#Improbable Meet-Cute

[meeghanreads]

WWW Wednesday — 21 February 2024

Hello friends!! Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday — 21 February 2024!! WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, where you answer the three following questions: What did you recently finish? What are you currently reading? And, what do you think you’ll read next? Let’s see what I have been reading… (All images will link to Goodreads if you click on them.…

[jessread-s]

✩💌🥟Review:

There are not enough stars for how amazing this novella is!

“The Exception to the Rule” follows T and C, two strangers who, after an accidental email, make it a friendly annual tradition to wish each other a happy Valentine’s Day—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As the years pass, it becomes harder and harder to abide by the rules for their email “dates” and they begin to question what would happen if they actually met.

This story gave me all the warm, fuzzy feelings! The first half or so consists of email exchanges between T and C and the fun formatting only heightened my excitement as I watched their relationship develop. Though years pass before they decide to act on their feelings for each other, the passage of time felt so natural and the pacing was deliciously slow. With each chapter, T and C share more and more about each other and because it is dual pov, the reader gets to see how their feelings for each other grow from both of their perspectives. This is one of those novellas that I wish was a full-length novel because of how much I adored T and C’s chemistry, but all in all, the epilogue left me feeling satisfied! 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[paperbaacks]

(since this was an anthology-series-collection i'm just reviewing them all together)

the improbable meet-cute collection review:

dear god turns out none of these nyt bestselling authors apart from christina lauren knows what a short story is or how to write one!!

1 — the exception to the rule: this was super cute. the only story in here that qualifies as a proper short story honestly. definitely would read again and like i thought this was a sign that i would love the anthology. oh how wrong i was...

2 — worst wingman ever: i should have stopped when i read the word "unalived" but noooooo !!! i had to go and read the rest. there are also weird stereotypes about gay people?? and like this one genuinely has the absolute worst setting as far as romance stories go

3 — rosie and the dreamboat: i should have learned my lesson after reading the hating game but of course fucking not. why does the fmc talk like a baby and why does the mmc talk to her like she's a little girl and he's her dad EUGHHHHH BROTHER EUGHHHHHH her sister is a BITCH btw??? because i would prioritise making sure my sister is safe over setting her up with a hot man. jfc. also PLEASE no man who says "my ma" can ever be a dreamboat fuck off

4 — drop, cover, and hold on: at this point, i was starting to realise that a lot of writers think that short stories are just smaller novels also ngl until like 65% i did not know what the mmc was called. yeah this was... not good the only think i like about this is the setting, fucking love bakeries man

5 — with any luck: ashley poston i knew you wouldn't disappoint me after the last three absolute trainwreck stories. wish it was a little longer tho!!

6 — royal valentine: BORINGGGGG he's a pissy little man child btw like they're both lying about the exact same thing and he's somehow fucking mad at her??? girl???? also the authors WRITES DOWN the mmc's scottish accent so words like "wasnae" and "dinnae" are very common. i wanted to burn my kindle.

in summary; i did this to myself i literally have no excuses

[kelliereads]

The Improbable Meet-Cute Collection

i am likely going to read more of the short stories in this collection, but so far, i have only read sally thorne's and christina lauren's (my queens. my saviours. my guiding lights.)

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

if sally thorne has a million fans, i am one of them. if sally thorne has one fan, it is me. if sally thorne has no fans, i am dead.

my hero, my icon, my inspiration, she could keyboard smash and i would cry about it

this story is full of sally's wacky humor and not everyone is going to get it. i, however, get it, and therefore, this story was cute and funny and quirky and adorable and lovely and fuzzy and perfect

if you don't get it THEN YOU DON'T GET IT and i'm sorry for you

very happy to have some new sally writing to enjoy, as i am an addict who has been suffering withdrawals (she has been Going Through Some Stuff and not writing as much, and i am angry that the cruelties of life have targeted my queen who deserves nothing bad to ever happen to her like EVER, but that's life i guess)

thank you sally i love you sally!!!!!!!

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i am an OG christina lauren fan, some of their earlier books are my all-time faves (roomies?? josh and hazel's guide to not dating?? CLASSICS! PERFECTION!) but more recent books have not hit the same for me, so i went into this with guarded expectations

that was not necessary, because this story was so lovely!!! i really loved everything about it, not a single complaint here

ironically i just saw this new show "one day" advertised on netflix and i'm not familiar with the story or book, but i think it's the same concept, where it spans across the same day over multiple years. "one day" is apparently really sad though, whereas this story is cute and fluffy and very much HEA

[sheilajsn]

The Improbable Meet-Cute

The Improbable Meet-Cute es una colección de seis novellas escritas por seis autores diferentes. La serie es exclusiva de Amazon Prime Reading y Audible. Así que, cualquier persona que tenga una membresía de Amazon Prime, puede leer y/o escuchar los libros gratuitamente. Como ya mencioné todos los libros en esta colección son novellas; el más corto tiene cuarenta páginas y el más largo, ciento…

[jophinabean]

Reviewing The Improbable Meet-Cute series

Book one - The Exception to the Rule - One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐... Without question! 🥰 Soooo cute! Sweet little love story that had me smiling the whole way through! The first half is written in an email format spanning 10 years which I actually really liked. Only (I think) 24 chapters, 80+ pages long, but you really get to know the mcs and fall in love with their love story! I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a short and sweet read for Valentine's day! Definitely my favorite in the series! Plus the mmc, Callum, is 🥴😘👌

Book two - Worst Wingman Ever - Holly is dealing with the impending death of her grandmother and still reeling from a bad breakup. One bright spot: a Valentine’s Day card on Holly’s windshield—even if it wasn’t meant for her. An amusing mistake soon turns into a lovely exchange of anonymous notes, little acts of kindness, and a growing affection between two strangers. What happens when one of them has to say goodbye?

