#ANGST + COMFORT GENRES

[ao3demographicssurvey2024]

In the AO3 Demographics Survey 2024 - an unofficial demographics survey of 16,131 AO3 users - the three most popular genres/tags were Hurt/Comfort, Romance, and Canon Divergence, while the three least popular were Genderswap, High School AU, and Character Death.

To see more analysis, including comparisons to real fic data and previous surveys, please view the full results on AO3.

[idontplaytrack]

aaaaa!!! you opened regina requests!! i love your work sm and im so glad abt this 😭 can i request regina x fem!reader where regina's had a really bad day and she just feels insecure about her body the moment she gets home and reader comforts her and eases her worries?? basically body worship fluff (or if you wanna make it more spicy, up to you!!) i trust your brain. tysmmm <33

She will be loved

Regina George x fem! reader

Warnings: MDNI, smut. Coarse language, insecurity about body image, angst, comfort/fluff

“You can speak of anger and doubts

Your fears and freak outs and I'll hold it

You can share your so called shame filled accounts

Of times in your life and I won't judge it”

Last night, you were on the phone with Regina and something seemed off so you gave her a video call. You were right, because she told you something had happened between her and her Mom. Which unfortunately wasn’t unusual, but so infuriating because you knew what happened. It was usually one of three things— what she ate, what she wore or her grades. Of course, those were the main…quote-unquote, problems. There were always more issues in June’s opinion than meets the eye. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” 

She looks at you, then away, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. 

“Regina.” You insisted.

“No, I don’t. Not now, and not over a FaceTime call.” 

“Okay.” You agreed, “Let me know when you’re ready. If you want to, I’ll come over, or I can pick you up.” 

“Not tonight, I just— I just need to sleep this one off. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” 

The lack of a nickname addressing you at the end? This was one of her tells that she really wasn’t in the mood, or had the energy to talk. She needed alone time, to calm down and get rest. So you let her off the hook— you said good night to her and hung up. “Good night, I love you.” You said, smiling softly. She forced a smile, “Night.”

“See you tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at 7:15.” 

You were expecting school to be a little rough, and you were right. She was expecting the same too. “G, why do you always get cheese fries? The other options are not all bad.”

“Just not feeling those options, Gretch.” 

Well, it was a genuine question. The school food was great here compared to what you had at your old school. 

“Okay.” Gretchen stopped asking and went back to chatting with Karen. Meanwhile, Regina’s brows were knit together. She seemed to be thinking, but then also…started to seem like she was in distress. “Regina.” You said quietly, looking at her.

She took a deep breath, “I’m fine.” You didn’t buy it, she was already in a bit of a…bad mood after yesterday. Every little interaction like that, it only seemed to push her closer and closer to a breakdown. “I’ll be okay, y/n.” She insisted, “I got this.” No one else at the table noticed. Not Karen, not Gretchen…just you. Her voice was quivering, her eyes— shifty, and glossy. She wasn’t okay. “Do you wanna go home?”

“Home?” She bites back a scoff, “No, thanks.”

“To mine?” You clarified.

“No.” Regina shook her head, she went back to eating her food. You couldn’t help it but keep an eye on her. Why was it so damn hard for her to accept any help? To open up? To you of all people?

After lunch, there were three more classes left. You didn’t have the last two with her so you couldn’t exactly make sure she was alright. You could only hope. 

“I’ll meet you at your locker after the last bell. okay?” You pecked her cheek.

“Okay, baby.” She smiles softly, then evidently biting the inside of her cheek before she turned to leave.  You usually had no problem being away from her but when things got tough, you hated that. You would spend all day, everyday with her if you could. “Hey.” You hear Regina behind you as she tapped your shoulder. Turning around to face her, your greet, “Hi. Let’s go?”

She nodded silently as then took her hand in yours and walked out of school with her. Regina sits in the front with you, like she always does. Except she was just sitting there and staring into space— another bad thing. You had to get her out of that god awful place in her mind.

“Regina, you know this. We gotta talk about it.”

“What’s there that you don’t already know?” She asked, defeated.

You shut your bedroom door, gesturing for Regina to sit down. She does, letting out a sigh as she looked up at you. Her gaze follows you as you moved towards her and sat down in the spot beside her. “I’ll be fine, you know. Always happens, I just need to deal with it until it blows over.”

“What happened, Reg?”

She wanted to scoff but bit back, “Well, you know my mom.”

Of course.

“It’s the same thing, every time, y/n.” Regina replied through gritted teeth, the annoyance within her bubbling up to the surface. “Everytime. ‘Regina, maybe you shouldn’t wear that. It’s too tight, it doesn’t look good.’, ‘Regina, leave the cupcakes alone. You’ve had enough food for the day. We gotta watch what we eat’, ‘Regina, have you worked out today?’ I am so sick of it.”

You gazed into her eyes as she revealed all of that and more to you. “She’s been like this my whole life. Why am I still not used to it? Why am I still listening to what she says? I know it’s no good for me, but I just— I can’t stop thinking about what she’s been feeding my mind for the last eighteen years.”

You grabbed her hands and held them in yours, giving them a squeeze. Tears were starting to fall from her eyes…she was blinking profusely, trying to get rid of them, flustered. “It’s okay.” You assured. 

She shook her head, sniffling.

“Regina.” You repeated, “It’s okay. Let it out. All of it.” 

“When I was a kid, she used to make me finish my plate no matter what.” Regina exhaled shakily, “Then when I got older, I listened to my body, you know? I stopped eating when I was full but she’d tell me I was wasting food if I threw out what was left on my plate. I didn’t want her to get mad, so as pissed as I was, I finished my plate. I was pretty active, so it didn’t really affect me. Middle school, puberty happened. My body changed.” 

Wiping away her tears quickly, she continued, “And I always held more weight somehow. Well then, you know what. My eating habits got bad and I’d go days at a time without eating. Then it was the opposite. Now I’ve just been trying to heal from all of that but she’s been making it hell for me and sometimes I cannot do anything but feel like shit for a few days then get back to normal. We’ve been together almost a year, we’re off to college next year. We’re going to be adults but I’m still plagued by childhood problems. It’s ridiculous.” 

“It’s not ridiculous.” You told her, leaning down to catch her gaze, “It’s not. You’ve been putting in a lot of effort to get better and anyone would be stupid to not see that.”

“Really?” She scoffs, “Even when I have days where I literally do nothing but cry about what she’s told me years ago, or do even worse things, because of her?” 

“Yeah. Even then. It takes a lot of strength and courage to push through all that, and pick yourself back up. Which you do, every single time no matter how hard it gets.” 

Her frame seemed less tense by the time she stopped talking. With your thumb brushing over her knuckles, you said, “Regina, I need you to remember that I’ll always be here for you. Not just for the good things, for anything. Tough, sad, infuriating. Anything at all. You are not alone. I’m your partner.” 

She looks at you, tears welling up in her eyes again.

“I know it’s hard, I know why so you don’t have to keep explaining yourself. And I know it seems like I’m offering nothing but companionship. But that’s sort of what a partner is. I’m here, to keep you company. No matter what life throws at you.” 

Another deep sigh falls from her lips before she goes, “Thank you.” 

“I love you.”

A pink hue tinted her tear-stain cheek as she tried to hide a smile. “I love you so much.” You added on.

“I love you too.” She squeezed your hand in return.

“And you know I’d do anything for you.” You smiled while your hand rested on her thigh.

