#All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers

[funnyao3]

Henry needs to leave. Possibly the country, but certainly this conversation.

“Michelle?” She appears in the doorway, frowning as she takes in the Great Brownie Sacrifice. “Would you be able to assist this customer, please? I have to take all this into the back and…” There’s no professional way to say drown myself in the staff toilet, so eventually he goes with: “clean up.”

- All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers by kiwiana

[kiwiana-writes]

ALL THE LONELY STARBUCKS LOVERS

[rated E, 5,895 words]

“That floor doesn’t look like it’s very comfortable on your knees, is all.” Henry leans forward, scooping out a piece of brownie that got under the counter, somehow. “I wouldn’t worry about that—my knees are quite used to it.” A full four seconds of silence follows this pronouncement, during which Henry focuses very hard on opening a trap door directly into hell with the power of his mind.

Or, five times Henry puts his foot in his mouth in front of his customer crush, and one time he puts his dick in his customer crush's mouth instead doesn't.

Awkward barista Henry is now on AO3!

[patrik6090]

Assumptionz

@patrik6090 you love the boyfriends

@pennyroyald wack crayon lady

@mariyoursweetheart loves weed

@importantpeachfury Darth Vader of she was a girl

@hawaii-official I feel like they play those online gambling games

@system-of-cats 's minty idk their probably a Kanye/Ye lover

@manicali has arthritis

@plutowhoops drinks lemonade upside down

@groggle wishes they were a cat

@mango-mentally-ill crunches on ice cream as revenge on the cold

@stargazing-with-friends drinks olive oil and vinegar

@ms-macintosh has a love for rotten onions

@aflairforthemelodramaticc likes hot sauce

@half-fey-freak-of-nature is very pretty

@lunaxio killed birds for fun as a child

@f4y3w00d5 would eat a fake apple made of wax thinking it's real

@decaffeinatedcatkitten would drink their Starbucks order with their mose

@sarrinight takes naps in the bathtub

@asqadia-banthen failed a mental disorder to avoid being killed

@eirxair autism

@losairr Autism

@letmeoutofthebasementplease has gone through 4 different orientations

@illusionsignmisdirecti0n hates all types of meat or cheese in food

@weenietickler vegan

@wyfy-meltdown used to be an Internet scammer

@roeldraws out of touch Thursday is his theme song

@the-rat12 autistic

@err0r-404notfound autistic

@saphi-everything autism cat

@ihavehomework2dobutimhereinstead phrat boy

@gobodegoblin wants to be a mechanic irl

@finla cartography Hyperficiation

@pansexualcake9 used to hold opinions they feel great guilt over

@ibuildblasters natural disaster prepare

@vee1021 has spent over 500 total on mobile games

@enbypalsidk spiders hyperfixition

@watercraver loves orange juice

@mayowayo is an alien from the Andromeda Galaxy

@moongasux Irish

@untitled14360 listens to Ksi's thick of it unionically

@kimisbunny loves the classic sonic games so much she Speedrun them

@sunsickle they are totally a poll or RP blog runner they give those vibes, that or secretly a cooking blog

@durdurdurrrb spends hours a day reading irl books

@im-an-anthusiast is German

@transfem-users eats raw meat even raw Chicken

@uwathebestgirl loves bubble guppies

@yuris-redgreen-drink has a phobia of apples

@the-lonely-detective is gay

@sarah-ankh has/had/will have a Egyptian mythology Hyperficiation in highschool

🤹 crocodile fursona

Girlkisser is hyperactive

Puki anon Pikachu

R.S hey that's m e

The webtoon thing?

[roseharpermaxwell]

RWRB FirstPrince Coffee Shop AU Recs

Coffee shops, restaurants, bars, delis, cheese shops - you'll find those recs here. Give the author some love if you find something you like!

5:25am, coffee shop by cricketnationrise. T, 800 words. A quiet, but emphatic “fuck me” catches Henry’s attention, but it’s the thump, slide, and contact of a heavy book with his foot that pulls him completely out of his novel. He glances down to see some sort of textbook and stoops to pick it up, fingers brushing with a strange spark as someone else reaches for it at the same time. Henry glances up to find the single most attractive man he’s ever seen.

talk by @smc-27, @dumbpeachjuice. E, 1.1k. Henry records himself for an audio erotica app.

Alex finds it. And listens.

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers by @kiwiana-writes. E, 1.5k.

“That floor doesn’t look like it’s very comfortable on your knees, is all.” Henry leans forward, scooping out a piece of brownie that got under the counter, somehow. “I wouldn’t worry about that—my knees are quite used to it, I assure you.” A ringing silence follows this pronouncement, during which Henry focuses very hard on opening a trap door directly into hell with the power of his mind.

Or, five times Henry puts his foot in his mouth in front of his customer crush, and one time he puts his dick in his customer crush's mouth instead doesn't.

The wind in our free-flowing sails (and the liquor in our cocktails) by @kiwiana-writes. E, 1.8k. Henry is a speakeasy bartender, and Alex is the surface for body shots. Then they fuck about it. That's the fic.

black coffee and cinnamon rolls by viciouslyqueer. T, 2.1k. Alex walks into the coffee shop asking for a coffee and cinnamon roll. Henry tells him they don't have cinnamon rolls.

That doesn't stop Alex from coming back, though.

Make it Good by @smc-27. T, 3.7k. TurkeyOnRye is so hot Alex almost dies every time the guy walks in. Same thing every Tuesday. Turkey on rye, bag of chips, and a sparkling water.

“The usual?” Alex asks. TurkeyOnRye smiles at him, nods. “How’s your Tuesday?”

