound Sonic made.

“This subject goes by Dahlia, and I guarantee you that sheis incredibly dangerous and liable to lose control of her powers. She hasrefused vital treatment, and so we must do what is right…” The man’sglasses glinted. “You understand, correct? This is what must be done.”

“I don’t particularly care.” And that was the truth.Unlike the sketchy man before him, Sonic didn’t feel the need to put on airsfor whatever reason. If what he said was true, then an unhinged opponent wasall too easy to take down, and if he was lying then…

Various instincts Sonic had honed over the years were alreadyblanching in distaste. Perhaps warning him of a broken contract to come. It wasall too familiar to him. This facility was obvious in its exploitative nature—Itcould have been a ninja village in disguise.

He didn’t have the hard proof though, and he was no hero. Hedidn’t have to seek out the truth, yet.

With a slight haughty nod of acknowledgement, Sonic vanishedinto a writhing mass of shadow and silence. He didn’t have to completely agreeor believe what these people told him.

The mission was accepted, regardless.

—

Sonic bolted through the hot air of the summer afternoon.Leaping from building to building in a black and purple blur, he raced aroundZ-City searching for signs of his target.

…The first step to a successful assassination after all, wascareful surveillance.  

Fortunately for Sonic, he never found that ninja art difficult,it was almost natural. As easy as breathing~

With a confident smirk he knew that his skills inobservation were extraordinary. His senses were keen to deception…

“There’s no disguise I can’t see through. You can’t hidefrom me—" He spoke aloud. The image of her face from the facility’s filewas ingrained into his brain—even if she got surgery to hide her looks, hewould–

“Ah—” Sonic froze on the edge of a grey bricked building, asmall drip of sweat slipping down his temple.

“There she is…”

Flores Dahlia’s red hair may as well have been abeacon in a crowd. Her eyes were orange just like in her reference picture. Herclothes were styled in the same way. Her red hair was so long and striking, itwas easily the first thing he noticed when approaching the main street.

Seeing her for the first time, her stature and expressionwere completely different from his reference picture.

He pulled it out of his back pocket, his eyes glancing backand forth between the image and the person sipping a coffee outside a café.

The image was perhaps when she was younger. Dark circlesbeneath her eyes and a worried expression.

The woman before him now was the opposite. A healthy glow toher skin, and a bright, bright smile.

Sonic realized very quickly that this woman wasn’t hidingherself.

Over confidence? Sonic thought.

Does she think she think she can take me on?

With the corners of his lips pulling downwards, Sonicglowered. For the next few days he spent many hours watching those gentle wavesof red, waiting for his opportunity. From early in the morning to the dark nighthe watched her live her life.

…To his discomfort it was peaceful and happy, to say theleast.

Nevertheless, against a dangerous target Sonic was no fool.He kept his presence carefully masked, and even though she was partially deaf,he used every ounce of his ability to remain silent. Looks could be deceiving, perhapsshe was the type to go berserk during the heat of battle?

Sonic was ready to catch this woman out on some nefariousactivities, or did that scientist think he was that stupid? The detailsof her violent nature were quickly being proven false—but he had yet to see herfight.

She’s a hero, and I haven’t seen her scrambling for fame…

Another half of him came to her defense—Well, she doesn’tflaunt her powers unnecessarily.

Flores Dahlia got up early and left her apartment around thesame time as her roommate. (Apparently another person of interest, but not onSonic’s payroll to kill.)

She dressed modestly, carried herself with poise, but she didn’tseem aware of the bounty on her head.  Shegreeted people politely on the street who recognized her and called her,“Dolly-chan!” Her hero name… She never gave any indication that she sensed Sonic,and so over the days his distance grew closer and closer.

Sometimes he grew near enough to smell her perfume. It wassweet, but not hard on the nose. There were times he brushed against her warm shouldersin the crowd—she met his eyes once and blushed shyly before glancing away. Hehad felt a little pride at that.

Sonic supposed she could be so extremely confident inherself that she became oblivious but…He shook his head gently, making his inkyblack hair sway around his face as he pretended to look at his phone.

This girl’s naivety was clear even after the first day onhis surveillance.  

Sonic rarely saw her without a kind smile on her face.

Even during the times where he tested her, placing himselfin her line of sight, steadily emanating killing intent, she seemed to see thebest in others. She had no idea she was under threat.

And because she was a hero, he was ready to watch herfight already! She didn’t search for opponents– even though that seemed to bethe association’s thing. Heroes always played gimmicks to raise rankings…Insteadhe watched her working a humble day job at a store for most of the time, herfriendliness was brightly apparent in her face and eyes.

There was not a shred of deviousness in them. No sign ofinstability or lack of control.

Today was no different as she treated herself to chocolate cheesecakewhile at a cutesy café. Lunch time always made her particularly energetic asshe would shuck her work apron and don her civilian clothes again. With a blankexpression he watched her take a picture of her food and send it to someone onher contacts list. When she got a reply, she smiled so hard it made herfreckles stand out…

Something in Sonic’s heart contracted a little.

…Maybe it was indigestion from his coffee…He looked at itwith a scowl and threw it expertly in the trash from a distance.

–Then her smile fell as a large explosion plumed from a fewblocks over.

A roar shattered glass in a flashy wave as wind and debrisflooded the street. Sitting at a nearby table from Dahlia, Sonic watched herleap to her feet, and race towards the scene.

Like a mirage, a completely black attire flooded over herform. It covered almost every inch of her skin, much like his own ninja gear…Heassumed the material could handle extreme temperature or high impact.

Finally! He thought.

With a serious expression he changed position to the highbuildings above the street. It was about time– He would see this damnwoman in action…

He watched her break out into a modest run, rounding cornerswith a determined expression. A large monster was throwing a tantrum in a largepark and those large bursts of dust were spiking into the sky at every second.

Silently Sonic followed, perhaps he would get his chance totake the kill while her back was turned…Perhaps he would give her a chance tosurrender…He wanted to get this mission over with, he was tired of thinkingabout her at every second of his day and feeling—something.

He needed a good fight. A challenge maybe? That could beit…

He had never fought someone who could generate flame before,and he wondered if that was enough to even compete with his speed…

“Heheh.” Sonic smirked to himself with his facedarkening…Brute strength can never win, not against my flawless techniques!!

Sinking into deep shadow, he watched this hero race onto thescene. What would she do? He wondered. What kind of brash and chaotictechniques would he see from her that would seal her fate? Would she finallydrop that good girl act?

Dahlia let orange flame gently burn at her hands and beneathher feet, levitating her from the ground smoothly. Her red hair swayed, and ina burst of speed she appeared above the large monster. Red clashed with thesoft blue of the sky.

The monster’s height towered above even the oldest oaks inthe park, but she had cleared the distance without issue.

Sonic’s grin deepened—and with a confused grunt from themonster, it tried to tilt its ginormous head skyward to swat at her like a fly.

She pinched her fingers together, flame bubbling up inbright balls of light. Without warning a rain of fire began to shower and peltthe monster like bullets. Tears and holes in its form blasted the monster away,erasing it with a pained scream that sent shockwaves across the park.

Trees bent over backwards, Sonic covered his ears, butDahlia cut the scream short as the rain of fire became a controlled wave thatcascaded to the earth. The monster was enveloped. Burned away. Gone.

Her face wasn’t smiling, and she looked a little worried asshe descended to the ground and glanced around.

With a wave of her hand, any remained embers that werecatching in the wind drifted towards her fingertips. The heat seemed to siphonaway from the humid summer day like a vacuum.

Sonic gaped at her.

That’s it??!

He watched her sigh and shake her head at the large blacksmear on the ground. She was perfectly calm, in complete control.

“Maybe she needs more incentive!” He growled.

Just as she was turning back to the direction of the street,her expression neutral—Sonic appeared before her like a mirage. His expressionsinister—

“Flores Dahlia prepare your-“

“Oh! You scared me!” Her lips formed a sweet ‘o’ as herhands flew around her.

Why does she have to be so very expressive?

Almost thrown off track, Sonic composed himself, “I’ve come for your life—”

“I’m sorry, sir, can you not hide your mouth in your mask.Please?” She gestured with her hands in quick tandem and dared to step closer.All too nonchalant in her action, but somehow knowing she probably didn’t meananything by it– Sonic’s eyes bulged.  

As an afterthought– a need to stay true to his priority, heslipped into a defensive posture, his hand on his sword.

She blinked at him.

“S-sorry!” She exclaimed in confusion, “I read lips, but Ican barely hear you with my aid…Do you need something?” One of her handsslipped behind her ear, revealing the shell of it and the device attached. Sheshowed him plainly, her posture full of openings. Too many damn openings. If hewas anyone else, he could have killed her by now!

That thought made him feel something like rage, and hedidn’t know why.

And her smile had returned, although uneasily.  

How can she be so unaware?!?!  

With a dark expression he snatched his scarf down with hisother hand, “I’ve been sent to kill you.” He said slowly.

In a calm and benevolent way, he extended his hand towardsher. “However, if you return to your caretaker, I won’t have to eliminate you, FloresDahlia…”

Her mouth remained open, but her eyes were glinting withsomething like acceptance.

“My caretaker? Is that what he told you?”  She shook her head.

“No, of course he told you that…” She muttered.

Her hands moved through a series of motions, “May I ask whatyour name is?”

…Sonic had to admit, he appreciated the polite opportunityfor introduction and straightened his posture.

“Speed of Sound Sonic.” He inclined his head, “Let me startout by saying, no opponent of mine has ever escaped alive. I plan on keeping itthat way.”

He flickered behind her, his lips right next to her ear, “Sowhat will it be?”  

She slipped her hand over her ear, shirking from him. Hisstomach felt a twinge of discomfort at that as she turned around skeptically, “That’sfine. I don’t want to fight you, and I have no intention of going back.” Sheturned to face him fully, her hair swaying behind her.

“If you kill me, I assume it would be quick. Thatpreferable to torture.”

…He hummed thoughtfully, “I’ve been told many things aboutyou—a penchant for lying is one of them.”

For the first time her expression twisted into anger. Hissilver eyes watched her warily, ready for flame at any second.

This was it then, he would goad her into showingher true colors—

Dahlia shook her head, pressing a hand against her chest, “Idon’t lie.”

“My ‘caretaker’ made me this way! Haru and I arestill recovering from his treatments to this day!” Dahlia pointed at Sonic, hersuit flickering away into a bracelet on her wrist. A pink skirt flared aroundher hips again, and a soft white jacket carried the scent of her perfumestraight to Sonic’s nose.

“I’m my own person, can I lie about that?!”

…

Sonic crossed his arms as Dahlia continued, “What he’s doingis illegal, and if you knew what was really happening in that facility youwould probably never go back—”

Sonic’s expression hardened at the edges, giving her hiscruelest smile. “That’s laughable. Just because you’re weak doesn’t meanthe same rules of your pitiful existence apply to me. No one can catch Speed ofSound Son—"

“Well good!” She exclaimed, catching him off guard.Her vehemence was painfully sincere as she leaned towards his face, her orangeeyes clashing against his silver ones.

“I wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone!! I’m serious, Mr.Sonic. Don’t think he won’t try to capture you once you’re done!”

She didn’t fall for his words, instead giving it her all forthat damn hero act… Growing agitated in her presence he did the only thing hecould think of. In a flash he pressed his sword against her neck, a few strandsof her beautiful hair flew away in the wind. Dahlia remained unmoved.

…Sonic found he rather liked that expression, those eyesstaring at him. She hadn’t even flinched, and she didn’t blink when he pressedthe blade into her skin harder.

“Fight me.” Sonic growled, the tension in his stomachwas growing into a tight knot at this point.

“No! I don’t want to hurt you, especially when you’re beingused like this—”

He scoffed, “You think you can hurt me?! You–”

She interrupted him at every turn. Dahlia glared at himsteadily although her lips wobbled, “I don’t want to take the chance. I’m notwhat they told you.” She tugged his sword away and for some reason, he lether.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you…And I don’t know if I couldmatch what they’re paying you—” Her expression turned worried and sad, “Evenwith my hero salary and my–”

Sonic sneered. The mere thought curdled his stomach, “Idon’t want your money!!” He shouted, and her eyes widened.

For a moment, silence reigned over the park. Sonic had lostwhat he wanted to say, and it was all because his interest in this woman wasbecoming too obvious to ignore…

He caught sight of her hearing aid as she adjusted it, andit hit him so suddenly that if what she was saying was true…

“Were you raised in that facility then?”

“I wasn’t born there, I was taken.” Her words became clippedand emotional, “I was normal, and they changed me.”

Steady eye contact, splayed hands, her breathing was even…

A shallow breath was sucked into his chest followed by anoise of anger. It’s just like his village, taking orphans to train, to turnthem into killing machines.

He sheathed his sword, his expression dark. “If I searchthat facility, will I find evidence that you’re telling the truth?” Hespat the word like venom.

She tilted her head, “You’ll find children who want toescape. I know some remember home. Will that be enough?”

He struggled not to scoff, “…I’m no hero, but I will not belied to while under contract.” Sonic turned his back to her—then instantly felta hand against his shoulder, trying to tug him around. Shocked by herforwardness, he remembered she had to see his mouth to understand him–

He obliged, a little red in the face, “I want to fight youwhen I finish taking care of this.” He said it like a threat, and Sonic wassure his face was icy, but she smiled, nonetheless.

“Can I treat you to a dinner instead? I don’t like scorchingfriends.”

His expression twisted. Embarrassment, frustration, and purepride fought across his face.

He didn’t say a word as he disappeared, his cheeks warm andhis shoulder tingling from her touch.  

“I’ll be back for you, mark my words!”

[inevitably-johnlocked]

do you know any fics where sherlock is really cranky? :)

Oh! What an odd and fun request! This has been sitting for months, so I hope you’re still around to see this! Here’s a few for you that are similar!

Also! Check out my Jealous & Possessive Sherlock fics too! They might also be similar to what you’re looking for!

A Discourse on the Inadequacy of a Duvet by guns_and_poses (T, 1,005 w. || Est. Rel., Fluff, Humour, Bed Sharing, Romance) – Sherlock keeps stealing the covers when they share a bed because he wants John to move closer to him when they are sleeping but of course doesn’t want to ask. John gets annoyed at first until he realises what Sherlock wants and is more than happy to oblige.

The Other Shoe by thewaitwasworthitlove - (NR, 1,053 w. || Pining Sherlock, Angst, URT, Post-TSo3) - Sherlock realizes how deep in love he has fallen for John. Only Sherlock Holmes would manage to be more shattered than crystal dropped on concrete.

Velvet by headlessjess (G, 1,155 w. || Pining, Angst, Jealous Sherlock, Loneliness, Sad Fic) – It’s the day, the wedding day - John and Mary, getting married. And then there’s Sherlock, in pain and in love, without knowing how to deal with it.