————

Regina tensed up slightly at that touch. A harsh exhale was heard from her as you smirked to yourself. “Anything…” Your finger traced her pale skin. You looked up, meeting her eyes once again. Regina had that look, she wanted this. She wanted you. “To prove it.” 

“Do you want me to make you feel good, hm?” Your hand relocated onto her cheek, cupping her face. Like a switch has flipped, she immediately gave in to the temptation and nodded eagerly. Her eyes closed and you leaned in to capture her lips into your own. Fleeting kisses were swiftly followed by longer kisses…ones of desire. A whine slips from her mouth in the midst, sending a rush of heat that pooled between your own thighs. You’d back her up against the headboard, she sat with her legs naturally spread open while you straddled her, your knees on either side of her hips. You hands were grabbing her face, lips having never left hers since they latched on several minutes prior.

Regina whimpers this time. You chuckled, “You want more?” It was a little amusing to see her reduced to nothing but meek little noises when under your control. You loved it though, having slightly more dominance over her than typical. And well? She loves being beneath you, that’s for sure. Her head rolls back on reflex, inviting you to work her neck over. And expectedly, when you’ve hit a certain little spot, you’ve earned your first moan. Smiling to yourself, you continued your action until she got louder and squirmier. “Fuck.” She cursed. 

Your hand moves down south, grabbing a handful of her breast without having to look. Regina panted, the air right by your ear tickled you and sent a shiver down your spine. 

“Take it off.” She grumbled.

“As you wish, baby.” You smirked, reaching back underneath her shirt and unclipping her bra before you detach yourself from her and removed her shirt then got the bra out of the way. Your lips resume its work along her neck, your fingers play with her tit on one hand. You tug on the teat, and she gives you a pretty high pitched moan. “Does that feel good, honey?”

“Yeah—” She says, you didn’t even let her finish that word before you pinched that hardening tip between your fingers. “Shit.” You climb off her, pulling her pants down on the way after getting a hurried nod of approval from her. Settling yourself down between her legs on the mattress, you wasted no time and ran your tongue up and down her slit. Already, she was breathing heavily and you saw her groping her own tits for more stimulation.

“Don’t be shy, now.” You chuckled, thumb moving to rub her clit at the same time your mouth worked. Regina flinches, a muffled noise comes from her. “Don’t hold back, Regina.” Your free hand massaged her thigh, “I want to hear you, baby. I wanna hear how good I’m making you feel.” 

The strokes of your tongue quickened, becoming firmer and more purposeful. Your hand on her clit then shifts and you instead slide two fingers inside her. Regina gasps, and flinches. Her leg moves out of position slightly but it remained that way, her body gradually getting overcome by increasing pleasure. You two digits pumped in and out of her at a leisurely but consistent pace, making sure you hit her g-spot everytime. That, sends a shock through her body without fail, making her head spin in pleasure. You feel her fingers combing through your hair roughly, keeping your head in place. Your brows were raised briefly but you carried on, “Fuck, right there— right there—” Regina whimpered, strained. “Don’t stop—”

“Mmkay, baby.” You hummed, keeping at this exact pace and place for awhile. You feel her wetness on your chin, but you couldn’t care less. You were lost in the moment, feeling her writhing beneath you, hearing her making all those noises for you. You were drawn to her like moths to a flame, your only priority now was making her feel good and making her come, worshipping this beautiful body of hers. Worshipping every single inch of her.

“You’re so beautiful.” Your mouth and fingers left her entirely, then you clambered back up to meet her face. “You’re my beautiful girl, aren’t you, Regina?” Brushing her cheek, you gave her a smile as you broke away from the kiss. You pulled her down carefully so she now laid on her back, you reattach your lips to the spot on her neck and started to kiss your way downwards…covering every bit of her exposed skin with a smooch. “Fuck—” She whined, “F—I need you, I need you. y/n—”

“Answer the question, Regina.”  You smirked, fondling her tits while hovering over her. She kept quiet so you grabbed at the flesh harder, forcing the lewd noises out of her mouth, followed by impatient nods, “Y—yes— yes— oh, fuck—”

“I’ll be right back.” Kissing her once more, you got off her and then the bed.

“Baby, come on.” She grumbled.

“Just getting the strap, babe.” You winked, “Be patient~”

Regina exhales exasperatedly, looking at you while you walk to your closet and put on the harness behind its door. You’ve gotten her all hot and bothered already and you were absolutely enjoying yourself at this moment. “Open up, baby.” You tapped her thigh and she did as you told her to. Dragging the tip of the shaft along her throbbing cunt, the whining and whimpering from her resumes. “Aw.” You teased, “Are you ready, darling?”

“Yes— yes— oh my God…” She swallowed thickly, nodding her head while she kept looking at you. She knew you would ask for eye contact, so she did it first. 

“Please, do it, please.” Regina pleaded desperately. 

“Oh, good girl.” You smiled cheekily, lining up the tip of the shaft with her entrance. You were swift, pushing into her before she could say anything. All you heard was a low moan when you entered her and gradually bottomed out. “You okay, baby?”

“Yeah, yeah, I am.” She replied in a whisper, unintentionally whimpering at the end. You retracted and pushed into her more forcefully, a whimper just erupts from her throat like that. Hearing her just spurs you on, you went faster and faster, plus her noises matched up with your movements. It quite literally feels as though you were ascending into a whole new dimension. The noise of both your skin hitting each other’s, combined with the wetness? Whatever it was, it was obscene and had you weak in the knees. But, you persisted. Your hand was on her knee, pushing that leg of hers up as you continued railing to her. She was babbling…curse words, your name, incoherent noises. Goddamn. Her mind was one clouded mess, miles away by now. 

When Regina’s back arched off the mattress, she exclaimed, “Oh, fuck!”

You looked at her, slightly worried, “You okay? Do you want me to stop?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” She gasped, “Don’t— don’t stop. That feels so fucking good, baby. Keep going— I’m so close— so close—”

“Alright~” You smiled, relieved and eager, “Don’t hold back, Regina.” You resumed your consistent motion of impaling her, watching her face contort, watching her eyes roll to the back of her head. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” She babbled in a daze. “Let it all go, Reg. Let it all go.” 

“God, you’re insane…” She panted, breathless.

“You’re the one gushing now and I’m barely doing anything anymore.” You retorted.

“God, keep going.”

“What?”

“I want more, keep going.” Her voice was airy, soft. “Keep going?”

You nodded, giving her what she wanted and completely disregarding the state of your sheets. “Oh, you’re so hot, baby.” 

“Fuck’s sake.” Regina chewed on her lower lip, “I— I need your mouth— God, fuck—”

Once again, you went along with her happily, pulling out of her then promptly diving back into her cunt, tasting every last drop of her. And yet, she just kept spilling into your mouth. At this point? You couldn’t care less if you drowned. “Damn.” You chuckled, “How far can you go?”

“Push me.” She ordered.

“Well, since you asked…” You shoved your fingers back inside her, assaulting her sensitive spot while lapping her up without complaints. 

Somehow, her pitch got higher, making you giddy. You feel her tightening around your fingers rapidly, and you kept going to push her over the edge again. She came, and she came hard. She even backed away a little, so you immediately stopped. That was it, she didn’t want more and you knew. It’d been discussed— if she backs away like that, you’d stopped.

With a tentative hand on her thigh, you shushed her, trying to help her find her breath again. “You’re okay, I got you. You’re okay.” 