He gets the bread, he reaches for the knife, he tries not to cut his fucking hand off watching TurkeyOnRye push his hair back.

you're all that i need by @rmd-writes. M, 3.9k. “Alex.” Henry leans against the wall behind the counter with his arms folded, wearing a pale blue cable knit sweater with the sleeves pushed up and navy chinos. Alex wishes he wouldn’t because it only emphasises his forearms.

He crosses his own arms in response. “Henry.”

“Are you actually looking for a book?” Henry asks with a sigh. “Or are you just wasting my staff’s time?”

“That staff member is my sister.”

“I’m well aware,” Henry says drily. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re probably wasting her time. Which book are you looking for?”

“Oh.” Alex grimaces slightly. “I’m not actually–” He exhales. “Hunter is in the coffee shop, so I got the fuck out.” 

ask a guy his name first by @coffeecatsme. T, 5.2k. British accent. Blue eyes. Alex doesn’t know how he’s supposed to handle any of that without an ounce of caffeine in his blood.

He gulps. “Name?”

“Henry.”

Alex’s shaky hands make the name look like Hanri, with a heart instead of a dot for the i. He drops a bag of Earl Grey in the cup, filling it halfway with coffee before he realizes his mistake.

The second cup, the name Hanriey scribbled on the side, makes its way to the counter.

Or, 10 times Alex "misspells" Henry's name and 2 times Henry does it. 

Stop, caffeinate, and listen by @clottedcreamfudge. M, 5.3k. The second Alex walked into Henry's coffee shop wearing a shirt that said 'fuck the patriarchy' - which is, he presumes, someone else's, due to the fact that it's a little small on him - he resigned himself to falling completely and hopelessly in love. Alex - jewel-bright and caustic, cinnamon coffee and curls that Henry wants to tangle his fingers in - is quite clearly straight, and Henry's foolish heart doesn't seem to care much for the limitations this puts on their interactions. He's lost, irrevocably, and Alex hasn't the faintest clue.

I Hear It (When I Look at You) by @affectionatelyrs. M, 5.6k. “Anyway,” the man—Alex, a glance at his nametag suggests—continues. “What can I do you for?”

Absolutely anything, Henry thinks. Preferably that thing you mentioned you’ve been practicing with your tongue to start.

Instead, Henry says, “I’d like…the tea,” which isn’t actually much better.

Alex smiles, a patient curve to his lips. Henry shouldn’t have allowed it to dismantle him one bit, given that the next thing he says is, “Do you want it hot?”

So hot, sweetheart. I bet you like it like that, want my breath right up against your—

“Do I want it— What?”

Or, The last thing Henry expects while ordering tea is to come face to face with the man whose dirty voicemail has fueled his fantasies for weeks

Will You Brie Mine? by @cha-melodius. T, 5.7k. Today, as Henry tells him all about the Manchego, Alex tries his best to listen and not fixate on the mole next to the corner of Henry’s mouth or the way his shoulders strain the seams of his white uniform shirt. It’s not a particularly easy task for him, in all honesty.

“Would you care for a sample?” Henry asks, as if Alex has ever said no to him.

“I’d love one,” Alex tells him instead of saying I’d like to sample you.

(Or, Henry sells cheese and Alex is somehow his best customer. It's not really about the cheese.)

One Order of Alex, Please by gaytriforce. T, 6k. Alex is just trying to reach his dreams of being a politician by putting himself through school on a lacrosse scholarship and the lackluster pay from his shitty barista job- but the job does have one upside: his favorite regular, a shy, beautiful, British stranger named Henry.

Bea's Bakes by ronans. NR, 7.2k. Well, here goes nothing, he thinks to himself. It’s the first time he’s had Alex alone in a while so now’s his chance. And if it all goes tits up he could maybe move to Paris and begin a career as a reclusive novelist like he’d always dreamed.

‘I hope I’m not reading this wrong, Alex, but would I be able to get your number?’

He can literally hear Alex’s breath catch as he stares at Henry like a deer in headlights. Scratch moving away forever, Henry may just cringe himself to death.

‘Was I that obvious?’

Or, Henry works in his sister's London bakery when the arrival of the Claremont-Diaz-Hollerans shakes things up in a way he wasn't expecting.

something good can work by arcticmaggie. T, 7.4k. Henry absolutely loves people watching. To catch others as they’re completely immersed in their own lives and their inner workings of relationships and struggles and accomplishments.

And today.

Henry feels a cramp settle into his hand as he’s already finishing his second page in 15 minutes after lifting his head and immediately settling his eyes upon the most beautiful man he’s ever seen.

or

Writer!Henry spends his afternoons people watching in a cafe to find inspiration for his writing.

Trials and Tribulations by @hillerskas. NR, 8.9k. ‘Shit.’ Alex looks up. There’s an unbelievably attractive man dripping rain all over the floor and holding a steaming mug of something right next to his table. Alex deduces that he’d come here to hide from the rain, bought himself a drink and only then realised that there were no empty tables to sit at. Cue Alex’s saviour complex.

Or, 5 times Alex’s favourite fic author’s notes don’t make sense and 1 time they absolutely do.

Have One (On Me) by @myheartalivewrites. E, 10k. "Henry moves on to help other patrons, and Alex tries not to stare. He’s beautiful, and graceful as he reaches around for glasses and bottles, and then he picks up a cocktail shaker and Alex has to look away as he sets his biceps to work again, shaking it. It’s distracting."

Alex goes to Shaan’s bar regularly. It’s almost a second home to him. But one day, there’s a new bartender working the bar. He’s hot and Alex is into it except… the guy’s wearing a wedding ring.

i know a place by @indomitable-love. M, 10k. The low light of the bar makes it easy to relax. There's a soft hum of chatter and a steady beat to the music that isn't overwhelming. It's easy; smooth dark wood and strings of multi-coloured lights with posters of pieces of history on the walls – pictures from Stonewall, Harvey Milk sitting on the top of a car riding through San Francisco; a poster of Bowie sits one wall next to Freddie Mercury against exposed brick. It’s comforting, safe. 

