#Croz and Ham

[thatsrightice]

Just rewatched Part 2 of MotA and I need someone to write a fic where Crosby thought it was just his airsickness but turns out he actually did get sick from Bubbles. Like he pushes through for the mission because they’re lead crew and he really doesn’t want to screw up or let anyone down. But he’s just miserable with aches and fevers without knowing it until he finally passes tf out after debrief. And the news spreads while he’s holed up in quarantine like the entire base is talking about how Croz navigated them home while horrifically ill.

​And Croz never told anyone he got airsick btw like he was very adamant about not letting anyone find so only Bubbles and Ham would know, but maybe Douglass and Ham are talking that night in the bars and it goes something like;

Ham: So how’d Croz do?

Doug: He’s good but goddamn the man was sick as a dog

Ham: Go easy on him, yeah? He means well, just gets a little airsick sometimes

Doug: Wtf are you talking about? I know y’all had already left but Ham, the guy couldn’t even make it to the door leaving debrief. A little more than airsickness I’d say!

Ham: …what?!

Doug: Yeah man, he straight up passed tf out. For a bit there we thought he’d actually gotten hit and didn’t tell anyone

[saturnwisteria]

Threes Company sounds interesting and I would like to hear more please

Okay okay Three's Company is a post war Ham/Brady/Croz fic. It's mostly domestic fluff atm but I'm also toying around with how much ptsd to throw in before it gets too heavy. Because the recipe does call for it but im trying to make the first foray relatively light and fun. But also, it's like, but sir those are some of my favorite things

Okay little blurb bc I couldn't sleep again <3 unedited straight from the notes app, hot and fresh for u

-

"We should get a pet," he says out of the blue one day. Ham tends to be like that, thoughts running a mile a minute, mouth only ever catching up every now and then. It's not his fault his mind skips from one thing to the next so seamlessly; maybe everyone else ought to be doing more mind exercises to keep up.

Brady furrows his brow. "Like what?"

Hambone hums. "Dunno. I've always wanted a real cat."

Brady drops his fork. Harry looks up from the paper to see Hambone wincing. Brady chews his mouthful of pancake thoroughly before swallowing with considerable effort.

"Sorry," Ham says, "Shoulda held that til after breakfast, huh?"

Brady can't answer. He's stuck somewhere in between complete incredulity and faint horror. Harry is staring across the counter at him with growing concern, mouth tucked down to one corner, one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other. Brady watches as Harry throws a furtive, questioning glance in Hambone's direction before reaching over to take his hand.

It occurs to Brady that Harry might not have any idea what's going on right now; he's learned a lot about their time in the stalag, but Brady can't recall if they ever told him about that specific story.

The idea that, to Harry, Brady is revolted by the idea of Ham with a cat, divorced of its background context, is funny all of a sudden. He feels a giggle slide its way up his throat, and clamps his mouth shut. But the dumbfounded look that crosses Harry's face at the slight choking inhale it forces him to make is enough to do him in.

The laugh that forces its way out of his throat sounds downright deranged, and does nothing to fix the helpless confusion marring every inch of Harry's expression now. He turns to Hambone for help, only to find the man in question shaking with his own silent laughter, palm gripped tight over his mouth. Brady reaches out for him with the hand not in Croz's grasp, and takes him around the bicep, tugging his arm away from mouth.

Ham howls.

They collapse into each other, Ham's head coming to rest against Brady's shoulder, his hands supporting himself against his thigh while Brady grips the side of Ham's elbow. Almost a year out from the incident itself, and there they are. Spluttering laughs and choked gasps, two hysterical peas in a pod.

"Oh, God," Ham chokes out.

"I know, I know," Ham says, tears running down his face.

"You," Brady tries, a stitch forming in his side, "with a cat?" He pushes Hambone off to grip his ribs, squeezing to try to convince them to expand and let him breathe.

[whirlpool-blogs]

whirlpool's personal fic recs, part 2

well, it's been a minute since the first time I did this, so here's some more great fics I've read since then.

(this is a totally fresh list! if by chance you see a repeat from part 1, it's only because there's been an update to it since then)

-> Please let me know if any of my links are messed up, or if I got a tumblr handle wrong!

rarepairs/3somes/from perspective of other characters:

Biggest Dick on Base by @impalachick (Crosby/Bucky) you guys. this one is soooo hot. oh the dialogue is sooooo good. as the author says, "It's canon that Croz and Egan are the two horniest guys in the 100th" and this fic NAILS it!

dancing cheek to cheek (to cheek) by @meyerlansky (Curt/Bucky/Buck) Curt POV and it's soooo good, equal weight is given to the Curtbucky of it all, and there's this summering electricity in the Curtgale, and the Buckbucky devotion is so real, it's a true threesome fic and author absolutely nailed it!! also start taking your chances in the same series, WHEW!

I Get A Feeling That I Never Had Before by @darkimpala1897 (Clegan+Hambone) 978 words, so it's short but sweet! Funny and original and creative, and like, of COURSE this is how Buck discovers his feelings for Bucky & Ham.

Learning Curve by @hogans-heroes Clegan through the perspective of Alex Jefferson, explores his friendships with Buck and Bucky, and his observations of them from an outside view! Really heartbreaking and sweet and touching, such a great writing style.

