#I CAN write lighthearted stuff! I just can’t focus long enough to write the fics that deliver them

[ficandkaboodle]

🩵 Did it hurt? 🩵

Did it hurt when you inevitably stumbled upon the thought that part of why Copia might’ve wanted to be Papa so much was less about the power and more about being loved?

Like, he was absolutely raised like an orphan within the church, I think we can all agree on that in the face of Ghost’s clunky lore. And dudes more likely than not has the ‘tism in him so he was an oddball and very likely an outcast on so many fronts.

But then he began to notice how revered Papa was. How respected the position was, how drawn to Papa people were. Men and women and everyone in-between threw themselves at his feet and looked to him for guidance. And that’s just from the more immediate congregation and other ministry locations — where to even begin when it comes to the adoration pouring in from fans of the Ghost Project?!

And when you’re desperate enough, you’ll latch onto anything with the conviction that this. This will be what saves me from a lifetime of loneliness and being misunderstood. If I can just do this, become this, I can have a family of some kind. I will be surrounded by people who will have to stay by me and acknowledge me and see me as important.

If I become Papa, I will have control. I will be seen. I will be loved.

Yeah so anyway, how did it feel when you first thought that?

[shingia]

❝𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫 - 𝐛𝐨𝐤𝐮𝐭𝐨 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫❞

FINALLY a bokuto fic ! i've rarely had this much fun writing so i hope you’ll like it !

summary : bokuto would’ve never imagined that his new neighbor would be so hot. and he would have never imagined he’d be her type. actually, there are many more things bokuto would have never imagined…

⤷ bokuto x fem!reader | slight nsfw, fluff? | word count : 3.1K

bokuto would’ve never imagined that his new neighbor would be so hot. and he would have never imagined he’d be her type. actually, there are many more things bokuto would have never imagined…

bokuto had long ago given up on the idea of ever living out his « mysterious hot neighbor » fantasy ; he had resigned. yet there you were, your back turned to his front door, struggling with your keys while carrying two big cardboard boxes. maybe today was finally his lucky day ?

« hi… um, do you need help ? » he asked before closing his door and taking a step towards you. too focused on your keys, you hadn’t even noticed that someone was behind you and almost dropped a box when you heard his voice. with the warmest smile he had ever seen, you accepted his proposition. and honestly, even if you had not wanted his help, it would have been hard to pretend you weren’t struggling.

he quickly wrapped an arm around the biggest box, holding it from below with his other hand before taking a step back to let you open the door. it took you about a second to stop staring at his arms and focus on the doorknob instead. today sure seemed like your lucky day too…

« nobody told me i’d have a new neighbor » he said as he entered your apartment right after you. a huge effort from his part had been required not to change « new » to « hot » at the last minute. and he mentally thanked himself for having a decent amount of tact.

« yeah, the moving was pretty rushed. and it also explains the obvious lack of decoration » you responded while pointing to your gloomy living room, completely empty except for your cat sleeping in a corner.

bokuto put the box he was holding on your kitchen table before giving a quick look around. « yeah, i can’t say it’s very welcoming for now » he stated, « need more help ? i can carry more stuff if you want »

i’m sure you can, you thought, still having trouble looking away from his arms that his t-shirt revealed right under his shoulder. « actually, there are still three boxes on the landing… » you started, fiddling with the cloth of your jacket.

he raised a hand, not needing to hear more to go fetch the said boxes and bring them back in an impressively short amount of time.

you would have loved to offer him something to drink as a thank you, but you had not been grocery shopping yet and the only thing you could have given him was a glass of plain water.

and bokuto would have loved to stay more, but he had left his apartment for a reason, which was a team meeting that took place in about ten minutes now. reluctantly, he left you alone to deal with your boxes but promised himself that he would see you later during the day. « i’ll be back in two hours, feel free to knock on my door if you need anything » he exclaimed from the stairs, looking up at you who was still on the doorframe.

when you went back inside, your noticed that the faint scent of his perfume was still lingering in your kitchen, bringing your mind back to the charming figure of your new neighbor. and you spent the next two hours thinking about an excuse to knock on his door before the end of the day.

it turned out that bokuto had been a substantial help in your moving. especially for the first two weeks, where he had gladly helped you out with ingredients you didn’t have or just helped you build a few shelves. so obviously, you had to invite him over for a drink when you were finally settled in.

but little did you know that, if he never left your mind, you certainly didn’t leave his either. even his teammates noticed that he was more glowing than usual, and he did not even bother to deny it. « yeah, maybe it’s true love… » he’d say dramatically, earning countless teases from his team.

when bokuto knocked on your front door, you almost ran to open him before immediately putting your hand on his eyes. he had not yet seen the decorated interior, but he was more than proud to be the first you were showing it to. you grabbed his arm to lead him to the living room, (un)intentionally making him bump in a few furnitures before taking your hand off. 

« no way, are you kidding me ?! » he exclaimed as you spun gracefully to point out your surroundings. « you’ve done all that in two weeks ?! it took me six months to just choose a carpet ! ». with a chuckle, you thanked him and told him to go sit on the couch as you headed to the kitchen to get two glasses. 

but as you opened the drawer, you heard him let out a cry of surprise and immediately turned around. « i swear to god your cat wants me dead, y/n ! » he exclaimed, looking defiantly at your cat who was hissing at him from the other side of the couch.

« no he doesn’t ! look at him, he’s so cute ! besides, it’s your fault if he doesn’t like you, you shouldn’t have walked on his tail the second time you met him… »

bokuto let out a grumble as he dropped on the couch, telling you for the hundredth time that it was just an « unfortunate accident ».

the truth was that, the day of the « accident », he had been too busy looking at you cleaning the shelf that you had just built together to notice your cat’s tail in front of him. but he would never admit it.

« look, he scratched me ! » he insisted, showing you the tiniest scratch on his palm when you got back from the kitchen.

with a scoff, you put the glasses down and grabbed his hand to inspect it. as usual when your skin touched his, an electric shock ran up your spine. but for some reason, the shock did not stop at your spine today, it went straight up to your brain, causing you to mechanically bring his hand to your lips and gently kiss the scratch. you had trouble believing what you had just done, but managed to play it cool as you took a seat on the couch.

« i should get scratches more often » he mumbled to himself, his eyes still wide as he kept staring at his palm.

your lips parted in surprise, not quite sure you had heard him right. but if you had, then this might’ve been the little push you needed to finally ease the tension between the two of you.

« what did you say ? » you asked, feeling your body temperature increasing when his eyes darted to yours. for the first time since you knew him, bokuto seemed to have lost the confidence that usually radiated from him as he muttered « me ? oh, nothing… ».

well, if he wasn’t decided to make the first move, you were certainly not going to let this chance slip. « actually… i’m 99% sure i heard you right. and if i have, then… » you spoke before leaning in to kiss his cheek softly. as you parted, the temperature went up another notch. « …and if i haven’t, well this is probably very awkward for you. sorry » you let out with a nervous laugh.

you could almost hear the cogs turning in bokuto’s head while he intensely thought about what he was supposed to do now. well, he knew what he wanted to do, but he didn’t know if it was appropriate enough. his familiar grin spread on his lips again, but there was a light in his eyes that you had never seen yet.

« does that mean i can kiss you ? » he asked, his heart pounding in his chest just at the thought of you saying no. you let out a lighthearted laugh that was like music to his ears and he looked at you like the eighth wonder of the world before carefully capturing your lips with his. 

in the bliss of the moment, your flesh against his mouth felt like porcelain and he tried to hold back, too scared that he might damage you if he let go. but there was something about the way you deepened the kiss with every movement that made him forget about holding back as he pushed you down onto the couch, ignoring the hiss from your cat and just smiling at the sight of you so close to his body.

« you’ve been on my mind more than allowed » he breathed out, cupping your cheek with his large hand. he pulled his face away a few inches more just to get a better view of yours and chuckled when he noticed you were already out of breath. « seems like i’ve been on yours too » he smiled before giving a quick peck at the corner of your lips.

he was right. way too much. and that’s why you avidly pushed his head back down to crash his mouth onto yours again ; his chest tensed with pride at the thought that you already couldn’t get enough of him. slowly but surely, he put all his weigh on one of his arms as the other one glided down your chest until his fingers met with your skin, sending shivers down your whole body.

bokuto felt like he needed to have more of you under his touch and let his fingers wander on every inch of your belly, like his hand had finally found its purpose. his mouth started to trail kisses on your cheek, sweet and loving until it reached your jaw. and by the time his lips were against your neck, the kisses got rougher, impatient to get a taste of the different textures of your body.

you were absolutely helpless, weighed down by his body and unable to form coherent thoughts as he began to suck on your neck amorously. you could feel he relished every point of contact between your body and his, making you feel more wanted than you ever did.

once he was satisfied with the mark he left on your neck, he lifted his head to look at his work. proud of himself, he then looked into your eyes and whispered as if you guys were in public : « is this really happening right now ? ». there was an endearing contrast between the innocence and the sweetness of his tone and his firm grip around your waist that you suspected might leave a mark.

« it is », you answered as you started to stroke his back that seemed way too large for you to wrap your arms around. as much as you loved to look at him, you already missed the taste of his lips and stretched your neck to reach for them. but just as they were about to touch, you were interrupted by the familiar sound of your phone, ringing on the coffee table.

the two of you froze and, with a groan, you tried to reach for it without moving : unsuccessfully. bokuto got off of you and you were finally able to grab your phone and look at the screen to discover who had the audacity to interrupt such a long-awaited moment.

but all your frustration immediately left place to panic when you read the name on the screen. « oh fuck ! i forgot that I told my cousin he could come by today. ughh… I love him but right now he’s not the one I wanna see » you whined before picking up.

the phone call brought bokuto down to earth in an instant. still sat on the couch, his eyes were wide by just thinking about what had happened between the two of you. amazed, he stared at his hands like they’d had the privilege to touch some kind of protected work of art.

« alright, see you in a minute ! » you ended the call before throwing your phone on the couch and heaving a heavy sigh : « he’ll be here in five minutes ».

bokuto tilted his head to the side and shrugged before putting his hands back on your waist and leaning in. « then let’s hurry » he grinned before smashing his lips onto yours again. reluctantly, you put a hand on his chest to push him back. but your hands were not blind to the burning desire in your heart and instead, gripped his t-shirt to pull him closer. he let out a gasp of surprise, which turned into a wide smile as he leaned against the backrest, letting you straddle his lap.

« just two more minutes, then you’re out of here » you whispered against his lower lip. « deal » he chuckled, letting his hands find their way back to your bare skin.

the feeling of his body against yours already felt like home, and the two minutes passed at the speed of light. you were internally debating whether you could afford to let yourselves one more minute, but something else made it obvious that you couldn’t. indeed, it was now his phone’s turn to ring.

« really ? but no one ever calls me ! » he sighed as you got off of his lap with an amused smile. he grabbed his phone before raising an eyebrow when he saw the name on the screen. « hey, what’s up ? » he asked, putting the phone to his ear.

you could only hear a muffled voice coming from the device, but it was enough to pique your curiosity and pay attention to what the person was saying. because that voice sounded horribly familiar…

« i sound out of breath ? » bokuto repeated, giving you a knowing wink. you leaned in closer to hear the answer from his friend : « no way… are you with someone right now ? that’s my boy ! osaka’s really working out for you, huh ? ». with a proud shrug, bokuto was forced to admit that yes, it was. his friend spoke again, and you were still eavesdropping. « anyways, i called you because i’m actually seconds away from your apartment. turns out my cousin lives in the same building ! i thought we could catch up, but i certainly don’t want to disturb you right now ».

both bokuto and you were left speechless. he quickly covered his phone’s speaker with his hand and scream-whispered : « WHAT THE FUCK ?! YOU’RE KUROO’S COUSIN ? ».

your were still gawking at the news, but bokuto’s terrified eyes pulled you out of your daze pretty fast. he jumped a foot away from you, almost like he was scared of being so close. « HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOU WERE FRIENDS ? » you whispered back, panic settling in your belly. « WELL HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW YOU WERE HIS COUSIN ?! ».

on the other side of the line, kuroo called bokuto’s name, probably confused by what was going on. you guys agreed that the best thing to do was to hang up as quickly as possible and to send bokuto back to his apartment before kuroo had time to go up the stairs.

« oh my fucking god, i almost hooked up with kuroo’s cousin… » bokuto kept repeating after hanging up, this close to hyperventilating. you stood up from the couch and grabbed him by the arm to get him off the couch ; the clock was ticking. « THE FUCKING CAT WAS A CLUE ! » he yelled, pointing accusingly at your cat who was looking at him from the chair he was curled up on.

bokuto seemed incapable of thinking coherently so you had to bring him his shoes yourself before hurrying him out, covering his mouth to make sure he wasn’t going to keep yelling on the landing.

« we’ll sort this out later, just go home now ! » you whispered as you opened the door.

still shaking his head no frantically like he had committed a crime, he got out of your apartment and pulled his keys out. but after making the first step towards his door, he turned around and got back to you just to give a quick peck on your lips. « it doesn’t mean we won’t finish what we started, though » he said before finally walking to his door.

you felt your cheeks turn red instantly. but just as you grabbed your doorknob, the dreaded voice of your cousin resounded in the staircase.

it felt like everything around you was in suddenly in slow motion. kuroo climbing up the stairs, bokuto too panicked to get his keys into the lock : you were basically counting down the seconds before the disaster.

kuroo only had five steps left to your floor. but he stopped right where he was when his eyes laid on the familiar silhouette of his friend, who was quietly cursing himself and his keys.

then his eyes moved to you. your lips were red and swollen, your hair was messier than usual and most importantly, your neck was bruised.

kuroo let out the most offended gasp, putting his hand where his heart was as his eyes went back and forth between you and bokuto.

« no… NO ! PLEASE NO ! » he implored you, seconds away from begging on his knees. bokuto turned around and made eye contact with his friend ; obviously embarrassed, he tried to give him a nice smile to calm him down. but it had the opposite effect on kuroo : « you. are. dead. » he let out before suddenly running after his friend.

bokuto immediately let out a high-pitched scream, but luckily, he managed to open his door and close it right at kuroo’s nose. you were still on your doorframe, awkwardly standing there and waiting for your turn to get scolded. but kuroo didn’t seem done with his friend. « you can’t hide forever ! » he screamed before starting to pound at his door.

yeah, that day definitely didn’t go as planned. in more than one way.

[aloera]

The ask prompt is too long to fit into an ask TT_TT but here's the doc for it docs(.)google(.)com/document/d/1yDI7iFRhOJ8ENv_IwZAo3rDSUqj80EiJROS10RzRbj4/edit

the lengths u are going for this,,, much appreciated you're very sweet!!!

prompts + answers under the cut!!

INTRODUCTION

Name: aloera

AO3 account: aloera

Fandoms you write for: bnha

How many stories have you written so far: 19

FANFICTION PROFILE

What's your favorite fandom to write for? hmm,,, used to do pjo and eah (ever after high) and eah was fun as fuck i will say!!! i think bnha is my fav mostly bc i made the most friends in this fandom :D

What's your favorite character/person to write for? bkg and kirishima!! cannot choose do not make me <3

Fic you'd want to improve? probably what we deserve? i rushed the beginning and the confession is a bit stilted imo

Hardest fic you've written? between lion and men -_- bc there is so much canon compliant stuff i've gotta write out before i get to the divergence and its HARD

Easiest fic you've written? come home to me!!! it happened so easily,,, no second guessing no writers block just vibes <33 was lovely i miss it

What would you say is the most "famous" fic you've ever written? also probably come home to me? its got the most interaction

first line of the first fic you've ever written and published. [not including my 2014 ffnet fics] "The bell rings, class starts, and Katsuki and Midoriya are inexplicably absent." from come home to me

Have you ever done a collab with another writer? yes!!!!! on two separate occasions and its so fucking fun i highly recommend trying it out its the best

Do you beta? if asked but honestly im a shit beta lmao

Do you like joining fic fests/exchanges? depends on what i have going on irl but in general yeah!!

FANFICTION PREFERENCES

Fluff or angst? definitely fluff

"OCs" or "Reader" inserts? reader inserts!! have been going ham on them recently

Blurbs or drabbles? blurbs!!