He doesn't even realise that the brightly dressed bartender has disappeared and been replaced by someone else until he looks back again to see a small woman with black hair in a plaid shirt. Behind her, the blonde guy, who is no longer looking down at his notebook, but looking right across the bar, at Alex.

wherein Alex is early to meet Nora at a bar that he does not realise is a gay bar and he starts to realise some things.

like snow on the beach (you want me) by coffeecatsme. T, 11k. That’s the thing about The Magical Brew. It only appears to those in need, to those who lift their heads from their work, to those who need just a little bit of magic to turn their lives around. The gate is rusty, the lawn overgrown from disuse, but to the one in need, it looks, perhaps, like the most magical place in the world. Alex wouldn’t exchange that for foot traffic and a few more coins in his pocket.

It’s the promise of helping out those in need that keeps The Magical Brew alive. Yet Alex still couldn’t have predicted just how much his life would change simply from a dimpled smile and blue eyes that brighten only in his presence.

Or, 5 times Alex offers a little magical help to Henry, and 1 time he doesn't have to.

and we danced by rizcriz. T, 15k. And we danced

Out there on that empty hardwood floor

The chairs up and the lights turned way down low

The music played, we held each other close

And we danced

or, Alex and Henry meet in a bar.

Take Your Time by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf. E, 15k. “I have an idea,” Nora pipes up, the siblings turning their collective attention on her as a shower of rainbow glitter drifts to the ground at her feet. “How about you find someone to spend the evening with? Just pick someone who draws you in, whether it’s vibes or looks or whatever, and ask them to be your date tonight.”

“I don’t need a date,” Alex retorts.

“No, but you want one, don’t you? You’re always complaining about being our third wheel. So go find a fourth and make it a whole car,” Nora teases, squeezing Alex’s cheek. He swats her hand away and throws up his middle finger. “I’m not asking you to pick out wedding rings. Just find a hot stranger in a mask to grind on for the night.” OR

Law student Alex Claremont-Diaz is dragged to a local up and coming gay bar to celebrate the New Year with his sister and best friend, where he meets the standoffish owner Henry Fox and asks him to spend a no strings attached evening with him.

Catalyst of Change by @uglygreenjacket. E, 17k. Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz is American through and through, so how he found himself going to graduate school in Scotland and working in a coffee shop is still a little beyond his understanding.

And Prince Henry? Well, that's another thing entirely.

When Alex is outed in his last year of college, he packs up his life and tries his best to leave the trauma behind. It's all going fine until he collides, quite literally, with a future he never imagined.

Call Me By My Name by clottedcreamfudge. E, 24k. The fucked up thing is that this isn’t the kind of world where you can ‘not believe’ in soulmates; they’re a scientific fact. There have been studies, there’s a science dedicated to it - Alignment Science, which is just about the biggest heap of bullshit Alex has ever heard - and it is literally just how the world works.

Nobody has been able to adequately explain to him, however, how you end up with your soulmate’s name in your subconscious when you’re born, or why this is the way you have to get it out.

Alex doesn't believe in soulmates, and Henry doesn't believe in the likelihood of finding his. Enter: coffee shops. 

Bite Your Tongue on Purpose by Woodsarelovely. M, 32k. “Hey, man. Can I get a black coffee to go?”

“Er…” he says – a faintly bewildered expression on his face. “Yes, I imagine so.”

Turns out the guy is also British, which is like, whatever. Alex gives him one of his best smiles. “Great, thanks.”

Hot Barista glances vaguely around himself, then back to Alex. He looks simultaneously surprised and uncertain, like some kind of aggressively handsome time-traveller who’s been unexpectedly yeeted into a different century. After a beat, he says – “From me?”

“Uh yeah. You’re working here, right?”

“Well... yes?”

Alex tries very hard not to sigh.

Great. Looks like he’s dealing with one of those people who are so attractive, they’ve never had the need to develop any kind of personality beyond that of a Tupperware container of room-temperature potato salad.

Alex absolutely does not have time for whatever this shit is.

Five times Henry serves Alex coffee and one time Alex serves Henry.

Strap in, folks. It's a coffee shop AU ...Kind of. 

Notes in Orion by crownedpagesoflove. T, 34k. Alex goes to London to escape his own problems and falls in love with a handsome man with sad blue eyes.

coffee shop boyfriends series by @strwbrryfox. M, 35k. in which alex just really wants to be friends with his new co-worker, henry, who seemingly can’t stand him. things aren’t looking good for him after a couple of attempts to rectify the situation lead to him making a complete fool out of himself and, by extension, henry. but it’s fine because alex plans on turning all of it around when he pulls henry’s name for their staff secret santa. or the obliviouspining!alex x coffee shop x christmas x secret santa au that no one asked for.

I Get Drunk on Jealousy by aforgottennymph. E, 43k.

Something is crackling in the air, and as oblivious as Henry can be, there’s no mistaking the closeness of Alex to him, the dark look in his eyes that are piercing through his very being. Or maybe he’s just insanely drunk. Because in what other universe would his insanely gorgeous co-worker be looking at him with bedroom eyes, one hand gripping his forearm tightly enough to keep him in place, but not enough to bruise. “I think,” Alex says slowly, as though giving Henry a chance to protest, “that we should fuck.” “Excuse me?”

Henry dislikes doing things that he doesn’t excel at, this includes but is not limited to; baking, interior decorating and acting normal around drop-dead gorgeous men who have eyes he can practically dive into and drown in.