Battle of Bakerloo by bendingsignpost (G, 1,494 w. || Cuddles, Clingy Sherlock, Fluff, Snuggles) – The change had occurred, John had accepted it, and when Sherlock had asked, “You don’t mind, do you?”, John had answered, “No, of course not.” In hindsight, an obvious mistake.

I Hear Newcastle is Dreadful This Time of Year by oxfordlunch (G, 1,515 w. || Sofa Cuddling, Hugs, Mentions of Alcoholism, Pining / Anxious Sherlock) – When the fourteenth day comes, he gets a cab to Heathrow.

33 by Indigo Blue.x (K+, 2K+ w. || Humour) – “I haven’t made a zombie,” Sherlock says scathingly, which would be more convincing if there were not a zombie in the flat.

Assurance by belovedmuerto (T, 2,382 w. || Bed-Sharing, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Idiots in Love) – It’s not so much the ‘you’re half-dead, you wanker,’ or even the broken ribs, the hairline fracture of the pelvis, the dislocated shoulder and knee, and the wrenched ankle.

In Which John is Attractive and Sherlock is Angry by kim47 (T, 2,382 w. || Fluff, Est. Rel., Jealous Sherlock) – Sherlock’s reaction to finding out that everyone wants HIS John, and how he told them to piss off and get their own Watson.

Twas The Night by xox-hattii-xox (K+, 3K+ w. || Humour & Friendship, Christmas, Domestics, Fluff) – Twas the night before Christmas…and Sherlock has had just about enough of the whole thing! ‘Really, John, a Santa Hat’ Christmas in 221b, and Sherlock just wants it over with.

Right Foot Red by Irrevocably_Sherlocked (E, 3,089 w. || First Time, Board Games, Frottage, Masturbation, Frottage, PWP) – …ok, it’s juvenile, but at least it’s a game where touching is allowed. And if something more were to happen, well, John can’t say he’d be too upset about that. “What are the rules of this game?” Sherlock asks, the disdain evident on the word ‘game’. “I spin, you do as I say.” John thinks he sees a slight widening of those pale grey eyes at that, just for a fraction of a second, before it is shut down. Oh, this is interesting, he thinks.

The Sweetest Taste In The World by crossroads (G, 3,121 w. || Jealousy, First Kiss, Fluff, Pining, Friends to Lovers) – The sweetest taste in the world is rarely ever the easiest to come by. 

Entanglement by orphan_account (G, 3,218 w. || Pining, Confessions) - On Christmas Eve, snow covers London, John visits Harry, and Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson untangle some knots.

In the Bleak Midwinter (A Canticle for Advent) by CaitlinFairchild (M, 3,476 w. || Angst, Injury, Missing Scenes, HLV Timeline) – In the autumn of 2014, Mary Watson shot Sherlock Holmes. This is what happened after.

Fine Print by mistyzeo (E, 4,224 w. || ACD Holmes || Est. Rel, Retirementlock, Glasses, Oral, Hand Jobs, Bees) – Holmes needs glasses, but he’s too much of a stubborn arse to go get his eyes checked. Watson is used to bullying him for his own good. The glasses have unexpected but not unwelcome consequences for everyone.

Practical Johnkeeping by what_alchemy (M, 4,330 w. || Beekeeping, Aging, Gladstone, Tooth Rotting Fluff) – Sherlock predicts nectar flow the same way he deduces a murder, but he harvests the honey like John coddles the dog.

There’s Something Living in These Lines by teahigh (orphan_account) (M, 4,676 w. || Mutual Pining, Love Letters, Angst, Mutual Pining, UST / URT, Dirty Talk) – Two men, complete opposites in almost every way, who speak only in letters and pages torn from books.

Confessions by crimsonwinter (T, 4,711 w. || Love Confessions, Fluff) – John and Sherlock finally confess their love for each other.

Facade by distantstarlight (M, 4,715 w. || Fluff, John’s Beard, No-Shave November, Grumpy Sherlock, Clueless Sherlock) – Sherlock is highly irritated with a challenge John has agreed to undertake. Why does he need to grow a beard anyway?

How Will I Know? by eragon19 (E, 4,895 w. || Pining, Love Confessions, POV Sherlock, Fluff, Sherlock’s Imagination, Papa Lestrade) – Here was the problem: Sherlock Holmes was completely and irrevocably in love with John Watson, and he had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

Electric Potential by pygmymeese (T, 5K+ w. || Supernatural) – It’s not clear why everyone in the world suddenly gets a ghost only they can interact with. All John Watson knows is that he’s stuck with a brilliant, if smug, ex-consulting detective, and that life is definitely looking up.

London’s Ghost by JustlikeWater (K+, 5K+ w. || Tragedy, H/C, Angst, Post-TRF AU, Sherlock POV) – “Today, it’s been weeks since Sherlock died. Other times, years. He doesn’t know for sure, though. Time passes differently for the dead" 

Every Little Thing by the_beekeeper_of_sussex (E, 5,066 w. || First Time / Kiss, Fluff, Frottage, Come as Lube, Embarassed Sherlock, Porn With Feelings) – When Sherlock walks in on John making tea wearing nothing but a tight pair of boxer-briefs things get a little heated…physically and emotionally. 

Scrutiny by lifeonmars (NR, 5,100 w. || Domestics, Sherlock’s Deductions, John Tries Deductions, Love Confessions, Anxious John) – What is it like to live with someone who can nearly read your mind? John’s life comes into focus under the magnifying glass of Sherlock Holmes.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: Sherlock Holmes, RELATIONSHIP: n/a by blueink3 (M, 5,533 w. || Hurt John/3G, Fluff & Angst) – The first time John Watson’s emergency contact is called is the first time Sherlock Holmes finds out that he has the job. Part 1 of The Emergency Contact Series

Tease You Till You Come by phoenix089 (E, 6,090 w. || First Time, Clueless Sherlock, Texting) – Initially, Sherlock was rather put out by John’s lack of presence on the case. But then he starts to recieve pictures, several of them, of an unexpected nature. The case is forgotten rather quickly after that.

EMERGENCY CONTACT: John Watson, RELATIONSHIP: Saint by blueink3 (M, 6,229 w. || Hurt Sherlock, 5+1, H/C) – The first time Sherlock Holmes realizes he needs an emergency contact is the first time he mentally appoints John Watson with the job. John, of course, does not know this and neither does the local hospital. Part 2 of The Emergency Contact Series

5687 (Approximately) by prettysailorsoldier (T, 6,771 w. || Alternate Canon, Christmas, Pining, Fluff, Soldier John) – When John’s leave request for Christmas is denied, Sherlock is nothing short of devastated, not that he’s letting it show. The holiday season now something he’s just waiting to end, Sherlock doesn’t think anything can possibly make it worse. That is, until he realizes no one in his life believes his army “boyfriend” is even real, but, luckily, everyone is in for a surprise. Part 13 of 25 Days of Johnlock

Abatement by WhimsicalEthnographies (E, 6,816 w. || Est. Rel., Retirementlock, Fluff, Sherlock’s Self Esteem, Grumpy Sherlock) – “What’s wrong with you? You love the cottage,” John glances over to the passenger seat, then quickly turns his eyes back to the road. Driving was still not his forte, but considering Sherlock still couldn’t properly bend and lift his new knee enough to press and release the clutch, he had to make do. Not that Sherlock hadn’t tried to argue his way into the driver’s seat. “I love the cottage for a week or two, John. Don’t be deliberately obstuse,” Sherlock grumbles, sinking further in his seat. Well, as best he can with a four-week-old knee replacement. “And that’s all we’re going for, love,” John says out loud. But what he’s thinking is, shit. He knows.

Beg for Mercy (Twice) by Solitary_Endeavor (E, 7,060 w. || Est. Rel., Bottomlock, Bearded John, Edging, Rough Sex, Idiots in Love, Canon Compliant) – Sherlock hasn’t left the flat in four days, the itch of impatience beneath his skin too great to allow him to suffer interaction with any human being who isn’t John. This is probably a mercy that goes both ways, as he’s driving even himself mad. Sherlock supposes there is a lesson to be learned here about having himself to blame, but of course he blames Mycroft.

I can’t pretend by Salambo06 (E, 7,692 w. || Fake Relationship, Victor Trevor, Jealous John, Miscommunications, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Anal, BJs) – They had arrived more than a hour ago, and the moment they had walked inside the hotel reception, John had understood why Sherlock hadn’t wanted to come. Two men, posh suits and expensive watches on their wrists, had come to greet them with sharp remarks and badly hidden mockery, and John had seen red. Sherlock hadn’t said anything, mostly ignoring the two men entirely, and without thinking twice about it, John had slid an arm around Sherlock’s waist and introduced himself as his husband.

The T-Shirt Thief by allroadsleadbacktobakerstreet (T, 7,968 w. || Mutual Pining, Post Canon Fix It, Dev. Rel., First Kiss, Domestics) – Sherlock steals John’s t-shirt from the laundry. John catches him wearing it one evening, fluff ensues with an endeared yet teasing John?

To Quote Malcolm Tucker; or, Get The Fuck In or Fuck The Fuck Off by kim47 (T, 8,484 w. || Jealous Sherlock, Flirting, Cockblocking) – Sherlock is cockblocker and a prick tease and John is not amused.

Bread and Wine and Curry Once a Week by cwb (E, 8,737 w. || Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Stroppy Sherlock, Love Letters, POV John) – Sherlock asks John for relationship advice. Little does he know that it’s him that Sherlock is in love with.

Let You Kiss Me (So Sweet and So Soft) by out_there (G, 8,659 w. || Fluff, Kisses, Stroppy Sherlock, Confused John) – The first time Sherlock kisses him, John keeps his eyes open, and so does Sherlock, and mostly, he wonders what Sherlock could possibly be up to. There’ll be some logic to this. Some ridiculous experiment about body warmth or respiratory rates or testing a new way of picking pockets. Sherlock does the unimaginable for bizarre reasons, but behind it, there’s always logic and curiosity. Sometimes, it just takes him a while to explain it to John.

Illogical, even. by magikspell (E, 9,119 w. || Grey-Ace Sherlock, Character Study, Growing Up, Victor Trevor, Romance, First Time/Kiss, Sherlock-centric) – Five reasons Sherlock never believed in love and one reason he does now.

With This Ring by Quesarasara (E, 9,121 w. || Est. Rel., Marriage Proposal, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Idiots in Love, Embarrassing Hospital Visits) – Sometimes even the best of plans go wrong. And sometimes wrong turns out to be exactly right.

The Painted Man by jinglebell (E, 9,894 w. || Tattoos, Scent / Tattoo Kink, Rough & Tender Sex, Fluff and Smut, Obsessive / Jealous Sherlock, Touch Starvation) – Here stood John Watson – middle name, Hamish, ex-RAMC captain and field medic, favourite brand of jam: Duerr’s, preferred toothpaste: Mentadent. Loyal, steadfast, interesting John had just done the most unpredictable thing merely by being.John’s body was covered, neck-to-waistband, shoulder-to-elbow, in tattoos.

The Devil You Know by PipMer (T, 9,300 w. || Friends to Lovers, Romance, Holmes Brothers, Jealous Sherlock) – The Holmes brothers are behaving oddly. John is dazed and confused. In other words, it’s business as usual at 221B Baker Street. Except when it’s not.

Someone I Love by hudders-and-hiddles (M, 10,002 w. || Canon Compliant, HLV-Filler Fic, Pre-Slash, Jealous John, PIning Sherlock, Angst & Fluff, UST/URT, Dog Tags) – John gets married and Sherlock finds comfort in wearing John’s identity tags around his wrist.

The Thin Line by Odamaki (M, 10,809 w. || Virgin Sherlock, Awkwardness, Confessions, First Times, Anal) – John swallows. Keeps his eyes on Sherlock. Begs him not to ruin him.Sherlock leans forward over the witness box ever-so slightly, “I was distracted,” he informs the court, “by my partner, John Watson.”

A Terrific Soporific by antietamfalls (T, 11,269 w. || Bed Sharing, Sleepy Cuddles, Fluff, Insomnia, Experiments) – Sherlock, a long-time sufferer of insomnia, is forced to share a bed with John at a hotel while on a case. To his astonishment, he finds that spending the night next to John helps him sleep and becomes determined to maneuver himself back into John’s bed.

Back to the Start by slashscribe (M, 14,088 w. || Sherlock’s Violin, Pining Idiots, Fluff, Domestics) – Sherlock hasn’t played the violin since John’s wedding (which is long since over), and when John returns to 221B, Sherlock relearns the violin as he and John relearn each other. Post S3 fic with an obscene amount of pining, idiocy, and attempts to pawn off tea duties.

Speaker for the Bees by antietamfalls (M, 14,649 w. || Deaf Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Sign Language) – It isn’t always easy assisting a deaf detective. Luckily for John, they make a pretty good team.

Better Than One by Innerspace (E, 14,760 w || Threesome, Self-cest / Clone Sex, First Time, BJ’s, Power Play, Slight Dub-Con) – Sherlock creates a clone and discovers things about himself and John he never imagined. John is just along for the ride, so to speak. 

Till Death Do Us Part by prettysailorsoldier (M, 15,390 w. || Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Friends to Lovers, Fake Marriage, Christmas, Fluff) – When Sherlock links a recent spree of murder-suicides to a psychologist who specializes in marriage counseling, there’s really only one thing to do: Go undercover as a couple in hopes of drawing the killer out. Faking a relationship seems easy enough, but things take a turn when their real issues start to creep into the sessions, and, all the while, a killer is watching, waiting in the shadows for their chance to strike.

In A Changing Age by allonsys_girl (E, 15,590 w. || Victorian AU, Virgin / Demi Sherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Mild H/C) – Sherlock wakes up in the 19th century, with no idea how he got there.

Understanding by rizandace (T, 13K+ w. || Friendship, Hurt/Comfort) – Sherlock’s hiding something about his newest case, and John wants answers. Set post-TGG. Friendship fic, mostly, with brief entrances from Harry and Lestrade just for fun.

At the Edge of Desire by philalethia (E, 16,375 w. || Post S3, Pining, Arse Worship, Humour, First Kiss / TIme, Sexual Fantasy, Awkwardness) – While helping John move back in to the flat, Sherlock discovers a strap-on among John’s things. He finds the discovery considerably difficult to move past.

Pleasure to Burn by scullyseviltwin (E, 17,863 w. || Firefighter AU, Firefighter John / Arson Investigator Sherlock, Slow Burn, Pining, Case Fic-ish) – “If you’d kindly stop knocking about in there and destroying all of my evidence, it would be most appreciated!” John groaned and for a moment rested his head against the side of the truck. Of course he was the only captain left on the scene, which meant he would have to be the one to deal with the arson investigator.

For you, there’s only me by shock_blanket (E, 19,557 w. || Jealous Idiots, Virgin Sherlock, UST/RST, Pining, Miscommunication, First Kiss / Time, Insecure Sherlock, Masturbation) – Sherlock realizes he has fallen in love with John, but believes he is unlovable. Cue lots of pining and jealousy on Sherlock’s part, followed by our favorite cuddly marksman making it all better. Because for Sherlock, there’s only John.