One thing you love about fanfiction i just. i really love slice of life romance?? and most media doesn't give you that bc its dedicated to plot and action and that's valid!! but fanfiction fills in the gap which is really nice

One thing you don't like about fanfiction most of the stuff i don't like is less about actual fanfiction and more about how people behave about it

What is/are your favorite fandom author/authors? IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!! TURN IT UP!!!

bnha: hiuythn, rae_tnub, Moniix, Ata_Lanta, wrunic, chezka, PurplePersnickety, surveycorpsejean, mahadevi, arxaris, deviance, Oceanbreeze7, MikeWritesThings, bonnia, wonhaebunny, dinosuns

voltron: hiuythn, Oceanbreeze7, DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee, arahir, dinosuns,

and honorable mention to loveclouds im not even in the haikyuu fandom i just love their fics So Much

these are just the ones off the top of my head i have so many favourites idc if i'm only supposed 2 have one!! die mad about it!!!

What is your favorite trope? secret relationship + relationship reveal til the day i die babie <3 <3

Least favorite trope? hm,,, probably just like. angst lmao i cannot stand 90% of it

A fanfiction cliché that you can't help but love? coffeeshop aus,,,, so good

Do you have a type when it comes to pairings? the otp where its like. piece of shit + himbo = love. ex. krbk, catradora, jade/beck

Favorite setting/au? hm,,, truly i cannot pick one KGKSJNHKj but i really like college aus!! and modern aus!! and roommate aus!!

Explain the meaning of your favorite line of dialogue you've written as if someone hasn't read it in context. “He doesn’t know,” Katsuki says, softly. “My timer stopped and nothing happened. He’s not mine.”

the line is from what we deserve!! it's a soulmate au where your timer counts down to the moment that you meet your soulmate!! bakugou's timer ends at USJ when he and kirishima attack kurogiri at the same time (impulsive kings <33) but kirishima's timer doesn't end until kamino because that's when he accepts himself as bakugous soulmate!! unfortunately, when bakugous timer has reached 0, he turned to see that kirishima's was still ticking and therefore believes that kirishima isn't his soulmate.

this line just,, idk. it's really sad. bakugou is such an action-driven character? if something doesn't go his way he Makes it go his way. he's got this insanely volatile quirk and he's got impeccable control of it!! but his love for kirishima isn't something that he can change and he's not going to ruin kirishima's chance of finding his own soulmate because he loves him and wants him to be happy. i really wanted to focus on how resigned he is? and how unusual that is for a character like him.

Favorite trope/genre to write? again, secret relationship with relationship reveals <33 fluff in general is my wheelhouse!!!

A trope/genre you haven't written but think would be a fun challenge? idk if this counts?? have been working on some dead dove concepts!! its super different from what i normally write so its a cool challenge

The one trope/concept you'll never touch and why probably cheating/infidelity?? it just looks,,, super difficult to write well and i don't have enough of an interest in it to try it out

Which do you prefer to write: longer or shorter fics? shorter!! low attention span gang <3

Ideal length to read? 5-10k?

Ideal length to write? 4-8k!!

How long was the longest fic you've ever written? control fraek is around 28k i think?

Have you ever written an AU? yeah!! i've done restaurant au's, soulmate au's, pro hero aus, and fantasy aus (general, not the bnha fantasy ending)

What's your favorite AU trope? hm,, probably when two people in authority are in a secret relationship? ceo's/uni professors/etc etc

Have you ever written smut? yeah!! was. difficult tho

What's your comfort genre? (the one you fall on most in writing/reading) fluff,,, hurt/comfort,,, fix-it fics with happy endings <3

If you were to start writing in other fandoms, which would they be? maybe jjk?? the characters are really cool!!!! fr i might go back to my ever after high roots i love the characters and setting so Much its so fun!!! idec if no ones into it anymore!!!!!

Is there a trope you think you could be easily recognized by in your writing? i've had people say they saw the mention of buff hagakure and recognized it was me so. probably that skdjhnksjd

WRITING STYLE

How would you describe your style? i tend to use shorter sentences and pretty simple words i think? and i gravitate towards lighthearted concepts that allow for ensemble casts and humour!!

Describe your style in three words romcom but fanfic

Favorite words to use when writing? the word reverent!! fuckin love including it!!

Dialogue tags or no dialogue tags? (she said, he said, they said, etc) dialogue tags!!!

Favorite dialogue tag (other than said, if you use them) again idk if this counts but "they said softly" is unmatched

Long sentences vs short vs a mix short <33

What colors would you use to describe your writing? hm,,, depends on the fic i would say?? control fraek is dark green to me?? kinda like a forest at night yk?? scary but there's still life there. sugar cookies is yellow like early morning sunlight, when it rains is yellowy-orange like a caution sign. not gonna list all of them cause theres a lot its just. do u get it? the colours change based on the vibe of the fic.

What song or music genre would you use to describe your writing? think. i am constantly trying to emulate that moment at the end of wasteland baby when hozier goes "im in love/im in love with you."

What kind of metaphors do you rely on? religious metaphors my beloved <33 they're just so pretty!!! i also love comparing stuff to water for some reason?? like that ocean vuong quote thats like "what are you now?/water." it goes hard!!!

What's something you'd say is experimental in your writing at this time? definitely action!! i have,,, no idea how to write it so anything i do is really just me playing around and seeing what works and what doesn't

Do you prefer to write by hand or to type? i've tried both!! personally i prefer typing because it goes way faster but i will say that writing by hand lets me get words down when i'm going through writer's block

What is your preferred place to write (notebook, laptop, cellphone, etc.)? laptop!!

What app/apps do you use to write (word, notepad, etc.)? google docs skjdnkjh its fine on desktop but mobile is,,,,, disgusting

Do you keep a notebook or file/notes page in your phone/device for notes on your writing? ngl i just have everything organized in my drive?? one folder per fandom and then sub folders for ideas+hcs, unfinished wips, and finished fics. multichaps get sub sub folders so i can organize outlines and drafts

Do you listen to music to help you write? yeah!! playlists organized by fic vibe :D

Where do you usually go to write (bedroom, living room, etc.)? mostly in my bedroom??? but moving around to different stops helps too i think!!

How long does it usually take for you to write? again this depends on what i have going on irl, how attached i am to the idea, my mindset at the time, etc!! i am,, the least consistent person skjnhdkjh.

What's your favorite font to use when writing? times new roman my beloved

Other writing habits? sometimes i'll write in the dark?? bad for my eyes but for some reason it gets the words flowing

CONCEPTUALIZATION

How do you conceptualize your ideas? (See specific moments like they're a movie, writing specific lines in your head, don't know until you put the words on paper, etc.) i tend to get inspiration from movies, books, poems, or other fics!!! sometimes one line just makes me go oh,, i want to write something like that,,, and then it helps me create an idea that makes me feel the same way?? i did this with control fraek!!!! i wanted a scenario where bakugou was cold and calculating and i was like hm. to do that he’d have to be focusing on something important. and from there i was able to flesh out the rest of the idea.

Which comes first: the pairing or the plot? with krbk its always always the pairing,, i'll be sitting there like wow <33 i love them <33 what if one of them had amnesia <33 (which, yes, wip!!) otherwise it's usually the plot!! and i slot in characters that i feel make sense

Have you ever used a prompt? yeah!! used a prompt for wlw week 2020 and it was fun as hell

Do you write around the story around a specific scene you want to get to or do you start from a plot idea definitely the first!!!! i almost always write like,,, a super messy scene thats 90% dialogue, keep it in my head, and then write the entire fic around that one moment

Do you find that you include a projection of some part of yourself in the way you write a character? a lot of the time when i write love confessions or love in general i'll have one of the characters think or say that the other person makes their head quiet? and it's because that's what i feel whenever i'm in love?? a quiet mind. i project on characters yeah but i think most of the projection actually goes to the way that i write love

Do you research some of the things you write deeply, partially and kind of wing the rest, or play entirely by ear (in this case, go with whatever base knowledge of the subject you have)? most of the time if i do research it'll be about the setting (ex. the izakaya in to have and to hold) or if i'm having the characters interact with an object that they like. need to know how to use (me, in control fraek: google. hey google. does someone die if they get shot in the foot??? no???? awesome thank u <3)

Have you ever had an idea for a story and forgot about it? lmaoo yeah all the time i'll find like 500-2k words of concepts in my gdocs like i do. not remember this at all

Is there a trope you think you could be easily recognized by in your writing? probably krbk secret relationship lmao

Are there concepts you've tried that turned out better than expected? yeah!! i fully thought the action in control fraek would be awful but it turned out not bad??? which im happy with

Are there concepts you've tried that turned out worse than you expected? again, what we deserve, i personally think it would have worked out better if i'd paced it slower and drawn out the pining but i. do not feel like going back to fix it so its staying the way that it is. pining is so fucking hard to do AHHHH i get so tired with it!!! im like just date already!!!!

PROCESS

How do you come up with titles? in rare occasions (literally. all my multichaps for some reason) the title comes after writing like .5 words of the first chapter im like YES this is it!!!!! sometimes i write the whole thing and pick out one line that fits (what i did with come home to me) a lot of the time i just. steal from songs or poems that i like

What's your favorite emotion to cause on your readers? i like making people happy!!!! love when people comment saying they're cheered up

What's your favorite emotion to write? lovelovelovelovelovelove

Have you ever cried or felt any emotion while reading something you've written? never cried?? but sometimes i'll rereading my hurt/comfort fics 4. yk. comfort

Do you write in order or whatever comes to you? in order!! unless i have a scene that i Need to write and i'll quickly jot it down so that i don't forget

Usual way you procrastinate while writing? ...doing asks like this, making playlists, discord, watching netflix. what don't i do smh

Do you outline or free write? i am. so shit at outlines. i mostly free write and write lil notes for stuff that i wanna add later

Do you set word goals or scene goals (scenes you want to include)? yes!! like i said i'll write loose notes for scenes that i want to add later!! it gives me something to write towards :D

What do you consider when writing your scenes? what goes into making the atmosphere and mood you want? to set a scene i do two things? the first is like,, the five senses bc that always sets the scene really well and makes it feel Real. i'll visualize stuff in my head like its a movie and write out what i would want to tell the set designer?? if the lights are low, if the space is busy, if it's supposed to exude comfort or not.

for putting forward the character's mood one thing i've found that makes a difference is sentence length!! long sentences are good for making a character seem flustered and nervous or not really in control of their emotions? good for love confessions. short sentences are good for when the character is focused on something or short on time. good for fights!!

What's something you never considered to include in your writing that you can't leave out now? def buff hagakure,,,, once i thought of it i was like. if i don't include this at least once in every single fic how could i look at myself in the mirror!!!!!! how could i face anyone!!!!

How do you start a story? establishing a fact about the character or describing the setting! option a is one single thread of gold, option b is between lion and men

How do you end a story? either by tying it back to the beginning or doing like a funny kind of closing??? option a is sugar cookies, option b is a godless society

How do you get out of writer's block? change something!! move something!! i go from typing to handwriting, moving from my bedroom to my living room, switching wips to work on something else!! i do sprints as well?? give myself like fifteen minutes to write something and sometimes 200 words opens up the way for another 2k. sometimes i'll just delete like 500 words and start fresh

Do you edit? or do you toss your writing out there? i edit!!! i'll go over it myself then send it to one or two betas (bee my beloved <33)

How do you edit? do you use spellcheck, grammar checkers, etc? bee is my grammar checker bc he is So Good with grammar. i use grammarly as well for spellcheck stuff mostly?? sometimes my edit process is just like "am i tired of looking at this!! yes <3" and then i post it

PROGRESS

Do you usually like what you write? yeah!!! i post stuff that makes me happy and that i'm fine with rereading!!! i write stuff for self-indulgence reasons first and foremost and i think my writing reflects that sjhnksj

Have you ever written something you didn't like but posted anyways? nope!! even what we deserve i LIKED even if i see a lot of room 4 improvement!! if i don't like smth it's not getting posted

Do you find yourself rereading your writing often? yeah!! the reason i wrote so much krbk secret relationship is because i loved it but i'd read all that there was so i just,, wrote more,, ngl its kinda nice being in a place where i actually like my writing bc i can write stuff that i want to see and really enjoy it!!

Can you tell us anything about your current WIP? sure!! i'm currently working on when it rains which is a fic where bakugou gets hit by a crying quirk!! i'm gonna be using it to explore So Much of all might's character and his relationships with bakugou and aizawa (and i think some people from his past!!)

Can you give us a sneak peek on your current WIP? “You did something. What the hell did you do?” Kirishima sounds pissed off. It would amuse Katsuki if he wasn’t fighting just to stay standing.

“Nothing he didn’t ask for,” Shinsou replies.

“K’ri… shima,” Katsuki croaks out. “‘S fine. Not him.”

His chest collapses back into the familiar dry heaving after that but Kirishima shuts up. He doesn’t apologize to Shinsou.

Kirishima’s a good friend, stubborn and loyal. He stands by Katsuki’s side like an attack dog, blocking him from the view of anyone ogling at his tears.

The last line you've written Ochako knows more than she'd realized. She knows enough to keep her guard up.

It’s not enough.

Open a wip. what’s the first line?

Katsuki wakes up feeling like absolute fucking shit.

INSIGHT

What's your favorite thing about writing? touched on this before but it's mainly just being able to write the things that i want to see and actually enjoy them!!! actually reread them!!!! i thought "wouldn't it be cool if bkg and kirishima owned a restaurant together" and then i wrote it and i like it enough to reread it!!!! being able to create content for myself makes me. so happy

How do you keep yourself inspired? this is gonna sound narcissistic maybe but honestly i'm just really excited about my ideas and where i'm gonna take them and the idea of "i'm gonna get to That scene" keeps me going through the entire thing. also my friends!!!! i'll talk to them about fics and their reactions keep me hyped up enough to finish!!!!

What is your favorite thing to write? just,, slice of life romance,,, stuff thats silly and makes people laugh!!

What do you think your strengths are in writing? i'm good with dialogue!! i do lil voice acting sessions with myself to make sure everything sounds natural and like it's coming from that character skhjnskj

i'm comfortable with my portrayal of love as well??? i spend a lot of time thinking about what it is exactly that i'm trying to get across and i think it turns out well!!

What are things you wish you could practice more? on one hand i wanna get better at writing angst on the other hand i dislike writing angst. do you see my issue

One way you've improved your writing since you began? characterization!! i think i've gotten better at writing characters that are all Different and bring different things to the table!!! i used to project a lot more and it would compromise the characterization because the character was like 70% me and 30% them? not to say that projection is bad but if you do it too much it just,, doesn't read like the character and from a reader's standpoint the narrative can become less compelling

One aspect of writing you're still working on? writing action!!! i. literally hate writing it but i write for a fandom about superheroes so. Unfortunately i gotta learn.

A piece of writing advice you've learned while writing saw this on another tumblr post but they said sometimes if you're struggling with a scene, the problem is five lines back. i've found that to be true!!!! sometimes u gotta delete a chunk and start a little ways back!! i did this with too busy being yours because i was stuck for Weeks and i deleted like 25% of what i had but it helped me actually finish it :D

A bit of writing advice you can't stand when people shit on show don't tell for being overrated lmao bc when u read their writing you can Tell

Something you wish you knew when you first started writing? ,,,,honestly i kind of wish i could know some of the stuff that i used to when i first started writing?? technically i'm better now but creatively i was must better when i wasn't stressing about whether anyone would like what i was writing. so i guess i wish i knew that i should keep that confidence? i kinda wish that i wasn't as insecure about other people's writing styles because i never used to be!!

Something you've learned in life that you apply in writing there's no point in feeling inferior?? writing one genre isn't better than the other. being in one fandom isn't better than being in another. the kind of language you use or the length of your paragraphs- none of that stuff like. matters. what matters is that you're having fun and happy with what you're creating!!!! enjoy other peoples writing but don't let it make you feel worse about yours :D

[hms-chill]

The Long Way

A nice fun Liam/Spencer fic, because these boys deserve the world.

Summary: (Alternately titled “SOMEONE GIVE LIAM A HUG” or “Stronk Farm Boyfriends”)Liam’s just finishing up vet school, and he’s a month shy of achieving the thing he’s been working for since he was a kid. When he gets called out to a farm to witness a calf birth and notices something wrong, under-researched, and curable, it’s the perfect thing to treat and document so he can write a paper that will jump-start his career. Of course, the fact that the calf is owned by a cute dairy farmer doesn’t hurt, either.