Unfortunately for Henry, his new job involves all three.

But Alex is straight, clearly, given how he flirts with every woman that comes through the door, which is fine.

Two can play at this game.

The Best Bar in the World by @pridepages. T, 76k. If someone had asked Alex to picture a gay bar, he probably would have imagined flashing rainbow lights, pounding club music, and a sticky dive floor coated in spilled beer and vodka. The last thing he would have thought of was this...

As Alex drank in the sight, his companion drew back heavy curtains, allowing sunlight to pour in from the quiet courtyard outside. The man turned back with a smile at the look of awe on Alex's face. "Welcome to Wilde's...I'm Henry, and it's a pleasure to meet you at last."

The same day Alex Claremont-Diaz is dumped by his boyfriend, he discover's Wilde's: the best bar in the world.

Or

The one in which Henry Fox owns a bar and falls for one of his regulars.

I only tag an author once per post, but I'm still figuring out firstprince author handles. If you see one I may not know or find a broken link, please give me a heads up!

Master List of RWRB FirstPrince Recs

Master List of Recommendations

[amandarayyy]

FOLLOW SPREE:

Alright my loves, I absolutely need more engagement! I need more friends whether we remain internet friends or we become travel friends, book nerd friends, actual irl friends or just venting buddies. So if you have any of the common interest I do PLEASE follow me so I can follow you back or message me so we can start talking and becoming besties in whatever way or if you’re just feeling lonely and would like a friend!

My current obsessions:

•Polin

•Luke newton

•Nicola coughlan

•Bridgerton

•Writing

•romance novels

•dark romance

•mafia romance

•witches

•the original charmed

•what I like about you

•the 90s

•early 2000s

•millennial vibes

•food

•Starbucks (but no coffee for me 🙈)

•essential oils

•diy things

•TRAVEL

•cooking shows

•Dylan O’Brien

•Wattpad

•London

•Ireland

•books

•friends to lovers

•enemies to lovers

•fake dating

•cop shows

•burzek

•Olivia x Elliot

•baking

•cats (animals in general)

•Claudia Jessie

I could literally talk for hours about tv shows and books. I could vent about my life, traveling, trying to figure out life and what to do regarding future, negative parents, having children, single parenthood, being broke, dreaming of all the things life has to offer, gorgeous men and women celebrities. I can be a chatterbox if it’s something I’m interested in, otherwise I’m an introvert and I like to stay in my cocoon and read and watch tv so I figure tumblr was my best bet on trying to engage more with people who are like minded 😂

[tigreblvnc]

JUJUTSU KAISEN MATCHUP EXCHANGE — @eternalera

Your match is...

— Yuuji Itadori

✦ HELLO AGAIN!!

✦ No jokes, the truth appeared really fast to my eyes.

✦ "overall im a more of a 'go with the flow' type of person and can sometimes get chaotic and loud" This lone sentence totally brought Yuuji on the table.

✦ It was like "YEAH I'M COMING" you know!

✦ I truly think you would have a lot of fun with him.

✦ I see him being able to be this calm chilling black cat...

✦ ... and also being this big doggo with golden retriever energy.

✦ Your clothing styles would match a lot too.

✦ Like... matching sweaters.

✦ And other silly matching accessories to forget in your pockets.

✦ I don't know why but I hear Yuuji saying to me "I love her laugh".

✦ He can deal with your anger issues. In fact, he's like your pocket sedative.

✦ Since he has one of the dangerous jujutsu sorcerer in him... He knows how to deal a lot of anger issues.

✦ I can picture the two of you enjoying your Starbuck coffee at morning. Yuuji probably brought them for you.

✦ Do you like collector cans with models made for a special events? They pile up in your kitchen. Sometimes, Yuuji plays a game of can knockdown and it bothers you because it makes a mess everywhere.

✦ It's totally canon that Yuuji binge watch movies since it was part of his training to tame his cursed energy. Let's watch the three hours for The Lord of the Rings in one go! No?

✦ He loves to tease you with some stuffed animals with ugly faces.

✦ Maybe he will make the effort to tidy his room. Maybe.

✦ Well, I think he prefers to take your hand than kissing in public. Something tells me he's a bit shy, affectionately speaking. Surely because you're his first girlfriend.

✦ Speaking of girlfriend, you're certainly the best friends to lovers trope.

✦ Hmm I see some silly couple's quarrels...

✦ Let's be honest: Yuuji forgets everything two seconds later. I don't see him as the type to hold grudge for a long time. He's too sweet inside for that. No matter what Sukuna may say.

✦ He loves to receive all of your gifts, even the smallest things. Sometimes, he struggles to throw in the trash the wrapper from a cake you gave him. Such material things reminds him of moments you shared together.

✦ Yeah he's sometimes a bit blunt and I guess he would cuddle you without a warning, but tell him and he will ask you before doing anything.

✦ He put a smile on your face when you're down. Often by accident, just because he looks silly when he tries to think. He's the type to tilt his face and think for a long time with a ridiculous face.

✦ I forgot but: matching shoes as well!!! I don't know why but Yuuji LOVES sneakers.

A word about your match: Your relationship should have its own TV show.

© TIGREBLVNC 2024 | INTERESTED IN A MATCHUP EXCHANGE? CHECK THIS.

[piratefalls]

3, 6 & 15 for the fic recs ?

hi nonnie! as i've been doing, i'm ignoring the single fic rule. this is a multifandom blog and i will conduct business as such.

3. A fic that made you laugh out loud

so i shared a couple here but there have been a few others!

for rwrb All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers by @kiwiana-writes actually had me in tears. they've written a couple things that cracked me up but that one had me cackling.