A Life Well-Lived by Kate_Lear (E, 20,121 w. || Original Male Character, Sherlock Woos John, Jealous Sherlock, Reluctant Bi-John, Past Abuse, Insecure John, Reassuring / Caring Sherlock, Protective Sherlock, Understanding Sherlock) – John got scared off men by an abusive past relationship. Sherlock has to try and woo him while not scaring him off with protective possessive rage.

Achieving the Together-Coloured Instant by teahigh (E, 20,776 w. || Est. Rel, PTSD, Codependency, Fluff & Angst, H/C, Smut, Demisexual Sherlock, Experiments) – John wonders if this is how it’s going to be: A life speaking in code, because they’re both too stupid to figure out how to say, “I love you.”

Winter’s Delights by Kate_Lear (E, 21,173 w. || Holmes Family, Christmas, Fake Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Bed Sharing, Domestics) – Sherlock takes John home for Christmas to meet the extended Holmes family. Part 1 of Winter’s Delights

Brief Conversations with the Woman by May_Shepard (E, 21,906 w. || Pining, Love Fairy Irene, Filler Fic, UST/URT, Drug Use, Clueless Sherlock, Relationship Advice, Angst w/ Happy Ending) – Sherlock has a puzzle to solve, and his name is John Watson.

Knotted by naughtyspirit (E, 23,166 w. || UST/URT, Cuddling, Sharing Body Heat, Confessions, Kissing, Mastrubation, Frustration, BAMF!John) – John has to cancel a date because of Sherlock’s case, which leads them to be tied up in a basement from which they have to escape. They get wet, get tied up close and John has to step up and save them. Because he’s pretty. And hot. And just a little bit of a BAMF. 

Tomorrow’s Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)

State of Flux by Atiki (E, 24,655 w. || Sherlock POV, Slow Burn, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Cuddles and Snuggles, Awkwardness, Insecure/Virgin Sherlock, Romance) – John’s marriage is over and he is finally back home (i.e. at Baker Street, where he belongs). Sherlock is awfully insecure and John is awfully hesitant, and they’re both awkward idiots, of course, but they figure it out. Many First Times happen.

Among the Secret Things by Kate_Lear for coloredink (E, 26,073 w. || Angst, Drama, Amnesia) – Sherlock would be the last person to describe himself as given to flights of fancy, but at the look on Lestrade’s face he could swear that something inside him curls up and dies. Part 1 of Among the Secret Things

A Study In Auto-Signatures, Sniper Dolphins, and Sex Holidays by cwb (E, 32,690 w. || Case Fic, Post S3, Evil Mary, Dev. Rel., Honeymoon, Epistolary, Bottomlock, First Kiss / Time, Fluff, Secret Agents, BAMF!John) – John and Mary go on their sex holiday, and Sherlock is grumpy and pining about it. Part 1 of HOT DOLPHIN SEX

The Midas Touch by flawedamythyst (E, 32,231 w. || Magical Realism, John has a Magical Cock, Dub Con, Healer John) – John Watson has a medical condition that means everyone he sleeps with is instantly healed of all illness and injury. This causes complications when Sherlock breaks his arm, and even more complications when Sherlock falls in love with him. Yes, this is a story where John has a literal magic healing cock. It’s a lot less cracky than you’re probably imagining. Warning: Contains complex issues of sexual consent, although not between Sherlock and John.

Bedtime Stories by Liketheriver (M, 34,388 w. || Emotional H/C, Romance, Angst & Humour, Bed Sharing, John First Person, TRF, John Whump) – John’s POV during Season 2 and beyond when Sherlock takes up semi-permanent residence in his bed. A collection of codas and missing scenes wrapped up into one long fic and topped with a bow that takes the story beyond Reichenbach and into happy territory once more. Part 1 of Bedtime Universe

The Wrong Wagon by DancingGrimm (E, 35,663 w. || Alternating POV, MollyxJohn [Molly pines for John], Public Sex, Casual Sex, Obliviousness, BAMF!John, Awkwardness, Angst & Humour, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) – Molly sees John in a new light and realises that she may have hitched her horse to the wrong wagon…or something like that. John pines for Sherlock and worries what he will think if he ever finds out. And Sherlock doesn’t know what Molly’s up to…but he knows he doesn’t like it.

Classified(s) by blueink3 (E, 36,153 w. || Wedding Date AU || Fake Relationship, Jealous, PIning, H/C, Idiots in Love, Happy Ending, Mary is not Nice) – Clara’s American father is the ambassador to some such territory that Great Britain probably used to own, but she (and Harry’s undying love for her) is the reason John is getting on a flight at 12:30pm, flying across the second largest ocean in the world, and pretending to be in a perfectly happy, healthy relationship with an undoubtedly perfectly coiffed stranger. See, Clara is not only American (and wealthy to boot), she’s also best friends with John’s ex-fiancée. Whom she’s placed in the wedding party. As Maid of Honor. And John just happens to be Best Man. Bloody brilliant.

Goodness Gives Extras by mydwynter (E, 39,629 w. || Fluff & Angst, Case Fic, Oral / Anal, Humour, First Time, Miscommunication, Snark, Christmas) – Christmas time. ‘Tis the season to settle down with a drink, some food and a present or two, and to enjoy the quiet relaxation of the holiday. Instead, there’s a case that drags them all over, missing presents, disappointed kids, angry parents, and a freak snowfall. On top of that John has to deal with Sherlock, who is being even more of a prat than usual. He really shouldn’t have expected anything different.

There’s Someone On Your Shoulder by halloa_what_is_this (NR, 41,215 w. || Pining Sherlock, Introspection, Daydreams, Sherlock Loves John So Much it Hurts) – Sherlock trips and falls head over heels in love, makes a lot of lists and stares, stares, stares.

The Semantics of Crop Circle Formation: a case study by Sherlock Holmes [unpublished] bycanolacrush (M, 41,710 w. || Sherlock POV, Aliens, Wordplay, Casefic) – “Look at these photographs,” I said, gesturing to the wall of crop circles. “What do you observe?”“Crop circles,” John replied.“Obvious. What else?”“Are…are those intestines surrounding them?”“Yes. The majority are bovine and ovine in origin. The farmers who have acquired these crop circles in their fields have also had a tenth of their livestock murdered and arranged thus.”“Why?” John said, presumably in a rhetorical fashion. I detest rhetorical questions. “That is what I must find out, John.”

The Case of the Vanishing Pants by SwissMiss (E, 44,025 w. || Five and Ones, Friends to Lovers, Case Fic, Homophobia, UST, Post-TRF) – Five times John and Sherlock lost their pants in the course of a case.

The Norwood Love Builders by flawedamythyst (T, 47,798 w. || Fake Relationship, Slow Burn, Post TRF Angst) – Sherlock and John go undercover to solve the murder of Joanna Oldacre, but things are complicated by the many feelings John has been repressing in the wake of Sherlock’s faked death and return.

Triage by scullyseviltwin (E, 51,612 w. || Character Injury, Introspection) – Sherlock’s mind goes exceedingly, devastatingly quiet and gray-blank. When he speaks it’s through a thick haze, it’s through molasses, he’s so disconnected from the words that it may as well be the unconscious shooter speaking.

In the Dark Hours by hubblegleeflower (E, 51,639 w. || Friends to Lovers, Unreliable Narrator, Closeted Bi John, Angst, Miscommunications, Slow Burn, First Time, John’s Blog / Epistolary) – John, wounded and silent, drifts back to Baker Street for healing…and then goes home again. He visits, gets more upbeat, chattier, smiles, jokes… and still goes home again. Sherlock wants him to move back in - it just makes sense - but John shows no signs of doing so. This is the story of how John and Sherlock learn to say what needs to be said when they’re both so very, very rubbish at talking.

Spare Change by Ermerness (E, 51,966 w. || Rich Holmeses AU || First Kiss / Time, Holmes Family, Virgin Sherlock, Anal, First Meetings) – The Holmes family is one of the richest and most powerful in England. Sherlock spends his time flying around the world on the family’s private jet drinking a lot and shopping at expensive boutiques as a way of trying to alleviate his endless boredom. His mother decides it’s time he settles down with someone powerful, wealthy and well connected. John Watson happens to be none of those things.

Albion and the Woodsman by Glenmore (E, 54,437 w. || Post S3 || Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Angst, Family, Drug Use, Depression, Sherlock POV) – Sherlock and John are devastated after Mary Morstan makes her final moves. Sherlock relapses at the crack house, John walks around the world … and a lot happens in between. Parentlock, in the good way.

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands by J_Baillier (T, 67,085 w. || Three Garridebs, Heavy John Whump, Hurt / Comfort, Pining, Heavy Angst, Case Fic/Adventure, Slow Burn, Sick Fic, Injury, Guilt & Depression, Just Talk Already Please, Medical Realism, PTSD) –  John getting injured leads Sherlock on a path of guilt and revelations.

Darkling, I Listen by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 73,254 w. || Fairy Tale AU || Loosely Based on Beauty and the Beast, Magical Realism, Suicidal Themes, Romance, Creepiness, Adventure) – No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse… Part 1 of Darkling I Listen + Extras, Deleted Scenes

A Fold in the Universe by darkest_bird (E, 152,869 w. || Omegaverse / Prime Universe Crossover || OmegaJohn / AlphaSherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Angst, H/C, Dub Con, Humour) – Alpha Sherlock and Omega John are in a relationship. Prime Sherlock and Prime John are not. So what happens when a freak fold in the universe switches one John for the other?

Performance In a Leading Role by Mad_Lori (E, 156,714 w. || Hollywood / Actor AU, Secret Relationship, Falling in Love, Slow Burn, Romance, Coming Out, Fluff and Angst, Pining) – Sherlock Holmes is an Oscar winner in the midst of a career slump. John Watson is an Everyman actor trapped in the rom-com ghetto. When they are cast as a gay couple in a new independent drama, will they surprise each other? Will their on-screen romance make its way into the real world? Part 1 of Performance in a Leading Role

[mojoflower]

Magical/Mage/Spark Stiles fic recs (90%Sterek, 5%Steter)

A Moving Sea Between the Shores by foxtricks (knightofbows) M.  26k.  Complete.  They're so fucked. They fucked up so bad. And it's all Stiles' fault." // Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." - Khalil Gibran 

What delicious torture and pain and mistakes and regret and fear and suspense, unf. Stiles, it turns out, is quite a powerful mage, but he DOES make a small miscalculation... which very nearly leads to the deaths of the whole pack, to his imprisonment and torture. If only he and Derek had Bonded first, they might not have fallen to this point. But they hadn't....

Chapters alternate from what leads up to the Fuck Up and what follows. Derek is a good Alpha, Stiles is a good Emissary, but each thinks the other deserves better than what they could offer. Fully satisfying ending with sufficient comfort.

Dream of Life Again by BarlowGirl E.  18k.  Complete.  “You better be ready,” Lydia says as she cleans dirt out from under her nails with an antiseptic wipe. Stiles can smell the lemon scent even from where he stands a few feet away. She’s probably going to end up covered in blood in a few moments, but she likes to be in control in any way she can, so he doesn’t tease her about this. “It’s time to start.” // “I’m ready,” Stiles says and he’s pretty sure it’s not even a lie. Hopefully. // Scott, Stiles, and Lydia each sit at one point of the triskelion that Lydia’s drawn on the tarp. The center is a tight knot of some language Stiles had never even heard of before this, written in ink in tiny writing. It’s beautiful and also makes him slightly nauseated. Lydia makes both cuts, so the blood drops from Stiles’ arm and Scott’s, too, into the center of the triskelion. There’s wolfsbane on Scott’s knife, not enough to make him sick, but enough to keep him from healing too quickly. // It’s a surprisingly simple thing, after that, for what they’re doing. Blood, a few words, and a little magic. // Just those things, and, for the first time in three years, Laura Hale gasps in a breath. // Or: Resurrected Laura!!!

What an interesting story. It felt strangely... clinical?... distant, maybe. Stiles is very removed from everyone, and there's alot of teasing in the beginning as to why (we never DO learn the full story there). Any road, Stiles has a connection to some veerry powerful magic, but doesn't really want to think about it too much, much less admit it. Meanwhile, he continues with his distant-yet-close relationship with the pack, and his strange dance with Derek, and just. It was very interesting.

Such Things Don't Bear Repeating by Allizane E.  25k.  Complete.   A wizard, a wolf, and a boy. Or: spells and magic can never truly substitute for strength. (Harry Potter AU, in triplicate.)

This was beautiful, flowed like poetry, kind of. Three parts, three points of view, and we slowly watch Stiles grow, watch his powers develop. I never did figure out what he was supposed to be: he's a bit sociopathic, but has every reason to be (he's missing his tongue when Deaton first finds him.) I probably wouldn't have read it if I'd noticed the dark!Stiles tag, but the story didn't really come across that way. More wild!Stiles, and the future's wide open. ******* So Derek takes the twisted threads of blood and bone and fire (because they’d all tasted like ash to the wolf, like someone was already burning them up), he takes them and ties the loose ends to Stiles, because what else is there to do?

The Long Way Round by exclamation E.  180k.  Complete.  A magical accident sends Stiles back in time. Now he's stuck in New York, living with Derek and Laura, and the only way to get back to his own time is to learn to use magic. Meanwhile, he must figure out how much he can tell them about their future. Can he warn them about the dangers they face? Can he change his own past?And can he trust the creature known as Bookworm, who seems to know him better than he knows himself?

oh. my. fucking. god.

this is astonishing.

The one where Stiles is MAGIC, whoa, that is such a focus, and he's powerful, and you get the learning montage and everything. (He's also the ouroboros, which explains how he got sent back in time to hang out with Derek and Laura when they're living in New York.) The one with the dragon, Bookworm, and the magic shop, and the accidental coven, and the vengence ghost, and where Derek is a dancer at a club (lol) and ALL THE GOOD THINGS.

i am addicted to death (so remind me what it’s like to live) by cywscross T.  18k.  1/2 but it reads like it’s complete.   Stiles is sixteen years old. He has already died seventy-eight times.

Holy shit. (This says 1/2, but it's tight and complete, no worries.)

Magic Marker by Batwynn G.  3k.  Complete.  Look, just because he’s magical, doesn’t mean Stiles has to be an adult, right? // Where Scott keeps quoting Spider Man when he comes in the room, his dad keeps getting that pinched look around his eyes when he accidentally turns the microwave into a portal to another timeline, Lydia has stopped wasting her breath by heaving great, disappointed sighs at him, and Derek… Derek tells him to get it out of his system somewhere not here. Which is actually pretty nice, for someone with such judgmental eyebrows.

I would SO love to get a bigger peek into this world, heh.

In Which Stiles is Secretly Magic by apocryphal T.  27k.  Complete.   All Stiles wants from life is to learn to control his magic, keep his grades up, and not die horribly while saving Beacon Hills from supernatural threats. It's all going pretty well until Derek Hale, werewolf extraordinaire, has to go and ask him on a date. That asshole.

lol... stiles is a hoot.