⭐⭐⭐⭐... Also very cute and fun! Again getting a good look into the mcs lives to get to know them separately, but wasnt revolved around them together as much. In fact they only interacted face to face twice the whole time, I would've liked more interaction so they could feel more right for each other by the end. Good story non the less!

Book three - Rosie and the Dreamboat - Rosie Whittaker and her sister are up for some Galentine’s pampering at a day spa. Getting locked inside a flotation tank is so Rosie. Enter a firefighter hero determined to pry this luckless pearl out of her high-tech shell. All Rosie has to go on is a dreamy voice and a flirty sense of humor. Remain calm, Rosie. This could be what you’ve been waiting for. Is this the man she’s waited for her whole life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐... This one is a hit or miss, but I personally loved it! A lot of people said it was too unrealistic, like Rosie (who supposably has ptsd) being so calm in her situation, being perfectly fine afterwards and not sueing the spa. Those things didn't bother me as much because after all... it is improbable love stories. It had really good and funny banter between the mcs, although very cringy at times. Overall I really enjoyed this one too! And for me Leo is also 🥴🥰👌

Book four - Drop, Cover, and Hold On - This Valentine’s Day, Daisy Murray has her heart set on binge-watching rom-coms. Instead, an earthquake traps her inside a bakery with its impossibly rude and insufferably handsome owner and head baker. They already have a history: she’s always smiled, he’s always scowled. Where better to finally get to know each other than amid the disaster? Then again, they have no choice. Besides, it could have its sweet, undeniable, and unpredictable perks.

⭐... Really disappointing. Boring, skipped though paragraphs that just thoroughly described a pastry or fmc getting texts from family and friends. The mcs had no connection with each other or the reader. They had a weird dynamic and just blah dialogue. They really didn't show any interest in each other until the end when they suddenly really wanted to have s*x. It was just weird, boring, and had nothing romantic about it... and I can't believe I didn't leave half way through.

Book five - With Any Luck - Audrey Love is cursed to be the person before you find your soulmate, the girl you dump for your true love. So when her best friend disappears hours before his Valentine’s Day wedding, Audrey fears that she did the unthinkable and kissed him at last night’s bachelor party. With help from the best man, she retraces her steps to find the missing groom and, with any luck, a true love of her own.

⭐⭐... This one was eh. The story had potential but it wasn't executed very well. Reading two disappointing stories back to back... I basically forced myself to finish this one, telling myself maybe the ending will be good... It wasn't. One brief surprise s*x scene with moderate detail was the most exciting part of the whole story, but I didn't enjoy it anyway since I wasn't enjoying the story. Disappointing to say the least.

Book six - Royal Valentine - Did not read. Literally, I was so disappointed with the last two that I didn't even read the last book. Didn't want to waste my time if it wasn't going to be good.

The first one is definitely the best and the one I would most likely read again. The second and third are still good, the third being my favorite of the two. The last ones.... 😶‍🌫️

Also these are all written by different authors but two of them mentioned 90s Brendan Fraser to describe the guys... Which I found humorous but also kinda lazy writing ???

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Idia Shroud: The Daily Grind

Oooh, his limited-edition shirt (from a live performance, implying he actually may have attended a concert in-person??) has the Fates on it! Idia also talks about getting birthday messages from his mobile games… True Gamer rep... though I cannot forgive him using an all-in-one cream for his face don’t let Vil hear—

THAT GROOVY IS TAINTED 😭 The less I say about it, the better…

Rise and Shine!

Idia Shroud lived by numbers. Measurements, code, games. They were dependable things, easily controlled and predictable, unlike the fleshy meat sacks called humans. The most improbable creatures of all.

The luck of the draw had been unkind to him this year. A test ("In person attendance is required, Shroud," Trein had told him sternly), on his birthday! If a higher being existed out there, Idia was certain he was their least favorite child.

Touching grass? Tch, so annoying.

Idia drew out a ragged groan and rolled his neck, which still ached from having slept upright in his gaming chair. Clasped in his hands was a rectangle, its screen glowing as one of his many mobile games booted up. He had a list to run through, missions to complete--all a part of his routine.

Another day. Better do my dailies before heading out.

He sighed.

A familiar home screen unfolded before his eyes. It was a lounge, newly refurbished and dipped in a neon glow. Balloons clouded the ceiling, banners and streamers were strung up, confetti dusting the floors. Jewel-colored flowers in crystal vases and sumptuous dishes crowded the avaliable space on tables. On special occasions, the background was automatically decorated in honor of the holidays.

A grinning anime girl faded in. She was dressed in a fluffy cloak and hat, keeping her cozy for the winter season. This particular version of her was a SSR he had dumped money into to max out (no expense spared for the best girl).