Bogarted (teen wolf) by @halffizzbin (hi julie!) is one that lives rent free in my head all these years later.

for 911 (buddie) i'd have to go with I Hate Accidents (Except When We Went From Friends to This) by morganofthefairies because (1) they're idiots who share a brain cell and (2) chim's exasperation with their idiocy is so funny.

aaaand for hawaii five-0 (mcdanno) i really do love Curiosity Didn't Kill This Cat by unadrift. danny having a crisis is almost always funny.

6. A fic that made you smile on a bad day

the one i've reread (mumbles number) of times to help with a bad day is the bright as the morning, soft as the rain series (911/bucktommy) from @bucktheally. it is delightful and buck being a bisexual disaster, especially when faced with a confident tommy, will never not be catnip to me.

also included: all the fics listed above. i was likely having a bad day when i read them.

15. A fic you wish you could display on your bookshelf

i'm thinking in terms of length so i'd again have to pick in death's dream kingdom by therestlessbrook (kastle), or all so human with our guards down by maxbegone (firstprince), or Named by RC_McLachlan (destiel), or Cornerstone by Vendelin (sterek). those are just a handful that come to mind!

fic rec ask meme!

[randomfoggytiger]

How the Ghosts Stole Christmas In-Depth (Part VI): Tears and Terror

Time for crazy good fun!

**Note**: Will edit later~.

Scully pops awake, grabbing for her gun and flashlight to sweep the room, trying to plan an escape route. This time she throws all hangups to the wind, grasping at both the left and right doors, hoping at least one will work. 

“I locked it,” drones Maurice, who’s appeared in one of the chairs before the fireplace. 

Scully keeps the gun pointed directly at him despite his assurances (“for your protection” sounds too much like CSM's En Ami excuse: “you were exhausted”); and fed up, she barks warnings that she's armed and not afraid to shoot. 

“Glad to hear it,” the ghost rejoinders, “you may have to defend yourself against that crazy partner of yours.” 

“What have you done to him??,” she yells, heartbroken and afraid that Mulder might have been hurt. 

“Do you have any idea why he brought you here, to this house?”

Scully’s lip trembles as she takes a deep breath. “Look, all I know is this is just some bad dream. This is all in my head.”

Maurice cuts through her denial: “And yet here you are waving a gun at me. Like your partner.”

At that dramatic cue, Not!Mulder begins BANGING on the door, yelling “Scully!” Off of this, Maurice continues, “Do you realize how seriously disturbed that man is? How dark and lonely?”

Scully’s confidence crumbles once again-- this time with anguish, staring deep into the other man’s soul to try to find a flicker of a lie to jumpstart her denial. She’s not afraid of Mulder (never)-- but the realization that she’s left him in the dark about her feelings, that he might have felt like an unwanted hindrance or annoyance, is breaking her heart a little more each time Maurice or Lyda “unite” with her critical mind against him. 

Scully rushes to help Mulder, stopped briefly when Maurice holds out her car keys. In utter bafflement and anger, she turns her righteous fury into interrogation. “Where did you get those??”

Maurice bats away her questions. “He’s got nowhere to go this Christmas.” How sad that Mulder’s solitude is being weaponized against him. “No one to go with. Did he happen to mention a story about a lover’s pact?” 

“Where did you get those keys?” she tries to redirect again, wanting to escape this train of thought as fast as possible. If Mulder was alone and she didn’t notice… why didn’t she notice? Did she not notice and make him feel like a burden? Is she responsible for whatever breakdown Mulder might be going through on the other side of the door? Was she not a good enough Starbuck for her Ahab, inadvertently abandoning him to madness?

Of course none of this is true: in Part 1 it’s even hinted Scully came prepared to spend time with Mulder (all her presents wrapped, etc.)... just not at a haunted house. But Scully dutifully lashes herself, her nature taking all of the burdens of her partner’s weaknesses and her boss’s disappointments and her mother’s fears and her brother’s scolding and her late sister’s death and her father's disappointment and foisting them on herself alone. And Scully thinks she can take it as long as she keeps moving forward. But when Mulder stagnates, she is forced to sit; and those back-breaking burdens start to weigh on her bones and make her reevaluate her life by overthinking her human errors-- her faults, as she deems them.

And Maurice and Lyda sniffed this out and continue to spin her around with her guilt complex. 

Scully’s guilt complex is ever present and fueled by a sense of failure to save Mulder; while Mulder’s guilt complex is (mostly) kept tucked away in-between his dusty files (which is why he never stops work long enough to feel guilty) but emerges every time his quest drags another life-- Scully’s-- down further into the stomach of his white whale. 

“The man is acting out an unconscious yearning: a deep-seated terror of being alone.” 

Maurice is dead-on: Mulder’s fear of “being the only one left” was rooted in childhood before his sister’s abduction (Aubrey); and continues after Scully chose not to leave in FTF and all the way up to (and beyond) his disastrous wish in Je Souhaite. 

Scully shrinks back, tears in her eyes, as she tries to get distance and regain control. When Mulder knocks again, she pauses-- and yes, she believes, for a moment, that the old ghost might be right about her lonely, isolated partner…. But she answers “Mulder”, anyway, hearing his voice and trusting it like always. 

“I’m here, Mulder.” 

She grabs the keys and brandishes her gun once more: “Open the door.” 

“I’ve seen it happen… too many times in this house,” Maurice builds, creepy angelic choir building around him. 

“I don’t believe you,” Scully snaps, firm and sure. She cuts off further conversation by yelling at him to “Open the door!”, but still purses her lips in conflicted anticipation. To be Scully is to doubt and yet to trust Mulder underneath those doubts (as she’s demonstrated since the Pilot and particularly poignantly in Badlaa… as wonky as that episode is.)  