Attach me to your world by artisan447  E.  27k.  Complete. Turns out Stiles is magic. He's as surprised about that as anyone.

Sweet, sexy and intense: everything you want a surprise bonding fledgling magic fic to be.

Growing Up, Growing Strong by cywscross T.  10k.  Complete.   Stiles is adopted by the Hales.

Lovely series of snapshots. Stiles at 10 saves the Hales, but loses his dad, and Talia takes him in, but it's Peter he attaches to. There's selective mutism, slow integration, kidnapping, self-rescue, discovery of magic (spark), and he's 16 in the end, but I think the rating could have easily remained a G. (We'll have to use our imaginations for the rest.)

Red Witch by rootbeer  T.  34k.  Complete.  The red hair of a banshee. The red eyes of an alpha. The red hoodie of a mage. The red of fire burning.Derek Hale has been a prisoner to the hunters since they burned his family alive. But now someone has come to save him: skinny, defenseless Stiles--147 lbs of skin and fragile bones. Turns out, sarcasm isn't his only weapon.

Ah, this hit the spot. Derek's a mess, poor baby, he's spent years locked in a cell in isolation being taunted by Kate when Stiles shows up as a captive in the next cell. It's about everything you'd want. (I love the protective fire around Derek, it's perfect.) Stiles is a BAMF, Derek is a beta. And those stories about the Red Witch and his/her companions? Not just fairy tales.

Children's Tales by artemis69 G.  5k.  Complete.  Be careful, little girl. // Don’t go causing troubles in Beacon Hills, because the Hales live there, little girl. // Keep away from Beacon Hills, little girl, or the Hales will destroy you. // --Or: In a world where the Hales are alive and the protectors of the town of Beacon Hills, the humans politely fake ignorance of their not-really-human status, and they all live happily ever after. // Then Kate comes in. // Well. // Tries to.

How much did I love this story, omg, it's kind of hilarious: Kate (POV) goes Hale-hunting and is thwarted at EVERY TURN because the whole damn town knows who she is, and who Derek is, and the character descriptions are so funny: "The annoying other kid is still there and both of them are mowing the lawn of a little white house. Hale is very focused, working methodically in parallel strips. His friend is running in circles around a rose bush like a rabbit on cocaine."

Inhuman History by Amazonia_8 E.  32k.  7/?  Stiles doesn't remember much about what happened the night he was to be introduced to the mysterious Hale family. He knows his mother is dead, but nobody can tell him why. He thinks it might have something to do with the things that happen to him, or that he can make happen, even though he's never been able to control it. Now it's just him and his father, an invalid he must spend all his time caring for, scraping by in a run down house in a run down town, miles away from the life he once knew. // Until strange things begin to happen, starting with the great black wolf that shows up at his door and the stranger man that claims he knows his father. Claims that Stiles is in danger and that it is his duty to protect him.

Hooooly guacamole. This one is a RIDE, I'm pretty sure I only breathed once in the whole first half. Only 7 chapters written, and it looks like it'll stay that way, and the story isn't NEAR complete, but you do get to end on a very satisfying sex scene, and this author is so good that even a glimpse into this world she's building is worth the time you put in to read it. The first chapters are such a tease, with references to things like John being paralyzed and mute, and Stiles having flashing memories of 'before', and it doesn't get explained for a while (it does eventually, tho, don't worry), and wow, it's just fantastic.

The Road Less Traveled by gryvon E.  25k.  Complete.   Stiles doesn't want to die in a basement. No one is going to die in the Argent's basement, not if he can help it.

ALL the Stiles!whump and hurt/comfort (although the comfort for the first round of hurt is rest-of-pack rather than Derek, but it's totally emotionally satisfying. This is the one where Stiles starts practicing magic by twiddling a pencil and then gets to firebomb some ghoul-things in the cemetery.

Night Owls Early Birds by Lissadiane T.  24k.  Complete.  Confession: Stiles is afraid of having magic. // The Spark had been cool. It had been small, manageable. He could do some funky stuff with Mountain Ash, all with the power of belief. // And now here he is, his Spark blown wide open, apparently coming down with a fatal case of magical overload, and all that stands between him and bleeding out is a grumpy owl that looks suspiciously like a feathered version of Derek Hale. // (In which Stiles learns he's a witch, but instead of a wand and a trip to Diagon Alley, he gets blood magic, a grumpy and reluctant owl as his companion, and an accidental blood bond with Derek Hale.)

Oh. This was... really intense, I wasn't expecting that, somehow, the summary made it seem kind of funny. Stiles' magic is no fucking joke, and it LITERALLY tears him apart sometimes, like, peeling his hands inside out and crushing them kind of thing... and all the extraordinary pain that goes with it. When they say blood magic, that means there's gallons of it everywhere. Which is AMAZING, and the intensity is wonderful, don't get me wrong, it's unique among the 'Stiles discovers he is magic' stories, because it really does seem more like a curse than a gift. Steve the owl is a hoot (lol), and Derek's quiet loyalty and fierce protectiveness is lovely. It's a fantastic read, and so is its sequel.

In Which Stiles Finds He Much Prefers When Interesting Things Happen to Somebody Else by Zoom Zoom (PaperLillyWebs) T.  21k.  Complete.  “Finish what you start,” the skull rasps at him, making him jump. When he looks up, the skull is just as still as before.Loosely based on Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wayne Jones.

What a fun story! Stiles the apprentice is every bit of adorable, his Master Hale is a shadowy, mean kind of figure, and something's going on where none of the ends match up. The story borrows the Howl's Moving Castle world, but that's all, none of the story or characters. I love it.

How to please your house spirit by Lesatha  M.  14k.  Complete.  Derek startled awake in the middle of the night. For a split second he didn’t know why, then as he felt a strange weight on his chest, he raised his head and looked down. And stayed speechless. // There was a tiny creature, barely the size of Derek’s whole hand, sitting on him. It had a human shape, from what Derek could see.It looked furious.

ohmygod this is infinitely adorable, Stiles is a (murderous, multitasking, shapeshifting) little shit (so is Peter) and Derek is utterly wrapped around his (occasionally) tiny finger.

Of Werewolves and Tentacles by Guede E.  173k.  Complete.   Stiles Stilinski and Scott McCall, childhood best friends who were separated, now reunite to get to know each other again. Since Scott's a werewolf and Stiles is a new graduate of Miskatonic University (which is proving strangely attractive to Peter-Hale-shaped werewolves), they've got quite a bit to catch up on.

So glorious. A lot of fun to read, lots of action and complexity and I know basically nothing about Lovecraft, and that didn't matter at all. Stiles is great in this, very pushy, very much an asshole, and still got that old insecurity inside... which, coincidentally, is very much what Peter is like. They're a lovely match. (The fifth story introduces Derek into their dynamic, but only in the end, and, sadly, we never get the sexin' for that -- aside from some strange dreams in Part 6 -- cause it would be delicious.)

And what are the odds that I'd read two sentient house fics in the same month? (The other being the equally fabulous When sparks fly by LunaCanisLupus_22. Sentient house is in Part 5 and isn't very friendly.)

The Foul Rag and Bone Shop of the Heart by WritersAreLiars M.  35k.  6/?  “Stiles. Did I just watch you sell that man a hex-bag full of crushed caffeine pills and rocks from our own parking lot?” // “I threw in some sage too.” // -Stiles may have lost his job and his place as Alan's Mastery student, but at least his former teacher had the decency to set up an introduction to Peter Hale, werewolf and necromancer. // It looked like Stiles wasn't as done forming impossible infatuations on his teachers as he thought. // (At least this time he's legal.)

Entirely delightful and unique... author creates a fantastic world and Stiles' blithe abandon of traditions works very well with Peter's scheming. Worth reading even if it's never finished.

You Only Live Once...or Twice by WonderWolf E.  33k.  Complete.  “Anything,” Derek’s eyes are determined, boring into Stiles’.Stiles huffs a laugh, “Careful there, big guy. Don’t want to be promising anything to every necromancer you meet. Some might ask for your soul or someth—” // “I’ll give you my soul to bring her back,” Derek says, his voice steady and strong with resolve, “if that’s what you want.” // Stiles’ mouth gapes open for a moment before his brain kicks into gear and he stutters out, “N-no, I don’t ask for that. I only ask for money.” // (Or the one in which Stiles is a necromancer who needs help stopping a rogue alpha and Derek is the solution, but at what cost?)

Interesting premise.

Red String verse by gryvon E.  13k.  Completed works, incomplete series.  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.

Everything about this series is perfection. How Peter is so utterly astonished and appalled at the age difference. How Stiles turns out to be tremendously and precociously magic. The sexual tension when Stiles gets tired of waiting (and Peter goes to the station to turn himself in, lol.

Those Are The Days That Bind Us by s_a_m  M.  63k.  Completed works, incomplete series.  His father wasn’t stupid. He was an officer of the law, trained to look for patterns. He confronted Stiles about werewolves and they shouted and Stiles tried to explain but his father was so, so, so mad, more mad than Stiles had ever seen him, ever in all his life and then his father looked at him and said,“It’s like you’re not my son anymore.” // And Stiles broke.

Really good.  Poor bb Stiles, life generally sucks hard.  When he leaves, he has a lot of adventures and new friends that I DON'T instinctively dislike (what can I say, I'm very loyal to my OTP:  I generally hate it when they split up and one of them seems to move on).  There's VERY little Derek in this, even though about 50% of the story is in Beacon Hills both before and after the 7 years of running away.  Maybe part 3 will have a little more Sterek.  But, yeah, Stiles is badass, so that's awesome.  The author writes well and the story moves quickly.

Professional Werewolf Witch by reptilianraven G.  5k.  Complete.  "Are you going to buy anything else?" Professional Eyebrows says and Stiles would like to buy him. A cup of coffee. On a date. // He just ends up pointing at the crate of whatever the fuck is behind Professional Eyebrows' head and says, "Uh, a box of that stuff." // P.E. turns, glances at the crate, and raises an eyebrow at Stiles. "You want a box of charmed rattlesnake tail?" God, magic is so fucking weird. // "Yeah." Stiles nods because he's making an ass out of himself. The hipster vampire browsing in the corner is not so subtly laughing at him. The sooner he leaves the better. // -The one where Derek Hale is a Professional Werewolf Witch who owns a magic shop and Stiles fails at being smooth on a regular basis.

so fucking funny

I Know Where Babies Come From, Derek by DiscontentedWinter M.  52k.  Complete.  Stiles finds a baby on the porch.It looks exactly like him. // Well, this is awkward.

Funny and unique and gripping (and there's one part that's simply fucking heartbreaking, god every.time. I bawl like a baby). I love this so much. It's totally one of my return-again-and-again-comfort-fics (even though there's very little that's slow-paced and domestic about it).

When sparks fly by LunaCanisLupus_22 E.  87k.  Completed stories, unfinished series, but that doesn’t matter.  “Derek,” Stiles thunders. “Were you ever going to tell me your house is trying to hook us up?” // Derek's head snaps up, eyes wide and scenting the evident crackle of magic in the air. // Or the one where spark!Stiles moves into an enchanted apartment block owned by a grumpy alpha and is completely oblivious to the building's efforts to matchmake them.

OH, golly, I love this, it's so funny and fabulous and unique and THE HOUSE, GOD, I LOVE THE HOUSE, it really is all up in everybody's business. Don't worry about the chapters x/? Each chapter is its own complete storyline, so feel free to jump in any time, you'll never feel like you've been left hanging. I absolutely LOVE the irreverent (and yet, very well-conceived and detailed) urban fantasy vibe. And I love every character just the way I like to.

(Just read another fic with a sentient house (fifth story) and urban fantasy tones: Of Werewolves and Tentacles by Guede, which was a delight.

Untamed by rosepetals42 T.  28k.  Complete.  Of course, the transfer kid gets mentioned because transfers are rare, but the news isn’t that exciting. In fact, according to Laura, no one even seems to know his first name. The only thing anyone has really figured out about him is that he’s American. And that’s not exactly hard because he obviously has an accent. // The only thing Derek really knows is that, despite other reports, he seems quiet enough, prefers to work alone, and has the most amazing shade of amber eyes that Derek has ever seen. // Not that he’s looking. Obviously. // OR: A Harry Potter AU where Stiles is a Slytherin transfer student and Derek is the grumpy Gryffindor who falls in love with him. // There are also potions, elves, and falcons involved. Oh, and illegal use of magic. Obviously.

Best. This is the best Hogwarts/Teen Wolf AU I've ever read, hands down. All the feels.

A Wild Heart's Desire by mikkimouse  T.  13k.  Complete.  If there's one thing Stiles Stilinski knows, it's that Deputy Derek Hale absolutely Does Not Like him. The only reason Derek even tolerates him is because their kids are worryingly codependent. // So Stiles is understandably confused when a very feral Derek shows up in his backyard after a call gone wrong and proceeds to move in with him.

Aw, feral!Derek is so sweet. And so is Stiles. And both of them are hella oblivious.

A Life for a Life, Makes the Whole Wo rld Bound by augopher M.  91k.  Complete.   Stiles was lonely; there was no other way of putting it. The Nogitsune had left the pack a wary of him, not that they thought it had been his fault. No, they worried it would happen again. Once bitten, twice shy. // The morning after his 18th birthday, his torso was covered in mysterious green tattoos. He hadn’t been that drunk. He'd definitely remember that. Great. Something else to make him feel like a freak. Insomnia led him to his mother’s diary and a tale of how she helped an odd man once who gave her the warning, “Be careful of your wishes three." Everything clicked into place. // So...he was a djinni. He subtly changed things about himself. More muscle? Done. Better hair? Done and done. End his crippling insecurity? Done, done, done. He hid his new gift until he found himself bound to Derek. // With Deaton’s help, they translated meanings in his tattoos, but they were incomplete. A passage of his 'Rules and Regulations' was missing. Everything was fine dandy until Stiles’ new powers and penchant for mischief and karmic retribution threatened to destroy him, fracture his mind, and turn him into something which couldn’t be contained. // Could the pack save him in time, and at what price?

Court of the Bitter King by The Feels Whale (miscellea)  T.  7k.  Incomplete series, but that’s okay.  There’s a reason Stiles refuses point-blank to take off his shirt in public. That reason would be the massive number of …somewhat illegal tattoos he’s had done over the years.  //  It’s not that his dad doesn’t know about the tattoos, it’s more that his dad doesn’t like to think about them. It’s a mom thing or more precisely, it’s a ‘mom’s side of the family’ thing and Stiles’ maternal relatives make his dad very, very nervous.

Interesting. Dreamy and a little surreal. Third part is unfinished, but then, so are dreams, often.

The Time Travelling Werewolf's Confused Spirit Guide by The Feels Whale (miscellea) G.  5k.  Complete.  

Normally you don’t imagine yourself as living in the dystopian future that hapless time travelers accidentally stumble into. // Or: that one where Stiles learns the hard way that reality is not static, time is not a river, and sometimes the way things are is not the way they were supposed to be.