Chapter one // Chapter two // On AO3

Chapter 3

The next morning, Spencer wakes up to a note telling him that the cows have been fed, milked, loved, and let out to pasture, and that Liam had cleaned the milking parlor as well as he could before he had to leave, but that someone else should probably look it over and make sure he did it well enough. It also tells him that he has a temperature and is supposed to stay in bed and ask his parents to come look after him and supervise things today, and it promises that Liam will come by that night with soup, medicine, and popcorn if Spencer's feeling up to it. He texts Liam his thanks, and Liam responds with a picture of a dog he's looking after and a reminder to stay in bed and let himself be taken care of. It's not something Spencer's particularly good at, but he obeys Liam's orders, letting his parents come out to run the farm for the day while he naps and does some work from bed.

That night, Liam arrives with a container of frozen soup and a bag full of painkillers, Tylenol, and other medicine cabinet staples. He makes Spencer sit and watch while he heats up soup on the stove, putting another container in the freezer before Spencer can argue. He refuses to listen when Spencer says he can restock his own medicine cabinet, or when Spencer tries to tell him to study for the NAVLE while he stirs the soup. At this point, it's only a week or two away, and Spencer's seen the test prep books and the notes scattered around the back of video calls and in his car. He's gotten glimpses of how hard Liam's working, but tonight, Liam refuses to study, instead getting Spencer settled on the couch, then coming over with bowls of soup and settling on the opposite end, which is apparently enough space between them that he doesn't have to worry about getting sick. He insists Spencer pick a movie for them to watch, something lighthearted that he's seen before, and when it turns out Liam's never seen Treasure Planet, Spencer pulls that up for them to watch with their soup. Even as he finishes dinner and feels the tiredness of being sick start to set in, he keeps his eyes open, fighting against yawns and drooping eyelids to watch Liam react to Jim's adventures.

Spencer's exhaustion is just starting to win against his desire to watch Liam finish the movie when he notices what might be tears on Liam's cheeks. That wakes him up enough to turn back to the TV, and he sees Jim and Long John Silver talking. He forces himself awake enough to pay attention, and it's a moment he always loved as a kid. He can quote it word for word, and for years, he had a poster that said "you've got the makings of greatness in you" on his wall. It's the first time in the movie when Jim's felt good at what he does, and maybe the first time in years he's been told he's not just a mess, and Spencer remembers always being happy to see him get a hug. His parents used to hug him at this point, and tell him they loved him. And suddenly, a question about Liam's parents surfaces from the depths of his sleepy mind.

He's not awake enough to formulate it, or to read Liam's expression enough to know if he can ask. He's not sure if he's healthy enough to be allowed to do anything about Liam's tears. But just sitting there feels wrong, too. Slowly, he reaches his foot across the couch to rest it on Liam's. Liam doesn't react, but he doesn't move away, either. Spencer falls asleep with his foot on Liam's, trying to think of a reason for him to cry or a way to ask about it.

--

Liam had meant to turn the movie off and study when Spencer fell asleep, but somehow, he can't stop watching. Knowing it was one of Spencer's favorite movies from when he was a kid probably doesn't hurt; he can tell himself he's just watching to get to know Spencer better. It's definitely not because he wants to watch Jim achieve his dreams, or to know that he gets to have a home and a family and people who love him even if he's messed up time and time again.

He watches through the end of the movie, and only when the credits are rolling is he able to tear himself away enough to turn it off and gather their dishes. He comes back to the couch to take Spencer to bed but instead finds him just starting to blink awake, pushing himself upright.

"Sorry, I... I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No, it's alright. You fell right into the trap. The movie was part of my master plan to make you fall asleep early," Liam says, and Spencer smiles though a yawn.

"Did you like it?"

"I did. Now, come on, let's get you to bed."

"What time is it?"

"Bedtime, at least for people with fevers. If you sleep like you have been, you're going to take longer to get better."

"But I wanted to quiz you," Spencer says. His voice is still thick with sleep, and he yawns massively before he can continue, rubbing at his eyes. His hair sticks up in the back, and somewhere, even if he knows he shouldn't, Liam finds it adorable. "I don't want to get you sick, but you can send me your quizlet or your study guide or something and I can quiz you from my laptop. I... if you're going to help me, I want to help you study, and I'm not getting off this couch until you let me."

"Nope, come on," Liam says. He's started trying to pull Spencer up, but Spencer refuses to budge, grabbing on to the back of the couch.

"No! Let me--" he's cut off by a cough, one that has Liam frowning and resting a hand on his forehead.

"If I let you quiz me once, you'll go to bed after?" He asks, and Spencer nods. Liam seems to weigh his options for a moment, then sighs. "Alright. I'll go get my stuff, and if you're awake when I get back from the car, you can quiz me before you go to bed. I don't know what kind of weird deal we just made, but if it'll get you to look after yourself, I'll do it."

"You fell... right into my trap. My master plan to make you study," Spencer says, yawning in the middle of it. Liam rolls his eyes and goes to get his stuff, and he comes back to find Spencer clearly fighting to stay awake. He hands Spencer half his flashcards over the back of the couch, slipping the rest into his bag as he comes to sit down. Spencer doesn't notice, just starts to quiz him, stumbling over the Latin and yawning his way through the longer words. Liam just gets through the flashcards as quickly as they can, then gets Spencer up and to bed before settling down outside his room to keep studying until he's too tired to focus, when he gets up, checks on Spencer one last time, and heads out to the barn to sleep in the hay and sawdust with Annie.

He gets the morning chores taken care of the next day before going home to shower and change, and he texts Spencer that he's looked after things. He's at work when he gets a reply, that Spencer's feeling better but still has a fever, so he's resting again that day if Liam wants to come by and share the rest of the soup. So they fall into another pattern and another set of roles in each other's lives, though Liam's soup is replaced with Spencer's mom's cooking before long. They work their way through Spencer's favorite childhood movies, and Liam studies to a soundtrack of Robin Hood and Aladdin and The Fox and the Hound as Spencer's fever goes down and he falls asleep on the couch. When he's feeling well enough to go back to work, Liam thinks that'll be the end of it. After all, he's helped with what Spencer needs, and now that Spencer doesn't need him anymore, he won't be invited back. But that day at lunch, he gets a text inviting him over for dinner and either a night off or a study session, whichever he wants.

The thought of dedicating a Friday night to the NAVLE when it will already be consuming his weekend makes him want to scream, so he takes Spencer up on the option of a night off, and Spencer asks if he knows how to ride a horse. When Liam pulls up to the ranch that night, he finds Spencer standing outside a barn with two of the horses saddled up and a picnic packed in the saddle bags. They mount up, and Spencer leads the way out toward the pastures, where they can greet the cows and the newest addition to the ranch, a donkey Spencer's neighbors hadn't been able to look after anymore who he's agreed to take care of and let their grandkids visit. The animals are glad to see them, especially Spencer after he's been gone, but there's something special about the fact that they recognize Liam, too. Once they've loved them, though, Spencer leads them further back into the ranch, to land Liam's never seen that they rent out for boy scout camping and other events in the summer and fall. There's a stream and a fish pond, and when Spencer stops them on its banks and pulls out some of his mom's food, they're surrounded by all the gorgeous beauty of the open country that Liam's missed since his family moved into Austin proper.

Spencer asks him about work, and Liam gets to tell him about dogs and cats and a pigeon that someone had brought in for them to help out. He'd asked to be put on the pigeon case, and they'd had to amputate a toe, but Frank the pigeon is out and thriving on the streets of Austin once again. That makes Spencer laugh, a sound that warms Liam from the inside out, making him relax as the NAVLE drifts further and further from his mind. They finish eating as Spencer starts talking about what they do out here, about weddings and camps they've hosted and how he likes to have at least one day a year where they open it up for hiking and catch and release fishing. He shows Liam where groups will set up tents, and talks about how they've thought about horseback tours if they get more horses, or maybe planting corn or pumpkins for fall, though they've never quite gotten around to doing that early enough. Liam just listens to him talk as they ride, hearing not only the words but the way that Spencer's brain works, the way he bubbles over with ways to make people happy and provide for the farm. He talks about the farmer's market every summer, about loyal customers, a girl who always comes to buy cheese curds with a tote bag that has a cow on it and a mom who's been buying milk from him since she was pregnant and now has a three year old. He talks about the woman who he's had a stall next to for two years, an alpaca farmer who sells fiber and will talk your ear off about spinning or felting and is always liberal with help for people new to the craft. She's got pictures of the alpacas for sale, and Spencer wants to see about doing that with the cows, and that's when Liam can add something useful.

"The shelter I used to work for has a local photographer who comes in and takes pictures for their website; I could get you connected with him for at least a few pointers if nothing else. He volunteered at the shelter to build his portfolio, so I'm not sure what his rates are for pictures, or the commercial licenses or anything like that, but he could be a good place to start. "

"That would be great; thank you. I... I feel like I have so many ideas for this place, though, and it's just finding the time to implement them, you know? Especially since Mom and Dad moved into town, it's... there's just not enough time in the day for everything we wanted to do."

"Well, hey, you can feel free to tell me no, but after this test, I’ll have some time and would love to come out and help if you need it. I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but just some manual labor and some basic animal care at least.”

"I'd like that," Spencer says, and his grin is genuine enough to sway any of Liam's fears that he's just doing it to be nice. "I don't know what we could pay you--"

"Pay me in outside time and home cooked meals and I'll be happy. I love places like this, and I really do love farm work. Let me be around the cows and the open land, and really, that's all I need. Well, that and maybe..." he hesitates a bit, but Spencer nods, and Liam says, "if you wouldn't mind having a puppy or a lamb or something out here sometimes? Just for a bit? I… we get orphans at work sometimes, and they always need more places to go. I wouldn’t want to make you do anything, but I could look after them, I just… I can’t have them in my apartment. My landlord won’t let me, and that’s not fair to them, either. I’m not asking you to become a sanctuary or anything, I know you’re a dairy farm, but maybe a rescue petting zoo could help at the farmer’s market or when you have schools come out to visit or something? And then we could take the babies somewhere else when they’re older, but just… they need more care when they’re babies, and a lot of places can’t do that.”

"I think we could make that work," Spencer says. He's got a hand resting on the pommel of his saddle, another scratching at the back of his neck, where he's somehow managed to get a mosquito bite despite being on bed rest all week. He'd complained about it at dinner, and Liam had to bite back a comment about how it might be because he’s so sweet. He can’t say things like that to Spencer, not like he would to Bell or some of his friends. “We could see about getting some calves in a petting zoo, too, and maybe Benjamin the donkey, since he doesn't really have a place to go right now. I don’t really know… you said you tend to get mostly babies?”

“Yeah; there are always orphan lambs and kids-- the goats, not like human children. Goats and sheep tend to have a bunch of babies at a time, so the moms can’t always look after all of them. And they’re not too hard to take care of, and really cute, so they could help draw people in the spring or for letting out day if you put up a petting zoo. And we get kittens; once I get somewhere that’ll let me I could foster them but bring them out if you have people coming, so they could play with and maybe even adopt them. I don’t want to make you look after my orphans or anything, and I swear I’d do the work, but just… there are so many babies who need a place like this, and if I could work and earn a little bit of space to raise them, I’d really appreciate it.”

“I think we could make some room,” Spencer says, grinning. “And it would be nice to have a vet around. I mean, it’s always nice having you around, but in case you didn’t feel like you’d be helpful. I… I'd really like having you out here more. When you weren’t coming out much, it was lonely.”

Liam grins at him, and they continue the tour, Spencer sharing about his plans for the farm and what he wants to do once he can get the funds and the time to do it. He’s one of the most dedicated farmers Liam’s ever seen, and there’s something beautiful about even just the way he moves around the farm. He’s relaxed out here, without the cows and the bills to stress him out, more like the Spencer who fell asleep in Annie's box or who posted selfies with friends on Instagram than the Spencer who's running a massive farm on his own. And all through the rest of the evening, there’s a little part of Liam thinking about spending more time out here, helping Spencer and showing it to Bell and really making it a part of his life. Bell will love it, if they get a chance she'd love coming out here with him and seeing the stream. He could take her swimming here, and even if he just planned on relaxing next to the pool she'd somehow get him into the water too, all playful kisses and enthusiastic love. Maybe Spencer would even come out, and laugh at how much Liam is at her beck and call, or maybe she'd be able to persuade him to get in the water, too, and the three of them would end up soaking wet and laughing.

It feels impossible. He's only here now because he's useful; Spencer will get sick of him before too long, and he’ll have to go back to spending most of his time at a crappy apartment in the city while he saves up for a spot he and Bell can call home. But still, at least for a bit, he gets to imagine that he could have a place here, and that feels special. Even as they finish their ride and he goes home to a pot of ramen and a late-night study session, his thoughts stray back outside Austin’s city limits, where he knows the cows are bedding down and the land behind the farm stretches for miles. When he finally drags himself to bed, he has just enough time to think about a little pen on that farm for animals he can foster, and ways Bell could help him, before he closes his eyes and is out like a light.

On AO3

You know that moment in Pride and Prejudice where Austen shows us/Elizabeth how much Darcy loves Pemberly as a way to show that he's a good dude? All I can say about this chapter is that the nature of humanity is that every now and then someone accidentally rewrites that scene.

--

Want to support the Hannah Makes Art fund? You can tip me in ko-fi here!

[silvysartfulness]

10, 14, 19, 41, 44!

Ahh, thank you very much for the Ask! :D

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

Actually, I haven't really read fanfic in a very, very long time? I do love fanfic, I just haven't been invested enough in any fandom to gather spoons enough to read fiction in a long time. I've mostly lived in my own original storyverse Pangaea for the past three years or so.

I think the last fandom I actually read some fic for was the MCU in the early days of the first Avengers movie? I was relatively into frostiron for a while and helped my wife beta her fics Spiting The Sun and Do Ut Des, as well as reading some other fics I unfortunately can't recall the names of.

14. Go on, who are your BroTPs?

I love Wei Wuxian's and Wen Qing's dynamic! It's so so so rare to see a male-female friendship that isn't romance coded.

Literal bros with amazing dynamic would be Wei Wuxian and Jiang Chen, because who needs their heart anyway.

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

Several, but it's a lot more to do with brain fatigue than aversion to the ships themselves!

I wish I had the energy and focus to read more XiYao, I really do love their chemistry a lot. (I may be on a slippery slope there, we'll see. Maybe I'll point back to this post in another month and laugh hollowly and say ”ahaha, guess I should have seen that obsession coming”. Or not. Who can tell? Not me. I just work here.)

I also... both kind of love and hate SongXiao? Like, I love their dynamic, but there seems to be a very black and white (ba-dum-tsh) view that they're the acceptable pure cinnamon pairing in opposition to the problematic clusterfuck that is XueXiao - and since I'm very much into XueXiao, I daren't look too deeply into SongXiao since there's almost always a very negative vibe regarding Xue Yang and Yi City there. But as two parts of the SongXueXiao disaster that I love, I definitely like them a ton.

SangChen? Is that the shipping name? One of those I can see would be fun, but am just not really feeling it.

To be honest though? I'm a thot for good writing and characterization and if something good enough pops under my nose, I'm very willing to give it a shot, no matter the pairing.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

I'm still very new in this fandom (hard to believe it's only been a bit more than a month since I jumped in!) and with my brain getting easily overworked, I actually haven't read all that much?

But let's see if I can scrape together 5 fics I read or have read!

1. Chopping Block. This has got to be one of my fave (Song?)XueXiao fics. The way the characters are handled is beautiful, and there have been several of those gut-punch ”oh.” moments where the hurt is so, so good. (The ”his hands get cold” scene, man. MAN.)

2. Red Azalea. This is another utterly charming (Song?)XueXiao fic, a delightful capricious post-Yi-City dance that will also deliver the occasional devastating emotional backhand.

3. My Erstwhile Dear. Aka the fic that decisively picked up my heart and rubbed it face-down into XiYao to the point I'm even on that slippery slope to start with. I find myself thinking about this fic a lot. Like. I probably get distracted thinking about it on an almost daily basis, hoping it'll update. The format of written letters delivers the hurt in such an elegant way, you just gasp for breath.

4. Rewritten. Found this because you rec'ed it! One of the very few modern au's on my list (nothing against modern au’s as such, just not my favourite trope, especially for this show) and damn. Hngh. One of the best openly SongXueXiao fics I've read. The character dynamics, the characterization, the whirl of the timeline layout and the background plot slowly creeping into view... Fucking masterpiece.