“Where’s Scully?” asks Not!Mulder, opening the door and facing Maurice. At her “Mulder,” the fake whips around and points his gun directly at her chest-- right for the heart (ah, Lyda, you melodramatic witch.)  

He misses… because it’s not him, which is a nice detail; and fake-Mulder-who-shall-now-be-referred-to-as-Lyda realizes she needs to get as close to her target as possible. 

Scully, shaken, tries to talk “him” down while Lyda squeezes off a few more shots. 

“There’s no getting out of here, Scully. There’s no way home.” 

“Mulder, c’mon! Mulder, don’t come any closer-- you’re scaring me!”

A great shot of Maurice hovering by Not!Mulder’s right side depicts him as a controlling shoulder-demon.

“PUT THE GUN DOWN!”

“WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO-- YOU GONNA SHOOT ME??” Lyda taunts, effortlessly portraying a gleefully manic Mulder at the end of his rope. 

“I’m not gonna shoot you!” Scully yells back. Then, either as a consoling effort-- or a desperate, pleaful warning-- she adds, “I don’t wanna shoot you!” 

“It’s me or you,” Manic!Mulder replies-- a dead-giveaway this isn’t the actual guy (who only ever thinks of himself and Scully as one unit), “you or me. One of us has to do it.” 

“Mulder, look,” Scully begins, running through the steps that always talks him down, “we don’t have to do this.” 

“OH YES WE DO.” (How DD delivered that line cracks me up.) 

“We can get out of here--”

“Even if we could, what’s waiting for us? More LONELINESS??”

And now for the greatest line that Chris Carter ever wrote: “And then 365 more shopping days ‘til even MORE loneliness!” (Bless that man for this sentence alone.)

“I don’t believe what you’re saying!” Scully yells back. 

At her continued denial (“Mulder, I don’t believe a word of this!”), Lyda flashes even crazier eyes (just look at the masterpiece below. I would be crying laughing if I could) before nailing home her point with a fake shot to the other woman’s gut. 

Even in fatal injury, Scully’s disbelief at Mulder’s actions is epitomized by her iconic raised eyebrow. 

Stunned, she drops her tools and stares, open-mouthed, at her wound; then back at her partner, completely at a loss for words (as previously discussed, the tell-tale sign of a short circuiting Scully Brain.) 

Cool editing where Lyda and Maurice are briefly tinted with ghost-green amongst the white and black coloring of the ensuing lightning flash.

Not!Mulder slowly approaches as Scully wobbles and collapses (and it’s here where-- when I first watched it-- I thought Mulder was going to snap out of a Linda Bowman style mind-manipulation… but nope. Even better.) And Lyda has the guts (heh) to lay a thick layer of icing on this morbid Christmas cake: “Merry Christmas, Scully.” 

Scully, with tears brimming once again, watches as “Mulder” slowly raises the gun to his temple, helpless to stop and too breathless to even call out. She is absolutely gutted to see him die, or even put a gun to his head. Even after his “betrayal”, Scully still cares and looks out for Mulder’s best interest-- likely all too willing to attribute this fiasco to a second round of Folie a Deux. 

It’s then that Maurice tackles “the disturbed young man” (who fish-lips as he’s being dragged away), separating her "partner" from "his" pistol like a sugar addict from a candy spill in Aisle #4. 

“Let me go!” begs fake Mulder; and the two ghosts barely make it out of the room before cackling their heads off.  

In the midst of her Not!Mulder’s begging, Scully manages to raise herself a little off the floor in her concern and protection of Mulder, even this crazy crack version of him. Too weak, she collapses back on the floor, unable to tail after and soothe him back to sanity. 

The real Mulder, meanwhile, finally stumbles his way into a new-but-not-new room (“SCULLY!”)  where he finds “Scully” shot on the floor… for clarity’s sake, I will also be referring to this fake as Lyda, because of course it is. 

“Scully…” he murmurs, stumbling back in shock before stoically stomping over just as Lyda bobs her heads around (that stage actress streak shining through) and mumbles “Mulder… is that you?”  

Carefully, he pries his fake partner’s head from the floor, cradling it in both of his hands. The veneer starts to crack as he heartbrokenly asks, “What did you do?” 

“I didn’t believe it Mulder,” Lyda dangles, keeping her eyes firmly shut as Mulder’s begin to fill with anguish and fear. 

Mulder kicks into self-preservation mode, seeking answers instead of focusing on the reality unfolding before him. “You didn’t believe what?” 

“I didn’t believe you’d do it…. That I would.” 

Lyda pops out a sniper gun, sticking it right against Mulder’s gut; and, with a smirk pulling at her lips, she fires off after a goodbye “Merry Christmas, Mulder.”

Mulder snaps out of confusion and straight into taut alert. “What are you doing?” 

Too late: Lyda pulls the trigger. 

Oblivious to the trick, Mulder falls over; and lightning again flashes, this time revealing Lyda to the viewer (in all her stained nightgown glory) and a very gray-in-the-face Mulder (a little peek into how seriously he's feeling the effects of fake blood loss.)

“..Sc…” he breathes, clutching at his chest before passing out. 

The ghostess, meanwhile, giggles and dances her feet midair over her handiwork. 

What's left, you ask? Why, a dramatic crawl away to mood music, of course!

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

[tolerateit]

so. i was too lazy to check the lyrics while listening to ttpd. when i heard down bad, i thought she said 'i love your hostels take over' and i was like uh wow that sounds weird but go on girl. and for a few days i wondered which hostels they talked about. even until i found out it's actually 'hostile take over', my brain refused to accept like when people misheard 'all the lonely starbucks lovers'. anw i'm non native english speaker, so yeah it happens a few times.