Pegasus by merle_p (Rosie/Bucky) Egan is an absolute horny menace and a terrible authority figure sometimes lmao, and this fic gets it! Loved the characterization in this one. And the ending is just <3

Render Me a Wreck by @almost-a-class-act (Brady/Bucky) you guysssss you GUYSSSSSSS you KNOW I love me a Brady fic and holy shit this one is IT! this one is IT!!!! absolute masterpiece that comes roaring out of the gate and never lets up. a must-read!

save yours, and take mine from me by @corrosivesaints (Brady/Bucky) another Brady fic and I loveeeeee it!!! this author absolutely nails Brady's prickly little personality and the mutual trust and attraction between him and Bucky. and not just trust to not turn each other in, trust as in knowing they need to keep each other ALIVE. which is basically love. as the author said, "guys who are not normal about each other and never will be" <3

Squared Away by @meyerlansky (Curt/Bucky) wheeee you know i love me some John whump, and luckily Curt is there to give him what he needs <3 such a vivid writing style, love it!

the vein in my neck adores you by @galetops (Harding/Bucky) hardingbucky hARDINGBUCKY AAAAAAAAAAA!!!! bro!!!!!! oh it's so delicious, power abuse is one of my fave tropes and John gets fuckeddddddd OVER in this one. gripping. devastating tbh.

Would You Mind? by @johnslittlespoon @nicijones (Ken/Bucky and then Ken/Bucky/Gale) HOT! hot! HOT!!!!!! oh god I was literally melting....... KenBucky is so big brained and the way the authors characterize them is just. so good. did I mention it's HOT??!!?!?!

Clegan+Marge:

A Big Surprise by @sweaterkittensahoy (PerpetualMotion) (Clegan+Marge) MARGE GETS THE STRAP OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! biggest yeah buddy ever!!!!!!!

A Horse is Not a Home by @fascinationstrt (Clegan+Marge) Lovely and sweet, explores their post-war trauma and all of them coming together to support each other and also like. literally coming together. hee hee!!

Barefoot and Bareback by @soliloquy-dawn aaaaabrhrfhgh it's so HOT and physical and playful and fun!!! love the little notes of dom/sub floating in and out, truly just feels like you're watching something sweet and sexy between 3 people who love each other!

clegan fics:

3am eternal by @feyd-meowtha 90s club scene AU, oooff it gets messy, deals with the consequences of John's substance abuse and Gale's avoidance and overall both of their lack of communication, and god!! it's so good

a thousand feet per second by anonymous Sub Gale, Dom Bucky and it's delicioussssss, Gale is not doing well <3

another version of me, I was in it by @majorbuckyegan (brianmaybrianmay) post-war, hurt/comfort sex after Bucky has a nightmare reliving running through the forest. love when Gale gently leads Bucky to where he needs to go!!

baby doll eyes by @ladybundle John gets smashed on stalag hooch and ohhh it's hot and sad and beautiful and full of yearning!!!

Baby I’m on Fire & Keep Me Forever by @oopsiedaisiesbaby Teacher Gale and Student John (not underage fic) and yeesh!!! both of them are a menace tbh and I lovedddd both of these!!!

Before the Dawn by @atlanticslide THE stalag fic, like when I envision them in the stalag, it always turns out that I am just remembering something from this fic!!! especially the parts where they are in separate compounds and talking through the fence!?!?! like ouch. like wow. a slowwww burn and it's so worth it!

Branded by @hogans-heroes Gale stalag whump and protective Buckyyyyyyyyyy <3 oh my heart!!!! so good!!!

crossroads by @shipstorms (ipsilateral) has a BoB tag but you don't need any BoB knowledge for this fic!! Bucky and his unrequited love for Gale and it's ouch....it's oh.... I definitely recommend for the beautiful writing!

diamond eyes by @vveissesfleisch (cunninglinguist) whewwwwww dom gale and sub john and it's awesome!! jealousy and desperation and then getting their shit together in the end <3

Extinct Animals by @feyd-meowtha Mad Max AU, but as someone who has 0% familiarity of Max Max franchise, I can assure you no background knowledge is needed. this fic is BRUTAL. this fic is CRAZY!! it's heartbreaking and feral and raw and everyone is clawing for survival and it's soooooo well-written!

futile devices by @drylite ohhhhhh this one will forever be famous in my mind, John gets sick in the stalag and Gale takes care of him but it's so much more than that, this fic is HUGE to me, the feelings and John's descent into his stalag spiral, it's all so beautifully written!!

He Calls Me Bunny by @johnslittlespoon modern AU, John wears a bunny costume to their college Halloween party and Gale fucks him about it <33333333333 HEART EYES FOR THIS FIC!

hit me where the heart is by @london-cowboy / @luckydeuce Ohhhhh my god this fic. THIS FIC!!! modern BDSM AU, John is a medevac helicopter pilot who once transported Gale from a horrible private plane crash, and then they encounter again years later -- but like. ALSO THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS GOING ON AND IT'S ALL MIND-BLOWING!!! past fucked-up Harding/John and current Harding/Gale and that's just the tip of the iceberg. so good. sooooooo good.

i followed fires by @swifty-fox Wild West/spooky supernatural AU. suing for emotional damages!!!!!! genuinely cried from this fic. and not just sniffle sniffle dab at my eyes. I'm talking tears streaming down my face, can't see anymore, this fic is HOLY SHIT WOW.