She nodded, “I know, I know. Oh— my God, I love you.” Hiding her face in her hands to hide the blushing, you brushed her hands away when you crawled back up to lay down next to her. “Look at me.” You held her face in your hand, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She does, and you continue, “I love you. sometimes your mind’s gonna try to convince you otherwise…but, I really, really do. I love you so fucking much and I never want you to forget that.” 

“After all of that? I won’t ever be able to get you out of my mind.” She jokes, her usual smirk on her face.

“I mean it. I love everything about you, every little bit of you. Just like you do me. You are perfect the way you are.” 

Regina kisses you back, snuggling closer to you. “I know you do, and I promise. No more of that ‘keeping things to myself’ next time…I’ll try my best to talk about it, with you, or with a therapist.”

“And if you ever need to get away from your house, please don’t hesitate to come over to my place. Please. Come over here yourself, or call me, or text me. Anything.” 

“Roger that.” She smiled just slightly, which turned into a smirk. “Also, you are freakishly good at whatever that was. Never came this hard in my life.”

“Well, you also did more than that, but…anything for you, eh?” Your fingers traced along her arm. Regina chuckles, “Oh, I’m just as shocked as you are. Sorry about the mess.” 

“I’m not sorry, Reg. They’re just sheets.” You laughed, rubbing her back. “You wanna take a shower? Freshen up?”

“That sounds nice, sure.” 

“Alright.” You got up first, then pulled her up, “Let’s go.” She smacks you on the ass while you walk ahead of her, entering the ensuite bathroom first. You gasped, “Regina.” 

“I think, it’s only fair that you get your turn too now.” She whispers into your ear, sending a chill down your back. “Do you want that, baby girl?”

🏷️Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartandstuff @pda128

💭A/N:

So…my first Regina x reader smut 🫣

[generic-whumperz]

Can’t stop, won’t stop

[fantasy-cursedkrystal]

jason and Tim write batman fanfiction or batman ship fanfiction (maybe duke also writes fanfics of batman or he reads them)

Dick and steph read batman fanfiction damian and cass would just be confused

bruce finds out and is traumatized for life

[prentissluvr]

need sam winchester biblically and its such a crime i can't be binging spn rn, but that does mean i will be thinking about him all the time without spending said time watching him which means i will have thoughts about him which means i will have time to write for him which means that folks should send me sam requests i promise i'm nice and a decent writer heheheh

[circle-around-again]

Ok but deadpool’s character gives the perfect opportunity to make one of those cringey ‘the characters watch the movie’ fics because he would literally break the 4th wall to talk thru the screen… can you imagine

[nouearth]

happy one year to nouearth!

okay, to be frank, the one year anniversary passed on the 15th, HAHA. but it's better late than never, right? i got so busy that i forgot to make a post celebrating this mini accomplishment!

it's craaaazy how fast time flew by. i actually never thought i'd be doing this little hobby for so long? i tend to have a habit of abandoning stuff i create online, but i'm glad i decided to stick around for longer because i've met so many amazing people (even though 99% of them are anons) from writing.

for a quick story time, i started this blog because i was reading a ton of miguel o'hara x male reader stories right after seeing across the spider-verse! i couldn't get enough of him, as you can see... it all led me to creating this blog.

one of the main reasons why i did was that i just wasn't really satisfied with the content? majorities of the stories were involving top!reader, and i think we need a healthy balance of both! two weeks later since that movie dropped, viola! i'm here, and my first fic ended up being 'joy-cons' with barry allen, HAHA. but i think my blog received a lot of attention with 'servicing justice' because i remember waking up to 100+ notes overnight, which was crazy to me! and then my fic got flagged and that drastically increased, but we won't dwell on that too much.

now, a year later, and i'm at 3.5k followers! numbers don't really mean much to me, since i'm sure only a handful actually interact and most are abandoned accounts, but i'm appreciative of all the likes, reblogs, comments, asks, and most importantly, patience! i've never felt so much love for my works before (and frankly, i don't think i deserve them, HAHA) but i'm glad a few of my fics can make an impact on someone's life, even if it's just for a few minutes of happiness.

i'll cut it short now, so thank you all so much for one year of making me feel less alone in my little life! i feel like i should do a q&a because that seems fun, but LOL I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WOULD CARE.

now, onto the next year?

[firenati0n]

and all i can taste is this moment, and all i can breathe is your life

by firenati0n on ao3

T | 9999

tags: city of angels au, guardian angel henry, lawyer alex, 5+1, dual pov, hurt/comfort, angst with a HAPPY ENDING! NOT THE MOVIE ENDING I PROMISEEEEEEEEEEEEE

“In all the years, across all the universes, in the midst of all these people…you saw me. You felt me somehow. A gossamer fine thread connecting us, yet you grasped and tugged and held on tight. If losing my wings means I gain you, then that is a loss I will bear with gratitude.”

Five times Guardian Angel Henry yearns for a truly human sensory experience, and the one time he feels them all at once. Or, Henry discovers the joys of humanity through Alex’s eyes, finds himself, and falls in love. Or, Henry takes a leap of faith, and Alex catches him.

xoxo roop

also i know i talked about this in literally january so tagging some folks who expressed interest in this in the past pls don't mind me <3 ilysm xoxo

@ninzied @suseagull04 @onward--upward @duchessdepolignaca03 @@candyspandemonium @anincompletelist @inexplicablymine @heysweetheart-writes @wordsofhoneydew @nocoastposts @onthewaytosomewhere @magicandarchery @celeritas2997 @cha-melodius @junebugclaremontdiaz @kiwiana-writes @eusuntgratie @bigassbowlingballhead @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @littlestar2911 @leaves-of-laurelin @tinyarmedtrex @galitzine-nick @anchoredarchangel @gltzine @getmehighonmagic @thirdeye1234 @movetoheavens @starkfridays @indestructibleheart @littlemisskittentoes @songliili @theprinceandagcd @gay-flyboys

[blizzardfluffykpop]

Wish You Were Here

Summary: Changmin’s on tour and you miss him terribly, he misses you too. 

Drabble

Fluff?, Angst?, Comfort?, Established Relationship au

Word Count: 772

Changmin (Q) X Reader

There will be lyrics & references from Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. (And one to Vienna by Billy Joel).

[A/n: This is so short (I wrote it in like an hour?) but it’s something for my pcd. I’ve been trying to write for a few days for them and this Floyd song started playing in my head, and I realized I could do something with that. (I did try to write about Vienna but bc of how much the song means to me... I couldn’t.) So, this was the next best thing.]

------

If this were two months ago, Changmin and you would be lying on your floor talking about nothing and everything. Sometimes your conversations had meaning, and sometimes they didn’t. As you sit on the edge of your bed beside your calendar with your red marker, your mind starts replaying one; “Do you think you could tell heaven from hell?” He hummed before he said, “Well... If I’m beside you. Isn’t that close enough to heaven?” You had rolled your eyes at him, telling him, “You cheeseball. For real…” He giggled, “If they’re not punishing me for all we’ve done together, I’m certain it’s heaven.” You laughed blushing red, “Okay.” He asked, “Do you think you’d know hell?” You hummed, “Anywhere without you is.” And it was. It’s so lonely, boring, and grueling without him by your side. That you’re crossing off the days until he returns from touring. It was torture being without him because of how much joy he brought you. Even if he wasn’t saying anything, just being near him was enough. 