5. I'm not being creepy, I promise, but pretty much anything you've written for this fandom? Like, that is literally the last thing in my open fic tabs? Picking one single one is super-hard, but This Place Could Be Beautiful is the one I have bookmarked to browse your stuff, it actually had me literally tearing up reading it, and that's a very good thing? Lick Your Exit Wounds is another one I've re-read several times. Exposure Therapy for some good lighthearted fun (which, still, had me literally tearing up at the part where WWX just so quietly and resignedly asks if he's done something wrong, damn you) And tbh? I. Cannot. Wait. for the fucked up SongXue roadtrip. I cannot. Like. Its state of non-existence torments me. Torments me.

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention?

All mine, of course. (insert ”those pairings were mine, those other OTPs were other people's”-joke here.) Seriously, I'd love for more well written, messy SongXueXiao. XueXiao is also very, very good. And since it seems I at least glance in its direction these days, why not, more XiYao.

And honestly? I have the largest soft spot for any interaction between Wei Wuxian and Xue Yang. Whether sexy or just snarking off doesn't matter (doing both is a bonus).

They are such absolute parallels, the sassy street kids who climbed their way up and through convergent evolution became founders and inventors in a whole new area of cultivation. Never really fitting in - but unlike, for example, Jin Guangyao, who lives and breathes propriety and etiquette to get to own be part of that society, they both just give the cultivation world a big middle finger and walk their respective single plank bridges into the dark. If not for their opposite stances when it comes to caring about other people, they could have been something amazing together. (The whole ”I suffered so I will make sure no-one else will” vs ”I suffered so why shouldn't they?” approach in action there.)

I’m very weak for this, okay, and my brain often tells me delightful stories where they just snark endlessly at each other and it’s beautiful.

[aethelflaedladyofmercia]

My WIPs: Ranting About the State of my Writing

Hey, all. This started as a WIP update on my fic “Aftermath” and kind of turned into a rant about how frustrated I am that I don’t have time to write properly. Sorry about that. I’ve put most of it below the cut, so feel free to skip. Normally, I would just delete the post as being irrelevant, but honestly I have a lot of feels all jumbled up in my brain right now, and I need to dig some out and send them into the world. So here it is, a post born of pure frustration.

I’ve mentioned "Aftermath” a few times, but I figured I’d give you all an update, and also an explanation as to what’s going on with this fic, which was supposed to be the next big historical story in my series, “Sawdust of Words.”

Now, you may recall that I spent a long time working on a truly mind-boggling angst-fest known as “What it Means to Be A Demon.” About 3/4 of the way through, I really needed a break to work on something a bit lighter.

(Spoilers below the break, but nothing very specific, followed by grumbling)

I had a pretty cute idea. Aziraphale and Crowley’s first big night of drinking! And it ends (spoiler alert) with the two of them passed out together! Ooh, and Aziraphale covers Crowley with his wing, because of course he does! Awww!

So I settle in and start with this opening scene of Crowley waking up to find himself hungover and a certain angel lying much closer than expected, then I planned to quickly flash back to the start of the drinking. Gotta show how they met up, etc.

Obviously, I had to stop and think it through. “Demon” takes place around 2400 BC, and there was already a reference to them meeting up and drinking together at a festival in the mid-2600s. So it had to be before then. And my outline for the series has them not seeing each other between Eden and Noah’s Ark.

There were two things I could do here. I could set this story sometime in the three centuries between the Ark and the referenced festival...or I could have them meeting up shortly after the Ark.

Anyone who knows me knows that given the choice between a fun, lighthearted story about two pals drinking and an angst fest about a catastrophic flood...well, there’s really only one way I’m going to go.

It’s fine, I thought. It’s not like I have lots of specific things to say about the Flood. I’ll just quickly go over the events at the Ark, then have them bump into each other a few years later. The plan was to do all this in nested flashbacks.

But that meant I had to think about what they both did the first few years after the Flood. And, surprisingly, I found a whole lot of angst!

This quickly took over the story, making it into a pretty heavy angst-fest. So I restructured it as a hurt/comfort - show the hurt of the Flood, followed by the comfort of them getting drunk and commiserating, and a bit of fluff of them accidentally passing out together cuz like, we really need that!

I wrote the hurt bits pretty quickly, and they got much worse than expected. I may have...um...broken Aziraphale a little. So I wanted to make the comfort more detailed to balance it. Which meant researching the places they were going to travel to so I could do a nice, rapid montage.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but I’m...really addicted to historical details in my fics. Things quickly got way out of hand. Each short scene for the montage took at least a week of research, usually two, and then each grew long enough to become a chapter in its own right, and the “brief comfort montage” turned into a slow play-by-play exploring the healing process and some deeper parts of the angst. Which leaves me really stumped on what to do with the “cute, lighthearted passing out” ending I’d started from.

Somewhere around the 20k mark, I realized that this story (now 10 times longer than I’d planned and nowhere near finished) was quite likely going to be the death of me. Don’t get me wrong. I really like it. I want to share it with everyone. Not to mention I’ve tied it into several parts of the overall “Sawdust of Words” storyline, so it does need to be finished!

But because of the way it grew and evolved, it doesn’t have the tight pacing of “Demon,” or the clear theme structure of “Early Days.” And now I’m really exhausted because researching neolithic and early bronze age cultures is fascinating but not bloody easy especially when you don’t have access to an academic library. And since it was originally intended to be written as nested flashbacks, all the reveals are in really weird places in the story’s timeline.

This is the one that I’ve commented both I and my beta are too burnt out to try and fix. I went through it today, moving around pieces to try and get it into its final-ish form (final-ish because there’s still several parts that need to be written, and knowing me this could be another 10k, but at least I’ve identified most of the chapter breaks). I think it can be fixed. It’s worse than “Demon” was at its messiest phase, but it’s not as bad as, say, that one story I started writing in high school and finally gave up on after grad school. (Ask me about that some time. Fun fact: in 8 years of writing, I never gave it a title!)

It’s just that, with everything going on, I don’t have time to settle in and work on it. I don’t have time to research the three remaining stops to a degree I find satisfying, and because the character arc took a bit of a turn I can’t leave them out, either. I don’t want to start any new “Sawdust” stories until I’ve at least checked off a few of the ones I already have on my timeline (including this one, and Ancient Greece story, an Ancient Rome one, a 1968 story, and several after the apocalypse that are intended to reference these as well as get some healing for all the angst I’ve caused). About the only way I can actually get it finished is if I stop writing entirely for a few weeks, and I’ve actually tried more than once and it still hasn’t been enough time.

I really don’t know what to do next. I’m also signed up to write an aromantic Good Omens story for early May and I did write one...it just turned out super melancholy and strange because, ya know, the world right now, I had feels. And it feels strange to submit that? So I tried to start a new one with more lighthearted character moments, and I have plenty of ideas but I just...can’t...find the time.

It’s why I’ve been writing a lot of shorter one-offs (and one adrenaline-fueled insane story, “A Cunning Plan”) -- it’s a chance to step away from all the ideas that have gotten away from me and focus on something that’s just fun. Unfortunately, the longer stories don’t actually get written in the mean time.

So that’s where I am. I’m trying to keep the quality of my stories up to my usual standard, while also producing stuff because I know how much people want to read right now (as much as I want to write). But that might mean these longer historical stories are off the menu for the time being.

(That does not free you all from the angst, though. Keep in mind that both “Obedience” and “Three Little Words” were written in a single sitting!)

[lostinthewinterwood]

RBC Exchange 2020

Hey friend!

Thanks for writing for me for this exchange :D

I’ve got a bunch of prompts below the cut, as well as a general DNW list and general likes list, but feel free to go wherever your muse leads you as long as you don’t hit the DNWs—optional details are optional, after all.

I only asked for fic; I wouldn’t know how to set up an art request at all, to be honest, but if you’re inspired by my ramblings to do visual art I’d be happy to get any sort of art treats!

My last prompt contains spoilers for Vanguard chapter 16; tumblr doesn’t allow me to put in multiple cuts or I’d hide it under one of them, so if you don’t want to see it don’t scroll past where I’ve said “Recent Vanguard Spoilers Past This Point”.

None of my other exchange letters have RBC stuff, but there’s other ramblings about my general likes and I talk about Tortall as well as canon HP a little, if you want to check out my tag for them here.

The prompts vary in length, but don’t worry if you matched on a shorter one—I’m interested in all of them, there’s a reason I asked for what I’ve asked for!

Thank you for writing for me for this exchange!  I’m super excited to see what you come up with for me in it.

General DNW

Rape/non/dub-con; non-canonical major character death; smut/graphic sex scenes; heavy angst; hurt no comfort; graphic depictions of deliberate and methodical self-harm*; graphic depictions of suicide; gore; grimdark; complete downer endings; character bashing; incest; cringe comedy; a/b/o; mpreg; mundane AUs; graphic eye trauma; graphic and/or permanent hand trauma; issuefic; a focus on romance; trans or nonbinary Harry; anything at all to do with blink or counterpoint.

*I don’t include things like, say, punching a wall in a fit of emotion under this, even if it does result in an injury. however, something like cutting would not be appreciated.

 General Likes

-- I really like plotty fics

-- I’m a total sucker for ruse reveals, whether on the small or grand scale (I say, eyeing my own series, which I started writing because I couldn’t stand the waiting lmao)

-- Ridiculous amping up of the secret identity drama, and possibly adding in more layers of secrets and irony, is always good

-- I’d be super down for crossovers with Tortall and/or HP canon, whether just in characters or plot beats or in full

-- Time travel and time loops, especially as a fix-it—especially if we let the characters learn a little more than they currently know, and then toss them back in time.  I have a general preference for Peggy Sue style (aka, an older character getting put back in their younger body at an earlier point in the timeline) over the character’s physical body stepping back in time, but either one is good.

-- A focus on family and/or friendship, especially characters realizing they’re not nearly as alone as they think they are, and just generally characters who like each other and enjoy spending time together

-- Character studies

 In general feel free to include unrequested characters, if that’s what your story wants—my requested characters are ones I want to be the focus of the story, not necessarily the Only Characters.

 Prompts that could be either main RBC or Rev Arc, or the two blended together:

Harriet Potter | Rigel Black

There’s a lot of stuff you could go with here, of course.  If you’re just interested in RBC, and aren’t interested in any kind of AU, I’d like maybe something with her family, including Sirius and Remus and Archie in the category of “family” of course, or with her friends, or maybe something about learning to do her animagus transformation herself.

If you’re feeling more like an AU, though, I’ve got some other ideas hah.

-- Some flavor of Mother of Learning au, probably feat. Harry as Controller, with Tortall’s gods taking the place of the angels maybe, smashing together as many rbc, Tortall, and MoL elements/characters as you want, feel free to go absolutely wild here.

-- What’s she doing, during rev arc, having run off to go gallivanting across the world? Alternately—her parents track her down, and we get to see that reunion and dealing with the fallout from her ruse.

-- Convent au, aka she and Archie never switch and she goes off to AIM; this can be the AIM of rev arc or an AIM of your own creation based on RBC canon!

-- Genderbent AU, aka Harry’s a boy and Archie’s a girl but they still go for the switch.

-- If you know Fialleril’s Tatooine Slave Culture stuff you’re probably familiar with the motif of Ekkreth becoming a bird and flying away when his trickstering is over for the time being; if you worked that into a fic with Harry I’d love you forever for it lol.

 Arcturus “Archie” Black

We don’t get a whole lot of Archie in canon, so I’m down for more exploration of him, either through the canon lens or through the lens of rev arc.

If you want to go down the path of rendering Archie into a more Thom-like figure, either by power level or by his relation to the rest of the world, I’d be down for that, but please don’t take him in the direction blink did (aka, please do not give me depressed suicidal Archie).

Things I think would be cool:

-- Slice-of-life with Archie at AIM, especially if it’s not the AIM of rev arc, but either way works.

-- Palace au, aka he and Harry never switch and he’s got to go to Hogwarts, and what happens from there.

-- Genderbent AU, aka Archie’s a girl and Harry’s a boy and they still switch places.

-- For whatever reason, he needs to go to Hogwarts and pretend to be Rigel for an extended period of time; dramedy ensues.

-- Leaning hard into the Mother of Learning AU idea, and making him the Zorian to Harry’s Zach, less powerful but learning to work with what he’s got.

 Adriana “Addy” Potter

For this one I’d really like a future fic with a family focus; Addy and her family, once Addy’s old enough to participate properly in things.  What’s the world like for a noble half-blood girl more than a decade younger than Harry?  Do they live in Wizarding Britain, or have they moved elsewhere?  How has the fallout of the ruse’s inevitable revelation impacted her—if, indeed, it noticeably has?  Rev Arc and canon basis are both fine!

 Severus Snape

He’s such a great character I love him, also, like, I’d adore something that brought him closer to Myles’ role as the spymaster/character who goes “girl what girl all I see is a smallish boy who’s just what he appears to be, why do you ask”

Other explorations of The Life And Times Of Severus Snape, Halfblood Potions Master And SOW Party Member would be great too.

Rev Arc and canon are both fine!

 Ginny Weasley, Bill “Will” Weasley

Would love some youngest sib-oldest sib bonding!!  Also would love exploring Bill in the Lower Alleys, and Ginny learning about that part of his world.

IIRC we first see Bill in the Alleys in FF?  So if you go with rev arc I’d appreciate that being kept in, but assuming that much, rev arc and canon are both fine.

  Rev Arc prompts:

Neal Queenscove, Graeme Queenscove, Jessa Queenscove, Will Queenscove

Hey, the Queenscove siblings get to be not 50% dead in this story!  I’d love to see something lighthearted with them all together.

Also feel free to bring in their parents, but it’s definitely not required lol.

 Harriet Potter | Rigel Black, Aldon Rosier, Justice (Revolutionary Arc)

Obviously there’s more than one way to get to this character combo, but I was thinking something like this:

Aldon Blake is raised by his birth mother and schooled in America.  Harriett Potter can’t break through Dumbledore’s wards alone.  And so a law is challenged.

 Lily Evans Potter

Anything through her life would be great!  Key moments I’d be especially interested in include her discovering her magic and having to go abroad to school, her time at AIM (maybe being Exceptional for stupidly powerful wild magic?), her time in the Triwizard Tournament (which I’m big into, not that that should discourage you from writing something else), returning to Britain, her relationship to the British International Association (assuming I got that name right), her reaction to Harry’s reveal and her hunt for her elder daughter.  Some of these wouldn’t have to have a heavy rev arc influence, but I’m currently more interested in the universe/story set up in rev arc.

 Keladry Mindelan

Look at this point I’m this close to just straight-up asking for a crossover, I love Kel and I’d love to have more of her in the world of rev arc.  I’d love her getting involved in Britain’s issues, whether through Neal or otherwise; she’s got no reason to be personally invested but she is the protector of the small, after all, and I can’t imagine she likes the way they run their country even before the end of Vanguard, which I’d imagine would only make it worse.

 Recent Vanguard Spoilers Past This Point

    Aldon Rosier, Sirius Black

I would adore something with the Lords Rosier and Black, and awkward formality, and Comedy™ which I suspect there may be little of in CC (it is a war after all), so I’ll take what I can get lmao.  Obviously there’s no way around what happened to give Aldon the title, but I’d rather neither that nor the war be a focal point; I’m more interested in dumbass shenanigans for this.

[doyouevenshipbr0]

gruvia drabble

author’s note: imma keep it real w/ yall... im a lil drunk rn!!! hope this fic is still good tho lmao! this is pertaining to the plot of the anime rn like how gray and juvia reunited after six months... well we never did get to hear gray’s explanation or apology..... so here it is! enjoy! side note: after actually writing this 1. im not rly drunk anymore, a shame. and 2. all my fics as of recently literally have the same exact format lol!!! cool! great!! we love a boring queen! ok hopefully i can stray from this format in the future but for now! here is ~this~.<3

*

“Oi, Juvia,” Natsu turned and called out to Juvia. They were finally beginning their long awaited journey back to Magnolia, to reform their guild, after just defeating Avatar. “Did you and Gray wanna’ go back to your cabin and get some of your stuff before you go back?”

“G-g-go back?! Just the two of us?! After all this time?!” Juvia’s face turned a blistering red as she cupped her fiery cheeks in her hands. It had been so long since they were both alone in that house together. What would it be like? How would they act? Would things be different?

“Oh yeah.” Gray calmly chimed in. “There are some things I wanna’ get.” He then turned to Juvia. “We should probably go.”

“O-of course! If Gray-sama insists!” She perked up, suddenly eager to go.

They caught a train back to the village they stayed in and made it there in a fairly short amount of time. Gray looked around their old home with suspicion.There wasn’t a soul to be seen. The town was once so full of life, and bright with spirit. Now the grey clouds above seemed to reflect the dreary village.