I think the love I bear you should make you not to die by @amiserableseriesofevents (WonderGinia) soooooo heartwrenching, multiple timelines and so many times they get so close but then lose each other

if it feels like love (then it must be love) by @rangerelizabeth College AU and it's a goddamn masterpiece!! John is Gale's RA and Gale navigates dorm life and college life and a new relationship and it's just. such a great journey from start to end!

jump the gun by @swifty-fox Part 2 of Outlaw AU (highly recommend Part 1 as well, obviously!) and whoa. hits you right in the gut. love love loveeee how swifty weaves the parallels between show canon and this au, while also keeping it super fresh and creative and you never know what's gonna happen next! there's one particular line that absolutely BROKE me......such a good read

kinktober 2024 by anonymous Goddddd. GODDDDDDDDD. Every time I got an update email for this fic, it was like get hand-delivered a delicious slice of chocolate cake that also happened to encompass like every single dirty kink and fantasy I've ever wanted to read???? author is big-brained. author is living in the 4th dimension. READ THESE!!

kiss my cheek, and pretend we're lovers by @euph0riacc Modern Au - Iraq War, and it's soooo creative and the desert setting is so well-described and the whole ensemble is weaved into this new imagining so well!! truly so creative and so well-executed, highly recommend a read!

knuckleball by @drylite PIT STUFF!!!!!!! PIT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PIT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! let me tell you i was screaming pretty much through my entire reading experience of this. did i mention. pIT STUFF??????????????

let us not desert one another; we are an injured body by @irregularcollapse cannibalism fic oh my godddd oh it's sickeninggggg (positive) it's crazy (positive) it's insane (positive)!!

Looking for Eight by @weimarweekly (VoluptuousPanic) modeln rodeo AU. absolutely blows my mind, every single chapter is so perfectly written, it's vivid and it's sweet and it's truly alive!! definitely take your time to savor each paragraph...so worth it.

love means nothing (in tennis) by @irregularcollapse this was in my part 1, but it's had an updateeeeee since then, so go read it!!! gale's orthorexia and overexercising goes brrrrrr

Moecher by @inpotatoeswetrust (Razor_to_the_rosary) fantastic, very show-like dialogue, love the Curt & Bucky friendship keeping it reallll, deals with John's slippery descent into his alcohol abuse and how hard it is to pull oneself out of that path!! but also like. john jerking off to a stolen letter from Gale. dry humping. HOT!!!

never falter or fail by anonymous Post-war John is in the hospital with temporary amnesia after a flight crash, he's getting visitors from his war days, but perhaps not everyone is who they claim to be....really creative, beautiful storytelling!! i'm hooked!!!

No Proof, One Touch by @c-goldthorn sweat kink!!! pit stuff!!! oh you knowwwww I'm here for it! it's flight school and it's so sweeeeeet too i love them so much your honor

Only You Can Cool my Desire by @johnslittlespoon a one-shot in the Tough and Sweet AU (which you should totally check out!!), Gale's POV this time and oohhh overstimulated, begging, overheated John <3

Rack 'Em Up and Knock 'Em Down by @happy-days19 a whump collection, each chapter is a one-shot and super creative and varied!! love it!!

release, please (no longer on ao3) by anonymous Oh goddd I wish I knew who wrote this, if you're out there plssssss shoot me a message, I love this fic so much!!!! Gale lets John piss himself and then he lets him come and christttt. I legit have this saved on my google drive because it's just like. everything to me.

Sous Le Ciel de Paris by @rambleonwaywardson Modern Olympics AU, Gale is an equestrian and John is a gymnast, super creative and well-researched (as ALWAYS by this author!!) and also HORSIES and also JOHN INJURY! hee hee <3

Stripper, Occasionally Hooker by @donotnomi Modern AU, lawyer Gale and dancer John, this AU is everythinggggg to me!!!! corporate intrigue!! paulina and harding at the law office and ensemble at the club! I can't even put into words how sexy and hot and mindblowing stripper john is, somewhere in the realm of surface of the sun perhaps???? I LOVE THIS FIC OH MY GODDDD. I EAT IT UP. I RE-READ IT CONSTANTLY. go read it, I beg of youuuu

Wind in the Wire by @livelaughlove-write extreme gale whump in the stalag, such a great concept and love seeing the author explore it here!

windfall by @rangerelizabeth modern meet-cute, John meets Gale in a corn maze and pretends to be lost so that they can spend more time together <3 so cute!!

Wrapped Around Your Finger (You Say That I'm A Home Run) by @johnslittlespoon Gale cleans up John's face after he picks a fight, and he's a little mean about it and then they fuck about it and it's great!!!

You Don’t Ever Have to be Stronger Than You Really Are by @oopsiedaisiesbaby ABO fic yeah baby!!! except they're stuck in the stalag and they're both miserable and hungry and itching to get out and oh it hits so good!

You, Me, and the Sky by @oopsiedaisiesbaby Major Character Death, so mind the tags, heartbreaking and gripping and terrifying and beautiful and sad!

"You were doing all this to a toothpick?" by anonymous Gale's oral fixation.....yeah you know where this is going >:-)

Your Idiot by @eternallytired17 John gets hit on a mission and doesn't register it until he's literally collapsing wheeeee!!! so good!!!

[orangethreads]

realistic modern au mota headcanons :

- brady would post bible verses on his insta story

- bucky and curt would do zyn

- douglass would be an elf bar fiend

- bubbles would drive a janky toyota corolla and be the groups dd

- rosie would never be allowed aux unless they’re smoking 🍃

- buck is the one who gets them alc because adults trust them

- croz would fail the sats because he forgot to turn the page

- alex would yell at them to shut up during study hangouts and kick them out (except bubbles) once a week

- ham would be a “where’s my hug at” kinda guy

- jack is the one calling the cops on their parties because he wants to sleep goddammit

- ev would smoke cigs but smack them if he saw them smoking

[trashbag-baby666]

A day at the theme park/water park with the boys!!! Inspired and brought to you by a conversation me, Ky, and Kat had! Likes and reblogs highly appreciated!!!

MOTA Masterlist!

•They all packed into Bubbles van and Gales car to take the couple hour trip.

•When they got there they stood in the parking lot so Gale made sure they had a plan and everyone applied sunscreen. Make sure John applies sunscreen.

•Croz eats his lunch he packed since he has hella food allergies.

•Bubbles eats his too because that’s how in love with Croz he is.