Sweet and weird. And it all worked out in the end, but I'd miss asshole Derek.

Her Blood on His Bones by secondstar  E.  123k.  Complete.  Stiles may be cursed but that doesn’t mean he’s going to lay down and die. He’s going to fight. He won’t stop, he can’t stop. If he does, they win.  [Daemons, Dark Materials universe.]

Aching for you by LittleRedEmissary T.  45k.  Complete.  When Stiles tries to cast a protection spell on Derek and accidentally casts a spell much stronger than either of them expected, the duo has to relearn everything that they've learned about protecting the pack, because the old methods won't do anymore. With the infamous Winchesters coming to town Derek hopes that the hunters will just drive through town, but the pack has never been good that laying low.

Love this. God, Dean's an asshole. But he gets better.

Writ in Hecate's ink on willing skin by Lenore M.  6k.  Complete.   "As you're always so fond of pointing out, you're the alpha. When bad shit happens to you, it affects all of us. If someone wants to use your alpha mojo or your wolf force or," Stiles waves his hand, "whatever you want to call it for diabolical purposes? We need to be ready."

Beacon Hills Mysteries  by miss_aphelion  T.  80k.  Complete.  Stiles appears alone at the doors of the emergency room the morning after the full moon, covered in blood with a deep slash torn across his left side. He's suffering from hypovolemic shock and barely conscious and he won't tell anyone what happened—not his hospital appointed psychiatrist, not his father. Not even his pack. // The list of suspects is disconcertedly short. There were only seven others in the woods with Stiles that night: Derek, Scott, Boyd, Erica, Isaac, Jackson and Allison. And none of them remember the night in quite the same way.

My note for the second story:  Whoa, so intense and stressful and simply amazing. Really, this whole series is the bomb. (Even with no sex!) And super!magic!Stiles like whoa.

Patterns of Intention by drunktuesdays E.  17k.  Complete.  Derek looked like the stuff of his deepest fantasies. His shirt was rumpled where Stiles had his hands in it, and he was breathing hard as well, chest heaving. His eyes—his eyes were glazed over and he looked stunned, like he’d been—like Stiles had—“No,” Stiles said, blood draining from his face. The word was croaky and felt like it had to be wrenched out of his chest. “God, no.”

The one where Stiles' magic is expressed verbally, and he starts to think he magically is making Derek want him back.

No spell quite like your smile by charimiel T.  29k.  Complete.  "I’m Stiles by the way. I’d shake your hand, but the stuff on my hands isn’t actually ink and I don’t want to subject anyone else to that.” .... Derek’s really just exuding an aura of ‘what the fuck is wrong with this guy’. Stiles gets that a lot actually.OrThe one where Stiles owns a magic shop and Derek probably regrets coming back to Beacon Hills right about now.

Cute.

From Here On by Isa_Iadel M.  97k.  Completed stories, incomplete series.  Stiles Stilinski hasn't been Sheriff for very long and dealing with the aftermath of the attack against the Hales ends up being far more complicated than he ever could have imagined.

Crazy good story, incredible and original world building (really, SO original), and Stiles is magic! to the max and totally wonderful protector of the town and all the characters, OCs and those well-loved, are just amazing. (Derek is underdeveloped, which is a pity, but everyone else is so riveting that it's alright.) Can't wait for the next installment.

B.S.T.P.H.T. by dornfelder E.  27k.  Complete.  Before Derek has the presence of mind to object, Stiles pushes the paper in his hands and makes for his jeep. “Just read it, okay?” is the last thing he says before slamming the door shut. // He starts the engine, and drives away in record time with gravel scrunching under his tires while Derek stands there dumfounded. He accelerates unusually fast, and the jeep’s back lights disappear into the night.What. The. Fuck.

dream-walker by hoars E.  5k.  Complete.   This is not the behavior Stiles was expecting from a werewolf he’s been dream invading. To be honest, Stiles expected more blood, bruises and begging. He was not expecting creepy Derek to go to sleep next to him.

Vision without action is just a dream. by Mynuet   T.  17k.  Complete.  Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. (Joel Barker) // Stiles has never known how to leave things well enough alone. If the root of their unhappiness is Derek losing the love of his life, then that's the problem Stiles is going to fix, no matter what it takes. He probably should have realized that things never go according to plan."

Perfect!

How I Met My Werebunny by Moku T.  20k.  Complete.  “This is going to end in tears,” Scott told Derek while he watched the man easily lifting Stiles’ desk up with one hand and driving nails into the ceiling with the thumb of the other. “Probably mine.” // Or:When a Stiles and a Failwolf love each other very much, they’ll engage in a prank war. Basically, it's a mating ritual for dorks in love.

So precious!

Shakespeare Was a Wolf by mommymuffin Unrated.  (I’d rate it an M.)  40k.  (Incomplete series, but that’s fine.)  Derek gets turned into a wolf by a witch. Naturally, he expects Stiles to fix it.

“To say that Stiles flailed before he hit the ground in the most spectacular display of falling down the world has ever seen would be a gross understatement.”

Spark by rispacooper  M.  10k.  Complete.  Derek had never actually seen Stiles in his full dragon form. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The first time Derek had properly met Stiles, spoken with him, he’d had a hard time not reacting to the heat of him, far too reminiscent of the lick of flames at Derek’s skin. Dragons exuded heat, Derek had known that, intellectually. They might look like cold-blooded reptiles but they were creatures of fire.

Derek did not have good memories of fire. Stiles couldn’t have been expected to remember that, but it hadn’t helped that he’d focused on Derek with those impossibly wide eyes of lustrous brown and then let out of a puff of marijuana-scented breath and announced he’d take Derek instead of a sandwich.

Lord knows it would be the first time by uraneia  E.  12k.  Complete.  Stiles is home from Berkeley for the summer, but only because he promised the pack. He'd rather not see Derek, because whatever the thing was that they were doing, they're not doing it anymore, and it sucks. // Unfortunately, he doesn't have a choice. The betas tried a magical remedy for Derek's melancholy, and now Stiles has a three-year-old who looks like Derek. Stiles doesn't know how to deal with that, and he definitely doesn't know how to tell the betas he and Derek were secret fuck buddies for a year and a half.

Another kidfic: ending has a nice twist.

Of Bananas, Babies and Buzzkills by calrissian18  T.  25k.  Complete.  “Are you, um—What are you doing back?” He looks as uncomfortable as Stiles feels and that’s some small consolation.“You know, the usual. Witches, I’m the highlander now, magic bananas.”

Oh, god, the one where Stiles magics up Protozooey, and he's SOO CUTE.

I was a little disappointed in the ending (little rushed), but ALL the rest of it is so delicious it's ok.

(Once in a) Blue Moon by clarkoholic, skywardsmiles  E.  60k.  Complete.   Stiles and Derek are getting along, but they’re not a family, and they’re sure as hell not mates. Christ, they’re basically just two stupid guys who happened to get pregnant because of a full moon and sheer dumb luck.

Oh, the angst, the pining, the guilt, the blame, the anger. Total pain-fest while we watch Stiles nearly die from the burden of the pregnancy. Lovely sweet ending, of course.

A Heart is a Heavy Burden by lielabell  T.  41k.  Complete.  In Which Stiles: is accosted by unhappy witches, becomes friends with fire demons, is rescued by darkly handsome wizards, discovers hidden inner depths, is introduced to princes, and finds true love. Though not necessarily in that order. // (Or the Howl’s Moving Castle AU fusion fic you never knew you wanted but are delighted to have.)

Hale's Moving Castle. (I need say no more.) -- not magic!Stiles, but wizard!Derek is just as good.

Haven't Forgotten My Way Home by tryslora E.  101k.  Complete.   Stiles walked away from Beacon Hills and never planned on coming home. Now he needs help, and there's nowhere else he can go other than back to his childhood home and the pack he left behind.

Great story: intricate, suspenseful and unique. It stands well on it's own, no need to read others in the series if you don't want to.

Stiles, why is Derek Hale passed out on our front porch? bymarguerite_26, mothlights  E.  4k.  Complete.  Stiles doesn't hear the knock on his front door, but he figures there must have been one, because now his dad's calling out to him, "Stiles, do you know why Derek Hale just passed out on our front porch?" // Stiles freezes, carton of milk half way to his mouth. He looks around the empty room, wondering if it has any answers. Derek Hale just passed out on his front porch -- sounds like one of the signs of the coming apocalypse.

Breathe Me by mommymuffin Unrated (I’d give it T or M)  127k.  Complete.

Stiles tries desperately, but the air just won’t come to him. He can’t do it himself. He needs someone. Someone to help him.

And Scott left him.

Fabulous series. Starts as a kind of one-shot, just Stiles-Derek-panic attack, but then the author, lo, encounters plot, and what a plot it is. I love this one, it's fast, doesn't stint on violence, the whole second half is one stressful situation after another, and there is Cor, the amazing wolf made out of the blood spilled between Stiles and Derek, which is a concept I haven't encountered before.

I would rate it an T or an M... there's sex, but it's not described in any detail.

Last Call by grimm  E.  6k.  Complete.   He doesn’t come to The Beacon to pick up people. It’s precisely the reason why he doesn’t go anywhere else. People in this neighborhood know him, know he’s not interested in being hit on, which allows him to have a drink in peace. Derek knows he’s good-looking, but the type of people it attracts disgust him. At least other werewolves can smell the unfriendliness on him and stay away, but that doesn’t stop everyone. He went to a gay bar with his coworker Isaac once and it was horrifying.

Dragon's Breath by trilliath  E.  56k.  Complete.   Between the hunters and the monsters that have interfered with life in Beacon Hills, the pack has had to learn a lot in the last few years, including Stiles teaching himself to practice magic in private. It's not exactly a secret from the pack, but it's not something he's shown much. When it comes time to put his skills to the test, Derek is the only one who finally gets to see Stiles's wild magic put to use saving Erica's life from a new threat in town. //  The aftermath changes something between them, and those tenuous lines tangling them together may mean the difference between life and death for them both.

Lovely, vivid and intense.

In Sanguinem Scriptum Est by secondstar  E.  31k.  Complete.   In order to stop a new onslaught of nightmares from plaguing him, Stiles decides to become an emissary. No longer defenseless, he begins to realize that not everything is as it seems.

Strut on a Line, its Discord and Rhyme by xiaq T, 73k.

“Carry me,” Stiles says.  //  “No.”  //  “But I’m injured.”  //  “You have a rash,” Derek says. “On your arm. Your feet work just fine.”  //  “Please?”  //  “No. You weigh almost as much as I do. And you ate a pound of chicken at lunch.”  //  "Well, yeah, but I pooped like an hour ago, so.”  //  “You’re disgusting.”  //  “Don’t play, you love me.”  //  I do, Derek thinks, relatively horrified. I really do.

Oh, wow, this was so fun:  such a fast read, it just never lagged for a moment.  Not that it's action-packed, because it isn't, but just because the story is so interesting and kept moving right along.  Lots of OCs in this (Paidrag, Teagan, Walsh) and they're fully realized and wonderful.  Stiles is a human adopted into a wolf pack that's been slaughtered a year earlier, and Derek and his dad are in Beacon Hills to help him recover from an extended kidnapping from demons.  Both of them are young (fifteen and later sixteen), so their interactions start out innocent.  Stiles is his usual self:  brash and loud and weirdly confident in himself.  Derek is shy and quiet.  They make a good pair.  Scott is the big brother who is suddenly a guardian.  I pretty much loved every part of this:  especially how Stiles magic just got stronger and stronger.

The Walls Are Breathing In by secondstar  E.  42k.  Complete.  Nothing could go wrong. It was just supposed to be a safe trip to the Nemeton. But this is Beacon Hills and things are rarely that simple. Welcome to the life of Stiles Stilinski.  // Or, that time that Stiles accidentally became a sorcerer against his will.

good story, and I loved the art (great colors)

Out Of Milk... by 74days  M.  88k.  Complete.   Derek Hale moved in with the Stilinskis after acting a hero, much to Stiles distress. However, things take a turn for the strange when his arrival coincides with some strange happenings in Stiles life - that will change the course of the pack forever.

Sooooo magic!Stiles. EXCELLENT story. The angst is strong in this one...

Salutations or Something by ravingrevolution  E.  155k.  Complete.  He needed an actual hobby outside of work where he would interact with actual people who did not live with him or talk to him through the internet or his phone. // Like yoga? His stupid mind supplied in an annoyingly accurate imitation of Scott’s voice. // Stiles sighed. // Like yoga. // “Fuck.”

"He was pretty sure that before he started doing yoga his life had not been an action movie sub-plot, but apparently things had changed. He really would have preferred to have starred in a romantic comedy, but he didn’t often get what he wanted." (Spark Stiles)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation by grimm  E.  119k.  Complete.  There's something weird about Beacon Hills that Stiles can't quite put his finger on. The way everyone in town knows his name the day he arrives. The way they insist the melancholic howling that echoes through the forest every night is just a dog. The way his dad denies getting a dog, even though Stiles comes home to find one sprawled across his bed, some big black thing whose eyes gleam red in the right light. The way that massive oak tree out in the woods vibrates under his touch, pulsing with sickly life. // There's something weird going on in this town, and Stiles is determined to get to the bottom of it.

hope is the thing with feathers by ShanaStoryteller T.  29k.  Complete.  Stiles is ten when he saves the Hales from their burning home and Derek from a wolfsbane bullet, and this establishes a pattern that seem to continue indefinitely."Then he's facing a burning home, and he wraps the hood of his sweatshirt around his mouth before he pushes the door open and steps inside. There's Mr. Hale asleep - he hopes asleep - on the couch, next to - Stiles thinks that's his brother but there are so many Hales, who can keep track. He rushes over and starts shaking him, can see the rise and fall of the man's chest so he knows he's alive, but he's not waking up. //  He shoves away his hood so he can shout, "Mr. Hale! You have to get up, there's a fire! Mr. Hale, get up!" Nothing, he's not even twitching, both of them taking in deep even breaths like they're having the most peaceful of rests, and Stiles is going to cry. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" //  There's a moment, where all Stiles can hear is the blood rushing in his ears and not the roar of the flames or the creak of wood, then with a violent, silent pop it's all back and both of the men are gasping awake, eyes open and jumping to their feet. "

This is awesome: It starts when Stiles is ten, and he finds himself drawn int the woods in time to pull the Hales from their burning house, and much magic is used on that day, and lo, Stiles is an extremely powerful mage. For all that he's very brave and snarky, he's also very laid-back, and so he rolls with the punches and allows himself to be adopted (more or less) into the Hale clan, even tho they're very, very weird. So for the next five years, he tags along, fights the good fight, discovering new powers along the way, grows a bond with Derek (who hates words, and hates feelings and hates combining the two even worse), keeps his oldest and bestest friend Scott (who is similarly chill about the whole thing), and just blossoms before your eyes. It's fabulous. (So is the whole series.)