“Did something happen?” Gray asked Juvia as they casually walked through the town. “There’s nobody here.” He continued looking, looking for any sign of life.

“Oh.” Juvia remembered, and slouched slightly, partially ashamed. “Everyone kind of, well, left.” She said simply.

“What?” Gray was surprised. “Why?”

“Well...” She paused and took a moment to breathe. “Juvia’s rain sort of... came back, and it was, well, constant.” Her voice was sheepish. “It sort of drove everyone out of the village Juvia supposes.” She forced a smile and a fake lighthearted laugh.

That got Gray’s attention. He stopped looking through the village and snapped his focus onto Juvia. “What do you mean it came back?” He seemed annoyed.

“After Gray-sama left, Juvia’s rain came back.” She shrugged. Once she saw Gray’s look of what seemed like agitation, she began to panic. “It’s not a big deal or anything! Juvia was just being over-dramatic!” She gave another plastic smile, attempting to ease Gray.

“Tch.” Gray looked away from Juvia and turned back to the path to the way to their house, dropping the conversation.

Eventually, they approached their cabin. The wood that the house was built out of was seemingly becoming moldy, or at least dingy. All of the drapes to the windows were now closed, although Gray remembered Juvia always insisted they leave them open. The plants that Juvia adored that were littered around the porch were dead from drowning in her storm.

“Juvia is sorry the house is so out of shape, Gray-sama!” Juvia was embarrassed. She only ever had Gray on her mind, so she never took the time to worry about the appearance of their home once he was gone. Even though that place meant everything to her, she seemed to completely disregard it.

“Stop it.” Gray said, harshly. He didn’t need Juvia to explain herself. It was ridiculous of her. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re just here to get our stuff.”

“Right.” Juvia nodded.

Inside, the rooms were dark, and dusty. It was hard for Gray to believe they even lived their at one point, that this was the same home they shared. He remembered Juvia always making a fuss about keeping the place clean, and decorative, and so full of life: some things that this foreign lot was lacking.

Gray was finished packing up first. He had all of his belongings in a duffel bag with a couple other things held in his hand. The door to Juvia’s room was open, so he walked in and leaned on the frame of the doorway.

“Yo.” Juvia flinched to Gray’s low voice, it had been so long since she heard it. She paused her packing and turned around. “I’m all packed up. If you need any help just let me-” Gray paused. As he looked around, Juvia’s room seemed to follow the same format as the rest of the rooms. Dull, gloomy, muted, but something caught his eye.

“What’s this?” He set his belongings down. He walked over to her bedside table towards a vile of red liquid, which was now almost empty. 

“Oh, well, nothing really.” Juvia sporadically said with a forced chuckle and quickly was at Gray’s side, hoping to take the bottle before he could get a good look at it.

“Medicine?” He read the label of the bottle. “And it looks like Wendy’s handwriting.” He turned to Juvia.

“Y-yes.” Juvia took a step back and nervously held her hands together. “Wendy-san made that potion for Juvia.” She looked away.

“Why?”

“Juvia was, uh, well, sort of sick.” She remained avoiding eye contact.

“Sick?” Gray’s voice and tone raised. “You were sick? And Wendy couldn’t cure it with just her magic? She had to make a potion?” All of these little things were building up to one big slap in Gray’s face.

“Juvia had a very bad fever. I was sitting outside most of the time, so it was caused by my rain...” She said to the volume of that of a mouse, fidgeting her hands.

“Oh my god.” Gray sunk. He put the bottle back on the table and collapsed onto the bed, holding his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. Just what had he done?

“B-but none of this is Gray-sama’s fault!” She was quick to perk up and defend Gray.

“All of this is my fucking fault!” Gray lifted his head and snapped his gaze to Juvia with sharp, blunt eyes, glistening with a sheen of tears. Juvia dropped her defense, and looked back beneath her.

“If it weren’t for me, this place wouldn’t look like shit, your rain wouldn’t have come back, and you wouldn’t have gotten sick!” He was angry. Juvia said nothing. “Am I wrong?!”

Juvia’s shoulders began to bog, jaggedly, up and down. She had finally broken. She was out of false excuses.

“Why did you leave me, Gray-sama?” She looked back up to him, tears overflowing in her piercing, yet helpless gaze. 

Gray’s eyes widened, the sight before him caused his breath to catch itself in his throat.

“I-it was a secret mission.” He looked away, bringing the blank look back to his face. “It was to get more info on Zeref. I had to go, and Erza told me I couldn’t tell or bring anyone.”

Juvia’s tears fell onto her face, and then onto the floor.

“Juvia knows.” Her head was down, once again. She gathered her composure, slightly, for a mere moment. “Juvia understands. Putting and end to Zeref and E.N.D is very important to Gray-sama. This was all for the best.” She sniffled. “So, why..?” She brought her hands up to her eyes, and lost the weak grip she had on herself for that second, and began sobbing into her palms.

“So why is Juvia so hurt?”

Gray said nothing for a brief instant. He looked at her, although she did not return the contact, with shock and sorrow in his eyes. He didn’t know what to think, and he couldn’t place Juvia’s emotions, but he knew what he was feeling.

Remorse, guilt, responsibility, sadness, Gray’s heart was a melting pot of these horrible things. He couldn’t bare to see her in so much pain before, and all because of him. He would not be the reason she shed tears. He refused, especially after all she’d done for him. She was by his side, supporting him through everything. Even after he abandoned her for six months, she still did nothing but be there for him. 

He quickly arose from the bed and wrapped his arms around her, with her hands still covering her eyes, causing her breath to stop in surprise for a second.

“It’s alright. I’m sorry.” His words were soft though his face was flinty. He stared at the wall as he brought his hand up to the back of Juvia’s head, firmly bringing her face to his chest, as he rested his chin atop her.

“G-Gray-sama should not have to apologize.” She shook her head as she sobbed into his chest, her voice muffled.

“Like hell I shouldn’t” His voice was even lower. “So cut the crap. You’re allowed to be sad. From some aspects, what I did,” He paused. “What I did to you was a shity thing. Really shitty.” Her cries were much softer as he spoke. He remembered all the scolding Natsu gave him, and manifested it into his words.“So let me say I’m sorry.” He grumbled through his pouted lips as his cheeks were colored pink.

Juvia finally removed her hands from her face and wrapped her arms around Gray, being encased by his warmth. The warmth that she had missed, so very much.

“It’s ok.” She hummed; her mood was already much better just by appreciating being in Gray’s hold. “Juvia is glad Gray-sama is ok.”

She held on even tighter, and in about a minute, her instincts kicked in. Her mind began to soar with thoughts of Gray, and his big, toned arms that were engulfing her. She subconsciously began to sniff him, and exhale with delight.

“Ahh.” She swooned. “Gray-sama still smells just as delicious as he always has.” She snuggled up against him. 

“O-kay” Gray announced. “That’s enough of that.” He said, avoiding Juvia’s odd comment. He pulled her away from him and turned back to his things. “We should probably head out. The guild isn’t gonna’ rebuild itself.”

“Aw!” Juvia said, defeated, and dramatically slouched over.

“Don’t sound so disappointed cause’ I stopped you from smelling me! Don’t you realize that ain’t normal!?” He exclaimed.

“Juvia doesn’t care about what’s normal! Juvia hasn’t smelled your sweet scent in six whole months! You can’t blame me!” She defended, reaching her arms out for Gray.

“Quit bein’ creepy and meet me in the living room when you’re done packing.” Gray asserted with an annoyed, but familiar look on his face as he quickly made his way out of her room and shut the door, as Juvia sulked on her bed.

They soon packed all of their belongings and walked through their front door, back into the village where a ray of sun peaked through the dispersing clouds.

“Juvia is so sad to say goodbye to she and Gray-sama’s home.” She frowned with exaggerated sniffles.

“I wouldn’t call this a goodbye.” He said frankly. “It’s more like a ‘see-ya-later.’“ He turned to Juvia with a smirk on his face. Her eyes began to glow, and she settled onto a content smile.

“Yes, Gray-sama.” She looked to the ground with her fulfilled smile.

On their walk to the train, Gray grabbed his arms and gave a small shiver.

“It’s gettin’ kinda’ cold out.” He simply said.

Juvia pondered and looked around a little to see any signs of anyone or anything being cold, which she did not, and felt her own body temperature at a fairly normal level, and for Gray especially, this weather was hardly anything.

“Really? Juvia doesn’t think it’s too co-” She turned back to Gray with confusion and quietly gasped as she saw him wrapping himself with a grey, poorly knitted, homey/cozy looking, seemingly worn in scarf. He did not make eye contact with her, and kept his sharp expression on the road ahead.

She knew that scarf all too well.

“Actually, Juvia is a little chilly.” Attempting to keep her overjoyed reaction in line, she simply wrapped her one arm around Gray’s and with the other she reached out and held his hand, causing him to initially flinch, but he kept his hand intertwined with hers.

They made their way to their true home, Fairy Tail, walking in bliss, putting the bad parts of the past behind them and looking to a hopeful future.

One where Juvia’s rain would never return.

[bcdrawsandwrites]

Next entry for @badthingshappenbingo​!

Reminder that I am still accepting prompts for this! Check out my initial post (linked in my blog desc) for the guidelines. Also note the current bingo card on this post–the things I mark with crossbones are completed prompts, and ones with a single bone are ones that have been requested, but not written yet.

(Fics are also posted to AO3 and FFN, but please just use the links in my blog desc to get to those ‘cuz I’m too tired to make links for them.)

Aaand here’s our next prompt, submitted by @specspectacle​! This one is quite a bit more lighthearted than my other ones. I hope you like it!

Prompt: Damaged Vocal Cords Characters: Imelda Rivera, Héctor Rivera, Ernesto de la Cruz, pre-movie

Héctor and Imelda had only been married for a few weeks now, and Imelda was embarrassed to find Héctor already seeing her in an awful state—that is to say, Imelda was sick.

True, they’d known each other since they were kids, but whenever she’d caught an illness, she had stayed indoors with her parents taking care of her. Now, it was just her and Héctor. Before, he’d always insisted how beautiful she was. Now… well, she couldn’t imagine she looked all that wonderful with her dripping nose, pale face, and messy hair.

“Ay, I’m fine, mi amor,” Imelda croaked for the dozenth time, just before she sneezed again into her already-soiled handkerchief.

“Shh, don’t worry about it,” Héctor replied, gently brushing her hair away from her face. Her braid had come loose again and she was too tired to fix it up. “You’ll be over this soon.”

Still she found herself glancing away from him as she wiped her nose. Ever since she’d woken up that morning, she’d kept thinking back to the things the other women of Santa Cecilia warned her about—how as wonderful as Héctor seemed now, that would all change when he saw her at her worst, when she wasn’t pretty. She’d brushed it off then—Héctor had never, ever been like one of those men—but now, with how awful she felt, she found herself muttering, “I suppose I’m not exactly the beautiful woman you married, am I.”

She hadn’t meant to say it out loud, and winced when he gave a startled “what?” But rather than being angry, he went on: “Are you kidding? You’re as beautiful as the day I met you, mi amor.”

Imelda paused, and turned to give him a look, but Héctor only grinned—a genuine smile, not a mocking one. She could feel how damp her hair and skin was from the sweat, and her nose was starting to drip again, and she truly, honestly had no idea what he was looking at. But seeing him smiling at her like an idiot even when she looked like a disaster, she found herself dissolving into tired laughter.

Unfortunately the stupid sickness had to make itself known again, and her laughter turned to dry coughs.

Héctor’s hand was immediately at her back, rubbing gentle circles until the coughing fit subsided. Groaning, Imelda rubbed her upper chest. “Weren’t you supposed to be playing with Ernesto today?”

“That can wait. I think I’ll make us some tea now—maybe it’ll soothe your throat.”

And so the next few days continued like that, Héctor spending much of his time taking care of her while they waited for the sickness to pass. He made her hot drinks to ease the pain in her throat, and with her help made some simple broths that she could easily swallow with her throat swollen as it was. Sometimes he would even bring out his guitar, playing and singing her favorite songs to lift her spirits.

He did go out to play with Ernesto when Imelda insisted that he needed to work, but evidently he found it difficult to focus, and would often leave early to be with Imelda again. This, of course, didn’t sit well with Ernesto, and a few times the other músico begged for him to come back and play “just a few more songs.” Héctor had already taken a break from playing music with his friend while he spent his first married week entirely with his wife, and he’d only just gone back to playing music in the plaza when Imelda had gotten sick. While part of Imelda felt bad for keeping Héctor distracted from his work (and part of Héctor certainly felt bad about that as well), she was grateful he considered her more important than his music.

The sickness lasted a few days, and while the symptoms had finally started to fade, the constant dry coughing had taken its toll on her throat. It still hurt to swallow, and her voice had been rough already, but then she woke up one morning to something she hadn’t expected.

“Buenos dias,” was what she’d meant to say when she saw him stirring by her side. What came out instead was a breathy croak that hurt her throat to force out.

Immediately she put a hand to her mouth, blinking in surprise, and tried again to speak, only for a barely-comprehensible squeak to come out instead.

Héctor, meanwhile, opened his eyes, and looked like he was about to smile at her before he saw the look of consternation on her face. “Imelda?” he asked, pushing himself up on his elbow. “What’s wrong?”

I don’t know, she tried to answer, but her sore throat wouldn’t let the words come out.

Now Héctor was sitting upright, looking down at her in worry. “What happened to your voice?”

Imelda tried to speak again, only to break down into dry coughs. Wait… was that it? The coughing had worn her voice thin? She hoped that was all it was, anyway. Biting her lip, she sat up in bed, holding out her left hand flat, and making a writing motion on it with her right hand.

“Hm? Oh! Sí, un momento.” Scrambling out of bed, Héctor stumbled over to his writing desk, shuffling through the piles of loose papers before finally finding a blank one. He then came back with a pencil, a sheet of paper, and a book for a flat surface to write on. “Is it your throat?” he asked, handing her the items.

She nodded, brow furrowing before she wrote: Do you think this is permanent?

Reading over the paper, Héctor looked just as worried. “I… don’t know. I don’t think so?” He thought it over, then perked up. “Oh! Wait, wait, this happened to my… my papá once, when I was little. His voice was gone for a few days, so he couldn’t shout orders at work.”

We could send for a doctor—

“Eeeeeehhh…”

Imelda rolled her eyes. Did he always have to be this way about doctors?

“Look, Imelda, my papá got his voice back then, and I’m sure you’ll get your voice back soon, too. You just need to rest for a few more days and you’ll be good as new. All right?”

Heaving a sigh, she nodded. She would like to get back to work rather than sitting around all day, but she supposed she couldn’t exactly go to the market if she couldn’t talk with the shopkeepers. …Oh! Quickly she scribbled onto the paper: We do need to go to the market today.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it!” Héctor insisted. “Just write a list of the stuff we need and I’ll grab it for you. Now c’mon, let’s get you something warm to drink.”

Aside from not being able to talk, the morning was pleasant enough. Warm sunlight shone in through the windows, Héctor managed to make a decent breakfast for the both of them (the last of their eggs and a couple pieces of fruit, though Imelda was unable to finish her apple), and the tea did soothe her throat a little, even if it didn’t heal enough to talk. After that, they spent the morning together to finish some of the chores Imelda was able to do, and getting together a list of things that Héctor would need to pick up at the market. He asked if she would like for him to play any music for her, but she declined—they could do that later when Héctor came back, so he left his guitar sitting by the door.

When Héctor finally left, Imelda rested on a chair by the window. For a short while she tried to read a book, but found it was putting her to sleep. Shrugging, she set the book aside and leaned into the chair, allowing herself to doze. Maybe a brief nap would do her some good while she waited for Héctor to return.

A few minutes later, the door flew open with a bang.

At first Imelda thought that Héctor must have forgotten something, but he never slammed the door open like that. For a split second she felt a jolt of panic, wondering what might have happened to make him rush back in like that so shortly after he’d left, when she heard a voice call out:

“Héctor!”

Rolling her eyes, Imelda stood up from her chair and turned to see that Ernesto had barged into the house, and was frantically looking around. “Héctor?” he called again before his eyes fell on Imelda. “Do you know where he is?”

Imelda’s first instinct was to ask him what he was doing, coming in uninvited like that, but when she opened her mouth, he immediately cut her off.

“I don’t get this whole thing about needing to take care of you,” Ernesto muttered, looking her up and down. “You look fine to me. He can’t keep up that excuse.” With that he marched toward the kitchen, leaving Imelda dumbfounded.