•He has to chase the deranged toddler John Egan around the van to put on sunscreen.

•Hambone is complaining that it’s hot (he’s in cargo pants and a baggy shirt)

•Brady looks fly as hell in these sunglasses because he has the best sunglasses!

•Blakely and Dougie are wearing matching floral button downs and khaki shorts… they’re also standing against the van basically groping each other.

•Curt and Ken are looking all cute applying sunscreen to each other and Curt is blushing getting to rub the sunscreen into Ken’s waist bc he’s wearing a cropped tank top.

•Rosie and Sandra are pointing at all the roller coasters they’re going to ride.

•Blakely and Dougie are those couples at amusement parks…

•They’re making out, groping each other, hanging on each other.

•They break off from the group and run around together all day trying to take funny pictures on all the rides.

•John is getting buckled into the ride and he starts questioning his decision.

• “I think I might get off.”

• “Okay, do you want me to wave someone over?”

• “No! No! It’s okay! It’s fine!”

• “John you don’t have to ride the coaster if you don’t want to?”

• “It’s okay, I swear!”

•John screams loud and high pitched the entire time…he’s also scared out of his mind.

•The pictures are peak comedy.

•Blakely and Dougie are kissing.

•Ham: 🖕🏻😐 Brady: 😁 (Curt and Ken are the same LOL)

•John: 😱🫨 Gale: ✌🏻🙂

•Sandra: 🖕🏻😁 Rosie: 👋👋 jazz hands

•Croz doesn’t do roller coasters so him and Bubbles went to go ride water slides. Bubbles is loving getting to stare at the way Croz’s swim shirt clings to his back. Croz still has a lean/muscular back from dance and it’s insane.

•okay hear me out: John can’t swim, he just looks like he can’t swim okay?

•Gale tells him to just stand up in the water because he’s 6’2.

•Curt and Ken are making fun of John and his tube in the wave pool.

•Gale is getting his tan on and reading his book wave pool side.

•He’s also trying to get John to reapply sunscreen but he’s refusing.

• “I don’t need it Buck!”

• “I don’t wanna hear you complain when your shoulders hurt tomorrow!”

• guess who’s red and peeling tomorrow?

•If you guessed John, you’re right.

[lazicalm]

ok one question actually, how did baby croz and howie (i firmly believe he calls him that) become so close?

EEKKK

okay so big man hamie, in my mind has like probably 3 younger sisters (no brothers it’s only sisters n u just gotta get it), just saw this pathetic kid on his crew n just picked him up by the collar n started totting him around like a white girl n her purse dog.

Like Croz introduced himself, n it was a neuron activation moment for him. N it didn’t help when croz threw up n like, hambone just wanted to baby him n get him soup n tuck him in n do all the things he would’ve done with his sisters when they were sick.

N afterwards it just kinda built upon itself where like, he would save croz a seat in the mess hall, or saving him a seat at the cinema, or ordering him a coke in the officers club before he even got there (before he knew he was like. A full ass minor, he just thought he didn’t drink and respected that boundary).

Before Croz was with Just-A-Snappin, Hambones cot was next to his, n he would help with some math (you gotta get it that hambones a little stupid on the ground but a whizz in the sky)(not nav level, but *sends brainwaves to you*), bc with croz joining up at early 17 late 16, he missed chunks of school + never started that literature degree that actual Crosby had started by the time he joined the 100th.

+ when they were in Algeria ham hunted down books for Croz to read (he saw Croz reading a book on old English poetry n now he will always hunt down poetry books for him (it’s like when a dad learns you like one thing so the next 30 years you’ll get something related to that thing))

[hellofanidea]

Hammy has the amazing ability to be Unbothered by all of Croz’s bullshit.

It's truly a superpower at this point. He's seen it all. Harry being airsick? Being covered in said sick? Being flown directly into enemy territory by accident?

And then Croz getting the Snappin' crew back despite how severely fucked everyone thought they were? AND still getting them to plow into a tree? Deeply unsurprised by it all. Typical Harry behaviour in Ham's book.

[sagesolsticewrites]

pookie! can I have ⁹⁾ blackberry jam for Jules and Johnny and ¹⁵⁾ a half-full milk carton for Vika and Benny? ilysm!!!!! 💝

Winnie darling!! So sorry for the wait honey 😅 Tysm for the request, love you pooks 💕

From this prompt list!

blackberry jam, Brady x Jules

There was a package waiting for him at the APO on the way back from that day’s practice flight.

They’d been at Thorpe Abbotts for about three weeks now, and while John Brady had gotten a (very long) letter from Jules already, this was the first time he’d had an unassuming brown box waiting for him.

“Treats from home already, Brady?” Hambone grinned, gold teeth glinting in the sun.

“Be nice and maybe I’ll share, Ham,” he retorted with a smirk, though there was no malice in his voice.

Back at their barracks, Hoerr, Hambone, and Croz quickly split off to their own bunks, eager for some semblance of privacy as they opened their own letters from home.

Brady examined the box in his hands, giving it a careful shake. There was a sort of light rattle on one side, while something weighed the cardboard down on the other. He wanted to tear it open, but forced himself to take his time, deliberately peeling away the paper and slicing through the tape that sealed the cardboard shut. Lifting the flaps revealed a thick wad of neatly folded paper, a small blue tin and a bundle of… fabric?

Further examination revealed the wad of paper to be yet another letter from his Juliet, describing her preparations for the new school year and time spent with his parents in delicate cursive script. A postscript was included, he noted with a grin, a full page of his mother’s familiar neat handwriting, detailing how much they missed him, how they hoped he was staying safe, and how kind his girl was to keep them company so often since he’d shipped out.