Aksksks he looks so pretty like the devil!! Saw a tweet that went 'now I'm down bad crying at the Jim (from the office)' and I still picture him when it plays haha!

[maester-of-spreadsheets]

I don’t care what genius dot com say, the REAL lyrics are “he’s divorced and you’re a guilty pleasure.” This is my Roman Empire “all the lonely Starbucks lovers”

[imaginationintowords]

Since I decided to just not continue Speak Now for now, I posted an outline of what I had planned to happen:

Here is the link

Thank you to everyone for supporting my work!!! I truly appreciated all the love and support. Again I’m sorry for not finishing the story the proper way. Hope this outline gives you all the information you needed. If you have anymore questions regarding it just let me know :)

@stinkysteveharrington @jupiter-sky @pinkyykisses @kmuir1 @angstysebfan @thefandomimagines @princess-momo-barnes @spid3rgwen @friendlyneighborhoodchaos @teenagedreams-cl @capmanranger @lonely-starbucks-lover @shadowolf993 @angstyfishy @zaphdekota @writing-for-marvel @sazc94 @aliloz-3 @goffbby @film-enthusiastt @eclipses-and-moondust @a-little-bit-of-my-everythingg @mylifewithfandoms @your-not-invisible-to-me @seb13stan @jewelsrocks99 @peaches-roses-sins @mirrorballsangel @ohharrie @feel-it-on-the-way-home13 @buckystevelove @enlyume

[kiwiana-writes]

2024 Writing Round Up

Thanks to @cha-melodius for the tag a couple of days ago—I put this in draft to wait for my Christmas gift fic to be published, even though I still have a couple of 2024 deadlines remaining. This is... a long fucking list, so under the cut it goes. I’m tagging everyone mentioned below abs anyone else who wants to play!!

JANUARY

None of my love will go to waste [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 5,306 words] Henry has made peace with the fact that he's in love with his straight roommate. When he walks in on said "straight" roommate with a man, though, he may need to re-evaluate. [A gift for @clottedcreamfudge]

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 5,895 words] Five times Henry puts his foot in his mouth in front of his customer crush, and one time he puts his dick in his customer crush's mouth instead doesn't.

[PODFIC] Going Platinum [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 2:11:26 long] Podfic of Going Platinum by @cricketnationrise

FEBRUARY

[PODFIC] but if you could see us from a distance, you’d know i’ve always been so close to you [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1:03:31 long] Podfic of but if you could see us from a distance, you’d know i’ve always been so close to you by @anincompletelist

A thousand dreams that would awake me [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 5,935 words] Henry visits a sex club to get spanked the way he's craving.

MARCH

Pankakke [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 644 words] The first trickle of syrup that hits him is always the best. He gasps, opening up his batter bubbles to allow more in, writhing in pleasure as the maple tips his bottle until he's spent. Henry moans appreciatively as he absorbs the thick liquid, welcoming it in.

Thus may poor fools believe false teachers [RWRB; Oscar & Rafael; rated T; 1,808 words] Rafael's POV of the Dad's Way cancellation; a prequel to With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) [a gift for @inexplicablymine]

APRIL

What a beautiful tone [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 2,345 words] First time rimming but make it really, really introspective.

Warm like the glow that you feel head to toe [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 5,131 words] Alex is a senator; Henry is a prince who knows exactly what he wants.

Nature's infinite book of secrecy [RWRB; Alex/Henry, Oscar & Rafael; rated T; 1,981 words] Five times Rafael tried to figure out when Henry might propose and one time Oscar did something with that information; a sequel to With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) [a gift for @cricketnationrise]

[PODFIC] …But My Boyfriend Is [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 0:16:40 long] Podfic of ...But My Boyfriend Is by @clottedcreamfudge

MAY

[PODFIC] kiss me like you love me [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 0:14:47 long] Podfic of kiss me like you love me by @getmehighonmagic

[PODFIC] You're So Attractive; How Did That Happen [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 0:15:28 long] Podfic of You're So Attractive; How Did That Happen by @sparklepocalypse

[PODFIC] I Hear It (When I Look at You) [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated M; 0:37:45 long] Podfic of I Hear It (When I Look at You) by @affectionatelyrs

[PODFIC + LIVE READ WHILE BAKING] An Amateur's Guide to Piping That Cream and Beating That Meat [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated T; 0:38:29 long (podfic), 0:45:24 long (live read)] Podfic of An Amateur's Guide to Piping That Cream and Beating That Meat by @firenati0n

Like loving the stars themselves [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 7,219 words] Alex is a Time Lord, and time is complicated; Henry keeps meeting him out of order, and it's been a while.

Steep my senses in forgetfulness [The Pairing; Kit/Theo; rated G; 416 words] Theo can hear the way the ocean rolls up to the shore, lapping up over the beach before falling back, summoned into the chill of the Atlantic.

A Prince in the Pâtisserie [RWRB/The Pairing crossover; Alex/Henry, Kit/Theo; rated T; 588 words] “Parlez-vous anglais?” Alex Claremont-Diaz asks, his smile somehow even more blinding in person than it is on TV—and, yeah, maybe Kit only really started paying attention to US politics when Ellen Claremont was elected. Sue him. “I really hope so, cause I’m pretty sure Henry’s getting sick of translating for me.”