Well, it wasn’t like she would’ve been able to say anything to him, anyway. She briefly considered grabbing some paper to write on, but leaving Ernesto alone for a moment too long sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Heaving a frustrated sigh, she followed the man into the kitchen as he continued to rant, still searching for her husband.

“Honestly, if he keeps ducking out of his responsibility, he’s going to get rusty.” He turned to peer out the kitchen window, looking for Héctor in the courtyard in spite of the fact that Ernesto had just walked through it. “How are we supposed to become world-renowned musicians if he’s not playing every day?”

Playing still counts even if he’s not playing for a crowd, Imelda thought, wishing she could say it out loud. Ay, he’d only been there for barely a minute and he was already grating on her nerves.

“This is ridiculous,” Ernesto growled, turning away from the window. Imelda tried to approach him, but he took no notice, walking right past her and striding to the bedroom. “Héctor! Are you in there? Don’t tell me you’ve slept in!”

Anger burning in her chest, Imelda hurried up to him. The bedroom was not clean—they hadn’t bothered making the bed that morning, Héctor’s desk looked like a very large book had exploded over it, and the rest of the room was cluttered. Not to mention, it was their bedroom. Don’t you dare barge into the—

“If you don’t wake up right now I’m going to drag you to the plaza myself.” With that, he threw open the bedroom door and walked in. Fuming, Imelda followed him.

Not finding Héctor there, Ernesto breathed a frustrated sigh. “This is getting ridiculous, where could he—” He broke off into a yelp when Imelda suddenly stepped in front of him abd shoved him back out into the hall. “Dios mio, mujer, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

She leaned against the door frame, unimpressed, and sharply gestured out the door. Stay out of our bedroom. And the house, please.

“You could have at least said something,” Ernesto went on, brushing himself off and turning away. But rather than turning to leave, he headed toward the guest bedroom instead. “Where is he?”

What—no! Get out! Imelda followed him as he peered into the empty bedroom, and yanked on one of his suspenders.

Yelping, Ernesto spun around and blinked at her in bewilderment. “What’s wrong with you?” he cried, reaching back to re-adjust his suspender. “Tell me, Imelda—where is your husband?”

Imelda crossed her arms once and then pointed in the direction of their front door. He’s not here, idiota! Get out of our house!

“Oh, out there?” Walking past her, Ernesto opened the front door. Instead of leaving, however, he peered around the courtyard. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

Fighting the strong desire to grab the nearest object and crack it over his thick skull, Imelda buried her face in her hands for a moment before stomping her foot to get the man’s attention. When he finally looked back at her, she drew in a breath, and tried again to speak: Héctor is not here, she wanted to say, but her voice came out in a few breathy squeaks.

Ernesto stared at her for a long moment, as though looking at a particularly tricky line of sheet music, and finally his eyebrows flew up in recognition. “You can’t speak, can you?”

Imelda stared at him in exasperation. No, she mouthed.

“So that’s why you’ve been following me around like a stray dog instead of saying anything,” he mused, rubbing his chin. “I was thinking you’d missed me.”

Missed him?! She’d just gotten married! Why would she miss hanging out with another man?! Unable to protest, she gave him the best expression she could to convey the anger and frustration she felt.

Still Ernesto continued to look her over, eyes narrowing as the gears turned in whatever rusty contraption passed as a brain for him. Something seemed to click, and his face brightened. “Well then,” he said, a seemingly-genuine smile crossing his features. “I suppose Héctor would appreciate it if I stayed here to help take care of his sick wife.”

Qué.

“Knowing him, he won’t be out for long. Hopefully. But until he returns, I don’t suppose he’d mind if I made myself at home.” With that, he walked back into the kitchen, leaving Imelda with her mouth agape.

Oh, you have got to be kidding. Gritting her teeth, Imelda followed him into the kitchen to find him opening their cabinets and hunting around their table. He spotted an apple sitting on the table and snatched it up, taking a bite. It was their last one, but at least Héctor would be getting some more at the market—it was more frustrating to see him helping himself to their food uninvited. Still, she waited for him to finish eating before tapping him on the shoulder and pointing firmly in the direction of the door.

“Hmm?” he asked, setting the apple core on the table. “Is there something you want to show me, señora?”

Sí. THE DOOR. Pointing again, she eyed him until he turned to look where she was pointing. She relaxed as she watched him finally make his way to the door again, and turned to dispose of the garbage he’d left behind.

“What was it you… oh!”

To Imelda’s confusion, she heard the sound of something heavy being lifted off the floor, and her eyes widened in horror. No, idiota, you know that’s not what I meant—! Hurrying back out of the kitchen, she found Ernesto standing there, holding up Héctor’s guitar and tuning it.

“Of course, Imelda, I’d love to play some music for you.” Flashing her a smile, he pulled the guitar strap over his shoulder and began to strum a few chords. “Do you have any requests?”

Imelda grit her teeth. Sí, for you to go away! She pointed at the guitar and gestured back to the side of the door, where Héctor had left it.

Ernesto ignored her, looking off to the side as he began to think something over. “Let’s see… what was the one you liked? Ah, La Llorona, right?”

Blinking, Imelda stepped back. She hadn’t expected him to remember she’d liked that one—it was one of the first songs she’d heard Héctor play. Perhaps allowing Ernesto to show off a little wouldn’t be too bad. It would certainly be less annoying than anything else he’d been doing. She nodded at him.

“Very well.” Ernesto played a few opening chords, closing his eyes as he began to sing, “Ay, de mi Llorona… Llorona de azul celeste…”

With a soft sigh, Imelda took a seat on a nearby chair. If she couldn’t get rid of him, she might as well enjoy the music.

“Y anque la vida me cue—hey,” Ernesto said, opening one eye and glancing over at her, “you’re not singing along.”

She gave him a deadpan look.

Shrugging, Ernesto pressed his hand against the guitar strings to break off the music. “Well, since you can’t sing along to your favorite songs, perhaps I can sing something different.”

Oh, wonderful. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. No, she mouthed, but of course that wouldn’t stop this great idiot.

“Perhaps a more romantic song?” Strumming a few more opening chords, Ernesto cleared his throat to begin a different song. “Everyone knows Juanita…”

AAGH! No, not that one! Imelda waved her arms in a request to stop, but of course Ernesto ignored it as he continued singing the awful song. Part of her wanted to grab her shoe and beat him over the head with it, but she’d hate for Héctor to come home to a sight like that. What kind of person would he think he’d married, if he found her attacking his best friend? She’d just put up with it for now, until Héctor came home.

She just hoped that would happen soon.

“…and so, I became more of a mentor to him, you know?”

Imelda dragged her hands over her face. Ernesto had given up halfway into the third dirty song, and she was frankly impressed he’d lasted that long, given how much he depended on an eager audience for his songs. Now, though, she almost wished he had kept it up, because his singing voice was at least marginally more pleasant to listen to than his normal voice.

Especially when he was rambling about himself.

“Of course, we are still best amigos and always have been, but I taught him everything he knows.”

No you didn’t. He taught you how to play the guitar when he was five. I know. I was there. Not that it would make any difference, since Ernesto seemed lost in his own world as he rambled about his warped version of his own life to Imelda, as though she didn’t already know a great deal of it.

Just when she was certain he would never shut up, the front door opened and Héctor stumbled into the room, carrying several baskets full of food. “¡Lo siento, mi amor! I didn’t mean to take so long, but—” He paused, noting that two people were in the room. “Ernesto? What are you doing here?”

Imelda thought she would never be more happy to see her husband again. But just as she stood to greet him, Ernesto stood as well, already reaching out to help him. “Ah, hermanito,” he said, quickly taking some baskets from his friend, who sighed in relief. “I was just paying your wife a visit! I wanted to play her a few songs to lift her spirits.”

You lying little—!

“Oh, that’s great!” Héctor said, smiling at his friend. “Good to know you’re there to help us, amigo. Hang on…” He rushed into the kitchen to set the baskets down, and hunted through them for a moment before pulling out a couple beef empanadas and rushing to bring one over to Imelda. “Here! I grabbed something for the both of us.”

Her anger over Ernesto’s pestering quickly melted away as she took the food, resisting the urge to lean in and kiss her husband (she didn’t want him to get sick after all of this). Instead, she leaned in to give him a side-hug, which he gratefully accepted.

The hug only lasted for a few moments before Imelda could sense a certain persistent moron behind her. She found herself tensing in annoyance, and Héctor looked up.

“Not to interrupt, this uh…” Ernesto gestured at the two vaguely before shrugging. “But Imelda seems to be doing a lot better now, aside from her voice. Don’t you think she’ll be fine on her own, now, without you needing to interrupt our music to check on her?”

Imelda wrapped her free arm around her husband more tightly, partly to keep herself from slugging Ernesto.

“Eeeehh… I don’t know, Ernesto. I’d like to give it another day or two, just until she’s mostly better.”

“You can’t keep slacking off like this—”

“I’m not slacking off!” Sighing, Héctor looked down at Imelda. “What do you think, mi amor? Should I go back to the plaza now, or would you like me to stay home a little longer?”

Under different circumstances, Imelda would have said no—while her voice was gone, she was mostly fine otherwise, and didn’t really need help on her own. On the other hand… She took a quick glance at Ernesto and nodded, pulling closer to Héctor.

“That settles it, then. Lo siento, Ernesto, but you’ll have to give us a few days.”

“I—!” Ernesto seemed to puff up for a moment, like a rooster that was about to start squawking, but he looked between the two and quickly deflated. “Fine, fine. But in two days, then! In two days, the plaza will once again hear the music of Ernesto y Héctor!”

Imelda rolled her eyes, but Héctor laughed. “Of course. I’ll see you then! ¡Adios!”

Finally Ernesto left. Imelda let out a sigh, leaning into Héctor, who gratefully leaned back for a moment before pulling away, holding out the empanada still in his hand. “Well, now that that’s done, are you hungry?”

Imelda nodded, following Héctor over to the table to eat. Part of her wanted to tell Héctor just how infuriating Ernesto had been, but she couldn’t anyway, and honestly she really didn’t want to make Héctor feel bad, especially when he was going out of his way to help her.

Besides… it wasn’t like she couldn’t confront Ernesto on her own later.

A couple days later, Imelda’s voice had mostly returned, and, as promised, Héctor had gone out to meet Ernesto in the plaza, Imelda joining him. To both their surprise, Ernesto had been leaving them alone. Héctor took it to mean his friend was respecting their wishes, while Imelda wondered if Ernesto had realized that she might confront him once she had her voice back, and was deliberately avoiding them. She supposed they would soon find out.

…Possibly.

Héctor walked in a circle, head twisting this way and that as he scrutinized the plaza. “That’s strange… Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Imelda replied, her voice still a little rough but mostly better. “Wasn’t he supposed to meet you here?”

“Sí… He could have forgot—no, he was asking nearly every day. He wouldn’t have…” He spun around, giving Imelda a worried look. “Do you think something happened to him?”

I think he might be hiding, Imelda thought, but shook her head. “Perhaps he’s still at home. Should we check?”

Already heading in the direction of Ernesto’s house, Héctor nodded, and Imelda followed. It didn’t take them long to get there, and Héctor immediately began knocking on the door. “Ernesto?”

Imelda waited patiently, not quite as worried as her husband, but curious if Ernesto really was hiding, or if something else was at play. She perked up at the sound of slow footfalls within—so he was home. Good. Now she could finally give him a piece of her mind.

Héctor seemed a little relieved, looking over at Imelda to say something before they both heard familiar wracking coughs on the other side of the door.

…Well, that was interesting.

Finally the door opened, and a very tired, very pale Ernesto gazed out the doorway. He looked like he was about to smile at Héctor before his eyes fell on Imelda, and he scrambled backward, clutching his throat.

“Ernesto!” Héctor cried. “Are you—?”

“That cough sounded awful,” Imelda said, covering her mouth as though she were shocked (in reality, hiding a smile). “Is your throat all right?”

“I—”

The single syllable he managed to get out was hoarse and barely audible, and he doubled over in another coughing fit.

“Oooh…” Héctor winced. “It sounds like you caught what Imelda had.”

“Qué terrible,” Imelda said, looking away and swallowing a laugh. She could see Ernesto nodding hesitantly out of the corner of her eye, and turned back to see him staring at her warily.

“I, uh… guess we won’t be playing today, then.” Héctor’s frame wilted, but then he immediately perked up again, looking at Imelda. “Hey, could he come over? We could make him some soup.”

Imelda’s gut reaction was to reject the idea, but she stopped herself, glancing back at Ernesto, who seemed to have gone a shade paler. She grinned. “That’s a wonderful idea, Héctor! I’m sure he would appreciate the gesture.”

Catching the look in her eye, Ernesto put his hands up in defense, shaking his head. “No, no,” he managed to wheeze out, his voice barely there. “I don’t… want you getting sick.”

“That’s true… Well, we’ll make you something and drop it off, then. ¡Adios! Feel better soon, hermano.” And with that, Héctor and Imelda turned to leave… but not before Imelda gave Ernesto a smirk, which quickly turned into a grin at seeing the man flinch.

She had to admit, she’d been looking forward to finally confronting him again now that her voice was back. Giving him a piece of her mind had seemed like it would be rather satisfying, and she was almost disappointed she hadn’t been able to do it. However… giving him her cough wasn’t a bad alternative.

Maybe now they’d finally have some peace without that idiot bothering them.

[gingerly-writing]

I found your tumblr and I scrolled until there was no more (I stayed up too many days oh my god) and I can't find blogs with superhero/villain stories (anymore... read through the-modern-tyepwriter and others). It's all fanfiction/prompts. Any long stories with complicated hero/villain dynamics you know of? And do you post your stories and universe anywhere (seen snippets and I WANT MORE)? Sorry 'bout this and THANK YOU FOR BEING ACTIVE YOU POST EVERYDAY AND I LOVE IT. Thank you for writing!

awww, thank you so much for the compliments!

okay, so I know @rrrawrf-writes, @haphazardlyparked, @straycatreadsthat, @shorecatcher and @writerly-blonde all definitely write and post at least a few superhero snippets and prompt fills. there’s definitely at least one other person because I was stalking their blog like three months ago but I can’t remember their URL.

IF YOU POST SUPERHERO WRITING please reblog or reply to this post because both this Anon and I will probably follow you and shower you in love

there are superhero books out there too! if you want seriously complicated. I’ve heard Vicious by V.E. Schwab is good, but I can’t vouch for it because while I think I have it on Kindle, I haven’t read it yet. there’s a few lighthearted or kidlit books about superheroes too, but if you want complicated that’s probably not your cup of tea.

honestly, I get my fix from fanfiction. some of the fics I’ve read over the years are mindblowing, far better than any original superhero fiction I’ve ever read (no shade intended). trust me, I knew nothing about Marvel or DC when I started getting into it, but if you’re willing to watch a couple of shows like any one of the original Teen Titans, Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice, Avengers Assemble cartoon, the DC animated movies or the MCU, you can pick up enough of the basics so damn fast (as well as all of these being  a m a z i n g  in their own rights) and then you’ll have years worth of excellent fic at your fingertips. literally met one of my best online friends (@sroloc–elbisivni) because her YJ DC fic blew my fucking mind

I would post more of my superhero stuff…if I actually wrote more. my plan after Piracy Pays is over was to start a new mini series focused on someone in my supers universe, but uni is killing me and I’m just about to hit exam season, and I should also focus on my major projects so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ we’ll see how that goes. one day I will write the 16+ books I have swimming around in my head for this universe. one day. but until that day, I’m afraid the only snippets y’all can read are the ones posted on my blog

hope this all helps! <3

[meganmazing]

An All Phlint Rec List!

One guess which pairing I fell head-first into this time...

Need more time? No problem, I’ll give you a hint. It involves SHEILD’s #1 eye in the sky and his long-suffering, slightly anal-retentive handler. The purple Avenger and the dead-not-dead agent. You know them, and if you don’t already love them, these fics will fix that for you. Sorry in advance for how long this is, but there are so many fics and I have too many feelings.

Some of them even feature Pizza Dog, because we are a blessed fandom.

Most of these are rated Explicit, but not all! I even mention a G-rated fic, and I’m proud of me for branching out my recs. I don’t read non-con/dub-con, and I’m not usually into ABO stuff, so you won’t find any of that here, if it’s a concern. Just in case, read the tags! I also don’t read unhappy endings, becasue I’m not about that life.  