Beltane by DevilDoll  E.  8k.  Complete.   "Watching Stiles heal someone has always been a little uncomfortable for Derek, like he's seeing something intimate and private that shouldn't have an audience. That's nothing compared to how it feels." This is an AU in which Stiles has magical healing powers.

Taking Leave by coyotl   M.  91k.  Complete.   Stiles leaves. It's not like he wanted to, ever, but he had to. Sure, there were choices, always. It's just that, sometimes, all the choices were bad ones.

fucking fantastic. stiles resembles a gaiman-esque saint or a god or something, on a dubiously moral killing spree for half the story. the writing is magical and gripping, and the story moves fast: gritty and bloody and unapologetic. unique and lovely.

Didn’t See That Coming by knittersrevolt E, 84k.

Stiles leaves Beacon Hills in the dust after he catches his husband cheating on him.  //  He finds his way to New York where he starts working for the Hale House Nursery, accidentally adopts a werewolf baby (through no fault of his own thank-you-very-much), and somehow starts training to be an Exorcist Emissary. So, in general, life was going good.  //  Then he hears that demons have found their way into his hometown. Can he face his inner demons and go back to save the day?

I love this story so much, it’s such a fast and engaging ride.  Plus, accidental baby acquisition, who doesn’t love that?  The one where Scott's a cheating jerk so Stiles basically runs away to upstate New York and gets a job at Hale's Nursery Preschool with Laura, and after a few months finds a woman giving birth in an alley, takes her to the hospital, and comes home with her baby when she dies.  Her werewolf baby (not that Stiles has any idea about that).  So now Stiles is the proud single parent of baby Sam.  He eventually moves in with Derek (because a hotel is no place for a newborn and Derek has an extra room).  Things develop over the next few months, and then the Alpha Pack shows up and Peter starts acting suspiciously.  Meanwhile, Stiles is getting magic lessons from Mee-Mee, who is a Demon Puller in addition to being the local supernatural pediatrician and druid.

They discover that a demon escaped the Alpha Pack and went to Beacon Hills -- along with Peter and the twins he kidnapped -- so Derek and Stiles have to pack up and follow it, right on the heels of his dad and Scott, who hired a private detective to find him.  Beacon Hills is interesting, Stiles starts up a body shop selling (magical) creams and ointments and navigates the social waters of a town who seemed not to care that he was cheated on.

Stand Fast in Your Enchantments by DevilDoll, Rahciach   E.  77k.  Complete.   "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.

Love this one so much!

[gffa]

If I say it every week, it’s still true every week: I am very much in utter love with STAR WARS fandom, it’s still filled with such talented and kind authors, there are still so many wonderful stories to read, and there are still some absolutely stellar stories being told here! There is so much to love in the movies and shows, but there’s always something special about a fandom who also really works with that and creates something magical–and that is exactly what SW fandom does every week! 

✦ Coda by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin & padme/sabe & cast, nsfw, modern au, ballet au, 65.3k   Anakin is an up-and-coming first soloist for the New York City Ballet Company, a brash, confident dancer with a smoldering sensuality to his technique and an electric smile that makes fangirl toes curl and quite possibly his choreographer’s. ✦ The Apprenticeship by Nny11, ahsoka & yoda & anakin & cast, 31.4k wip   The doors only open when a Master opens them for their Padawan, a subtle reminder to them that a student needs a teacher’s guidance and that teachers must let them go. The force thinks it’s rather funny when it alters history by forcing Master Yoda to take on a very young Ahsoka Tano as his Padawan. ✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 35.3k wip   For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone. ✦ untitled by fireflyfish, obi-wan/anakin/padme & luke & leia, 3k   Padme Amidala, Senator from the Chommel Sector, former Queen of Naboo and wife of retired Jedi General and Knight Anakin Skywalker looked up from where her son Luke was making snow angels to see her daughter, Leia, levitate a three foot in diameter ball of snow over her head. ✦ everything will glow for you by waterandsilver, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 2.4k   Sometimes when Anakin kisses, Obi-Wan has half a mind to remind him that he’s not in battle anymore. ✦ One of These Days by rogueleader, obi-wan/anakin & rex & cody & cast, 11.4k wip   In the middle of the Battle of Christophsis, Anakin and Obi-Wan’s forces are overwhelmed by the Separatists’ droid army, and their rescue ship is shot down. After crashing in the Christophsian wilderness, the Jedi must get themselves and their troops back to the city before the Separatists can catch up to them. ✦ Somewhere In Time by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, time travel, 25k wip   Anakin crashes on Tatooine and to his surprise finds Obi-Wan there. He learns he has travelled in time and ended up in a terrible future. ✦ hey there by retts, obi-wan/anakin, 4.6k   ‘Sick,’ says Anakin, stood in the doorway of Obi-Wan’s room aboard their ship. ‘You’re sick.’ ✦ Put That Thing Back Where It Came From by FireflyFish, obi-wan/anakin & cast, 1.6k wip   Anakin picked up something he really shouldn’t have and now he and Obi-Wan are on “medical leave”. ✦ Sun Kissed by Vee017, obi-wan/anakin & cast, nsfw, past sexual assault issues, 84.8k wip   Being on a world that supports slavery is one thing. Buying a slave and bringing him into Republic space is entirely another. ✦ untitled by darthcuddles, obi-wan/anakin, modern au, ~1k   There is something intoxicating about this place, and it’s not the whiskey or the music or the lights. It’s him. ✦ The Creche Master by avarand, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 14.8k   Anakin is found at fourteen and trains at the Temple for a non-Jedi role. Surprising no one, he decides to be Creche Master. And there’s a certain Knight who hangs around but that can’t happen. Can it? ✦ The Nature of Fire by Phosphorescent, anakin/padme & cast, 6.2k wip   “One Jedi, then,” Padmé offered to the others. At least let me speak the truth to my love. At least. Please, she pleaded with them silently. “There is one Jedi—one whom I truly know all of us can trust absolutely …” Her voice trailed off into appalled silence when she realized that she wasn’t talking about Anakin. ✦ Lightly, Lightly by DraloreShimare, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka, ~1k   Anakin may not be a Padawan anymore, but he could still use a lesson or two. full details + recs under the cut!