She’s a keeper! His mother teased, and he could nearly hear her laugh as he read it.

According to the letter, the tin held a batch of his favorite shortbread cookies, accompanied by— his grin grew wider— a jar of blackberry jam made by Juliet herself.

Your mother did most of the work, she’d insisted in her letter, but his mother assured him that Juliet had done it nearly all on her own.

Setting the pages carefully aside, he turned his attention to unwrapping the bundle of thick fabric, peeling back the layers that protected it on its journey over the Atlantic until he held a glass jar about the size of his hand filled with a thick, dark jam. He opened the blue tin next, grinning at the tiny golden cookies stacked inside.

Warmth filled his chest at the thought of his mom and Juliet in the little kitchen at home, talking and laughing, setting aside a good portion of their rationed sugar just to send him a taste of home.

He didn’t have utensils, but that didn’t bother him as he unscrewed the jar and dipped a cookie in.

One bite, and he was transported back to being a kid in Victor, New York, wriggling impatiently at the table as his mother fixed him a snack after school.

“Brady— hey, Brady—”

The memory was cut short as a voice drifted in from his right, and he turned to see Hambone grinning at him hopefully.

“Whatcha got there?”

With a good-natured roll of his eyes, he held out the tin to his friend.

“Shortbread. You can have one.”

The tin was passed around to his crew, all of them soon singing their praises of Ma Brady’s cooking, and John tucked the letter into his footlocker with the one he’d already gotten.

With any luck, he’d be home to see Jules and his mother side by side in the kitchen by this time next year.

half-full milk carton, Benny x Vika

Vika woke with a start, a sinking feeling in her chest. She wasn’t sure what had woken her, but as she glanced around trying to get her bearings, one thing stood out to her.

This was not her room.

A shifting at the end of the bed revealed a furry mass, and she froze until a familiar sleepy whine reached her ears.

That’s right. She was spending the night at Benny’s.

The tightness in her chest eased somewhat as Vika reached down to give Meatball a pet. Her eyes strayed to the other side of the bed, revealing a thrown-back duvet and rumpled sheets.

Her heart sank. Another nightmare?

Wrapped in her robe with Meatball trotting at her heels, she slipped out into the hall, following the dim moonlight to the sounds coming from the kitchen.

“Benny?”

The silhouette, backlit by the light of the fridge, jumped in surprise. Benny turned to face her, his face still half in shadow.

“Vika,” he said, his voice soft, “What are you doing up?”

“I could ask you the same question,” she replied gently, crossing the tiled floor to stand next to him. She asked tentatively, “Nightmare again?”

He looked down, avoiding her eyes as he focused on Meatball weaving between their legs, “Something like that.”

She hummed, scanning him over. He didn’t seem to want to talk about it, and she wouldn’t force him. So, she turned her attention to the fridge.

“Any luck finding a midnight snack?”

Even in the dim light, there was a trace of relief in Benny’s face at the topic change.

“Not yet.”

She took stock of the somewhat sparse contents— a few meals from his mother, the last of a hunk of cheese, slightly wilting greens, a half-full milk carton—

“Can I suggest something? You don’t have to try it if you don’t want.”

“Please do, I can’t seem to make a decision,” Benny said with a soft laugh.

She pulled out the milk carton and snagged what was left of the loaf of bread on the counter.

“This is what my mother made for me before bed every night when I was little,” she explained, pulling out a small saucepan and two bowls, “Bread dipped in warm milk seemed to always do the trick when she needed me to go to sleep.”

Benny hummed, watching her flick on the stove and set the milk at a gentle simmer. She shot him a wink as she added a rather generous pinch of sugar to the milk, stirring all the while.

“I’m technically only supposed to put in a little bit, but… I think we can make an exception just this once.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Benny found himself promising with a grin, and soon there were two steaming bowls of warm, sweet milk set in front of them, along with a slice of bread each.

Benny dipped one corner in, eyes widening at the simple but indescribably comforting taste. Something loosened in Vika’s chest, seeing his soft smile as he ate— thank goodness he liked it. It gave her an odd sense of pride, introducing him to something that held such dear memories for her and seeing the opportunity to build memories with him as well.

He ate it like her father did, she noted. Leaving the slice whole, dipping a corner at a time. She favored her mother’s strategy of tearing off pieces one by one and dipping them— useful for slipping some to Meatball, who was whining at their feet not wanting to be left out.

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Benny’s voice drifted in from her right, softened by the hour and by a slight sleepiness creeping in.

He wasn’t just thanking her for the snack, she knew.

Still, all she did was give him a tender smile, lifting the bowl to her lips to drain the last bit of sweetness at the bottom.

“You’re very welcome, Benny. Now how about we go back to bed?”

[majorxmaggiexboy]

okay but jopson would be slap damn feral insane about any and all holidays

Halloween is where he really shines just bc he already looks like a reanimated vampiric catgirl fae corpse and just has to put on his lucien fletcher costume and call it a day but like

In general he's going ham with the decorations. It has to be perfect. Christmas? He's stressing tf out he's working himself up into a frenzy making sure everything is Just So and for what

Crozier doesn't care. Crozier does a decent job at pretending to care bc his specialist pet freak is pure bleeding from the mouth in deck-the-halls fervor, it's exhausting just watching him

Meanwhile you've got the Bridglars next door being the calmest most peaceful wholesome couple in the neighborhood making it so cozy so warm so inviting

Croz would go stay with them until spring when Jopson stops being rabid but Jopson is already visiting them to get John's opinions on this and that and the next thing and swapping recipes with Hen, there's no escape

[reallylilyreally]

not to be predictable but breathe through the bruises for the 'send me a fic of mine'

BRB quick reread... (here)

My favorite scene

OH MAN. Ask my to pick a favourite child, why don't you?! Made particularly difficult by the fact that this fic doesn't really *have* scenes? There are some, but it's mainly just, like, visuals.