Click the bold titles (sometimes the little lines indicating a link aren’t there, but the link still is) and don’t forget to leave kudos/comments on the ones you love, to spread that love to the authors! And as always, there will always be more fics that I love/bookmark/scream about in my bookmarks page on my ao3 account: megamazing

College AU

Launch Your Assault by foxxcub  Words: 30k  Rating: E

Phil Coulson was more than halfway through his six year plan, and everything was chugging along nicely.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t foreseen a cocky junior Art major waltzing into his life, or his floor.

So this is within the same universe as Bulletproof, a stony College AU fic, but I never read that one. Phlint College AU’s I love, but not so much with stony? I have weirdly subjective preferences when it comes to fics.

However, I will rec this one with my dying breath. It is Phil’s POV, and I have such a soft spot for college age Phil now, thanks to this story. As a college student myself, I felt that everything was really realistic and I believed everything. More than that, I want to give both the boys a hug. They need it after this. 

Also, as you’ll see later on in this list, I love the “fuck buddies” trope with hidden feelings that are so not hidden it’s embarrassing. And heartbreaking. As much as I want to hug Phil, I also think he needs a swift kick or seven.  

Safety Not Guaranteed by foxxcub  words: 4k+ (nearly 5k) Rating: M

Phil was informed of the Sigma Iota tradition of White Elephant two weeks before Christmas break. He’d heard of other chapters on campus having holiday parties and had figured the SI’s did the same.

But he was quickly learning the SI’s didn’t do things quite like other fraternities.

Short, sweet, and funny. Of course this would happen to them, within a group of people where blatant, verbal communication is a practically a foreign notion. I laughed, I sympathetically cringed, and there are sexytimes, too. What’s not to love here, really? (Wade has a great cameo, too, so of course this was going on the list)

I'll Learn To Dance If You Promise Not To Laugh by torakowalski  words: 10k+ rating: E

A College AU in which there are long distance relationships, misunderstandings, and no one actually spends any time in college.

The insecurity in this fic kills me in the best way. Clint puts on an act sometimes, acting stronger and suaver than maybe he feels. When your bf is older and cooler and smarter and too good for you, what else can you do? Naturally, that strategy works great until it doesn’t. 

Thor, Darcy, and Jane are wonderful and I just want more of them! I would never have pictured them as Phil’s roommates, but it works so well and watching Clint interact with them is great. 

Everyone deserves a hug: Clint for being a sweet idiot, Phil for being a well-meaning moron, and the roommate squad for putting up with their shit and making it fun.  

(more torakowalski fics in the final section, because I’m in love with their work and need to throw more at you)

Other AU

Kindergarten ‘verse by soniclipstick (veriscence)  total words: 38k+ Respective ratings: E, G, and E

Kindergarten teacher Clint Barton has never been in a healthy stable relationship in his life. Hell, mostly he doesn't bother leaving his house unless his best friend drags him out for 'socialising'. He's happy with his life as a hermit; he has a dog, and fifteen sticky tiny humans to teach core skills to. That's more than enough commitment for him

But that's all about to change when the new school year brings along with it some major surprises, such as Phil Coulson, the widowed father of one of his students and owner of the bluest eyes Clint's ever seen.

(summary from the first fic in the series)

I am rec’ing the whole series here, because I want to curl up and live in the world the author created. It has everyone you could think of wanting to see from both general Marvel canon and also Agents of SHIELD. Look, as I’m writing this, I want to go back and re-read the first fic. As the author states in the tags, it’s totally Fraction’s Hawkeye, aka my favorite and the best (soz MCU Clint, you’re cool too, sometimes).

This could have been so stupid. It’s a kindergarten teacher AU, it very easily could have been something I read two paragraphs of and clicked away. But it isn’t. When the author says fluff and angst, they mean it. It hurt my heart and made me giddy by turns. Also, sexytimes. But the feelings! I connected so much with Clint in this, and felt so much for Phil, and the payoff feels so earned by the time it happens.

The supporting cast is phenomenal, and it may be my favorite of this whole list, which is saying a lot because I love them all. Even the smaller cameos were hilarious and made me smile.

EVEN IF YOU READ NO OTHER FIC ON THIS LIST, READ THIS SERIES.

Pre-Avengers (mostly)

Slow and Soft by onthewaters  Words: 23k Rating: E 

When Coulson adds Barton to his team, he expects smartassery. Except there isn't any...

This is it. This is the story I was looking for and craving without even knowing it. That may make zero sense, but I don’t know how else to put it. The writing and the storytelling here are on another level, and I mean that in the best possible way. It shows them getting together - including the beginning of the incredible friendship between the trio (Nat, Clint, and Phil) and Nat and Clint's bond - as well as the most believable/subtle pinning I’ve read in awhile. 

Phil's characterization is the best in this one. It’s his POV, and his personality just shines. This is one of the ones I really treasure, and I won’t apologize for how extra I am about it. 

Operation Snapdragon by Laura Kaye (laurakaye) words: 10k+ rating: E

They’d decided to call it Operation Snapdragon, Jasper had explained, because snapdragons meant “deception” in the language of flowers.

It would be more accurate to call it Operation Rip Out Phil's Heart And Grind It Beneath The Feet Of Mobsters, but apparently there wasn't a flower for that.

The humor is on point, and I am a sucker for pining!Phil and sarcasm. It’s a fake marriage fic, where they’re undercover as a couple. Tell me that doesn’t sound perfect for these two. BUT WAIT, there’s more: they’re already a thing before the fake marriage mission, and Phil has been feeling insecure in the relationship! Voicing concerns in a healthy manner is out of the question, naturally. Idiots.

It takes place over six months, featuring flashbacks to how Phil ended up in a strip club run by the mob, smiling lovingly at his husband while a mobster talks about how great they are together. 

Plenty of miscommunication on par with the trope, and you just want to give Clint a hug, becasue you know what’s going on, but Phil can’t catch a hint. It has art at the end, too, which is adorable.

The Clothes that Make the Man by orderlychaos  words: 17k+ rating: E

There was something comforting in the way Clint could focus on Coulson’s dry, deadpan tone as bullets and explosions sounded around him. Come rain, hail or bursts of experimental weaponry, Agent Coulson would be there, calm and controlled in that damn suit, like the personification of order against chaos.

However, contrary to rumour, Phil Coulson was not born in a suit. This is the story of how Clint Barton glimpsed the man underneath and fell in love.

(Or five times Clint saw Phil outside of a suit and the one time he wore a suit himself).

IT’S A FIVE AND ONE, boys, we’ve made it. This my favorite trope in all of fanfiction history. It’s also pre-avengers for the first half, but then kinda after? Coulson isn’t dead and doesn’t appear to ever have been, but in the later chapters, the Avengers are a thing? I’m not sure about timelines. It’s an AU, and it’s awesome. 

The important part is that there’s Clint POV and insecurity on both sides, as well as really sweet moments and pinning galore. Plus, it’s rated E, so obviously that too. It’s fairly lighthearted in general as well (meaning there are feelings and angst but there aren’t feelings and angst, if you know what I mean), and after some of the angst on this list, lighthearted fics are a gift. 

Coulson Lives - Reunion

Give a Dog a Bone by  Laura Kaye (laurakaye)  Words: 86k+ Rating: E

What do you do when your dead best friend turns up alive after three years? a) yell at him b) hug him c) ignore him to his face while following him around the Tower like a creeper d) maybe fall in love with him a little e) all of the above

Best summary, or best summary? 

This does not have enough kudos or recognition. I know it’s at nearly 960, and that’s a great amount, but it deserves so much more! I still think about this story, and it’s another one I want to re-read soon. 

When I mentioned Pizza Dog, this is one of the ones I had in mind.   

And Kate!!! His friendship with Kate is everything I’ve ever wanted. And his friendship with Tony, and obviously Nat. Basically, I love Clint having friends and getting to be petty becasue holy shit he deserves to be petty after everything SHIELD has put them all through. At the same time, nothing feels like Phil!whump or emotionally beating a character down unnecessarily. 

Clint does everything I want him to, and some stuff I didn’t even know I wanted him to do. There is so much pain, as you’d expect, but there is so much payoff and the balance is perfect. I connect with Clint’s characterization in general, but especially here. Just yes. 

Phil’s journey with the loss of his hand and adjusting to life with a prosthetic is also really cool, and something I hardly ever see. Same goes for Clint’s hearing loss. He isn’t deal, but and is completely capable/confident in himself, but there are struggles at times that make me wonder if the author has personal experience because it’s stuff I recognize from my mom’s experiences.  

doesn't matter if I bleed by t_fic (topaz), topaz, topaz119 (topaz)  Words: 25k+ Rating: E

Clint's never pretended to be deep. He's just the guy who sits back and watches, the guy who makes the shot when he needs to. He's seen a lot of crap in his time, sat through a lot of fucked-up scenes to get to where he needs to be, but this, now--he can't stand another second of it.

This feels like an argument for why the pairing works, and I loved it. It really deep dives into the issues all three of them - Clint, Nat, and Phil - have in a way that feels so real and relatable to me, personally, that it cut me right to the core. I still can't get over the incredible friendship between Clint and Nat in this. I loved every minute, and every win was so, so deserved. I want to curl up and live in the world the author created, tbh. Also, there are sexytimes. Can't forget those.

Tony also has the line early on that nearly made me cry: "Someone has some serious fucking explaining to do, because you," he pokes at Coulson, "we fucking buried you." The scene is already so emotionally charged, and then this and it kills me becasue of all the off-page backstory and emotional weight it gives for the rest of the story.

I’m emo and dramatic about all of these, but I mean it when I say it feels like proof for why Clint and Phil work. Just, yes.

Coulson Lives - some point after the off-page reunion

The Best Bad Ideas by copperbadge words: 17k+  rating: M

When Clint Barton put on the Captain America costume for a mission, he didn't count on Phil Coulson's reaction. Coulson didn't count on Clint crashing his new team to do something about it.

Oh yeah, you read that right. It’s just as funny as it sounds, and all of a sudden you get hit with the angst and it works. Even so, this one is a lot lighter and it’s fun. Cap and Co’s reactions are just as funny, and the gossip sessions between the ensemble are some of my favorite bits. (side note: why have I never considered the badass-ery that would be a Nat and Melinda May friendship?) 

Pine Lake Oasis by infiniteeight  words: 32k+  rating: E

When SHIELD gets intel that an arms dealer might soon be receiving Chitauri technology, Fury sends Clint and Coulson undercover to establish surveillance, ingratiate themselves with the arms dealer and his right hand man, and possibly intercept the sale. The catch? The arms dealer and his lieutenant are apparently posing as a couple, which means the best way for Clint and Coulson to get close is to pose as a couple, too. The longer the op goes on, the more Clint wonders which relationship is more real.

MORE PRETEND MARRIED TROPES! We can never have too many, in my humble opinion. This one is very different from the mobster one, because it’s set in suberbia with plenty of nosy neighbors and also some arms dealers who are also posing as a couple. Frankly, I’m not sure anyone is posing as anything in this fic when it comes to feelings. 

The domesticity in this story is so good and it’s so sad watching them get used to it and hearing Clint think it can’t last...but then! And everything feels earned by the end, instead of just tossed in. You watch them get closer over the course of the story and I love it. 

They’re sassy and sarcastic and funny, and so true to the characters we’ve come to love that it all feels so believable. 

Just torakowalski Fics 

(Yes. I did add a whole section just for one author. If I hadn’t, every category would be overrun, and there are so many good fics out there! But this author gets me, and more importantly, gets Clint and Phil, so it had to be done.)

Been Looking at You Forever  words: 18k+ (closer to 19k)  rating: E

Clint and Phil are friends. Friends who have sex. That’s all there is to it. Honestly. 

Fuckbuddies with a healthy dose of accidental relationship because whoops, who knew “casual” sex with hidden feelings would lead to complications and more feelings?? Set post-Avengers movie, and including all the main faves as side characters. 

Guys, I’ll be real with you for a second. I don’t ship either stucky or Tony/Pepper, and yet this has both as background but blatant relationships. And I still don’t ship them, but I believed it within the story and I wasn’t bothered? If that doesn’t tell you how good of a writer tora is...

I am addicted to the way they write Clint and Phil, and the fact that it doesn’t look like they’ll be writing more for that pairing makes me hold on tighter to the stories we do have. Sure, the premise of this fic is a trope, but the relationships between the characters puts it on another level for me. This one will make you crave more of this trope out of all your fave pairings, trust me.

And All the Clocks Came Back to Life  Words: 4k+ Rating: T

Phil Coulson isn't a big fan of birthdays, but they're better than being dead.

Pizza Dog is a character again, and so is my favorite apartment complex in Marvel Comics continuity. This is the sweetest story (it’s also the shortest one on this list *gasp*) and it doesn’t have anything explicit, which I know some people prefer, but trust me. The way tora writes these boys is so worth the read. I have the warm-fuzzies just thinking about this fic again - I dare you not to feel like smiling with this one. Naturally, there are grounded feels too, and I just want to protect Clint with my whole being. Luckily, I’m pretty sure Coulson does, too. 

Both characterizations are on point.

Keeping the World at Bay  Words: 25k+ Rating: E

Finding out that Phil's alive and working with a new team isn't easy for Clint, and neither is helping Captain America track down the brainwashed Hydra assassin that used to be Bucky Barnes. 

This is another one where I still don’t ship stucky, but god damnit I’m here for everything in this fic. Clint gets to be fucking amazing in this one, both physically and on an emotional connective-ness level. It uses his own neuroses and backlog of problem/coping mechanisms and puts them to use in the best way. You know, if you’ve seen the movie Age of Ultron (meh movie overall but there are elements I adored) that Clint has the potential to fill the mentor position so well. He gets to do that here, or at least begin down that sort of path, and I loved it. 

For all my stony babes, I urge you to give it a shot. Just this once, let me peer pressure you.

I am also always here for Clint getting to be pissed off, because HELLO, he’s got a right. And my heart went out to Phil so hard. Guys, it’s a double reunion fic, as well as the first time potential best friends meet, why are you sleeping on this??

Back to The Place You Are  Words: 7k+  Rating: E 

Phil Coulson was sitting two tables over from Clint and wearing his Dress Blues. This was making concentrating on anything else pretty much impossible.

Normally, I am Not A Fan of fics where they are broken up from the get-go. Or maybe I just have to be in the right mood/mind set for that brand of angst. AND YET. This fic.  

It’s Tony and Pepper’s wedding, and naturally Phil has to dress the part right? Clint should have been prepared, but clearly, he was not. This one is pretty much smut with angst and feels, and like Clint, I was not prepared for how much I would love reading it. 

What We've Got Here Is Enough words: 7k+ rating: E

They don’t fuck in the Avengers’ Mansion, that’s rule number one of Having A Secret Relationship With Your Ex-Handler.

This one was great, and involves how the rest of the team finds out about their relationship. Not a ton to say aside from what I’ve already said about how tora writes these two! 

Want more recommendations? Let me know! Maybe I ship what you ship and we can scream about the great fanfic together. 

[maythedreadwolftakeyou]

I finished!!! game time was like something like 138 hours but I spent a good dozen or so hours pausing the game to check my phone or wandering off to make dinner. 

I this said last night in a sleepy 4am haze, but I really enjoyed the ending. It was fun to play. The only time I died was when I accidentally fell into a chasm bc I didn’t realize a goddamn fiend was gonna come barreling out of the hall and ruin my “melee everything” scheme and I scooted myself right off a dang platform and respawned directly in its mouth. Whoops. When the Archon called up the Architect I was very Oh god not another one but then I didn’t have to actually try to kill it ever just avoid it, so that was fine. I LOVED how everyone came out to help at the end. It always seems unbelievable to me that your pals are content to hang back for the boss fight (ME2 I thought did well with having everyone else away on different tasks, and the ME3 citadel mission where everyone goes together is one of my favorite parts of the trilogy). And getting to run around with Kandros (who i love but duty calls and we can never be together) and Reyes (im still Very Sad i had to break up with him) and the Salarians!! and then your team coming in at the end :333 ah. It was a very feel-good, exciting culmination, and I think it fit the tone of the rest of the story well. Part of me was half-expecting disaster like you have to sacrifice Scott or a bunch of citizens or something, and while I eat that sort of tragedy up, I’m glad there wasn’t any for this game. 

Incidentally, all of my screenshots of Scott somehow turned out like this, and so I’ve decided this is a chronic problem his whole life and he has 0 good photos ever even when the rest of the fam comes out lookin great:

ah, Scott. someday i’ll play as him with this Ryder as his sister and it’s gonna have to be a wild ride.