But now, you’re stuck just biding time until he comes back. And presently, you’re waiting for him to tell you he’s about to go on stage so you can wish him luck and go to bed. But rather, he texts you to turn on the radio. So, you get up and turn the radio on, something you both had picked up on a whim at a thrift store. And you crash back on your bed. Kicking back before crossing your legs over each other, you grab your phone and put it on your chest so you can see the pop-up notifications. Tears prick your eyes as a Pink Floyd song filters through the speakers. While you know it’s not about your situation, you could relate it to yours. 

As the solo goes on, you receive an attachment from Changmin, and you instantly open your phone, checking to see the photo of the city buildings you’re missing. And just as Clapton sings the chorus, Changmin texts you, “How I wish, how I wish you were here.” The tears that were pricking your eyes finally fall. You text him, “Aren’t you supposed to be on stage?” He texts back, “Not for another hour.” And you send, “Call me.” And he does, so you ask, “You requested that, didn’t you?” He hums before telling you he did, and you ask, “How did you know that was when the lyric was playing?” “Don’t you remember that radio app we found that plays stations from around the world?” You laugh, “Of course, how could I forget…” 

And he laughs, and you whisper, “I wish you were here too.” He starts singing, “We’re just two-” And you join in, “Lost souls swimming in a fishbowl, year after year. Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears, wish you were here.” When you both finish singing, he asks, “Is this our song now?” You hum, “While you and I are apart, yeah.” You continue, “It’s torture without you.” He sighs, “Yeah, but we’ll bear it.” You agree, “I know.” And he tells you, “Anywhere without you is.” You sniffle at that, “But we’ll be okay soon. You’ll come back for a weekend, and we’ll bear it until you’re back for longer.” You hear him sniffle on the line as he whispers, “I know,” and your heart aches. You wish to be beside him, “Minnie?” “Yeah?” “I love you.” “I love you too, (N/n).” 

After a few more tears and sniffles, you ask him to tell you what it’s like in the Big Apple. And he tells you everything he’s seen and done this time around. He whispers, “Oh, baby, you’d love it here.” You hum, “Is this like how Vienna is waiting for us?” “No, it’s better.” You laugh, “If you say so.” “I do.” You both giggle, and that’s when you hear his manager tell him, “It’s almost time for you to get ready.” You listen to him agree, and you let out a breath, trying to calm your heart. He sighs, “I gotta go, doll…”

“I know.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more. Please give Deobis an unforgettable show.”

“I always do.”

“I know. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay.”

You hang up the phone. It was never easy for either of you two to say goodbye. But maybe next time you two will be together. Or maybe you’ll catch the next flight out to see him at the following stop. Either way, until then, you wish he was here or that you were there.

[redninjaoutfit]

"why don't you hang out with your brother?" "he's at his new girlfriend's house"

You genuinely do not understand the emotional impact these two sentences had on me. I didn't respond sooner because this ask actually pushed me to write a whole ass oneshot about Colt and Lucky based on this. I've been sat here in my pajamas doing nothing but writing.

SO. ENJOY. IDK IF ITS GOOD BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND KNOW IT DESTROYED ME EMOTIONALLY. (below the cut cause its long as shit)

4386 words of unfiltered angst hurt/comfort.

His brother's soulmate

--------------------------------------------------------

The bell signalling the beginning of the next class rang out loudly, piercing the ears of nearby students and rousing birds out of the branches of surrounding trees. In their rush towards the main entrance, no one detected the hasty, light steps and delicate gush of wind passing through like a ghost, unaware that someone fortunate enough to avoid the oppressive authority of the school prefects had slipped through the front gate, completely unnoticed. The truant in question darted absentmindedly towards nearby shrubbery leading to Bullworth Town, unlit cigarette sitting patiently between his paint-blotched fingers, other hand smoothing the copper mane his older friends enjoyed tussling so much.

Colt De Luca, a Bullworth freshman and member of the feared and respected Greaser clique, could feel his legs moving yet had no idea where he was headed. He let his body take him wherever as he busied himself with searching his pockets for a lighter acquired off Ricky in the parking lot mere moments earlier.

After successfully retrieving the small object and lighting the tip of his very last cancer stick, Colt took a vigorous drag and felt his lungs burning, instantly relieving some of the stress off his mind. Granted a moment of clarity, the Greaser looked around. He found he’d already made his way over to the main road leading towards the path heading to New Coventry, his own place of residence.

Looks like it was yet another day of aimless wandering ahead of him.

While Colt was not usually one to skip school, having been brought up to value education and consider its impact on his future, today was different - much different - he thought to himself as he bitterly kicked the pebble which had the audacity to find itself in his way. Colt’s mind seemed preoccupied with thoughts and anxiety from the very moment he woke up and rose off his paper thin mattress and continued through the few classes he chose to attend and do badly in. Frustration kept him on the edge of his seat as the teachers talked and talked and asked invasive questions and refused his requests for a bathroom break (which they rightfully suspected would turn into a smoke break). Not even his trusty sketchbook helped soothe his irritable mind and upon hearing the dreaded ring of the bell, nothing could keep the boy inside the confines of the stone walls of the academy.

Colt’s anger was not unfounded yet as he traversed the decrepit streets of New Coventry he could not help but cringe at the memory of his friends’ concern throughout the day. Many of them have come around to inquire about his well being, sought him out of their own volition while he hid and ran. Norton offered to lend a comforting ear. Ricky asked if he wanted to ride around town after school. Lefty remained on his tail break upon break, attempting to get him out of his own head with chatter. Hell, even Johnny, the aloof, tough king of the Greasers said they should ditch and talk. Colt, regretfully, dismissed them all. He didn’t need their help, he could do this on his own, he was grown now.

Grownups don’t mope about the anniversary of their parents’ death.

Colt took a final drag of his cigarette and tossed it onto the side before its remains could burn him, stomping it out with his dirty loafer. He looked at the pitiful bud for a moment before averting his eyes, reminded much to his dismay of his current appearance. “I probably looked like a pathetic kicked puppy right now, damn it.” He thought to himself bitterly and headed for one of New Coventry’s many sketchy alleyways.

He’s fourteen years old, fifteen in a few months. Practically a grown man, hanging around the most dangerous and intimidating group in the whole school (excluding the Jocks, but Colt didn’t like to think about the roid monkeys if he could help it). He should have already learned how to deal with grief a long time ago, should have forgotten about the whole ordeal either way since he was merely a baby by the time he became an orphan. He had no right to miss the people he didn’t even know. Yet the stabbing in his heart and tightness in his throat he felt at the moment were just as intense as when he was first yelled at by his uncle after bashfully handing him a Father’s day card he was forced to make in school. Or when neighbourhood children tripped him onto a busy road and asked if he’d tattle to his mommy. Or when he was scowled at by teachers for being brought to school by a boy not much older than him instead of an adult. 

In previous years though, as juvenile and immature as it was, he had someone to share that grief with. None of his friends could understand better than that person did, for good reason too. He’d take young Colt out to do anything to get their minds off their parents, visit their favourite hotdog stand, wander around surrounding fields with no purpose at all, ride around on bikes from sunrise till dawn. They’d religiously visit their parents’ joined grave, year by year, and talk. Touch on things they normally would, couldn’t, and those conversations brought them closer than ever before.

This year was different, however. Colt would have to grow up and be brave on his own, since the jerk didn’t care about him-

Just as Colt was about to descend down the winding path behind the Tenements a small, familiar hand roughly grasped his upper arm, violently ripping him out of his own thoughts. He smelled the smoke before he even turned around to glance at the person with irked, surprised eyes.