I ADORE all of the Bucks & Marge interactions we get in this one, the little snapshots of their deeply batshit, deeply domestic set up. And I love with all my heart the repeating motif of the phone calls between Benny and Johnny, and the bruises, obviously, but I think the winner has to be a tie between this:

The 100th outdo themselves, and are all milling around in the hotel lobby a good ten minutes before they need to leave for the church. Blakely looks like death, Hambone has the beginnings of a black eye and there's a conspicuous bite/bruise peeking out of Dougie's collar, but they're all there, dressed neatly and fully conscious. Small miracles. Mothers' sons. Brady adores them, it's unbearable.

Marge's side of the church is full of her family and friends. Buck's side is full of bomber crews. Brady and Benny take the front row, with Crank and Jack next to them, and it feels strangely right. Hambone sits down on Brady's other side, and elbows him in the ribs.

“Douglass is over there by the big drapes,” he says, very quietly. “You give me the nod and I'll give him the signal and he'll set them on fire.”

Brady turns to stare at him, for a moment completely lost for words.

“If you think we need to stop the wedding,” Ham says, deadly serious. “If you think we need to stop the wedding, or if Bucky starts to lose it, you give me the nod and Dougie will set the curtains on fire and we'll cut this whole thing off at the knees.”

There is so much going on in Brady's mind in that second that he can't decide what to say first. Benny seems to have no such problem, leaning over Brady and punching Hambone hard in the shoulder.

“I will cut you off at the knees,” he says, voice dripping with sincerity. “You leave this wedding the fuck alone, Hambone, or I will ruin your fucking life.”

It's the most vitriol Brady has heard from Benny since the last time they tangled with the RAF, and he's a little in love with him, just for a moment. Hambone looks sufficiently cowed. Brady turns in his seat, finds Douglass, and fixes him with a very sharp look. Dougie puts his lighter back in his pocket, and sits down. Brady resists the urge to put his head down on Benny's shoulder and weep. He used to be a pilot. Now he's a babysitter. Benny fixes Ham and Dougie with one last glare of his own, and then turns away from them both so that only Brady can see the way his shoulders shake with silent laughter. 

and this:

He speaks to Benny on Fridays. When the time comes for him to call, Brady’s passed Croz’s 72 hours by a fair handful, and he’s seeing things that aren’t there. It takes him three tries to get the number right, his fingers aren’t following direction. There’s the distant hum of a Mig in the back of his mind, he can see the trails out of the corner of his eye. He’s in the teachers’ lounge. He’s in America, he’s indoors, there aren’t any fighters. There aren’t any fighters. A whole wing’s worth of dead boys are sitting on the sofas with the maths department. The phone rings six times.

“Benny,” he says into the phone. His tongue feels thick and heavy, he can’t make his hands work well enough to put pressure on his bruises. 

“Jesus, Johnny,” Benny says, “Are you alright? Are you drunk?”

He’s so tired he feels drunk. Feels wasted. Feels like he might die. “Just tired,” he says. “Haven’t slept since I got back.”

“At all?” Benny sounds horrified. “Jesus, Johnny, it’s been four days. You haven’t slept at all?”

He shakes his head, and then realizes Benny can’t see him. “Don’t think so. It’s alright. I’m alright.”

“You sound like you’re dying, Johnny.”

He feels like he’s dying. “I’m alright,” he says. “Are you?”

Benny makes a noise in the back of his throat that sounds a little like Meatball sneezing. “Christ. I’m fine! Not sleeping great, but I have slept. What the fuck are you doing?”

“Staring at the walls, mainly,” Brady tells him. He makes the executive decision to not tell Benny that he’s seeing things he knows aren’t there. He’s pretty sure Curtis Biddick is lounging by the coffee pot. “I think Biddick is here.”

“Jesus Johnny,” Benny says, yet again, and there’s a note of real panic in his voice. “OK. alright, listen to me, Johnny. Can you listen to me? Is there anyone in the room with you who you know for sure isn’t dead?”

Brady looks. “Yeah,” he says. “Pretty sure.”

Benny breathes out. “Alright. You got anyone there with you that you trust?”

“You’re not here,” Brady says.

“Fuck,” Benny breathes. “No, fuck, I’m not. Just… Just sit tight, Johnny. Find someone for me to talk to, give someone the phone.”

Brady does not want to go near the maths department. Tipper, the English teacher who was a paratrooper, is standing next to Biddick by the coffee pot, watching Brady with his one remaining eye, and he takes the phone as soon as Brady holds it out.

He leans against the wall and waits for whatever it is that Benny is going to do now. Eventually, Tipper gives him back the phone.

“You with me, Johnny?”

“Always,” he says.

Benny breathes out, a soft noise Brady usually hears in the dark. “Good man. Now, you do what Ed says, and get some fucking rest.”

“I’m sorry,” Brady tells him.

“Shut up Johnny,” Benny says, “Do what you’re told.”

Benny hangs up on him, and Tipper prods him with his cane until he gets up off the wall and makes his way to his room. He’s forced onto his bed, and handed the still unopened bottle of whiskey that Benny sent him for Christmas. 

“DeMarco says you have to drink at least a quarter of that,” Tipper says. “And if that doesn’t work I get to physically knock you out.”

Brady stares at him. 

“Which I was about an hour away from doing, anyway,” Tipper continues. “You look like you’re dying. Drink your whiskey, lie down, go the fuck to sleeHardest scene to write

Hardest scene to write

Ooh it's been a while, i don't really remember? I always struggle with endings, i never know how to wrap them up, and this one was definitely no different. It's really hard to work how to turn something into a romance when neither of the characters have any idea that they're in love!!