[PODFIC] No Ordinary Friend [The Pairing; Blond Calum/Ginger Calum; rated M; 0:22:25 long] Podfic of No Ordinary Friend by @cha-melodius

The wind in our free-flowing sails (and the liquor in our cocktails) [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1,889 words] Henry is a speakeasy bartender, and Alex is the surface for body shots. Then they fuck about it. That's the fic. [A gift for @sparklepocalypse]

When a man has fallen down upon his knees [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1,886 words] Henry is a Broadway star, and Alex is his principal dresser. There are a LOT of quick changes. [A gift for @blueeyedgrlwrites]

A compass that fell silent at the sound of song [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1,542 words] The golden age of piracy has come and gone, but every ending is a new beginning. [A gift for @cactusdragon517]

One day we'll be living in the stars [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated M; 1,262 words] Alex is a new settler on Mars, and Henry helps him settle in. So to speak. [A gift for @ashesfromashes]

JUNE

[PODFIC] Through His Stomach [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1:21:59 long] Podfic of Through His Stomach by @frostingway for @aroyallybigbangrwrb

With his educated eyes (and his head between my thighs) [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 2,110 words] Savile Row tailors have spacious dressing rooms. [A gift for @sparklepocalypse]

Just let me get that, slick back [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 2,069 words] Henry's hair is long, and Alex feels extremely normal about it. Honest.

A midnight medication (just show me where it hurts) [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated T; 2,121 words] Henry became a paediatrician to help sick children—not to flirt with their adults. [A gift for @sail-not-drift]

JULY

Naturally adapted for bodily exertion [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 1,954 words] Alex and Henry are competitors in the Olympic Pentathlon... in 444BC. [A gift for @three-drink-amy]

Never want to live (or die) without you [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 9,999 words] Alex Claremont-Diaz is a pretty ordinary guy with a pretty ordinary life. He has a kinda shitty corporate law job, a nice apartment, and an incredibly sexy husband. It's a good life, overall. He's not anticipating any major changes to that life anytime soon. Major changes like, for example, eating some sketchy shellfish during a client lunch meeting and suddenly finding himself undead and with an irresistible craving for human flesh. You know. Hypothetically. (A Santa Clarita Diet AU)

I pictured you with other girls in love [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 5,187 words] Henry has an unfortunately physical reaction the first time he meets Alex... and it's not the one you're thinking of. [A gift for @sparklepocalypse]

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

Brain break(down)

OCTOBER

SERIES: Kinktober 2024 [RWRB; various pairings; rated E; 40,000 words total]

Collars

Incubus/Succubus

Wax Play

Xenophilia

Somnophilia

Rough Sex

Nipple Orgasm [Alex/Nora]

Service Top

Tentacles

Cigar/Ash Play [Oscar/Rafael]

Hair Kink

Mutual Masturbation

Wing Kink

Magical Healing Dick

Boot Worship [Zahra/Shaan]

Biting

Hand/Finger Kink

Exhibitionism

Merpeople

Belly Bulge

Voice Kink

Fisting

Selfcest [39-year-old Henry/38-year-old Alex/19-year-old Alex]

Glory Hole

Double Penetration [June/Nora/Pez]

Orgasm Delay/Denial

Dry Humping

Dendrophilia

Omorashi, Humiliation [two prompts combined because I missed a day]

Sex Toys, Power Bottom, Knotting [all three prompts used for the last day of Kinktober!]

NOVEMBER

Someday your rainbow will come smiling through [Cinderella; trans man Cinderella/Cinderella's Prince; rated G; 3,108 words] A trans take on Cinderella [originally written as an original short story and shared on AO3 when it wasn't submitted for publication]

[WIP] Years of dreams just can't be wrong [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 13,330 words currently published] An Anastasia AU.

We gonna need some brand-new jeans [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 930 words] Finding a use for Thanksgiving leftovers. [Written for Smutsgiving 2024]

DECEMBER

Make heaven drowsy with the harmony [RWRB; Zahra/Shaan; rated M; 2,630 words] Zahra and Shaan's story before and alongside With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest). [A gift for @cricketnationrise for @fandomtrumpshate]

Signed, Sealed, Delivered [RWRB; Liam/Pez; rated E; 3,682 words] Five times Pez brings in something ridiculous to post to his friend in the States, and one time Liam has to put his foot down. [A gift for @onthewaytosomewhere for @fandomtrumpshate]

I only want you under my mistletoe [RWRB; Alex/Henry, Liam/Pez; rated E; 5,649 words] Pre-Christmas shopping is hell, but some retail workers make it more than bearable. [A gift for @everwitch-magiks]

[TBD by the end of the year] Inside you the time moves [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 10-20k] A gift for @amanita-fierce for @fandomtrumpshate

[TBD by the end of the year] All my promise and my pride (all my fear and all my fight) [RWRB; Alex/Henry; rated E; 10-20k] A gift for @larkral for @fandomtrumpshate

[firstprince-ao3feed]

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers https://ift.tt/8vn6mgY by kiwiana “That floor doesn’t look like it’s very comfortable on your knees, is all.” Henry leans forward, scooping out a piece of brownie that got under the counter, somehow. “I wouldn’t worry about that—my knees are quite used to it.” A full four seconds of silence follows this pronouncement, during which Henry focuses very hard on opening a trap door directly into hell with the power of his mind. Or, five times Henry puts his foot in his mouth in front of his customer crush, and one time he puts his dick in his customer crush's mouth instead doesn't. Words: 5895, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Alex Claremont-Diaz, Nora Holleran Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a Tumblr Post, 5 Things, 5 Times, 5+1 Things, The Mortifying Ordeal of Repeatedly Embarrassing Yourself In Front Of Your Crush, Innuendo, So much Innuendo, Shoving your foot so far in your mouth your gag reflex is activated, Gay Disaster Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Starbucks, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Shower Sex, POV Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor via AO3 works tagged 'Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor' https://ift.tt/qAWx4CU January 17, 2024 at 05:01AM

[thelasttime]

what about “all the lonely starbucks lovers” ? 😍

begone demon