Standing behind him was Lefty, his best friend, in all his jean jacket-clad, greased up glory, though the intimidating effect of his appearance was dampened by how out of breath he looked, coughing small droplets of black tar onto the pavement below their feet. Yet his grip on Colt’s arm never weakened.

“Dude, why do you have t’ be so fast?” Lefty gasped, straightening his back yet still appearing winded “Ya got a bounty on yer head or somethin’?”

Why was Lefty even there to begin with, though? Colt knew the little Greaser still had two more classes and though he often skipped school, some days entirely, he usually hid away from the prefects in the labyrinthine path toward the Autoshop. That, or he hung around the Blue Balls Casino, smoking it up to the point where they had to let it air out before entering.

He chose not to pry, however. He just wanted to hide somewhere, even if it was from who he considered a brother from another mother. Especially since his real one…

Colt sighed and looked away, feigning interest in nearby anti-Greaser graffiti.

“Not that I know of. Why are you even chasing me, shouldn’tcha be getting your beauty sleep in Slawter’s class right now?” retorted Colt, more venom in his voice than he would have wanted. He couldn’t even control himself with his best friend, what a child, he chastised himself, fists clenching.

Unbeknownst to him, Lefty had begun moving away from the alleyway as they talked, grip firm on his brooding friend as they slowly traversed the sidewalk rounding their designated yet dilapidated hangout spot. Truth be told, the chainsmoker had been worried about his childhood bud for a few days now. It was not uncommon for Colt to grow snappy and sad as they neared this time of the year, when leaves grew yellow and air crisped yet the avid painter found no drive to capture such picturesque sights. That was usually when he and the other Greasers stepped in - though emotional maturity was decidedly not their forte - to mitigate the bad moods of two of their clique members. That was when they partied the hardest, laughed the loudest, got up to most comedic hijinks they could think of and led actual in-depth discussions about things left untouched any other time of the year. The 50’s enthusiasts had their own, unique ways of showing each other they cared and, though unconventional, they usually worked.

This year was different and Lefty spotted it instantly. As the mid-October grew closer, nothing seemed to soothe Colt and the desperation Lefty felt witnessing his best friend’s pain was unlike any other. Unaware, or rather left in the dark about the reason for such an abrupt change (because he asked, many times at that!) he tried everything to make it better, which, ironically, did nothing. Which is why, having lost sight of Colt, Lefty turned to his friends to see if they’d caught wind of him anywhere in the academy.

Ricky, the ever-worrier, was the first person Lefty approached. He knew their resident mechanic usually had the most intel on all of their whereabouts since he usually obsessed over the people in his life to an unhealthy degree (such as his ex, but he didn’t like to talk about that). When asked about Colt, the older Greaser looked around the Autoshop’s entrance tentatively where he could only see Peanut and Vance having an animated conversation, upon which he leaned in, cigarette nearly falling from behind his ear.

“Don’t tell Lucky but I saw him dashin’ out of the front gate and haven’t seen him return since. Also might have given him a lighter, I ain’t proud of it but the kid was insistent.” Ricky confessed bashfully, smoothing the back of his pompadour, concerned expression never dropping from his face.

“Big deal, like we don’t all smoke.” Lefty muttered under his breath, shaking his head curtly. That was one thing he’d never been able to see eye to eye on with Lucky, he and Colt were barely four years younger than him and the rest of the Seniors yet when they smoked like a chimney it was okay. But enough about that.

“Why would Colt skip, though? He’s too nerdy for that, even on this day…” Lefty wondered.

“Don’t know dude, I’ve just been waitin’, hoping he’ll return before Luck sees and loses his shit. Hey, it wasn’t that long ago that he scrammed, maybe YOU can go bring our baby bro back since you seem to, ya know, be playin’ hooky too?” Ricky quipped playfully, looking at his watch to see it was already fifteen minutes since class began.

Which is how Lefty found himself in his current predicament, meandering the dirty streets of New Coventry, Colt in tow, head down as they traversed quietly. The silence was not awkward yet held an air of tension and sadness Lefty tried his best to signal a will to converse about through his pointed stares which, unfortunately, went completely unnoticed. Colt seemed lost in his own head, even more so than usual around the date of the anniversary. Lefty did not want to press but could simply not allow his friend to silently suffer any longer.

He led Colt towards a familiar, comforting path towards the abandoned, destroyed playground behind an old pizza parlour in a similar degree of upkeep. Since the closure of the restaurant many years back, the playground on its premises had been used exclusively by its undesignated audience of troublemakers, urban explorers and junkies who sought a secluded place to shoot it up in. It also just so happened to be where Lefty and Colt hid away since childhood when all seemed too overwhelming, when the world was just too big, their family issues too stifling.

The jean-clad Greaser moved the large carton box covering the entrance hole out of the way and bent down to pass, looking back at Colt as he went. His friends seemed aware of his surroundings at least, in his state of depression, as he mimicked Lefty’s movement and soon they stood in front of the hazardously rusty playground equipment, unmoving. Lefty saw it as his chance.

“OK dude, trust me, I know today’s rough on ya but I can see it’s worse than usual. What’s gotten into ya?” Upon receiving a deafening spur of silence in response, Lefty continued, attempting to look his friend in the eyes “I mean… skippin’ school, smokin’, ignorin’ us, to hell with the guys, ignorin’ me. It’s just… If something’s eatin’ ya up I wanna be able ta help and it clearly is.”

Desperate for any sort of answer, Lefty felt himself beginning to ramble, getting closer so he could put his hand on Colt’s shoulder in a - hopefully - consoling manner.

“And if you don’t wanna tell me, why don’t you hang out with yer brother? You know Lucky would be down to skip and drive around with you, he don’t like Maths anyway, you’d be doin’ him a favor.”

That seemed to finally get a reaction out of the artist, not one Lefty was hoping for, however, as the mournful Greaser sucked in a breath too quick to conceal and stiffened up under his arm. In the mere seconds their eyes met, Lefty saw pain and frustration and an unexpected glisten and moments later, Colt made a dash towards the entrance they had just breached.

Lefty hurriedly dove after him, grasping his arm much akin to how he caught him earlier in front of the Tenements.

“No gettin’ out of this one now buddy. Tell me what’s goin’ on and what’s it got to do with yer bro.” he stated, uncharacteristic severity in his voice as he led Colt towards the nasty, rusted swing set, other hand instinctively reaching for the full pack of smokes in his pocket “We’ve got all day, I may not be patient but for you, Imma sit here in silence till spooky hours till you’se in the mood to spill.”

Though the last part of his sentence may have been humorous, not even a hint of a smirk graced his face as he lowered himself carefully onto the squeaking swing and took out a cigarette out the box. His friend mimicked him wordlessly, sagging against his own seat’s cable, hand reaching out in unsaid request of his own cancer stick. Lefty did not hesitate before handing it over, bringing the tips of the cigarettes together before lighting them at once.

For a few solemn minutes, the two friends sat and filled their lungs with smoke, the only sound penetrating the silence between them being the croaking of the playground equipment around them and cars whooshing by on the other side of the fence. A light gust of wind tousled their hair from time to time, blowing the smoke back into their eyes, though neither gave it much consideration, lost in their own thoughts. Lefty wondered and pondered, unused to deep thought processes and obviously unaware of what exactly went down between the brothers on a day to day basis. To him, they seemed as in cahoots with one another as they usually were, albeit more glum with the anniversary of their parents’ passing around the corner. Having practically grown up alongside the De Luca siblings, Lefty felt he could confidently judge when the two had just had a falling out and despite Colt’s terrible mood Lucky appeared his regular self.