"Happy birthday, Gloomurai!" she chirped, parroting the same phrase that she did to all players once a year. "Geez, did you sleep in again? Wakey, wakey! How are you going to enjoy your birthday if you're only half-awake for all of it? ... Wh-What? You're wondering if I prepared anything for you? Don't be stupid. I-It's not like... I... like you or anything..."

"Hihihihi... Aaaah, the way she runs hot and cold is so cute, just the best! This is peak content!" Idia chuckled to himself. Here, in the comfort of his private quarters.

Beep, beep, beep!

Idia yelped and leapt up in his seat, nearly dropped his phone. He squinted at the blinking envelope icon that had overtaken the screen.

"... What? A new message?"

Who's it from? I-I don't talk to any of my classmates enough for them to contact me out of the blue like this... C-Could it be Riddle-shi shouting at me to attend the next dorm leader meeting?

Idia cautiously opened the message. He winced as he braced himself for the redhead's shouting (all caps) from the other end.

A cheerful jingled played, followed by pixelated fireworks popping off. Ortho exploded forth from the envelope with a giggle, the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY blinking on either side of him. The video message began to roll.

"Gooood morning, nii-san!" his little brother cried. "Did you get a good night's sleep? I hope so, because you'll need all that energy for your exam--and your birthday party afterwards!"

"B-Birthday party? When did I agree to attend that...?" Idia mumbled, running a hand through his fiery hair.

The prerecorded Ortho continued. "But I know you. You're probably thinking, 'Birthday party? When did I agree to attend that...?' ... Right?"

H-He got me nailed word for word!!

"We can't have you shut away in your bedroom as soon as you're done with that test! So to make sure you don't try and squirm out of socializing, I've recruited a guest character for an escort mission to your class and then to the birthday party afterwards. They'll be by to pick you up at 7:30 am. See you then, nii-san!"

Ortho waved farewell before he blipped out of existence. Idia sprung out of his gaming chair, slick with sweat from a freshly sprung, anxiety-induced leak. He stared at his phone in disbelief, his eyes wide and bugged out.

"D-Did I... Did I hear that message right?! S-Someone's coming to escort me to class?! But the time right now is…!!”

Knock, knock, knock!

“E-Eeeep!!”

This time, he did drop his phone. Its fall was cushioned by the mountain of cardboard boxes, opened chip bags, and volumes of manga loitering on the floor. The impact restarted the video message: “Gooood morning, nii-san! Did you have a good night’s sleep?”

“Idia-senpai?” a voice called out, joining Ortho’s. Your voice. “Are you there? I’m here to grab you for class.”

Th-Them?! He turned paler than Death, even as his cheeks and the tips of his hair burned bright pink. Why… wh-why did Ortho have to choose THEM for this?!

“H-Hold on a minute!” Idia called out.

He crumpled to his knees and gathered as much of his junk as he could, shoveling it into convenient hiding places to create the illusion of tidiness. His closet, under his bed, empty boxes and bookshelf space.

“How much longer?” you asked worriedly from the other side of the door. “You might be late at this rate—and you know how Professor Trein can be about tardiness.”

“A-Almost…!!”

Idia grabbed his phone and got back up, glancing at himself in the reflection of his monitor. His bangs had gone awry, covering one eye in cobalt bangs. He hurriedly brushed them away, trying to get his hair to behave as best he could, then attempted to straighten out the creases in his pajamas.

Screw the school uniform. There was no time left to make himself any more presentable than this. He’d have to deal with the disapproving shake of his teacher’s head when he slumped in. If was preferable to keeping you waiting.

His temperature spiked again. Pink became red. He waved frantic hands at his hair, urging them to cool off back to blue.

Calm down. C-Calm down, you’ve got this!! You’ve played so many dating sims, summon that main character charm!

But in real life, there were no clearly defined routes to head on. No dialogue options to choose or love flags to trip. No resets, should he fail miserably. He was left on his own to fumble through social interactions—and their consequences.

He shambled over to his door and, swallowing hard, cracked it open. A sliver of light poured in from the outside, along with your smiling face. He was a monster crammed into a gap, and you were his savior.

“There you are!”

Idia tried to picture a brazen male lead. The sort of guy that leaned against doorframes with a cocky smirk and casually went, “Hey, you.”

Nope, nope, nope!!! WAY too cringe! I-I can’t say that like I'm a confident alpha dudebro…! I can’t…!!

Idia froze, his mind defaulting to a 404 error. Even his heart seemed to stop, seized by clawing panic.

“H-Hey,” he said meekly.

"Happy birthday, Idia-senpai.” You blinked, slowly taking him in. "Did you sleep in again?"

E-Eh…? What is this weird sense of deja vu? They sound almost exactly like the birthday login lines from earlier... e-except it's a real person this time, not a fictional character...

The pace of his heartbeat quickened.

S-Something’s wrong with me. Th-This reaction’s definitely not normal!!

He flushed again, fervid as a flame. Short circuiting, overheating.

“Er… Idia-senpai? Are you feeling okay? Your hair, it’s going haywire, shifting colors like a lava lamp,” you vaguely gestured. “And you’re still in your pajamas. You hardly look ready to leave your room."