✦ Coda by lilyconrad, obi-wan/anakin & padme/sabe & cast, nsfw, modern au, ballet au, 65.3k   Anakin is an up-and-coming first soloist for the New York City Ballet Company, a brash, confident dancer with a smoldering sensuality to his technique and an electric smile that makes fangirl toes curl and quite possibly his choreographer’s.   Chapter 14: This is a rec that will be balanced between the current chapter and the fic as a whole, as it’s the final chapter! There will be some mild spoilers, but nothing you couldn’t figure out on your own, imo. So often when I read a modern AU, it can be difficult to capture the sense of engagement and charisma, the addicting drama necessary to keep me interested while still not feeling too forced, that instead it has a natural flow to the plot and the pacing. But this fic does that beautifully–where it ends up is exactly where it felt like it was going since the very first chapter, that the author had a plan and maybe it expanded or swerved a few times, but that the base foundation of the story was always headed exactly right here. And that made the experience of reading this fic all the more satisfying, so that when terrible things happened, I could enjoy the emotional impact of them, but I had absolute trust that I knew what I was getting when I walked into this story–and that never makes it boring, it’s the journey there just as much as it is the destination. And that means an AU where Obi-Wan and Anakin are in a modern setting, but the spirit of them is mapped onto this universe so well, that Anakin’s issues are that he falls in love so fast and sohard, that he explodes when he doesn’t know what to do, that he gives everything of himself. That Obi-Wan is reserved, but still waters that run deep, that he loves so genuinely and struggles to do what’s best for Anakin, precisely because he cares for him so much.   But it’s also the setting of the piece, which is the world of ballet dancers and choreographers, that is so lovely and there’s such a satisfying dance in the final chapter, that it’s all happy emotion and passion, that these two people have spent almost a novel’s worth of time working through their relationship’s ups and downs, to end on this note that’s perfect for them. That the resolution of it is exactly in the spirit of the original canon, their choices are ones that I felt their characters would make, ported over to this modern version of themselves. It’s not that the fic is without angst, because there is, even in the final chapter, a lot of difficult situations to work through, but ones that are natural to the characters, ones they would struggle with, that these choices and complications they’re faced with are ones they would have to navigate with some trouble, rather than feeling like they were just thrown in for the sake of drama. I believe that Ben would struggle with leaving without Anakin, because he felt it would ruin what Anakin had. I believe that Anakin would give up everything he worked so hard for, for love. I believe that they would struggle to not be together, to balance their careers versus their private relationship. But it’s never too much, it never had me rolling my eyes and telling them to get over themselves, because either it was reasonable or else it was entirely in character and I love them for being themselves.   It’s a softer fic, it’s a modern AU fic, but there’s a kind of magic this story had, one that was so easy to get swept up in, to become invested in, right along with the characters. It’s sweet and almost domestic, but it was charming as hell, genuinely so, and there was such obvious love and affection and sharpness written into these characters, it’s such a great pull between these two characters that they couldn’t stay away from each other, that you can feel the sheer amount of affection the author has for them and their relationship. And it was an entirely satisfying experience to read this fic, to read this final chapter, where everything works out exactly as it was always going to work out, the most fitting ending I could ask for! ✦ The Apprenticeship by Nny11, ahsoka & yoda & anakin & cast, 31.4k wip   The doors only open when a Master opens them for their Padawan, a subtle reminder to them that a student needs a teacher’s guidance and that teachers must let them go. The force thinks it’s rather funny when it alters history by forcing Master Yoda to take on a very young Ahsoka Tano as his Padawan.   I do have the caveat ahead of time that this fic is more about summarizing events than showing direct action or dialogue (though, it’s very much interspersed with these things!) and that it’s not always clear about the timeline and that Ahsoka is far, far younger than canon here, which did distract me a few times, but I mention them because setting myself in the right frame of mind got me such a lovely fic here. It’s got all this really interesting and engaging bits of worldbuilding woven into pretty much everything here, every scene has details to fill out the world, every scene has character moments for Ahsoka or the Jedi or Yoda, how she struggles with her life there, but also she loves it, that there’s so much good there, that she’s a Togruta and has certain instincts that she uses in an absolutely adorable and perfect way with the other Jedi younglings, that her relationship with Yoda isn’t always perfect but there’s such deep care there and they clearly mean the galaxy to each other, that her friendship with Anakin is important as well, sometimes rocky and he doesn’t always understand the life she’s chosen, he’s volatile at times, but you can see why she cares deeply about him.   I think where the fic really won me over, as much as I appreciate the deeper stuff about Jedi workings, were the smaller moments, like when Ahsoka tussled with a Wookiee in the Temple and briefly got hurt and there was just so much care and helping them both to refocus their energies and it all worked out that I knew I was in love. But I also appreciated that her argument with Anakin showed that he didn’t really ever understand what people got out of being a Jedi, that I could see he meant well and I loved him very much, but Ahsoka’s frustration and hurt at the way he yelled was spot on. Or the way her horns itched and she went to ask Shaak Ti for help. Or the way Ahsoka struggled with the more boring parts of her duty or what she wanted to do with her life and what the Force was telling her, versus her vows and her duty. And that Yoda obviously cared very much about her and was listening to her! The structure is more tell (instead of show) than I usually read, but the sheer amount of thought and detail and care and clever little bits of worldbuilding the story was absolutely packed with and the spot-on characterization of Ahsoka and Yoda especially, but also Obi-Wan in the background, made this one of those fics that I eagerly read my entire way through in like a day and a half because it was just so incredibly solid in everything it was working to achieve! It’s such a great and engaging and sparkling read! ✦ Cataclasm by dendral, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka & waxer & cast, 35.3k wip   For reasons unknown to all but himself, Obi-Wan Kenobi has left the Jedi Order in the midst of the Clone Wars, taking with him a single clone.   Chapter 8: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. This chapter was a really fantastic read for Anakin’s character and the position he’s starting to understand that he’s in and that the people around him are in, that it’s a really lovely look at the anger issues he has and how much he’s trying to be better, that Obi-Wan’s having left forces a shift and a scramble that has things happening that might not have otherwise–including a really stellar conversation between Mace and Anakin that’s so good at the delicate line it needs to walk, to not be preachy but instead feel like these characters would have this discussion, to not throw anyone to the wolves narratively, but instead be entirely good-spirited about bringing people together. Like, that makes this fic so much more enjoyable and so much stronger as a story! But also it’s just really, really solidly good and, oh, Mace’s quiet explanation, the sheer exhaustion and tension that I felt running through that scene, was gorgeously done. It’s so spot on about the pressures and difficulties they all face that I just wanted to roll over and clutch my reader to my chest for awhile after reading it.   But the other half of this chapter that was so goddamned satisfying was Bant being unable to keep up with everything Obi-Wan had done and how that plays out with Anakin and the other Jedi and the fic doing this really deft, delicate dance to show the horrible position the war had put them all in, the sheer amount of amazing that is Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the sadness and anger from Anakin when he realizes just how much he never really realized. How much he’s been protected from, how much Obi-Wan didn’t want to speak of, how much there is that Anakin just never knew. And how much visions can really fucking suck in both some really neat world-building and theorizing about the Jedi and their connection to the Force and how they deal with it, but also tying it into the greater plot.   It’s also another chapter that does a fantastic job of how Obi-Wan and Anakin aren’t in the same scene at the same time, but that connection is so important, Anakin’s deep well of feelings about Obi-Wan, the anger and hurt this has stirred up, do my fannish heart good because of just what that says about how they care about each other. The way Anakin tries to understand what he’s doing, why he did it, and his sheer bullheaded determination to bring Obi-Wan back because he wants him back, like, oh, Anakin, but also I’m eating this up like you wouldn’t believe. It has such thought going into it and such a delicate touch with bringing so many things to light (like Obi-Wan being overworked and how that may change how Anakin sees things later, may change his view of certain people, how he’s seeing so much more of the Jedi’s exhaustion when they’re forced into this position with him, how his own anger issues are coming up to the surface and being looked at, rather than Anakin shoving them down, him learning that everyone is complicated, not just his own feelings! in a way that makes me love Anakin SO MUCH!) and all of this is wrapped up in so much good world-building and care for the characters and the galaxy and really lovely, fantastic writing. I love everyone in this bar, okay. ✦ untitled by fireflyfish, obi-wan/anakin/padme & luke & leia, 3k   Padme Amidala, Senator from the Chommel Sector, former Queen of Naboo and wife of retired Jedi General and Knight Anakin Skywalker looked up from where her son Luke was making snow angels to see her daughter, Leia, levitate a three foot in diameter ball of snow over her head.   THIS IS PURE JOY. It’s a happy universe where Anakin and Padme are getting into a snowball fight with their children and the three of them gang up on Padme, who is having the most warm-hearted, wonderful time and prepares to make her final stand, when some help arrives and of course Obi-Wan turns the tide and there are shifting alliances and everything absolutely sparkles and is adorable. It’s one of those fics that could have so easily gone into sappy territory, but it keeps a certain sharpness and charisma, there’s something that’s just the right amount of fluff combined with how I could see this as the happy version of these characters. I read it for the soul-soothing quality of it, but came away having enjoyed that it was really good and genuinely funny and sharp in amongst the softness! It’s a wonderful look at all these characters and THIS IS WHAT WE ALL DESERVED, this was so, so good. ✦ everything will glow for you by waterandsilver, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, 2.4k   Sometimes when Anakin kisses, Obi-Wan has half a mind to remind him that he’s not in battle anymore.   Oh, this was a really lovely, really satisfying fic! It’s a fic about the attraction between these two, the way they can’t help but be drawn to each other, the way Obi-Wan watches Anakin, the way he admires him and the way he interacts with Anakin, the way Anakin is an amazing brat, the way he teases and needles, wanting a reaction, until Obi-Wan gives him one, his desire to put Anakin back in his place, in a loving but firm way, to fuck him into a compliant mess. And of course Anakin responds to that, something in him thrives on that, the way Obi-Wan pushes him back, teases him with his liips and tongue before opening Anakin up with his fingers and being patient enough to make Anakin whine and plead for it. There’s some light banter, some light d/s that they both really find satisfying, Obi-Wan enjoys taking Anakin apart this way, Anakin enjoys the attention and quiet that comes afterwards, and, oh, Obi-Wan teasing him with his fingers inside Anakin, making him say it, offering him the chance to back away, but Anakin is greedy for more of his Master, wants Obi-Wan to fuck him, is full of joy and so many other good things when Obi-Wan is finally in him, and it’s just this really fun piece, where they banter and enjoy this, where it’s lovely and satisfying sex, where it was a great read just when I needed it. ✦ One of These Days by rogueleader, obi-wan/anakin & rex & cody & cast, 11.4k wip   In the middle of the Battle of Christophsis, Anakin and Obi-Wan’s forces are overwhelmed by the Separatists’ droid army, and their rescue ship is shot down. After crashing in the Christophsian wilderness, the Jedi must get themselves and their troops back to the city before the Separatists can catch up to them.   There are only three chapters of this fic at the time of this rec, so not much has really gotten underway yet, but it’s paced well for what will hopefully be a fairly long story and it’s a fic where it’s not about Stuff Happening (at least not yet!) but that instead what I got out of it was some fun Anakin whump and some really delightful banter! Their ship crashes on Christophsis, they’re stranded about ten days away from the nearest city, and there’s a very long hike and a whole lot of fairly unknown terrain ahead of them. There’s a really nice sharpness to the writing and the characters here, it’s smooth and sails along really well, the dialogue is funny or intriguing, the way Obi-Wan and Anakin work together feels true to their dynamic, and I’m really enjoying the descriptions of the landscape, the use of their supplies, etc. It feels like a fleshed out fic, like an especially UST-laden professional novel that I could be reading! But also it has some genuinely funny moments, when they wake up on their first morning after the crash, there’s a scene with Anakin being Anakin that had me unable to stop smiling and softly giggling because it was just so charmingly funny and I’m enjoying whatever’s going on with Anakin and the way Obi-Wan is concerned about him, but also trying to respect his wishes, that there’s such weight to both characters here, they both have a strong presence, and I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter. ✦ Somewhere In Time by DonkerRood, obi-wan/anakin, NSFW, time travel, 25k wip   Anakin crashes on Tatooine and to his surprise finds Obi-Wan there. He learns he has travelled in time and ended up in a terrible future.   I picked up this fic recently and promptly got sucked into it and read it in such a flurry that now I’m not even sure where to start with this rec! It’s one of those fics that’s set against the backdrop of a bigger plot, but is ultimately a more intimate drama sort of piece, that the focus is on the feelings between these characters, as Anakin winds up on Tatooine, meeting Obi-Wan who is just a few months post-ROTS, and Anakin working to accept what’s happened, his feelings for Obi-Wan, and how to get back/fix all of this. It’s a story that uses all these fun elements as a catalyst to bring these two together and work on their relationship, to give them the space they both need to touch those feelings and let them come forward, for Anakin to accept what he’s capable of (knowing Darth Vader exists and is out there and what he did), for them both to work on understanding why this happened, since neither of them are sure. There are some lovely moments of Anakin/Padme as well (though, this is defintely more of an Obikin fic so far), it’s 25k of just pure feelings exploration of Obi-Wan getting Anakin back, even though he can’t keep him, of both of them finding a hope that they never thought possible again.   And, like, I’m always going to be here for that kind of thing, I’m going to be here for Anakin tripping over himself and Obi-Wan having to be the adult, Obi-Wan really seeing the cracked foundations of Anakin and realizing he needs more help than Obi-Wan thought, I’m always here for the characters getting the room to process this, when they had none of that in the canon, that they were all too crowded out by the war and Palpatine’s manipulations. I’m always going to be here for fic that takes about 20k of talking and arguing and taking an uneven, bumpy path towards fixing things, I’m always going to be here for the absolute embracing of just reveling in all these feelings, that it takes this amount of time to make sure that Obi-Wan’s not hurting Anakin with any of this, because he would never, not if he had a choice about it.   This is a fic for when you want some fun time travel setting that’s really about a cathartic working through of issues, that there’s a charm to the story that pulled me in, and hooked me, the kind of emotional drama that I just absolutely eat up! Plus, chapter 10 had some lovely sex, that they couldn’t do more than mutual blowjobs (which were very nice!) because there was no lube, but, oh, Obi-Wan wanted to just wrap Anakin’s legs around him and lift him up and fuck into him, but he’s still the Adult In The Room, even as Anakin pleads and whines for more, just so out of his mind with want that he doesn’t care, not really realizing what it would do to him. And I’m always here for that, too, I’m always here for Anakin being reduced to a total mess because he can just let everything go and out that way, he gets the attention he so desires and Obi-Wan gets to look after him, as he desires as well. To have Anakin filled up with something better than his usual storm of emotions is what I’m here for and they were so close, though, the blowjobs were lovely and so was Anakin cuddling up against Obi-Wan, who wrapped his arms around this person he loves so much, which I’m always going to be a sucker for. Give me emotional catharcis, Obi-Wan fucking the noise out of Anakin’s head, and cuddling, that’s everything I’m here for. ✦ hey there by retts, obi-wan/anakin, 4.6k   'Sick,’ says Anakin, stood in the doorway of Obi-Wan’s room aboard their ship. 'You’re sick.’   I’m a sucker for sick fic, too! And this one had some really fun, sharp banter between the characters, that Obi-Wan is a good balance of recognizing that he’s sick but still pushing through it, while Anakin hovers over him and tries to mother hen him, all wrapped up in their usual back-and-forth dynamic. I love how much deep care there was here from both characters, that there was such attraction and want from both of them, even as it was reasonable that they never quite acted on it here. It was a good balance of sweet (which is what I read sick fic for in the first place!) with something heavier, more weighty, that can’t be resolved here, but is gently touched on, so you know it’s there. But, really, it’s fun banter that’s sharp, hilarious, and shows how much these two care about each other, how it comes from both of them, that even when sick, Obi-Wan is still sharp and has a comment, that even when worried and kind of emotionally messy, Anakin definitely learned that from his Master. It was just really, really enjoyable to read! ✦ Put That Thing Back Where It Came From by FireflyFish, obi-wan/anakin & cast, 1.6k wip   Anakin picked up something he really shouldn’t have and now he and Obi-Wan are on “medical leave”.   I’ve read this first chapter over more than once and I laugh like wild every time, it’s so beautifully hilarious and has such a great sense of comedic timing and pulls off the crack-treated-semi-seriously element of it. I wanted “cursed to physically touch, only way to get out of it is ~resolution” fic for ages and now Fishy has granted us that! And it’s SO FUNNY, the kind of giggling where my face hurt afterwards! Every scene is beautifully done, from getting the news about how to break the curse to the other Jedi maybe kind of finding this hilarious to Obi-Wan and Anakin not entirely sure how to deal with each other and having to hold hands the entire time and every time, EVERY TIME the scene gets to Anakin’s friend being a little shit, to Obi-Wan’s genuinely scary threat, to Anakin’s irritated as hell reaction, I lose it all over again. It’s a really great use of little bits of world-building and just really, really funny lines and a great use of the premise, I LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH. ✦ Sun Kissed by Vee017, obi-wan/anakin & cast, nsfw, past sexual assault issues, 84.8k wip   Being on a world that supports slavery is one thing. Buying a slave and bringing him into Republic space is entirely another.   Chapter 29: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole. It’s been awhile since this fic updated, but I had no trouble slipping right back into it and picking it up again! And I think what I liked best about this chapter, after everything that’s happened and the characters are having chances to react, is that Anakin’s reaction to Mace’s apology can be both justified and fairly unkind at the same time, that it was a messy and difficult situation they were in, so the aftermath is messy and difficult as well, that I came away feeling for both characters here. Which always makes a story stronger, when no character is perfect, but you can genuinely understand where both sides are coming from, that neither of them is just a strawman! (And I could read that the Jedi were going to work harder to petition the Senate, who were the ones that could actually say what they could or couldn’t do about bad things in the galaxy, since the Jedi didn’t have that legal authority themselves!) But also the chapter left me with such excitment, that there’s new stuff afoot and likely soon to be an Obi-Wan/Anakin reunion and possibly some stuff with Shmi and now the worst should be mostly over (assuming there’s not new terrible things) and there really is a warmth to this fic that I greatly enjoy and I was so delighted to see more of this one. ✦ untitled by darthcuddles, obi-wan/anakin, modern au, ~1k   There is something intoxicating about this place, and it’s not the whiskey or the music or the lights. It’s him.   Oh, man, this one was kind of designed to appeal to my id, I think, where it’s a sex club AU, with Anakin as this discerning, picky dancer there who, of course, takes a liking to Obi-Wan as a client. It’s short, but super fun and has some very lovely imagery (with that brief description of the lace Anakin wears and the lap dance he gives Obi-Wan) and was just a really, really pleasing read for me! ✦ The Creche Master by avarand, obi-wan/anakin & cast, NSFW, 14.8k   Anakin is found at fourteen and trains at the Temple for a non-Jedi role. Surprising no one, he decides to be Creche Master. And there’s a certain Knight who hangs around but that can’t happen. Can it?   This is such a cute, sweet, happy fic! It moves Anakin up about seven years and makes him fairly entirely emotionally stable, so it’s this soft, warm, fuzzy blanket that changes a lot things to make it one of those that was just fun to read. It’s not quite compatible with canon Jedi but it’s mostly good-spirited about everything that I found myself rolling with it pretty easily and the heart of what I was here for, the sheer affection there is in this fic, between the characters and for the pairing, was absolutely wonderful. When fic is kind, it just puts this absolute utter warm glow in me like I can’t even describe! This is one of those you pick up when you want something happy to read, when you want a bit of mutual pining and an Anakin who enjoys taking care of kids and a mildly slow burn Obi-Wan/Anakin pairing where they both work through what they want from life and it’s done with such cheer and softness and kindness to just about everyone (except Sheev, fuck that guy) and joyful embracing of all the fun tropes of such a thing that it just put a smile on my face. It’s also got a lovely bit of sex at the end, a nice capping of resolution to the fic that was just the right length and was just the right amount of satisfying. The pacing was just right, I picked this up and rolled right along with it, the whole way through, I had no trouble reading it one sitting because it sailed along and was just everything I hoped for! ✦ The Nature of Fire by Phosphorescent, anakin/padme & cast, 6.2k wip   “One Jedi, then,” Padmé offered to the others. At least let me speak the truth to my love. At least. Please, she pleaded with them silently. “There is one Jedi—one whom I truly know all of us can trust absolutely …” Her voice trailed off into appalled silence when she realized that she wasn’t talking about Anakin.   Chapter 2: This is an update rec and will focus on this chapter, rather than the fic as a whole! This continues to be a really fascinating, engaging, and well written fic for a Padme who takes a hard look at this relationship with her husband that’s so full of love, but also so full of some very worrisome things. That this entirely about Padme’s role in the story, her thoughts and feelings as everything seems to be crumbling around her, and the sheer amount of herself she’s pouring into trying to make better. Her conversation with Palpatine is simple on the surface of things, but how it feels so exhausting and infuriating is spot on, how her relationship with Anakin feels so tense and upsetting precisely because she cares about him but he’s become so angry and so unwilling to listen, how she’s struggling in this Herculean-feeling task at trying to save the things she cares about. She tries to be gentle in nudging Anakin to see what she’s talking about, the delicate line she has to walk with the other Senators and their distrust of the Jedi, how she has to be careful around Anakin who throws so much support to Palpatine blindly, how there’s something that burns in Padme, a fire that is stoked here, rather than smothered, and it’s so fascinating to read, it’s such a lovely fic for her character! ✦ Lightly, Lightly by DraloreShimare, obi-wan & anakin & ahsoka, ~1k   Anakin may not be a Padawan anymore, but he could still use a lesson or two.   This was a short but utterly delightful piece of the grand tradition of an apprentice roasting their Master whenever they get the chance and that Ahsoka is no different, which eggs Anakin on into taunting Obi-Wan and biting off more than he can chew. What I love about it is that Ahsoka is pure joy, that Obi-Wan is the guy you never want to mess with, and that Anakin is entirely beloved, that just because he’s a bit of a disaster, that doesn’t mean he’s any less talented, that there’s clear love for each and every character here individually to my mind, as there is for the dynamic as a whole. Plus it’s just really cute and I absolutely needed more cute! 

[hear-the-dokidoki]

Through the Years / VI ~ IX

A Namjin story set in a royal! AU - Part 2 

Word count: 3k+

Timeline: There’s about a year between each sub-part of this story.

Author’s note: This is second part of this story, which includes years six through nine (Pain, Trust, Promise, Distance). The first half, which includes years one through five (Meeting, Respect, Friendship, Fear and Strength), can be found with the link below. The finale will be linked when posted.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Finale 

Year VI – Pain

Namjoon was shamelessly running through the narrow streets, barely noticing the curious gaze of the crowd.

“That stupid bastard… That fucking idiot.”

The training center was only few meters away. He sprinted. Upon seeing his prince, the soldier keeping the gate swiftly moved aside. Namjoon could hear his own pulse, irregular and loud.

“Where is he?” he almost yelled at a group of passing soldiers.

“Y-Your Highness-” one of them stuttered.  

The prince’s eyes were wild. “Kim Seokjin! Where is Kim Seokjin?”

“Jin? H-he’s in the third facility, with the major.”

Namjoon didn’t linger to thank him. He jumped and ran, as quickly as he could. He was closing in to the third facility when he heard it - his friend’s voice. It was raucous, tainted by pain. Namjoon pushed the heavy wooden door.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he shouted with authority.

His eyes fell on the major. The man was towering Kim Seokjin’s body, holding a whip. The boy as on his knees, his back exposed. There where raw, red gashes across its surface. Before the major could answer, Seokjin turned to face his friend. He looked weary and disoriented, but there was a strange determination lighting his eyes up.