Romance: I romanced Vetra!! I love her a lot as a character but I just kept wishing for more content. And I know I always crave more romancey content but I did feel like her romance arc had a lot less than what I knew people were getting from Jaal’s, especially because it takes you over halfway into the game before you get anything from it. Four flirt opportunities where she doesn’t really flirt back, my Ryder was dying and convinced her crush would never be reciprocated (hence the brief fling with Reyes). But I did LOVE the scenes you do finally get with her, the climbing date was soooo sweet, and I could not stop laughing when she tries to make you dinner. I’m never telling my beautiful girlfriend she doesn’t know how to cook steak. NEVER. she did it perfectly, i love cow. But I just wish there was a scene where YOU could do something for HER. Lexi even tells you that you should show her she’s appreciated and doesn’t have to take care of everyone all the time to be worthy of being liked but then you... never get a chance in game to really do that. Sigh. I definitely have a lot of inner-headcanoning going on for thier relationship. Though Vetra wants to eventually settle down and have a home and i’m... not so sure that’s in the cards for this Ryder. I may tweak the characterization of my Vetra-romance-ryder in some ways and redo this Ryder with Reyes for real next time. I think next up is gonna be a Jaal playthough though.

But, OVERWHELMINGLY, the relationship I was absolutely most fascinated by the whole game and spent way more time thinking about than romance, was the relationship between Ryder and SAM. I went into endgame thinking that the game really hadn’t gotten into that aspect nearly as much as I wanted, AND THEN!!! SAM GETS DISCONNECTED! And it’s revealed they took over WAY more control of the Pathfinder’s physiology than anyone had even guessed!! it’s not just “SAM can take access of enough systems to stop and then restart your heart” it was “SAM is so intertwined with you that they are integrated into these systems already and their absence makes it almost impossible for the Pathfinder to cope without.” I LOVED IT. I was so ready to address that, like, did Ryder know? Did SAM do it by choice or was it just an effect of Alec’s modifications? 

And then... nothing. You’re linked back up with SAM. No one questions it. You don’t get to talk to Scott about how SAM is different for you than him now. Or at least, not that I’ve found??? to be fair I can’t seem to find Scott post-endgame yet (where is he hiding???? i’ve been all over Meridian after leaving/going back), and I still need to go check out the colonies and see what people there have to say. But it really seems like everyone sort of was like “whew, glad that’s sorted out, SAM’s back and htis could never possibly be an issue again so we will all forget about it and never bring it up again.” There was one colonist before (Fawkes) who was one of the only non-main characters to ask a really detailed question about SAM/what the future of AI is gonna look like in Heleus and I was so psyched for that convo. There’s a couple dialogue responses you can take, I went with:

becuase I really like the idea that Ryder starts to think of themselves as not just Ryder, but a Ryder-And-SAM partnership. There’s a lot of sacrifice in that. You’re admitting that your body is not just You anymore, but a team where both sides are valued.

I’ve spent a lot of the game thinking about Ryder’s internal dialogues with SAM, and the dynamic it would add to their relationship. You don’t have a voice that lives inside your head (and gives you its 100% undivided attention while you’re in the field) and not end up talking to it all the time. SAM asks you questions back on the Tempest when you talk to them and I bet they would when out and about as well, just privately. There’s a line in one of the Vaults where Ryder starts talking to herself and then catches it--

--because she gets more and more accustomed to not being the only one in her head. SAM is always there. More than that, they always have your back, and are ready to feed you whatever you need to get the mission done. They’re not just a voice, they’re a tool; and they’re not just a tool, they’re a support system. Maybe Ryder knows just how intertwined SAM is becoming with theer body, and isn’t just aware, but welcomes it. The Ryders are a fucked up family who aren’t good at talking to each other, but SAM means you never have to be alone again. Someone is always there for you, protecting and watching out for you. 

So in the final mission, when SAM is ripped away from Ryder--it’s not just a physical effect. It’s like losing a part of your soul and a best friend and a, in some ways, a parent--because SAM learned through Alec Ryder before anyone else--and in other ways, a child--because Ryder is responsible for teaching SAM what it means to be a person and how to navigate the world. And I wish you could convey that emotional distress (even if less complex) in the game, and that Ryder was as worried for SAM’s well being as they are for Scott’s when they race to stop the Archon. Becuase in a lot of ways, I think my Ryder would have grown closer to same than she ever did with her brother.

Anyway, I wish the game hadaddressed these things more, but I also accept that like--this is a trope that I just am REALLY into and have been for ages. It’s not gonna be what everyone wants as the main focus, and it just wasn’t the big story they were trying to tell. At the beginning of the game the descriptions of SAM hyped me up so hard because they reminded me very strongly of my favorite short story, Silently And Very Fast by Catherynne Valente (which, if you haven’t read it, it’s really amazing and you can read the first part here (the other 3 parts are linked at the bottom of each chapter), or I can send a pdf of it if you want, it’s really good people read it please and then tell me about your Emotions). The story veered off not long into the plot of the game (I, along with many others, suspected for a while that SAM would turn out to be like the mother’s consciousness integrated into the AI or something) but I stayed pretty invested in it as a major part of my Ryder’s experience in Heleus. 

And like, I guess this would be something I’ll probably end up doing fic about now since the game didn’t give me as much as I wanted (and I only meant to write a short paragraph about it here and now i have like 9 whoops), so I’ll probably keep thinking about it with the rest of my Ryders. There’s so much potential there. Jade Ryder really grew attached to SAM, but there’s also potential for resentment there--SAM is always watching, Ryder essentially gives up any aspect of privacy in their life, even if SAM is polite enough not to comment on it.

wow this got away from me. anyway. that’s the game!!!!! i’m running around making sure i’ve talked to everyone still. I need to go check up on the colonies and stuff, but I did pretty much everything else before the last mission, so there’s not much to play. Just some assignments that don’t have navpoints. and then start thinking about my next Ryder!!! I played Jade Ryder as pretty logical and professional, with a tendency to open up more with people as she grew to know them better, though she struggled to be open/heartfelt when talking to Angara when her natural conversation style with them flopped hard at first. I think my next Ryder who I still need to name is gonna be way more casual/joke-y (tho i think Ryder is HILARIOUS no matter what, it’s so fun to have such a lighthearted protag) and probably more reckless and prone to following their whims. Gonna have to re-battle the CC though which I’m not so much looking forward to. 

oh also re: the second picture: i FUCKING LOVE that you beat the architect on Elaaden so hard it shoots itself into orbit and slowly decays and you can just sit there and watch it slowly fizzle in the cold vacuum of space

[writingwithadinosaur]

“Cautious” - Part 6

“Cautious” - Part 6

(Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5)

My Masterlist - Here

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2037

Key: Y/N = Your Name, L/N = Your Last Name, H/C = Your Hair Color, E/C = Your Eye Color

Warnings: None that I know of

Summary:  Bucky is now pretty much rehabilitated and able to be part of the group. Reader was taken by Hydra and made the subject of experiments due to her having powers.    She is slowly getting more comfortable with the Avengers, but is still working on it. Bucky stayed with her while everyone went on a mission. The two have bonded very well. How will Bruce react?

Author’s Note: Welcome to Part 6! There should be a few more parts after this one. I have the next couple planned out. The next few parts or really the rest of this fic is also going to be on the lengthier side. I hope you guys don’t mind!

Just a reminder: This is my interpretation of the characters and the reader is one of my own creation. I leave the names and such open so you can put your own name and features in or you can create your own. I know this may not please everyone, but I’m writing this for myself. I hope people will enjoy this fanfic, but I know that you can’t please everyone.

I also want to say thank you to everyone who has shown so much support with the past pieces I’ve written. I didn’t expect to get such a great response from writing. I hope this storyline doesn’t disappoint!

As usual, a special thank you goes to @goodnightwife​ for being a wonderful person and always being supportive. Please go check out her page for some really great fics as well!

If you would like to be tagged in any of my future pieces (All Works, Specific Fandoms, or Specific Multi-Parts), please let me know! And as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

<3

- DreaSaurusREX

Tags: @luciebell-writes​ @goodnightwife​ @bexboo616​ @bicryptids​ @mayfeather27

The elevator seemed to take longer than usual to go up to the lab. You were excited to see Bruce. You would be lying if you said you didn’t worry about him while he was out on the mission. He was like a father, and you cared about him. So seeing him in one piece through the glass doors of the lab allowed you to let out a sigh of relief. He really was okay.

The automatic doors opened and you came into the lab. Tony saw you first, Bruce was working on writing some sort of chemical composition into the computer.

“Hey there, (Y/N).” Tony said a bit louder than usual in order to get Bruce’s attention away from his computer. He was still a bit weird around you, but you both knew that you would get closer to him at some point. Not today.

You waved hello to him and stood there a bit awkwardly until Bruce got up from his desk and walked towards you. Within seconds of him getting out of his chair, you were in his arms. Warm, protective, and loving. You thought about how different it felt to hug him than to hug Bucky.

“It’s so good to see you, (Y/N). Here, let’s head out to do your check up.” He led you down the hall and into another very sterile looking room that you were quiet familiar with. You leaned against the table and let Bruce take your crutches to lean them against the nearby wall. He was about to help you up on the examination table when you stopped him.

“Wait. I wanna show you something. Well, it would also be an experiment for myself.” Bruce was a bit skeptical but agreed. He saw something new in you. Some sort of new flame.

“Alright… Just be careful.” He took a step back so he could still be close incase something went wrong, but let you have some space.

You took a deep breath in and thought about lifting yourself up. You haven’t ever lifted yourself up yet, but you felt like you could do it. You’ve been able to keep yourself balanced and lift other objects with your powers, why not combine the both? That shift in the air around you came back and you opened your eyes to see your friendly cubes line up around you. Then you saw your feet lift off the ground just enough so you could slide yourself onto the table. As soon as you sat securely on the table, you broke your focus and the cubes disappeared. You had apparently held your breath for a bit because as the cubes vanished, you exhaled and had to take a few deep breaths to get back to normal.

Bruce was back to your side and had a mixed feeling of amazement and worry. He was impressed with how much you’ve grown since you got here, but he saw how much energy that took out of you.

“So I’m guessing that was something new?” He said in a lighthearted manner. You smiled and let out a sort of chuckle as you nodded to him.

As Bruce checked your vitals and got the scans he needed, you two chatted and caught up on what had been going on these past few days. He told you about the mission and how well the team did in disposing all of the Hydra chemicals and information.You explained your new ability to the best of your advantage. You had to do a sort of drawing to explain the cubes, but Bruce understood it as well as he could. He wanted you to keep working on strengthening your powers, but not overworking yourself. He even mentioned that Wanda would most likely be willing to help you once you got comfortable around her.

You also told him about how you got closer to Bucky, how he helped you a lot more than you thought he would and how you two are very comfortable around each other. He asked some specifics and you told most of them. But then you felt a knot form inside and you became nervous because of what you were going to admit to him.

“Speaking of Bucky, I want to tell you something. But you cannot talk about it with other Avengers and I really don’t want you to be upset about it or upset with me.” Bruce sat down on the stool, sighed a little, said “okay”,  and motioned for you to continue. You took a deep breath in and gathered your thoughts.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush because I know that wouldn’t end well. So here we go: I like Bucky. As in, I have feelings for him. And he likes me, in the same way. That being said, he understands that I don’t want to make this a big deal and I’m not sure if I want to have that label before I am even comfortable with the rest of the team. He has been nothing but helpful, caring, and overall wonderful with me. Even before I got to know him, he knew he wanted to help me. I just… I want you to know what’s going on because you’re like a father to me and your opinion means so much to me. So just… What do you think?”

Banner was quiet. You couldn’t read his face. You could tell he was thinking, but what was he thinking? Suddenly, he stood up and grabbed one of your hands.

“I’m happy that you are growing as much as you are. And you’ve obviously put thought into all of this, like you do with everything. And he has been doing a good job around you.” He looked at your face before nodding his head and speaking again. “As long as you’re safe, I think it’ll all be okay.”

You slid off of the examination table and onto your good foot before throwing your arms around him in a hug. Bruce hugged back as you thanked him. He helped you back on the table and took a look at a screen off to the side of you.

“I need to hook you back up for a few minutes for some more scans on your heart. So just sit tight and I’ll be back in about 10 or so minutes.” He wrapped a blood pressure reader to your upper arm, something to your index finger, and a couple of sticky sensors on your chest.

“Wait, you’re not staying here? I thought you said it’s going to only take  a few minutes.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right back. I’m going to have a quick chat with Buck.” Before you could protest, he was out the sliding doors and on his way upstairs to the common area. You could tell that the heart monitors were going to be a little bit higher than usual because of these damn nerves now.

~~~~~~~~

Steve and Bucky were in the living room, away from everyone else still bustling around the kitchen and dining room area. Steve knew something was up.

“You don’t have your comm on you anymore right?” Bucky asked. Steve nodded his head no and waited for Buck to speak his mind.

“I like (Y/N).” He was a bit quieter than normal, and Steve could see that he meant what he said.

“Oh. Okay. I kind of figured it was going to happen at some point, but I didn’t think so soon. Does she know?”

“Yeah, we were talking about it and then you guys came back and she went to go see Banner.”

“And? Did anything happen? I mean, did anything come out of your conversation with her?”

“She was actually the one to say something first. After these past few days, we’ve gotten so close and she was thanking me too much, as usual. I told her how I felt. We both want a relationship, but she wants to wait until she is more in the group. I told her I would wait and help out as much as I can. You should have seen how amazing her smile was when we were talking, or how calm and beautiful she was when we would just hang out or help unpack her stuff. And I found out that she can sing. Well, I haven’t heard her full on sing, but she’s started to sing along quietly to whatever music she plays whenever she has it on.” He took a breath in and kind of got lost in his thoughts.

“I can’t wait for everyone to see her how she really is.” He didn’t really think about what he was saying, but it was true nonetheless.

Bucky was kind of looking off into the distance as he was talking. Steve had never seen his best friend like this. Sure, Bucky was quite the ladies man back in the day, but this was different. You were unlike any ordinary dame that Buck used to meet up with. He was in love and happy.

“Well, let’s hope dinner and movie night tonight will help with that.” Steve clapped Bucky’s shoulder and smiled with him.

Someone cleared their throat. It wasn’t either of them. Then they looked behind them to see Banner standing there with a indistinguishable expression on his face. The only way to describe it would be like a protective dad. His eyes were on Bucky.

“I need to talk to you.” His voice was low and serious. Bucky stepped forward so he was closer to Bruce, his posture that of a soldier’s. Steve was deciding on whether to stay or go until Bruce spoke up.

“You can stay. I’m sure you know about what we are going to talk about. Plus, I need a witness.” Steve moved so he was a step to the right of Bucky and Bruce. Bucky couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy. He knew where this was going.

“So (Y/N) talked to you about what happened?” Bucky didn’t really even need to ask, but he figured it was good to be 100% clear.

“Yes. She did. And I told her that I was okay with it all.”

“Are you?”

“Yes. I’m glad she has been able to get close to you and improve as much as she has. Its  promising sign for her becoming more of a part of the group. This is good for her. I am okay with you two being together, when she is ready.”

Bucky nodded and they stood in silence for a couple seconds. Bruce broke the silence.

“That being said, if I hear anything about you harming her in any way, I will not hesitate to confront you. And if it’s something serious, you can kiss that arm goodbye along with possibly some other limbs. Am I clear?”

Sure Bucky had seen Banner when he turns into the Hulk. He knew what kind of damage that side of him could do. But he had never seen this side of him. Bruce really treated you like a daughter, this just proved that even more. It was a new type of intimidation that Bucky was not used to and honestly made him a bit nervous.

“Yes, sir. I want you to know that I would rip off my own arm before intentionally causing any harm to (Y/N).”

“Good. Just… Be patient and be with her. You don’t always have to do everything for her, she likes being a bit independent. But just be there for her. She will help you as much as you help her. She really likes you. Don’t mess this up.”

Bruce turned and headed back to check on you, leaving Bucky and Steve there. Bucky was stiff as a brick wall until Steve put his hand on his shoulder and kind of teased him.

“Man, I haven’t seen you like that nervous since high school.” Bucky laughed a bit with Steve, still coming down from being so tense.

“Haven’t had a reason to be that scared since then I guess.”

“Alright, let’s grab something to eat and then plan dinner with the rest of the team while Sam and Rhodey debate movies again.”

Part 7 - Here