“I-I’m fine!” he squeaked. “I wasn’t expecting a guest, s-so… I didn’t prepare to receive… any... one…” Idia trailed off.

"Hehe. How are you going to enjoy your birthday if you're only half-awake for all of it?" You extended a hand to him. "Come on, it’s time to wake up.”

Just like the greeting from the mobile game.

Idia shyly ducked behind his door, hiding his burning face.

Is this a dream? If it is, I don't know if I want to wake up from it.

[persnickety-doodles]

Any korasami fic recs?

In no particular order:

Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win by @korrasamibottles

Where the Snow Takes Us by @asamiontop

I Don't Like My Attitude, It's Gonna Be a Party by @appalesbian

Stars Guide Us Home and anything in the Avatar and the Inventor series by @sniperct

Skin by @xaibaugrove

Rainy Morning by ViolaSolaro The Honeymooners and To The Brink by @hohfics

keep it steady, please, keep it strong by @kittymannequin

A Night at the Inn and Improbable Holiday Meet Cute by selftaughthuman

Still Her Avatar by softly_speaking_valkyrie

Just to name a few!

[meeghanreads]

WWW Wednesday — 14 February 2024

Hello friends!! Welcome to this week’s WWW Wednesday — 14 February 2024!! WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words, where you answer the three following questions: What did you recently finish? What are you currently reading? And, what do you think you’ll read next? Let’s see what I have been reading… (All images will link to Goodreads if you click on them.…

[moonpascaltoo]

miguel o’hara

MASTERLIST 🕷️ OSCAR ISAAC CHARACTERS 🕷️ 11/22/24

˚‧⁺ ･ ˖ · ୨ৎ recs

𑣲 snow spider I @ichorai

you were the ice to his fire—and miguel was burning for you.

𑣲 infected I @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

An accident at one of Alchemax’s labs has led to Miguel being briefly contaminated with cA1m - a prototype drug that is meant to calm animals. However it seems to have a very different effect in humans.

𑣲 i’m loving you from a distance but the road is getting longer I @improbable-outset l

It’s been over a year since you split up, but unfortunately for Miguel, things are still taking a toll. Even after going your separate ways, you still have to see each other everyday. And if that wasn’t bad enough, Miguel’s turmoil is taking effect on his performance as Spiderman and his role as a leader. Having you work under him is proving to be harder than he originally thought, especially when you both are put in situations where you’re forced to be together.

𑣲 meet cute I @/improbable-quest

You didn’t expect the mysterious man that you met at a wedding to change your whole trajectory of the night

𑣲 moved by devotion and prestige I @/improbable-quest

During a company dinner party, you find yourself humiliated by your current boyfriend. Seeking some escape, you confide with your boss, Miguel, whose support reveals some hidden emotions you’ve buried.

𑣲 roleplay date I @slushycoookie

You and Miguel do some roleplay

𑣲 cloud nine I @fxllfaiiry

convincing miguel to do the spiderman kiss with you.

𑣲 you haven’t kissed me all day I @luveline

miguel assumes you're mad when you stop initiating kisses and tries to get back on your good side

𑣲 firefighter!miguel part 2 I @bluesidez

𑣲 its always been you I @xbellaxcarolinax

Jealous? Jealous? No, absolutely not. (Or the one where Miguel can't admit he's jealous)

𑣲 futile devices I @/xbellaxcarolinax

The deal was explicitly no strings attached. You were finding it harder to keep up your end of the bargain.

𑣲 grumpy x sunshine I @forever-rogue

𑣲 baker!reader I @bruisedboys

𑣲 shy!reader I @/bruisedboys

𑣲 I get mean when im nervous (like a bad dog) I @silkscream

you go too far in your defense of miles when you give miguel an ultimatum.

𑣲 Civilian!reader headcanons I @certainlynotasimp

𑣲 not for us I @spideyheart

miguel o’hara found the face of the woman he had loved (and lost) in his office, donning a spider suit with a warm cup of coffee in hand for him. he knew there were no second chances, not for the both of you. still, he couldn’t help longing.

𑣲 secret relationship I @sunflowersteves

𑣲 webs of opacity I @inknopewetrust

what if Miguel didn’t learn the first time around? What if he keeps jumping to new realities to experience the life he deserved but never got?

𑣲 convergence I @/inknopewetrust

you are recruited to the spider society after conducting a batch of vigilante actions against the men who killed your husband, miguel and well... their leader isn’t like the man you remembered.

𑣲 what a mess I @runa-falls

𑣲 thought i dreamed her part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5 part 6 I @asimplearchivist

you had already lost him once, and you couldn’t bear the thought to lose him again. little did you know, he had lost you twice.

𑣲 too slow I @ronwestbreeze

the both of you would come back from this. you would...right?

𑣲 dear reader I @beezusvreeland

Miguel took the reader’s love and friendship for granted. Something he learns reading her column, when it’s too late…Or is it?

𑣲 rule no. 19 I @neo-nomatrix

You were Miguel’s wife in another universe and he just can’t come to terms that you’re not his.

𑣲 misunderstanding I @ivystoryweaver

𑣲 after hours I @eyelessfaces

he's here again, like so many times before, standing in your living room in the middle of the night; you're not sure you can do this again, but he needs you to.

