#Liam does figure it out after like. A few months.

[razzledazzle-pop]

tfw you run into another Parisian superhero and you have the unidentifiable urge to suplex them.

[zaynontour]

Even though I read plenty of fics and have been doing so since I first started in 2021, this is the first time I actually noted down the names of the fics as I read them this month. I’m so thankful to our fandom’s wonderful writers for sharing these with us and it is because I read so many that I wanted to start noting them down so I can remember them. I was debating posting the list but fics have always been a source of comfort for me and if you feel the same, maybe these can bring you some comfort too.

🎃 The Serpent and the Lion by louiseparker @louiseparker [212k]

Seventh year Hogwarts AU in which Harry Styles is an asshole Gryffindor jock with daddy issues, Louis is just trying to get through the year, and Liam, Zayn, and Niall rarely ever know what the hell is going on.

🎃 Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices by Toomanytears @toomanydreamers [126k]

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

🎃 You Drive Me Round The Bend by TheCellarDoor [77k]

In which Louis is a spoilt rich kid who’s always on the phone while he drives and Harry is a struggling musician making his way down the mountain. It’s just a matter of time before they crash and burn.

🎃 but me, i'm not a gamble by orphan_account [33k]

A Posh & Becks AU in which Harry is a star on the stage and Louis is a star on the pitch, but they're both inexplicably terrible at articulating their feelings. In the end, it only takes a season's worth of failed matchmaking schemes, platonic dinner dates, road trip holidays, and one very convenient David Beckham cameo for them to figure it all out. And if Niall knew all along? Well, he at least has the decency not to be too smug about it.

🎃 The Lone Hydrangea by sarah_writes @lightwoodsmagic [77k]

The post Hogwarts AU where Harry's a florist, Louis' a muggle who edits fantasy books, and they both have no say in how quickly they fall for each other.

🎃 The Sunshine Stays by quickedween @becomeawendybird [15k]

It's three years after One Direction got back together, and Harry and Louis have just come off a world tour. They're enjoying a much more relaxed schedule the second time around, allowing themselves to bask in married life. Until, one day, Louis surprises Harry on vacation, and there are some surprising consequences.

🎃 House Of The Rising Sun by @itsmotivatingcara [100k]

Witch Harry/Vampire Louis. The Originals AU.

🎃 Something Like This by multicoloredme [150k]

After leaving his boyfriend, Louis is a little sore emotionally and is ready for a fresh start in a new city. When a coworker tells him about a couple friends looking for a new flatmate, he decides to go for it. Little does he know, that one of his new flatmates is the gorgeous, captivating guy he met at a party a few weeks ago. A New Girl/Grey’s Anatomy/Relief Next To Me inspired AU.

🎃 Say That You Can See Me (I'll Speak Up I Swear) by @coffeelouis [20k]

The liberal arts COLLEGE AU where Harry knows Louis as the best friend of the boy he has been hopelessly in love with for years now and Louis knows Harry as the boy he wished would look away from Zayn long enough to notice him.

🎃 Don't You Think It's Boring How People Talk? by wildestdreams @thelavendrhaze [80k]

A Gossip Girl AU where Louis is the king of the Upper East Side and Harry is the bad boy he loves to hate until a late-night limo ride changes everything.

🎃 Magical Soup by gloria_andrews @gloriaandrews [28k]

Slytherin prefect Louis Tomlinson's seventh year at Hogwarts takes an immediate turn for the worse when he's made to be potions partners with Harry Styles, Hufflepuff's resident heartthrob and class clown. Louis has always considered Styles to be a terrible show-off who coasts by on his charm and good looks, but the more they work together, the more he questions that idea. As term goes on, will Louis be able to admit to himself that he might actually like Harry Styles after all... and maybe, just maybe, as more than a friend?

🎃 King Of My Heart by wildestdreams @thelavendrhaze [80k]

A Red, White, and Royal Blue AU where Hollywood elite, Louis Tomlinson, finds himself falling for the closeted Prince of England.

🎃 And What If I Were You by @jacaranda-bloom [100k]

For Louis, will losing his sight give him the clarity to realise what is right in front of him?

For Harry, will losing the love of his life give him the strength to finally open his heart?

And can they find their way back, before they lose each other forever? A story of love. A story of loss. A story of fighting for each other, no matter the odds.