“He wouldn’t.” A meek voice disturbed his train of thought.

Lefty glanced over questioningly at his best friend who was mid cigarette drag, hands visibly shaking, brimming with anxious energy. Colt pushed himself absentmindedly back and forth on the swing with the heels of his loafers, the motion soothing to the Greaser, albeit barely. Noticing Lefty’s steely, concerned gaze, he coughed and continued.

“He wouldn’t. Be down to hang, that is. He uh… he’s goin’ over to his girl’s place today. Stayin’ the night too…” Colt mumbled and twisted his head away completely from his friend, cigarette long forgotten, burning dangerously close to his fingers and trailing ash on his pants.

Why had he even said anything at all? He wasn’t the only one who was growing older, Lucky, who’d always taken care of him, who’d always been there for him, who'd given up so much to raise both of them since their uncle couldn’t give a rat’s ass about them. He had grown too, into a respectable young adult at that, as respectable as he could be given their life circumstances. Despite being a notorious ladies man in the past, in recent months he’d been trying to actually make things work with a girl he met in their uncle’s shop. His undisputed charm worked its magic on her but contrary to his usual flings, so did hers. Lucky was actually serious about this girl, introducing her to his way of life, to his friends and (until that point, at least) the most important person in his life, his little brother Colt.

He was not jealous. At first. Jealousy is juvenile, after all. He enjoyed her presence, rather motherly, she was the calm to his fiery nature, the ying to his yang. She liked all of his hobbies and shared her own with him, some of which Lucky would never have considered uptaking in fear of them not being manly or tough enough. She was there for him through thick and thin, helped him destress and relax and take his mind off things when burnout approached since he was such a terrible workaholic. In turn, he showed her real fun, a rough, dangerous edge of the town and the Greaser way of life. Encouraged her towards spontaneity previously foreign to her.

They were a fantastic influence on each other, one could (and did, such as Lola) call them soulmates who healed a little bit each time they gazed into each other's eyes.

And Colt selfishly wished he could be such a person for Lucky.

Hence why, upon receiving the news of his brother spending the anniversary of their parents’ death, which the two of them usually bonded on, at his girlfriend’s place in a little village some distance away from Bullworth, something inside of Colt broke. The little boy inside of him, so painfully and tenderly helpless, desperately grasping onto his big brother’s hand like a lifeline fell onto the grainy sidewalk and watched his only support crutch walk away without looking back. He could not cry, he could not show weakness, yet he could not get up on his own either, left to rot and slowly melt into the pavement beneath.

He knew he had to be mature. To grow up one day. Let go of Lucky who did not deserve to have been forced to play parent for so many years. Let him lead his own life after he’d already shaped so much of himself to accommodate Colt's unseemly form. But he didn’t feel ready. Despite his desperate, unfair battle against his own feelings and his tormentor’s allegations, Colt knew deep down he was still just a silly, desperate child, incapable of fending for himself in the real world just as they had suspected all along.

He felt a hot, fat tear rolling down his cheek before he quickly rubbed it away with unwarranted force. Impulsively confessing something ridiculous to his best friend was one thing but letting him see him cry? Colt couldn’t handle that level of embarrassment. He’d already wallowed in self-pity in front of other people enough for his liking.

Before Lefty could form a response, Colt tossed the remains of his cigarette down into the sand below them, burying it with the tip of his shoe and standing up abruptly, not regarding his friend with the slightest of glances.

“I’m okay though, don’t worry ‘bout me man, ‘s just the usual. At least he’ll be havin’ fun. Let’s go back to school, I’ll mope ‘round a bit and then I’ll be good.” Colt began moving towards the exit of the playground, a faux smile plastered over his features. He knew it showed in his eyes which were still as mournful as before and although he realised that Lefty was not dumb enough to believe him, he’d hoped he was negligent enough to drop it.

The other Greaser had different plans, however.

While Lefty would not argue with the others saying he had the emotional intelligence of a fruitfly, he also considered it one of his greatest weaknesses and felt nothing was worse than when he wanted to comfort a friend and failed miserably due to his attitude of actions over words. His own upbringing and parents did not grant him much opportunity to develop a sense of maturity required to handle such intense situations and he fumbled with his words, stumbling and landing head first before he could even attempt to console the other person, which had ironically happened with Colt more times than he could count. The artistic Greaser was much more mature in that sense yet never judged him for his inadequacy.

Today was different.

Lefty caught up with Colt, placing a tentative hand on his leather-covered back, his long hair just barely tickling his fingertips as the other came to a half, short of bending down to the hole in the fence.

“‘S that why you’ve been so depressed these past couple ‘a days? ‘Cause Lucky ain’t gonna be here today fer you today?” Lefty inquired carefully, not a drop of judgement in his voice.

Colt spared him a measured glance, insecurity clouding his judgement as he convinced himself he saw humour within the icy gaze of his friend. He shrugged off his hand.

“I know it’s fuckin’ ridiculous and childish of me, okay. Let’s just move on and go back ta class.”

Lefty, indignant, stopped the advancing boy in his tracks with his elevated tone.

“Dude, FUCK class.” He spun Colt around to face him directly without a hint of hesitation “You need to hear this right now, you ain’t ridiculous, you ain’t childish, and ya certainly don’t gotta force yaself to be okay today. I’m not gonna sit here ‘n listen to ya talk about my friend like that.”

Both held uncertain breaths, not looking away from each other, one set of steel meeting sky blue in a desperate attempt at reading the other’s mind, hoping to make the message stick. Lefty knew deep down that if he let his friend go, he’d never let himself live that fact down. He clicked his tongue and continued, struggling to think of the right way to articulate his thoughts.

“It fuckin’ sucks, that you’se breakin’ a tradition like that. I know yer bro means the world to ya and nothin’ will ever replace him. But… you ain’t alone, with or without Luck. Maybe we don’t tell ya enough but you got the guys, you got me, I’m not gonna let you forget.” Lefty felt the corner of his own mouth twitch upward for a moment “Matter of fact, since you’se not busy with Lucky, I’m takin’ you out, gettin’ yer mind off it all-”

Colt attempted to butt in, shaking his head adamantly, a horrified blush gradually spreading across his features. “I couldn’t make you do that! You don’t gotta-”

“But I wanna!” Interjected Lefty, growing giddy by the second “Man, I want you to be happy. I want you to see you’se not alone. And I wanna hang out!” He assured, smiling with his teeth now.

“We can do whatever you want man, throw firecrackers at the coppers, ride ‘round the town, stay out ‘n sleep outside somewhere like bums. Hell, we can even go visit yer parents together… if you’se good on that…” Now was Lefty’s turn to smooth his hand over his pomp nervously, hoping he didn’t cross a boundary.

A quick glance upon Colt’s awestruck expression told him all he needed to know.

“Just… don’t isolate yerself from me, Colt. I’d rather see you bawl yer eyes out than have’ta wonder what’s got you down in the dumps. Lucky’s not the only one who cares about ya you know.”

He did know now.