𑣲 nonviolent communication I @greensagephase

You don't show up to a meeting or report for other duties as a Spider Society member because of your period. Your boss shows up to your apartment.

𑣲 stupidly yours I @marroonwitch

you found your roommate stupidly annoying, from the girls he brought home, to the way he never cleans up. so why, all of a sudden, was he trying to get into your good graces?

[monstersandmaw]

If you’re still wanting drabble prompt; meeting a hydra or dragon speed dating? Sounds cute in my head to see such a big monster at an event like that.

The chair scraped awkwardly on the lino floor of the hall, and when you looked up from where you'd been adjusting the cuff of your shirt at your wrist, your breath caught.

The creature that was trying to remove the offending piece of furniture from in front of the table was quadrupedal, reptilian, twelve feet tall, six feet wide, with a thick tail and, improbably, six heads on long, serpentine necks, all of which were suddenly regarding you.

"Hello," said one of the heads.

"Sorry," said the one next to it.

"Won't be a moment..." added a third while the creature shunted the spindly chair aside and just sat down in front of the table.

You blinked again. "Don't worry about it," you bleated. "Jeez, they didn't think about non-humans when they set this thing up, did they?"

At that, four out of the six heads laughed nervously, one coughed up a cloud of steam, and the final one just rolled its glassy, golden eyes in exasperation.

"You should have seen the look that centaur gave the organiser," you added. "I thought she was going to fling the chair at him."

"I'm starting to understand her frustration," said the first head. "And yes, we're all the same entity -"

"-We just can't control which head we start talking out of. I guess this is it for us, huh? Great first impression..."

"How do you feel about second impressions?" you asked with a smile.

"I'm very much open to finding out. What's your name?"

[yesbutmakeitgay]

Lifelines Intertwined

Chapter 3

Valkyrie x Reader

Summary: Some connections really do transcend beyond the physical realm.

Word count: 1.7k

Soulmates, Slow burn, Fluff, Angst.

Beta'd by @cordeliasdarling <3

Masterlist | This Series Masterlist | AO3

Miracles & Flawless Tragedies

Today marks three weeks since the day you arrived at New Asgard. You must admit, things are going a lot better than you expected, the Kingdom has been very welcoming to you, the weather is nice, and the company is even better. You work long hours, but you don’t really mind it as most of your days have been uneventful, and this one is no different.

You’re getting ready to head to your quarters after The King has dismissed you, when a thought comes to you, "Hey, you wanna go to dinner again?" you hesitate.

Valkyrie’s eyes light up, "I would love that, my stomach was just beginning to growl."

"I’ll meet you there." A sudden excitement bubbles inside you. You go to your room to change into something more comfortable, which inevitably means your trusty hoodie, and make your way to the restaurant.

Valkyrie is already sitting at her usual table as you approach her with a smile, "Again with that thing?" she questions, pointing at your clothes, making you instinctively look down.

"Do you not like it?" you respond a little disappointed, sitting down across from her.

"It’s like you didn’t bring any other clothes with you," you remain looking at her in silence, "did you not bring any other clothes with you?" Her voice grows louder with bewilderment.

"You can’t tell, the hoodie goes on top of whatever I’m wearing!" you quickly try to defend yourself, matching her tone, "I brought like 5 t-shirts," you mumble as an afterthought.

"Five?" Every single word coming out of your mouth is making your case worse in her eyes.

"I was not told how long I was gonna be here, okay?" You both seem to be really enjoying the banter after the past monotonous weeks.

She takes a sip of her drink before suggesting, "You could ask to borrow something."

Your lips curl into a grin, "Like your Phantom of the Opera sweater?"

"Not that one," she bites.

"But it’s so cute!" Like her.

Her brows furl, turning her features serious, "Wait, how do you know about it?"

You become alarmed at her change in energy, "I think I saw it on you?"

"I haven't worn it in a while." Her gaze pierces into you like a needle.

Did you see it in a dream? "Then I don't know," you shake your head in confusion, "is it black with the mask and the rose?"

"Yeah, that's creepy," she chuckles, going back to her relaxed demeanor.

"I’m so sorry."

"I’m just joking, but it is definitely weird."

Your food arrives and you both eat in silence, you fear you’ve made the atmosphere awkward. You can’t even tell how you know about the sweater, you just do, did you see it in a picture? Did Carol tell you about it? It all seems highly improbable. You are so in your head that you can’t even savor your dinner.

On the other hand and much to your unawareness, Valkyrie is really enjoying the quiet company after a long day. She thinks about your comment for a little bit, it was odd, but not enough for her to worry about it, she eventually admits to herself that she would agree to lend it to you if you asked nicely.

When you’re done eating, you offer to pay the bill as an apology, Valkyrie finds your apprehension amusing, so she allows you to, just this once.

The next morning, you go back to work and fall into your routine with The King like nothing happened. Fortunately, it seems you didn’t ruin any friendships.

The rest of the day feels as unremarkable as all the others. You’ve been zoned out looking through the window long enough that you didn’t notice the sun was starting to set.

As you become aware of your existence once again, you hear a faint voice inside your head, "Hilde," you murmur after it.

Valkyrie snaps her neck in your direction, "What did you say?"