“Namjoon, don’t…” he said, in a croaky voice.

The prince closed the distance between them. He glanced around, noticing the half dozen soldiers scattered around the room. They were staring straight at him, but he ignored them all. The major had backed away slightly, his chin up, and his gaze avoiding Namjoon’s. The prince brought his attention back to his friend.  

“Don’t what? Don’t do anything?” he asked, trying to stabilize his voice, which echoed in the silence. “In what world do you think I’ll approve of my best friend getting hurt like this?”

“You swore you would let me be,” Seokjin murmured.

“I swore I’d let you train. I swore I’d let you find yourself in the army. Our deal didn’t include me being a bystander to your public whipping,” he growled.

“I messed up too many times, and this is my chastisement,” the young man said, still on his knees. “It’s the way things work around here, Namjoon.”

His nails dug into his palms. His anger was progressively getting replaced with hopelessness. “Then it’s going to have to change.”

“No, it won’t. This is how the army functions, and you are fully aware of that. You can’t make it different for me. I don’t want to be an exception just because of our friendship.”

“I’m the most powerful person in this building, Seokjin. You can’t force me to watch you get beaten up!”

“I won’t forgive you,” Kim Seokjin said flatly. “If you do anything, I won’t forgive you.”

The prince didn’t respond. He felt empty. He had never seen Seokjin so resolute.  

“Let go, Namjoon. Let me walk my own path.”

“I- I can’t-”

“Yes, you can,” Seokjin interrupted, his face hard. “You can and you will.” He softened. “I’m going to be okay, I swear.”

Kim Namjoon slowly took a step back. His mouth was as dry as dust. “Are you sure?” he forced himself to ask.

The other nodded.

Namjoon stared at him – at his uncompromising gaze. A minute passed. “Have him brought to my quarters when… when you’re done,” he instructed in a small voice.

He turned and left. He was walking, at first, but his pace became rapider, until he was running at full speed.

Year VII – Trust

“I’m sure she’ll be lovely.”

“I’m not questioning her amiability,” Namjoon argued.

He was eating an apple, a fuming cup of coffee placed on his desk. Kim Seokjin was sitting across from him, sipping on a glass of water.  

“I don’t see the problem, then,” Seokjin replied, looking out the window.

“The problem, you see, is that I do not want to get married anytime soon.”

“You won’t get married right away…” he objected. “She’s just a suitor, for the moment. If you two get along, I’m sure your parents will be satisfied. They’ll give you time to get to know her.”

The prince stayed quiet for a moment. “I know I have a duty towards my kingdom. Its prosperity is more important than anything – including my personal comfort. I’m fine with attending boring parties, studying until I can’t keep my eyes eopen, negotiating with shady diplomats and even learning the art of traditional dancing. But my love life… Shouldn’t it be mine?”

“Well, sure,” Seokjin said, shrugging. “Have you noticed that your hardly pay any attention to the fine ladies who have been chasing you, though?”

“They aren’t interesting…” he mumbled.

“Who is interesting, then?”

When Namjoon turned to glance at his friend, he saw that the latter was already watching him intently. They both looked away. Namjoon bit his red apple, observing the steam flying up from his hot drink.

“I don’t know,” he answered.  

“Maybe talking to those girls would be a good start. You’re almost of age to marry. It only makes sense for you to consider dating.”

“I don’t need that…”

“What do you mean, you don’t need that? You must maintain to royal line. Her highness your sister is still so young…”

Namjoon sighed. “You’re always thinking so far ahead, Kim Seokjin.”

“And it will take me far in life,” the young man commented, grinning.

“Potentially.”

“Anyway, what did you mean by not needing to date?”

“I just- I don’t feel like I need a significant other. I already have everything I could dream of…”

“You are the heir of a grand kingdom,” Seokjin said, head slightly tilted. “But that doesn’t mean you’ve experienced everything good there is to life. Don’t you ever dream about falling in love?”

“Of course, I do. It just hasn’t been a priority; more like a distant thought in the very back of my head.”

“What about that crush you had on Min Yoon Ji?”

Namjoon closed his eyes, scrunching his nose. “We agreed to not mention that childhood mistake ever again. She was pretty and charismatic… But god, she was so mean. Remember when she poured water all over my shirt after I invited her to dance?”

“It’s was hilarious!” Seokjin exclaimed, his eyes wrinkled. “I heard she recently got engaged to some guy called Park Jimin…”

“Possible.” Despite himself, he got immerged in his awkward childhood memories. He needed to concentrate on something else. “Aren’t we getting a bit side-tracked?”

“Indeed… Oh, but do you remember when you gave her-”

“No more, please,” Namjoon cut him, putting a hand up, cringing.

Seokjin let out a soft laugh. “Sorry.”

“My point was, I don’t need anyone else. I have my parents, my sister… and…” His voice trailed off.

“And?”

Namjoon looked into his friend’s eyes. “You.”

“…me?” Seokjin asked, lips curling.

“I’ve been thinking about how rarely I tell you that I care about you,” he replied.

The other clicked his tongue. “I don’t need to hear it. I know I’m your best friend. I mean, I’m a handsome, smart, young man. Who wouldn’t want me in their life?”

Seokjin had a smug expression, but his cheeks were flushed bright pink. Kim Namjoon made a scoffing sound.

“Moreover,” Seokjin added, now smiling warmly, “You’ve always been there for me – in the best and worse moments of my life. Not even once have I questioned how much you cared about me.  It’s just… It’s just how things are. The wind blows, night always comes, and his Highness Kim Namjoon will always be there for me.”

For a while, they didn’t speak.

“I trust you more than anyone, do you know that?” Namjoon suddenly said.

“I do,” Seokjin affirmed, his smile fading at the sight of his prince’s serious eyes.

“Stay with me, will you?” Namjoon asked softly, as if he was afraid of his own words. “Even when you get busy with your life… Even when I step up and become king…”

The soldier didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”

Namjoon seemed to relax. He gave his friend a satisfied grin. “Thanks, Seokjin.”

Year VIII – Promise

The royal garden was surprisingly simple. No animal shaped bushes or complex marble structures. Her Majesty the queen preferred for the focus to be on the flowers. She loved their bright colors, their elegant shape and their sweet perfume.

At the moment, Kim Namjoon wasn’t noticing any of that beauty. He was too busy pacing around and biting the inside of his cheeks.

Seokjin was late. He was supposed to come here as soon as he received the prince’s message. Nonetheless, it had already been half an hour, and Namjoon was still alone.

“I’ll show that bastard what being late to a royal appointment means,” he thought, frantic.

Yet, when Kim Seokjin arrived, a minute later, he could only feel a sense of relief tainted with annoyance. His friend was jogging towards him, still in his uniform. Sweat was making his nose and forehand shine.

“Seokjin,” Namjoon said in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat, and pushed his shoulders back. “I was scared you had left.”

The soldier had a dark expression. He didn’t bother with formalities. “I’ll be going. Tonight.”

Namjoon’s lips parted, but no words came. He was expecting this. He knew how this would go… but he couldn’t accept it.

“War is harsh,” he said. “You’re not- You can’t go. You’re still so young, Seokjin. You still have so much to look forward to, and-”

Seokjin stopped him. “I got promoted to first lieutenant, today,” he said with a small smile. “I have kids who look up to me, now. They remind me of how I was three years ago… I have a duty towards them, Namjoon. And towards my country.”

“What about me?” Namjoon thought. It was a selfish thought, and he knew it; so, he kept his mouth shut.

“Look at this!” the other said, looking down at his chest. There was a sewed seven branched star – a symbol of victory and honor. “They just gave it to me! For the plan I strategized to steal the enemy’s canon, in last Monday’s battle.”

“That’s great,” Namjoon whispered. “You’ve been doing wonderfully, lately. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” He stared at his friend. “I… won’t be seeing you for a while… We expect to come back in a few months, at best.”

“You shouldn’t go,” Namjoon heard himself say.

Seokjin frowned slightly, some anguish showing on his face. “I must.”

“I’m sure we could find away! You could… you could work from the castle, sending troops, and working on-”

“I want to go,” Seokjin interrupted. “I want to know what it is to be on the battlefield – to fight for my kingdom with all my might. To be honorable, and valiant, and strong.”

“You’re all of that! You’re all of that already.”

“I know you think that… but I don’t. Not really,” he said, his eyes on the ground.  “I need to this. I’m not sure how I know, but I’m convinced this is what I must do.”

“What if you died?”

“It won’t happen.”

“You can’t know that.”

Seokjin’s face hardened. “I’ll be strong, and I’ll survive.”

Namjoon moved forward without thinking about it. He put a hand on the base of Seokjin’s cheek, his fingers falling onto his neck. Instead of flinching, Seokjin leaned into the touch.

“Promise me,” the prince murmured. “Promise me that’s you’ll be okay. Promise me that I’ll see you again. That’s it’s you who’s going to come back, and not a…” His voice broke. “…a corpse.”

Their faces were inches away. They breathed the same air.  

Seokjin gazed into Namjoon’s eyes. “I promise. I’ll come back to you, Namjoon.”

They fell silent. The prince hand was warm against Seokjin’s skin.

“Don’t you dare disappoint me,” Namjoon whispered, after a moment.

“I won’t,” he replied in a low voice.

Namjoon took a deep breath. “Go, then,” his soft voice said. “I believe in you, Kim Seokjin.”

The young lieutenant took a step back; then another, and another. “I’ll see you later,” he said, giving the prince a last smile. He turned away, and left.

As the perfume of the roses and the lilacs tickled his nose, Kim Namjoon watched his best friend’s silhouette growing smaller, until it disappeared.

Year IX – Distance

On a piece of paper was a girl in a big, luxurious dress.

“Who’s that, princess?” Namjoon inquired gently, pointing at the male figure his sister was drawing. For a 5 year old, she had talent.

“That’s Jin-oppa!” she exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face.

“Jin? Kim Seokjin…?” the prince said, his eyebrows lurching up.

“Yes. Look, I’m planning our wedding,” she said quietly, looking left and right to see if anyone was listening.

Namjoon burst out laughing, and the kid seemed somewhat offended.

“Why Seokjin?” the prince asked with a smile, when he calmed down.

“Well, he’s cool, and nice, and he’s a strong soldier, and he has good hair and pretty eyes…” she said, counting on her fingers. “I think we’d be a good match!”

“Is that so?”

“Yup.” She puffed her cheeks, thoughtful. “Although…”

“What is it, princess?” he questioned, placing a strand of hair behind her small ear.

“I think you guys would be a better match.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“I’d be a cool wedding!” she said, getting excited. “Oh, I could be the flower girl! Will you let me be the flower girl, oppa? Pretty, pretty please?”

“I- Uh…” he managed to say. “I don’t think I’ll get married to Seokjin.”

She frowned. “Why not? You love him, don’t you?”

He considered the question for a moment. “I do, but not quite in a marriage kind of way.”

“You look at his portrait like Father looks at Mother, though,” she replied, turning to the painting of her brother and Kim Seokjin, placed on the wall of the prince’s office.

His eyes followed her gaze. He observed the picture of his friend. The curve of his nose, the way his lips curled up, the shape of his eyelids… All of it was still so familiar, even if he hadn’t seen his friend in person for more than a year.  

“See?” the little girl shouted. “You’re doing it right now!”

He snapped out of it. “Ladies shouldn’t raise their voices,” he scolded.

The princess puckered her lips. “Sorry.” She watched his solemn face. “But you really do love him, oppa. It’s obvious that you care about him a lot. Like, a whooole lot.”

Kim Namjoon stayed silent.

“I know you’re very worried about the war, especially because of him.”

His expression darkened, which she noticed. She was an observant little girl.

“I heard Father say that the peace treaty’s negotiations are going well,” she declared in a small voice.

He turned to her, and, seeing her nervous eyes, he smiled slightly. “Indeed… I’m sure they’ll all be back soon.”

“Then, will you marry Jin-oppa?” she inquired, falling back into cheerfulness.

He chuckled, deciding to play along with her. “I suppose I’ll have to discuss it with him as soon as he gets home. I’m sure he’ll want you to be the flower girl!”

She jumped up, and hugged him, giggling. He joined her laughter, spinning her light body around in circles. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this happy.

They fell the to ground, dizzy, their shoulders shaking as they laughed.  

She turned to her brother. “I can’t wait for him to be back.”

“Me neither,” he said quietly.

She straightening up. “Could you tell me about him again?”

“Kim Seokjin,” he said slowly, tasting the words. “We were always together, when our schedules permitted it. It became harder as my responsibilities began to pill up, and his military training became fiercer… But we always found time for one another.”

She nodded with all the seriousness in the world. The prince let out a chuckle at the sight of her expression.

“He’s been my friend for so long,” he continued. “That idiot annoys me so much, sometimes.” He smiled, immerged in the warmth of his memories of Kim Seokjin. “He can be cocky, and his jokes are atrocious. Oh, and he has a thing for acting cute? It kind of scares me.”

The princess’ chin was in her hand, as she listened to her brother, fascinated.

“He has a good heart, though. Overall, he’s a great person,” he paused, struggling to find a way to express the intensity of his emotions. “Seokjin’s presence is like a fuming cup of tea during winter. It’s heartwarming.”

His eyes moved to the painting again.

“He’s ridiculously hardworking and dedicated too,” he added slowly. “I’ve always thought it was strange how someone so carefree could be that invested in their career. He wasn’t meant to be a soldier, you know? You see him now, as a lieutenant, and you’d think he always knew how to fight… But that’s not how things went. He struggled, failed, and got hurt often. It was painful to watch,” the prince said, wincing slightly. “I tried to make him quit numerous times… He never did. He’s too stubborn for his own good, that kid.”

Namjoon looked down at his sister.

“You’re like that too,” he said, touching her nose. “Do you know that, little monster?”

She answered with a grimace. His eyes turned into crescent moons.

“Anyways, Seokjin… He’s just – he’s always been there for me. Through all the hardships. Through all the joys.”  

The princess was smiling. “You’re made for each other, oppa,” she assured.

They fell silent for a minute, both lost in thoughts.

“Why don’t you call him Jin?” she asked suddenly, her head tilted.  

He was destabilized. “What do you mean?”

“Jin-oppa. All his friend call him Jin, right? I’ve heard other soldiers using that nickname… Since you’re his closest friend, why don’t you call him Jin too?”

“I guess it has never occurred to me to call him like that.”

“If you’re going to get married, I think you should start doing so, oppa,” she counselled, her chin up.

Her confident tone made him grin. “Jin,” he tried. “Jin…”

“It sounds good!” she encouraged. “Jin and Namjoon.”

He let his mind drift away to the vision of a happy future. Of course, it involved Kim Seokjin.

“You’re right, princess,” he said softly. “It does sound good.”

Hey there, reader ^u^ I hope you like this so far! Ahhh I’m really attached to these characters... Will that prevent me from giving them a tragic ending? Found out in next week’s episode! *evil laugh* 

(really though, here’s the finale)