It took a moment for Colt to collect himself after such an outburst from his usually humorous and emotionally unavailable best friend. The shaking in his limbs subsided as he carefully considered Lefty’s spontaneous stream of consciousness, gratitude clouding the sheer awkwardness of the moment and the embarrassment he felt at his impromptu venting session. While he still missed Lucky and felt lost without him by his side, he could now approach the situation with more assurance, his dearest companion in clear support even through his withdrawal and depressing attitude.

Therefore, after exhaling deeply, his gaze traversed over to his friends wherein he nodded, more enthusiastically than he thought possible mere hours before, agreeing to Lefty’s primitive yet endearing idea of consolation.

The rest of the day, albeit undeniably sombre and glum, was spent by the two best friends on their feet, causing unwarranted mischief to their beloved neighbours, wandering aimlessly and basking in each other’s presence. They did, to Colt’s alleviation and Lefty amazement, visit the marble headstone of Mr. and Mrs. De Luca and though Lefty’s presence in Lucky’s place was strange at first, it felt natural, as the chainsmoker encouraged him to retell tales of their childhood afore the couple’s passing, a request with which he complied enthusiastically.

Colt felt no need to remark that most of them he'd only learned from his brother.

Hours later and much after curfew, Colt and Lefty laid on a patch of desolate green grass outside of the dirt path surrounding New Coventry. Fully clothed, not caring whether the blades stained their garments green, they conversed calmly, though the events of the day were starting to take a toll on their energy levels. Conversation drifted lazily, their faces only illuminated by the wide array of stars visible to the naked eye outside of their polluted neighbourhood and the glow of the moon bestowing upon them the ability to look each other in the eye from time to time, snickering at one another’s drained expressions.

From where he resided, Colt was sure that through squinted eyes he could see his mom and dad smiling down on him from up above, telling him it was all going to be okay.

He hoped Lucky saw that too, wherever he was.

[fine-nephrit]

🥏 TXF Fic Rec #31: "blackberry" by audries

A month after Philadelphia, a local cop lunges at Mulder, but Scully ends up with the black eye instead, and Mulder goes apeshit. Today’s fic shows how excellent writing can elevate a tropey prompt to the next level — into a new stratosphere, to unprecedented pinnacles, really. @audriesfic weaves words together like no other, making them dance. It’s by turns exquisite, funny, and heartbreaking. If post-“Never Again” and cancer arc angst is your thing, you cannot miss this one.

---

🥏 on AO3 🥏 audio version on @audiofanficpod read by @red2007

length: short, 3,000+ words season: season 4, 4x13 Never Again, 4x15 Memento Mori pairing(s): M/S UST tags: vignette, episode-related, angst, humor, cancer arc, hurt/comfort rating: teen/PG-13

[wusopiejung25]

Just finished reading all of SoL endings and my heart is bleeding.

[bunnyreaper]

Do you read things on ao3 or mostly here?? If so, what do you like to read?:)

a bit of both!

i honestly read reader insert almost exclusively and currently only cod boys, and a reyes fic when they come along (since the overwatch/GR fandom is not nearly as active as cod!)

writing is taking up a lot of my time rn, though, not a complaint, and so is work so im not reading as much as id like!

writers im enjoying a lot atm:

@chai-isms @ghosts-cyphera @ghostlywhiskey @alwaysshallow @391780 @lunarw0rks @ceilidho @ohbo-ohno @peachesofteal @captainfern my sole reyes related mention @redbirdy32 !

and on ao3 but i don't know if they have tumblr: sxapsimp, neutralnewyork + robin_bish

aka... the usual suspects of cod writers you would expect, and im probably forgetting some too! ❤️

[moonsavior]

☆ Stellar Collision ☆

A stellar collision is the coming together of two stars caused by stellar dynamics within a star cluster, or by the orbital decay of a binary star due to stellar mass loss or gravitational radiation, or by other mechanisms not yet well understood.

"One moment, she had been about to punch a CEO. The next, she was stuffed like a sausage against her partner inside of one of the many ritzy coatrooms in this banquet hall."

🌒°•°☆🌙°•°���🌒

  It was a cold autumn night, and a full moon shined over painterly stratus clouds after days of rain and 3PM sunsets. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Linkon City elite night life a sleek, all black car with tinted windows and sparkling rims sped down the I-90. The driver held the wheel steady while his precious passenger did her makeup in the sun visor, applying a matte red lip.

'In 500 feet... you will arrive at your destination.'

She puckered her lips in the reflection, making a kissy face at herself; For a brief moment, the driver considered being reborn as her mirror.

"You have no idea what you're doing to my heart right now." He admitted.

"You act like you've been waiting forever."

"I have."

"It's been 84 years..." She joked in a raspy, meek voice tempered by time.

"いいえ。It's closer to 200 by now."

"Ugh," His lovely partner closer the visor, "I hate when you speak in riddles."

"I prefer poetry."

'You have arrived.' The GPS beeped.

　 ×☆×

A tall, ash-blond man in a tailored navy suit checked stepped out of his expensive vehicle. He adjusted his star shaped cufflink while stepping around the front to the passenger side, stopping right as the door popped open to assist by opening it the rest of the way and holding out his hand to his lovely guest. Daintily, her shiny, black, ankle-strap kitten heels clicked onto the pavement, and she placed her soft palm in his grasp. Inching out of the ride with her short black dress, her escort couldn't help but notice how even under the moonlight, her thighs gleamed.

Since the valet also seemed to notice, he made sure to quickly take her midnight colored clutch under his arm before helping wrap navy blue satin around her waist in front of the guy.

Placing his lips right next to her temple, he gave her a sweet, gentle kiss on her temple. Raising his hand to smooth the fly-aways down her long, pearl pink hair.

"Um, Mister and Missー"

"Mr. And Mrs. Seiya Shen." Seiya corrected, politely handing his keys to the valet driver, albeit focused on his task.

He tucked a loc behind her ear and whispered down, "You'll get cold, Honey Bun."

"Aww," His partner smiled at him and him only, "Thank you, Pretty Kitty."

With her arm in his and her clutch tucked, they made their way up the stone staircase littered with couples of various ages. The building looked like a medieval castle with its gray stones and wall curling ivy. Light spilled out of the entrance way, peaking between suits and cocktail dresses, and the closer they got, the closer the couple could smell seafood boiling and meat sizzling aromas wafting into the chilly air.

"Nobody here looks like they know how to cook." Seiya covertly muttered, scanning profiles to easily ID.

"Woah. Have you developed a sixth sense for that kind of thing?" Heaven teased.

"Cooking is one of my best skills."

"Followed only by your impeccable honesty."

"Thank yoー"

"Mr. Shen!" A young man approached them from the crowd gathered at large, dark double doors.

They shared a glance: time to work.

Tonight, they were wealthy, young upstarts in the field of astronomy. Mr. and Mrs. Seiya and Celeste Shen, who had been cordially invited one of the largest in Linkon's biggest banquet hall for a gathering of some of the brightest astrophysicists in the country for their yearly summit. The glimmering chandeliers, overflowing booze, and finger foods promised an unforgettable night discussing the latest scientific papers and discoveries.

"Good evening, Mr. Hence," Seiya shook hands with a burly black man in his fifties.

His scraggly salt and pepper beard didn't hide his jolly visage. The old man seemed genuinely happy to see Seiya.

"Please, don't age me in front of such a beautiful woman," Mr. Hence said jokingly, shaking Celeste's hand, "Mr. Hence is my father."

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Hence." She replied, giggling.