"Brunnhilde," you repeat a little louder.

"How do you know that word?" she demands, she thought she misheard you the first time.

You refocus your eyes, unsure what just came over you and turn to look at her, taking in her agitation, "I must have heard one of your assistants call you that," you attempt to explain, mostly to yourself. She knows you're not telling the truth, but she can see you’re just as confused as she is.

"I’m sorry, I shouldn't have—" you don’t know what you're apologizing for, but you are certain you must apologize for something.

"You’re alright, it's not often I hear that name, brings back memories," she muses.

"Good memories?" you ask tentatively.

"All memories have the potential to be good or bad," you hum in understanding,  "but if you call me that in public, you will not live to hear the end of it."

A threat like that coming from such a powerful being should terrify you, and you can clearly tell she means it, but you can’t seem to be fazed by it, you simply nod and go back to zoning out.

This time, your words leave Valkyrie reflecting. The sweater was one thing, it’s a mere object, and she obviously isn’t the only person in the universe to own one like it, but, her name? All these years she has gone out of her way to make sure no one calls her that, to ensure that no one even knows what her real name is.

Every syllable leaving your lips is like honey, so sweet, smooth, and enticing, that she can’t find it in herself to be mad about it. Though she’ll be certain not to forget.

The following days are full of similarly unlikely situations. It’s like someone is injecting knowledge about King Valkyrie directly to your brain, and you end up making a fool of yourself because of it. Today you managed to fulfill your duties without a single incident, you’re feeling quite pleased about it, so you decide to treat yourself to a nice relaxing bath before going to bed.

Despite your extra efforts, it seems your body has a mind of it’s own. You spend the night tossing and turning in bed, trying and failing to get any sleep at all.

Your alarm rings at 6:30am, you turn it off and take a deep breath, preparing yourself to get up. Your eyes feel glued shut, and your body is unresponsive. Needless to say, it takes you a lot more effort to get ready this morning.

When it comes time to get dressed, you refuse to put on your elaborate uniform and settle for your trusty hoodie, hoping Val won’t mind it just this once. You manage to drag your feet to the door almost on time to make your way to Valkyrie's office.

The hallways look messy with litter all over the place, there’s a faint smell of alcohol and it is eerily quiet, it makes you glance at your watch a couple of times to be sure you're not in the wrong.

As you get closer, you see some of the staff walking around, they look just as tired as you, nursing larger cups of coffee than usual. You're making your last turn, when you catch a voice saying something about last night's ball which makes you frown. You try to ignore it as you knock on The King's office and wait for her response.

"Come in." Valkyrie’s voice sounds raspy, even from the other side of the door. You enter and take in her disheveled state, as she does the same to you.

"What happened to you?" she questions, immediately noticing the absence of your uniform.

"I could ask you the same thing," you lift an eyebrow noticing the bags under her eyes and the fingers massaging her temples, as you feel an impending headache creeping into your own head, "had fun at the ball?"

There's a guilty look in her eyes, "You heard?"

"Were you hoping I wouldn’t?" you bite. You're having mixed feelings about this, on one side, you hate parties, and a ball just sounds like a much worse version of a party, on the other, you would have liked to at least be invited.

"I was hoping you'd hear it from me first rather than some hallway gossip," she admits, "I figured you don't enjoy such festivities, so I refrained from telling you about it lest you felt pressured to participate. The last thing I want is for you to have to attend insufferable events while you're working here doing me a favor."

You were ready to make a scene with the little energy you had, but her explanation hits a soft spot in your heart that renders you speechless.

She can sense she has successfully calmed you down so she lets her guard fall, "I know why I'm exhausted, but you?"

"I couldn't sleep." You shrug.

That’s a big coincidence, Val thinks. As soon as she was done with the party, she realized it was already time to go back to work. Although it couldn’t have been the noise that kept you up, since your quarters are soundproof, she made sure every room in the palace was.

"I have some painkillers, you look like you could use them, we can take it easy today," she offers after a moment. You thank her as you extend your arm for the drugs.

"How did you know I hate parties?"

Now it’s her turn to be dumbfounded by her own words, "I don’t like them either," she stutters, "least of all when I have to spend them sucking up to some idiot to secure funding for my armies."

"You could ask the Avengers."

"I wouldn’t be caught dead asking The Avengers for anything at all," she growls playfully, you chuckle even though that’s a sentiment you share.

Chapter 4

[sitp-recs]

hi liv! i was wondering if you have any drarry meet-cute recs? i thought i saw a list of it once but cant seem to find it now :(

Hi anon! Sure thing, here are some fun recs with this trope. JulietsEmoPhase writes a lot of meet-cute AUs, I’d definitely check their AO3!

go to it laughing by oflights (T, 1k)

Harry is a marine biologist and Draco is a beluga whale Animagus; they meet on the St. Lawrence River.

Another Side by flightinflame (T, 2k)

Harry loves teaching at Pigdots Nursery. He knows a child named Scorpius is probably magical, but something about the name feels familiar.

He Whose Hand and Eye Are Gentle by khalulu (G, 5k)

Draco reads poems and sometimes writes them. Harry receives poems and sometimes reads them. Rutherford delivers poems via the scenic route. Wombat snores. Eventually, all comes together, with help from the foxes in red bibs and the sumo referee.