Favorite character to write in the fic

Gotta be Johnny, because he's so incredibly neurotic and so incredibly brave, and he just loves so hard, he loves so hard it nearly kills him.

Favorite dynamic to write in the fic

John/John, for sure. Big brother Bucky and little brother Brady, who take it in turns being the one who isn't fucked up.

Why I chose that title

I wanted something short and rhythmic and reflective of the central motif, so it was always going to be about bruises, and i threw a bunch of shit out into the ether and that stuck!

A fun fact about the fic

I did not ship this when i started writing it, and I wasn't sure if I was gonna have it resolve romantically until riiiiiight up to the last minute. I am now, obviously, fully obsessed.

[sweaterkittensahoy]

Here’s a real challenge (at least it’d be for me): Hambone x Crosby

(cw: Vomit [because the bag of fail is important to the narrative])

Hambone bites his lip as he watches Crosby walk into the officer's club, then make his way across the room to Bubbles.

"You gotta do something about this crush," Douglass says. "You just whimpered."

"Fuck you, I did not," Hambone replies.

"Okay, you didn't, but it was implied."

Hambone turns back to Douglass and shrugs. "I don't know. I'm just some guy from Kansas. What's that mean to a guy like Crosby?"

"Ham, he popped a bag of vomit on you. If anything, you outclass him."

"He was getting a master's degree before the war," Ham says. "In Literature."

"So?"

"I got through high school," Hambone says.

Douglass waves away his tone. "He's got four years on you, Ham. Shit. If you had four years on him you'd probably have been getting a master's degree in...whatever they get in Kansas."

"Pig-fucking," Hambone says without thinking because he knows it'll make Douglass laugh. It does. Hambone grins.

"Go over and tell him that joke," Douglass says, giving Ham's shoulder a shove. "If he doesn't laugh, I'll kick his ass."

"You would not. You're soft as butter on a summer counter."

"Nah, I'm tough when I need to be." Douglass throws an arm around Ham's shoulders. "That's why you and me drop those big beauties on the Krauts."

Ham leans into Douglass's one-armed hug. "Yeah, suppose it is."

*

"Is he looking at me again?" Crosby asks. He feels like he can feel every bead of sweat on his hairline.

"Sure is," Bubbles says, not trying to hide his grin. "I don't get it, Croz. What's so scary about Ham you can't just tell him you're sweet on him?"

"Which part of 'I slammed my hand on a bag of my own vomit and got it all over him' don't you understand?"

"The part where he's never brought it up and still always makes an effort to say hi and ask how you're doing. My mama would call that courting behavior." Bubbles laughs at the way Crosby stares at him, big disbelieving eyes. "He's sweet on you," he says.

"He is not," Crosby says.

Bubbles shakes his head. "He looks at you like all he wants is to hold your hand and tell you how much he likes you."

"Shut. Up." Crosby's blush is spectacularly pink, even in the dim lights of the officer's club.

"He does," Bubbles says. "Lordy loo, Croz, you know how loud your own head gets at you. Go against it for once. Trust that someone who knows you knows what they see."

Crosby grimaces. "It's not that I don't trust--"

"Gonna get a fresh drink," Bubbles interrupts.

Crosby stares at him, shocked at the rudeness. Bubbles doesn't cut off conversations like this.

"Hey, Harry," Hambone says.

Crosby jumps and is silently grateful his drink is resting on the ledge next to him. Then he bounces against the wall, and his glass starts to wobble. He waits in terrified anticipation for it to hit the ground.

"Ope," Hambone says, and he grabs the glass in one hand before it can topple. He lifts it from the ledge and offers it to Crosby. "Here," he says.

Crosby can feel the heat of his blush and wants to sink into the shadows. "Thanks," he manages, taking the glass from Hambone. "Nice save."

"Bombardier reflexes," Hambone says, and his grin shifts into something a little sharper. Something Crosby might call flirty if he was a little braver.

"How are you?" Crosby asks, then winces. "Oh, shit, that was a stupid question."

Hambone chuckles. "Nah, it's nice," he says. "I like that about you, that you're nice."

Crosby stares at Hambone for a long moment, heart fluttery and hopeful in his chest. "Yeah?" he asks.

"Yeah," Ham says. "In fact, I was hoping to ask you a question because you're nice."

Crosby nods. "Sure."

"Well, I know you were getting a master's degree before you joined up, but I'd only just finished high school, so I was wondering if I would go to college for any of the Kansas majors, what would you recommend?"

"Kansas majors?"

"Yeah. We've got three. Corn. Wheat. Pig-fucking."

Crosby blinks, then laughs. He nearly drops his drink, but then Hambone's hand is coming under his to offer a little extra support. "Well, being from Iowa, I know a lot about the first two, but we really go for Cow-fucking as our third option, so I can't say much to the Pig-fucking options in Kansas."

Hambone grins wide, and Crosby knows without question that Bubbles was--as usual--right, and his own brain was--as usual--too fucking loud.

"We should go into town one night to discuss it," Hambone says, leaning in closer. "Someplace a little quieter so we can hear each other."

Crosby beams and nods. "Yeah," he says. "I like that idea."

*

(if you don't know, 'ope' is a common verbalization amongst midwesterners; enough so that I clearly picked it up from my midwestern parents while growing up in the south.)

[thatsrightice]

Crosby totally packs all of the lunches for his crew (and Bubbles, always Bubbles) when he flies missions. He gets their preferred choice of ration, all of their favorite flight-approved snacks, and he even manages to acquire some extra chocolate bars, all of which were carefully packaged inside a brown paper bag with their name on it in that delicate handwriting of his.