🎃 Tell me when you're ready (I'm waitin') by insufferablelovebirds [17k]

When Harry's love letters to his old crushes get sent accidentally, one recipient, Louis, offers to help him fake a relationship but it gets complicated when feelings get involved.

Or an au loosely based off to all the boys I've loved before.

Total Fics Read: 14

[scarlet-witchery]

so I know I'm in the no galladads side of the fandom but hear me out on this one—

so it's maybe five years after the end of the show, Ian and Mickey are still going with their security business, maybe they've even branched out and hired some extra help, making good money, swapped out the stolen ambulance for actual SUVs that Debbie has fixed up for them, and they've maybe even bought a house back on the South Side with a dog and a cat and they're close to all of Ian's siblings (Debbie and Carl and Liam all still live in the old Gallagher house, Lip and Tammi are a few blocks over)

and one day they're on a lunch break together, leaving some diner when some rando kid bumps into Ian, turns out it was a pickpocket, and Mickey takes off after the jerk who tried to steal from his husband (he may not be a South Side thug anymore but like hell is he gonna let that shit slide)

he knocks the pickpocket over and it's some kid, like thirteen or fourteen with bright pink streaks in her dark hair and fierce brown eyes, and Mickey is like wtf kid do you wanna die

and the kid is like oh fuck you, very much an angry kitten type because she's definitely a scrawny thing—by this time Ian's caught up to them and his bleeding heart is like look if you give me my wallet back I'll buy you lunch (Mickey complains that "we just ate, Gallagher" but Ian insists)

so they either go back to the diner or find some McDonald's and this kid practically inhales some burgers and fries, and both Mickey and Ian know the look of a kid on the streets, but she's giving off those vibes that say don't touch me don't talk to me don't fucking perceive me

but Ian probably sees something like Mickey, and Mandy, in this girl and we all know he wants to help people, so he asks her if she's okay or if she needs anything, and even though he can feel Mickey starting to grumble next to him Ian still offers her their couch to crash on after she mentions getting kicked out of a salvation army shelter because they found out she was trans

and after some very intense eye to eye communication between the husband Mickey's like okay yeah fine but if one thing is outta place in the house then we're gonna have words

and the girl—they find out her name is Starr, or something like that—is like wtf why are you people being nice (they understand the suspicion, obvs, they aren't stupid), and Ian's like uhhhh we're gay and we've gone through some shit of our own so maybe we just wanna help?? (although he does notice she relaxes a little bit when he tells her that they're gay)

so they drive back home and Starr is absolutely enamored by the gallapets (a beautiful fluffy black cat and a big pittie mix, both of these animals are Ian and Mickey's baby girls), while Ian fixes up the spare bedroom with fresh sheets—usually it's where Franny or Fred stay when they come for weekend visits

and at first Starr is like okay yeah I'll stay one night but then I gotta go, and somehow it ends up that one night turns into two, then Ian and Mickey come home one afternoon and the house looks amazing because Starr is like "yeah your place was a fucking mess so I figured I'd clean" because she's not a freeloader gdi

and before they know it she's been there for a few weeks and Ian's trying to help get her back in school, because one night they were sitting around and talking and she offhandedly said that she does kinda miss school but the last place she went they were assholes about her transition, and Mickey is like just do that homeschooling course thing that maybe Tammi talked about one of her bougie friends doing for their kids

and then it's been a month or two and they bring Starr to a Gallagher family get together—Debbie hosts the family at the house at least twice a month, but everyone's been super busy lately so it's been a while since the last family dinner—and Debs gives Starr a hug and is like "oh so you're the kid my brothers adopted" (she and Sandy worked things out btw and have been back together for a while now, they've even maybe talked about getting married)

and Starr is like oh no I'm just crashing for a bit but by this point Ian has already got her the homeschooling correspondence courses, and Mickey's taken her to find a doctor who can prescribe her HRT ("it was on our route anyway, fuck off, Gallagher") and their pets adore her—Ian jokes that their cat is the one who actually adopted Starr, they just went along with it

and basically I just love the idea of them taking care of a young queer girl, and being like the cool gay uncles, and yeah :')

[imaginesbymonika]

From the dining table | Part 7

Pairing: Damon Albarn × Gallagher! Reader

Plot: Everyone's favorite topic during the '90s and 'OOs; Y/N Gallagher. The mysterious and beautiful younger sister of the two loud brothers rarely spoke during interviews but played the guitar like no one else. And even though she never said a word about her dating-life, the list of her rumored boyfriends kept growing longer with each passing year. Yet, there was one name in particular that just kept on popping up...