A few years back, the Hunter Association sent the duo on an espionage assignment to a mansion party they believed was a front for a drug ring, and in all the commotion they'd made a friend in Mr. Hence, a wealthy philanthropist who donated his family inheritance to education and the arts. He was a funny old man who said just about anything after a few shots of Hennessy.

“All men are dogs. Have you considered my marriage proposal yet.”

“You’re a man.” said Seiya, pulling their handshake apart.

“I am an old man, it’s completely different.”

“It’s worse.” Seiya agreed, firmly holding his lady’s hand, “Can you ever say ‘hello’ without courting my wife?”

“I can’t help it son, I never see you courting her.”

“I’ve read that your eyesight worsens as you age.”

Celeste snickered, and then elbowed her partner for making her laugh.

“I’m surprised you didn’t bring a date tonight, Mr. Hence,” she said, “There’s usually a star on your arm.”

“Have you exhausted the cosmos?” Seiya quipped, getting subtly elbowed again.

“Tonight, a few of the scientists that piloted the Rover I will be in attendance. I wanted to see if any of them were as fine as I remembered. You remember I told you I almost got Mae Jemison pregnanー”

“There’s nothing here for us, Darling.” said Seiya, ushering Celeste around the ridiculous old man as if in orbit. Mr. Hence laughed from his belly before rejoining them.

"Oh I’m sure something will pique The Great Shen Duo’s interest!" Mr. Hence exclaimed, now leading the charge, “There’s never a dull moment with you two.”

×☆×

However, as the night waned on, Celeste and Seiya came up short on details any juicier than the latest sleazy, salacious gossip. An entire list of a meeting of the minds and half were there to cheat on their wives, half were there to schmooze their bosses boss while the remaining, gullible stragglers were there to actually satiate their pure appetite for astronomy.

The CEO of N.E.P.T.U.N.E had been one of those people on the Associations’s ‘Reid Technique’ radar, which meant implementing an inductive approach where each individual suspect was evaluated with respect to specific observations relating to the crime. Consequently, factual analysis relied not only on crime scene analysis, which had all taken place so far at large socialite gatherings like this but also on information learned about each suspect. Only applying factual analysis would result in establishing an estimate of a particular suspect's probable guilt or innocence based on things like opportunity and access to commit the crime, their behavior before and after the crime, their motivations and propensity to commit the crime, and evaluation of physical and circumstantial evidence.

Simply put, Mr. CEO didn’t require as much analyzing as Celeste thought after their initial conversation in the front hall turned into him placing his decrepit hands demurely on the exposure of her back.

Surely he had some couth, anything she could respect about the man, because it was already on nine and countingーIt dropped to zero at the exact same time his hands dropped to her right cheek.

As Celeste squared her shoulders planted her feet and thought about her life’s choices, the CEO was suddenly holding his wrist in agony followed by her suddenly whisked out of his invasive atmosphere into an inky abyss smelling of old money and white diamonds, the heavy, expensive coats muffling the commotion just on the other side of the mahogany door.

“Henry! What’d you learn?” She could hear Mr. Hence’s laughter in the background. He had been right, there was never a dull moment with them.

That especially couldn’t be disputed now. Because Mr. Shen had pulled Mrs. Shen into a coatroom closet just in time.

　 ×☆×

"Thanks for the save." Heaven whispered, regaining her bearings by propping her chin against his navy lapel.

"He didn't know anything about Neptune."

Xavier whispered back, leaning down to his partner's ear where their communicators dangled in the star-shaped diamonds from her pretty earlobe. He wanted to nip it in frustration, even knowing it would do little for relief.

“This might not be the best moment, but," His lips brushed the tip of her sensitive ear, and he noted how cute it was that they twitched, "You smell really good.”

And maybe it wasn't the best moment for romance but being pressed against Xavier like a warm pleat had Heaven blushing regardless.

Besides, in another moment, she had been about to punch a CEO.

Being stuffed like a sausage against her handsome partner inside of one of the many ritzy coatrooms in this banquet hall wasn't the worst outcome.

"Did you find out anything on your end?" Heaven asked somewhat dazzled, amusing Xavier.

She was dangerously cute to him when she wanted to focus on the task at hand. He leaned farther back into the coats hanging up along the wall, and Heaven followed, her body sliding into place on his.

"Nothing too interesting to report, Leader. Some old man keeps bringing up his alleged one night stand with a former NASA astronaut." 

“You don’t believe him?”

“I believe African-American women have higher standards.” He deadpanned.

Heaven laughed but pretended to cry and sniffle, “You’re learning. I’m so proud of you, Partner.”

She poked his face while he continued his debrief and then Xavier finally stopped her with a playful finger bite.

Heaven’s gaze flickered from his strong jawline to his warm, blue eyes. She could feel his heart beat faster in his chest, smell his clean cologne, and even hear his breath hitch when she moved her hands beyond his chest up to his ears.

Slow, circular rubs to the earlobes had Xavier purring like a kitten. The different materials in the room buried his bubbling moans in cotton and fleece.

"Try..." Xavier's breathed hitched, "harder."

Their lips drew to each other like a gravitational pull, pressing against each other tenderly with slow, seductive movements.

Heaven kissed as though she had never done it, tentative and shyly brushing her heart over his lips like dust on the moon.

Xavier eyes popped open, excitement gleamed in them before fluttering closed.

A little smile dotted her mouth as he cupped her face, palming her blushing cheeks and leaning against her. Heaven's hands slid up his arms before settling on his shoulders, alternating between squeezing his muscles or massaging them.

Xavier followed suit, massaging their lips together, puckering his like satin against hers like silk, kissing her lips individually, then her cupids bow, even including the beauty mark on the bottom right corner of her mouth.

Each kiss break allowed space for nothing except air.

He'd craved her lips for so long.

Xavier could feel Heaven melting from the touch because he could feel himself teetering, too.

When she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen their kiss, Xavier clutched her just as desperately, his body advancing more until Heaven was backed up through the coats on a more solid wall.

She couldn't find it in her to stop, not even for the sake of the mission, and as for Xavier, he had clocked out as soon as he saw her dress.

Heaven held the back of his head and gripped his hair. There was a hot sensation tightening her stomach that burned white hot when Xavier trailed wet, feathery kisses from her chin down her throat. When he started sucking on her pulse point and started grinding her against the wall as if unable to restrain himself any longer, Heaven nearly reached for the hem of her dress.

They had to leave this building.

"You surrounded me on all sides." He warned breathlessly, "Is it too late to surrender?"

"Yeah," Heaven moaned in his ear, "much too late."

Xavier had never telported them back to his apartment faster.

🌒°•°☆🌙°•°☆🌒

[ssaemilyhotchner]

🏅

ask game | 🏅 What is the fic you’re most proud of?

ooh, definitely kiss the cook. ktc was a 164k word, 56 chapter fic of mine that starts off in an AU where emily is a chef/aspiring profiler working alongside sean hotchner, who sets emily and hotch up on a date. things follow from there, eventually including emily's arrival at the BAU, conflict with haley, etc. it won the PCA for best hotch/emily fic in 2012 but moreover, it's where I really got a handle on pacing, character development, genre exploration, and more. it was such a great 'lab' of sorts for me as a young writer!

incidentally, I recently decided after floating the idea here and hearing from y'all that I'll be refining the prose and resharing it on ao3 soon! I am floored at how many of you still remember it/can recount its plot over a decade later?! like, what a phenomenal gift to a writer 🥹