Play Dates by bixgirl1 (E, 8k)

Harry never thought seeing Malfoy as a dad would affect him this way.

And a Malfoy in a Pear Tree by lauren3210 (E, 8k)

Draco works in a coffee shop. Harry drops by every day to get his fix. Of coffee, Ron.

The Interest Here by disapparater (T, 9k)

Draco has his own morning show on the wireless, which he loves; an ambitious assistant, whom he needs; and days in The Tea Shop, where he relaxes. He also has a new caller on the show, whom he finds bloody annoying.

Once Upon An East End by JulietsEmoPhase (M, 9k)

Bistro owner Harry is closing up for the night when a young man stumbles through his door in need of help. The night takes them in a direction neither had expected.

coffee & communication: a (slow) romance by softlystarstruck (E, 11k)

Nearly a decade after the war, Draco has made a life for himself in Muggle London, writing romance novels and hanging out with his cat. But when he spills iced coffee all over a gorgeous man who turns out to be Harry Potter, has he tumbled into the start of his own romance without realizing it? And how difficult can it be to talk about desire, anyways? He writes smut for a living.

My True Love Gave to Me (Six Jars of Chutney) by goldentruth813 (M, 12k)

On his first post-divorce Christmas Eve without his children, Harry goes to Marks & Spencer hoping to find a bit of his past; what he finds instead is a future.

honey milk tea by softlystarstruck (T, 14k)

When Draco runs into Harry at his favorite boba tea shop and gets so flustered he orders the exact same thing, he has no idea how quickly his life is going to change.

Espresso Patronum by tasteofshapes (T, 15k)

When Draco reappears five years after the war and opens a wildly popular coffee shop, Harry’s pretty sure that Draco’s Up to Something. He just has to prove it.

An Improbable Bout of Summer Madness by acari (E, 16k)

Draco had planned a quiet, peaceful summer holiday with his son. The last thing he expected was to find Potter here, in Draco's little Cornish retreat. Making fudge in a shop? The idea was too ludicrous for words.

A Hyperactive Fruit, a Nasty Neighbour and a Love Story by synonym4life (E, 20k)

Potter’s pet Niffler is wreaking havoc in Godric’s Hollow and Draco, the Assistant Head to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, is the one who has to deal with it. Repeatedly. The fact that Potter keeps coming to Draco’s office in grey jogging bottoms - repeatedly - does in no way help the matter.

Black Coffee on a Lonely Night by Femme (M, 21k)

Draco owns a café in the city. Harry's a MP who comes in every morning, newspapers in one hand, BlackBerry in the other, and orders a triple espresso macchiato.

Unexpected Turn by Oakstone730 (E, 27k)

English real estate developer Draco Malfoy is in America to find his long lost cousin and escape a scandal. When his car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, his trip takes an unexpected turn.

[thebluestbluewords]

Rise of Red (princess status pending)

“Where are we?” Chloe asks, wide-eyed goggling at the buildings around her like she’s never seen a castle before. 

Okay, it’s not like Red’s seen a castle like this one before either, but still. She’s at least making an effort to fit in. 

“More like when are we?” Red shoots back. “We’re right where we were before the pocketwatch took us back. It’s a time machine, not a fucking teleportation device.” 

Chloe frowns. She’s cute when she looks confused, not that Red cares. “That seems improbable. I mean, what are the odds that we’d be standing in exactly the same spot where we left from…fifty years ago?” 

“My mom’s not that old.” 

“Your mom built the whole castle in wonderland,” Chloe says, frowning. “She was queen when Lady Alice visited for the first time, which was over thirty years ago. According to our history books—“ 

Red can’t help the laugh that tears out of her. “Hah! Your history books?” 

Chloe’s frown deepens. “What’s wrong with our history books?” 

“For one thing, they totally ignore the Wonderland War.” Red snaps, keeping her voice low and dangerous, both because it makes Chloe lean closer to hear her, and because she is not going to cause a time travel incident by making any of these pre-Auradon princess types think that they should instigate the Great War a few years early. “And they say that you guys are the source of all the goodness and light in the world—“ 

“Wonderland didn’t exactly keep their hands clean either when it came to the villains—“ 

“We were the villains!” Red hisses, so loudly that Chloe flinches back. “We were part of the villainous uprising that led to you people locking up our friends, and we didn’t want to be pushed back into tweedletown or stuck with my mother for a queen, but those were the only two options you gave us!” 

“The books say that Wonderland chose to secede from the United States of Auradon,” Chloe says, meeting Red’s glare straight on. “I know that books can be wrong, but while we’re here, we’re in a time before any of that. We need to remember that history as we know it hasn’t happened yet, so we need to be careful not to change too much and risk creating a time distortion so big we can’t get home.” 

“Home. Where my mother is staging a coup.” 

“Where my mother is a prisoner waiting for her beheading,” Chloe shoots back. “Unless you want to let things play out like that again, we need to get moving and figure out how to convince your mother not to be….” 

“Herself?” 

“I was going to say a tyrant.” Chloe says delicately. “But I suppose that works too.” 