Previous part | Masterlist

(2024)

Damon hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the look on Y/N‘s face; the bitterness and disappointment. He received a call from Noel the same night. “You know, I’m sorry.”, he said to him, the tone of his voice genuinely pitiful. There were also some tweets made by Liam in the following days. Damon understood that they were about him- maybe even addressing him directly.

He knows that he deserved it.

The blonde is sitting on the couch, next to his daughter while the BRITS are playing in the background. He hears how Missy eats her dinner, while his gaze continues to shift between the TV and the window.

It’s only when he unexpectedly hears Y/N’s voice that his eyes move back to the screen. He leans forward. She’s holding a multicolored sculpture in her hands, while a huge (and gorgeous) smile plays on her lips. The words “best feature” are flashing up underneath her. “She’s so cool.”, Missy mutters, while bringing the spoon up to her lips. Damon doesn’t reply.

“I haven’t pre-written anything, considering how winning this wasn’t something I assumed to be even a ‘maybe’. So please, bear with me. First of all, I want to thank Taylor for reaching out and asking me to be on her record again. I remember that back in 2014, I felt somewhat relieved that it didn’t make the cut but now after all those years it does feel good to have it out in the open. I also want to thank my brothers, Liam and Noel- you guys mean the world to me and I’m so glad you two made up.”

The woman pauses and looks down at the trophy, before opening her mouth again to say something. However, when she quickly closes it again and looks up there’s hesitancy flashing up in her eyes.

“God.”, she lets out:” I am so going to regret this… considering what happened a few months ago. But well, okay. So, I want to thank someone else as well. After this song came out… people on the internet started to speculate who I was singing about. And I guess, this has been following me for a while now. But yeah, the people on the internet were right. I want to thank Damon Albarn, who has been the first person to tell me that maybe my voice is good enough to be on an album. I’m somewhat glad that my first time being on an album is because of him. Anyway, thanks so much.”

Missy almost drops her spoon while Damon immediately jumps up from his spot next to her. “Dad?! What the fuck?”, she yells after him, but he is already out of the house and hurrying to his car. His hands are frantically searching his pockets for his keys. The drive to London must be what? 4 hours? He can be there in 3- maybe even 2 and a half. Not in a legal way, but he can and will be.

The second he’s out the gate and on his way to the main road he dials Noel’s number.

“It’s the NoMad.”

“What?”, Damon asks positioning the phone between his ear and shoulder. “Her hotel. I figured you called because of that.”

He hears Liam’s voice in the background:” Is that him?! Give me the phone, I-.” Noel merely chuckles:”I’ve got to hang up. The NoMad. Remember. No Liam, get off-.”

[catamano]

11:24am - Charlotte

Stop, Charlotte. It’s not personal. Emmett's voice has been ringing in my head since our conversation earlier. Charlotte. I hate it when he calls me that. I hear it at least fifteen times a day, but never from him. Charlotte. I can’t remember the last time he said it. With everything going on right now, it feels stupid to be bothered by this. 

Liam and I are supposed to leave soon, I’m not sure why he’s not downstairs yet. Out of all of my kids, he’s the one who is always on time. Maybe I should go check on him. Take a step back, Charlotte. There’s Emmett’s voice again. I’ll give him ten minutes. 

My phone vibrates on the table and I see a text from Beth. Does Tuesday at 12 work for you? I immediately respond yes and apologize again for texting her on a weekend. There’s a sinking feeling in my chest. I’m anxious about starting therapy again. I saw Beth for two years after the twins were born, and again when I quit working to open the store. It’s been a few years since then. She’s good. She knows me. She’ll be able to help me through this. I sigh. That doesn’t make it any easier. 

“Is that my old dress?” Georgia. She sounds like she’s in a better mood.

“Probably,” my younger daughter responds. I hear both of them start to make their way down the stairs. The girls are ready but Liam isn’t? That’s odd. They’re not leaving for at least another hour.