When Crosby gets transferred to Blakely’s crew, Douglass doesn’t stop bragging about it and shoving it in Ham’s face for weeks. Of course then Crosby felt bad when he saw how Ham was actually disappointed whenever the special lunches were brought up, so he started to secretly leave one by Ham’s flight gear before every flight.

[itstheheebiejeebies]

15, 16, 17, and 19 for the mota ask game! <3

15) comfort character, hmmm. Crosby maybe? Or Bubbles? Not quite sure. They occupy a lot of my thoughts though.

16) I'd let Croz, Bubbles, Buck, Brady, Rosie, or DeMarco babysit any pets I had. And Buck is only allowed to if he promises to keep Bucky in line because god knows he'd bring him along.

17) I could probably list for ages here on who deserved more screentime. But I'll start with Curt and Bubbles. Especially since Bubbles died much later than that irl. They're so fun and have such great friendships with the guys that were severely under explored. Then I'd say Hambone, Ev, and Dougie. Those three are so great and we barely scraped the surface with them. Give me stuff about the fact that they're all married to gals and Ham and Ev's wives are living with Jean during the war too. Then there's Jack, my sweet suffering air exec. He deserves a thousand hours of screen time. And we have Macon, Alex, and Daniels who get so fucking little it's practically criminal.

19) I've answered this before here, it's th goblin riddle because Goblin Fort Superiority and it's the thesis of things in a way.

MotA asks

[spinteresting]

I agree 100% that they should have pulled more from the memoirs. Should we have had the romance subplot with Croz? No, waste of time, as sexy as it was. Should we have had all the POW stuff? Maybe, but it was mostly filler created from scratch by the writers.

There were so many other good stories from A Wing and a Prayer they could have used for Crosby. I do not understand why they chose to highlight his affair. It did nothing for the show.

As for the POW storyline, I’m glad they had it. I just wish it had been approached differently. It was so focused on Buck & Bucky. I think it would have been better if the ensemble had gotten more screen time and development. I wanted to see more of Brady, Ham, Demarco, and Crank in the camp.

I also wish they had saved the Tuskegee guys and written a movie for them. Something focused solely on them where they could shine and get actual development and a storyline.

I do really like Masters of the Air. I just think it could have been even better with some tweaks.

[mercyedes]

"last line" tag game, tysm to @precious-little-scoundrel for including meee, i love you <3

rules: share the last line you wrote.

i have nottt been focusing on any of my fic wips lately because i've been having too much fun in the mota rp server, so my answers to this are mostly gonna be from RP responses LOL. i forgot to post this last night also so technically these aren't my last sentences but they were when i wrote up this post :3

It’s quieter than Hambone would like in here, but there were still plenty of bodies around to watch …. And only one that he actually wants to. The sight of Everett a little further back in the club has something dangerous flickering in his eyes, one corner of his mouth twitching into a fleeting, overweening smirk.

-> from one of my threads in my server, cuz ham has ended up being super freaky super obsessed with blakely here and i love it <33

Harry turned the next page of the novel he was reading. The sun was shining high in the sky, the grass beneath him was comfortable enough, and the two idiots he had laying around him like cats huddled to a fire had finally shut up for once.

-> from a superrrr early draft scene, not sure if i was turning it into an intro to chapter 2 of my ham/brady thing or if i was gonna attach it to chapter 2 of my croz/buck thing, i never ended up deciding LOL.

Not that he actually cared, for the record, but Cleven and the other boys seemed to hold Alex in some form of high regard, circling around his clever abilities for drawing and map-making like dogs to a bone, and Hambone did care about them. They would be pleased with what he did just now; That was the sole motive he had been working off of.

-> another roleplay post from meee, this one for a ham & alex thread in the server! their friendship is basically hambone being confused about why alex isn't phased by his antics & alex being like goddamn this dude needs to be kept on a leash wtf.

[trashbag-baby666]

Do you have any Christmas hc about Hambone? 🥹

I hope you don’t mind they’re from my hs au 🫣🥺 but yes…special thanks to pooki @darkimpala1897 for helping out with these!

mota masterlist!

•First off I feel like Ham says he doesn’t care about Christmas but he’s a dirty liar…

•He makes ornaments out of random junk he finds around his families apartment. Lids, his socks, one year he gathers his cat’s hair into an ornament ball.

•He definitely gets his braces bands changed to green and red.

•He asks Brady to crochet him and his cat matching sweaters…

•Brady does…think something like this!

•He’s terrible at wrapping presents…and if he’s not wrapping with his mom he’s using newspaper…

•he’s a southern boy so his mamaw taught him how to bake and cook. So he makes the weirdest most old fashioned cookies the guys have ever heard of.

•John, Dougie, and Everett devour them.

•Food is food to them.

•However, Ham makes some MEAN ginger bread cookies.

•After some trial and error of burnt cookies.

•Ham wants SPECIFICS on what you want for the holidays.

•So John asks him for a vintage horse or unicorn plush.

•Ham searches far and wide at every antique store in the Cheyenne area. (Him and Brady even make a special trip to Denver to look.)

•Eventually Ham finds a vintage carousel horse plush.

•John LOVES it.

•The Brady family takes him with Christmas caroling every year…but he’s really bad.

•Like worse than Croz bad.

•He tries to add in his own lyrics. Hambone’s Version.

•He keeps Brady warm while they carol, he’ll wrap his arms around him and then sing out of tune in his ear. But Brady still loves him.

•In an au of the au where Covid happened, Brady’s mom’s begged Ham to dress up as Santa. So he does because Ham is a certified lover boy for Brady and would do anything to please the boys parents.