Red throws her arm out in a sweeping Red Court gesture towards the road ahead of them. Her fingers slip automatically into the shape of a heart, and she flips them back into a rude gesture instead. She’s not giving her mother the satisfaction, even from fifty-odd years away. “Lead the way, princess.” 

Chloe makes a face that’s distinctly un-princess-y. “That’s the other thing we need to decide on before we find your mom. I can’t be the princess of Charmington here. Charmington doesn’t exist yet.” 

Red scoffs. Of all the stupid things to be concerned about, of course her roommate is concerned about her own royal heritage before she’s supposed to be born. “Your dad’s still a prince. You can be his cousin, or something. I’d never,” she puts as much sarcasm as possible into the word, just in case Chloe really is as dense as she’s acting. “Deny you the royal treatment you so clearly deserve, princess.” 

Chloe’s expression is so flat that she might as well be a flounder. “I meant that you cant call me a princess because telling everyone that I’m the heir to a country that doesn’t even exist yet is the fastest way I can think for us to get thrown in jail for espionage, if not outright treason. That is, unless you’d rather be sent to the madhouse instead?” 

“Madhouses aren’t real. They’re a story that my mom made up to get those stupid hatters off her case.”

Chloe’s face falls even further. “They’re real. And that’s where we’ll be going if we don’t have a good cover story for who we are and why we’re here.” 

Red shrugs. “You’re the one with the history books. Make something up.” 

Chloe grins. 

Oh, no. 

[thelov3lybookworm]

Husband Lucien Drabble/headcanon (?)

A/n: so, as we all know how delulu i am for lulu, i like to pretend and imagine that my future partner would be the exact copy paste of lulu (please dont break my lil delulu world, i know this is highly improbable).

this lil thing is based off of a lil tiktok i saw of a dude (i dont know his name, but im pretty sure he was some actor) in an interview, and he gets a call from his wife (or partner, im not sure) and he literally pauses the interview to have a lil chat with his wifey and tells the audience to say hi too then ends the call with a lil i love you and i thought it was soo cute 🥺

and of course, i couldnt resist writing this thing

(if we wat this for the other bois, lemme know 😉)

•○🌑○•

Lucien's pov.

The meeting was going very well, and Lucien wondered why he had been so stressed out about it.

This would be a huge opportunity for his business, and he had been nervous about it, the fear of it not going well eating him alive.

Of course, Y/n was always there to soothe his worries, but he could not help but stay up long after she had gone to sleep, snoring softly, cuddled up in his arms, and fear he was nothing but the disappointment his father and brothers believed him to be.

But it seemed all his fears were in vain, because as soon as he stepped in the meeting room an hour ago, everything had to be going great.

The important official from the company Lucien was going to be partnered with- if all went well- opened her mouth, a seductive glint in her eyes, and turned to Lucien.

She had been doing that since the meeting started, and Lucien had realised she was trying to flirt with him within the first five minutes.

But she didn't get the opportunity to speak, as Lucien's phone rang at that exact moment.

The contact that flashed across the screen of his phone brought out a huge grin on his face.

My lady.

Lucien was no into the lady and lord thing, but Y/n was, and so he saved her contact as that.

Everyone paused, looking between Lucien and his phone, and he gave them an apologetic grin. "It's my wife. Hope you don't mind if I answer the call."

Lucien watched the woman's face go slack in shock, before an embarrassed blush spread on her face.

Lucien turned away slightly, ignoring his friends' glares, and answered the call.

He had never ignored her calls, and he was not going to now, meeting be damned.

"Hello, darling." Lucien mumbled.

"Oh, hi Lucien." She sounded relieved. "I thought I might have interrupted you. Have you drank enough water today?"

Lucien tried to fend off the grin that climbed on his face.

"Yes love, I drank two bottles of water from morning till now."

"Good. Wait- what time was your meeting going to start?"

"At twelve o'clock."

Lucien waited as she drew her conclusion.

"It's one o'clock now." A pause. "Has the meeting ended?"

"No."

"What? You are talking to me in the middle of the meeting right now?" Her voice increased in pitch.

"Yes."

"Oh my god Lucien, why would you do that!"

"Because you called?"

Y/n heaved a heavy sigh. "Lucien." Despite her exasperated tone, he could hear the smile in her voice, and he smiled.

"I'll call you later. Text me after you're done with the meeting."

He grinned again. "Sure love."

"Bye." She was definitely grinning now. "Love you."

"Love you too, my lady. Bye."

Taglist: @bubybubsters @eos-princess @nightless @harrystylesfan2686 @cassie6392

[chocolatepot]

There weren’t too many heroes around anymore, since they were all on the western front, punching Nazis, so Ed had stopped expecting any interruptions except the police (who were almost completely ineffective). But this time, a hero did appear. “Aha! Villain!” the figure in a turquoise bodysuit and eye-mask improbably proclaimed from the doorway behind Ed. “The Gentleman Avenger is here, and your evil schemes are … blast it, Lucius, you’re standing on my cape!”

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Category: M/M Fandom: Our Flag Means Death (TV) Relationship: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet Characters: Blackbeard | Edward Teach, Stede Bonnet Additional Tags: Lucius and Fang are there also, Alternate Universe - 1940s, Golden Age (Comics), meet cute, POV Blackbeard | Edward Teach

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