“How many of my old things do you have?”

“I don’t know. A lot.” True. I’d say more than half of her closet used to be Georgia’s. Whenever I offer to buy her new things, she usually turns me down. She prefers the hand-me-downs. It’s sweet. Lucy is her sister’s biggest fan, though I don’t think she’d ever say it out loud. She prefers to tease her instead.

They’re both at the bottom of the stairs now. Georgia pats her sister’s head. “How do the braids feel?” she asks. Neither one of them notice me sitting here.

“Good. Not as good as Mom, but good.” She grins. Lucy is always particular about her hair. A few months ago, all she wanted were pigtails. Now, she’s switched to braids. I wonder what her next thing will be.

Lucy turns and sees me right away. “Oh, hey Mom!” she greets, skipping towards me.

“Hi, love, I like your braids,” I say. I glance up at Georgia, she’s not looking at either one of us. I won’t comment on it.

“Georgia did them!” She sounds proud. I feel myself start to smile. I don’t think Georgia realizes how much Lucy adores her.

“Nice work.” I look over at Georgia again, she’s still looking away.

“Thanks,” she says flatly. Her gaze doesn’t change. At least she doesn’t seem to be upset with Lucy. Only me.

It’s not personal, Charlotte. 

“Why are you guys being weird?” Lucy looks at me, and then at Georgia. I don’t have an answer to this question. Not a good one, at least.

“We’re not,” Georgia answers for me. Lucy looks unamused, clearly not satisfied by that answer.

“Yes you are, you guys are being so weird.” Lucy has never been good at backing down. I need to stop this before it turns into something bigger.

“Lucy, enough,” I say sharply.

“But—”

“Enough.” She doesn’t say anything after that. I’ll have to have some sort of talk with her later. I know she’ll ask again if I don’t.

I stand up, eye level with Georgia. She’s staring at me now. She looks distant. And sad. It breaks my heart. I’d give anything to take her in my arms, but I’m not sure it would solve anything at the moment. 

She’s not you, Charlotte. 

Right. She needs space. I have to let her figure it out, no matter how much it tears at me. I’m here. She knows it. Hopefully that’s enough for now.

[deathofpeaceofmiiind]

high infidelity | thirteen

Aquamarine, moonlight swimming pool...what if all I need is you? *Ellie's POV* I woke up to the sound of the hotel door opening up. Noah appeared immediately with two coffees in his hands and the softest smile on his face when he saw I was awake. My heart fluttered as I saw him, I don’t think I’ll ever have a normal reaction to seeing him. He was wearing gym shorts, his Canucks hat he bought after the game last night and one of his band t-shirts, and he made it all look so damn good. He put his AirPods away and walked over to me with my coffee. “I would’ve got you a matcha, but I figured you’d needed something a little stronger.” “This is perfect, thank you.” I mused before he kissed my cheek. I took a small sip of my coffee and realized he got me a caramel macchiato, my second favourite. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?” “Absolutely.” he replied with a grin, rubbing his hand on my thigh. “I liked the post game show more though.”

“Yeah, that was…” My voice trailed as I looked over at him, remembering what happened. My mouth went dry as my entire body began to tingle. “I’m sorry that I needed a break, it’s been a while for me.” “Don’t be.” He replies as he leaned over to kiss me. “Just means I did my job.” I rolled my eyes, I could tell he was basking in his accomplishments from last night. Noah ordered us room service before he went to go take a shower so I drank my coffee as I scrolled on my phone. I stopped when I saw Tyler sent me a lengthy text. “Fine, you win. Your lawyer will contact you next week for our court date. I’m going to go live with my parents until everything is done so you can go back to the house today. Start looking for your own place though cause I want to put our house on the market as soon as possible. I’m keeping Liam until your next rotation at work is done. I will drop him off at daycare next Thursday and then you can pick him up. I’m still sorry about everything.” “Okay.” I didn’t want to argue with him, all I wanted was for this done and over with. I quickly texted my manager and said I needed to be on stress leave for the month. There was no way I could work in this state. I put my phone down and just sighed. Suddenly I heard Noah lightly singing something in the shower, I didn’t know what it was but it sounded angelic. I lied back down on the bed and just listened to him. There’s just something about his voice that resets my entire nervous system. “With your boots beneath my bed …forever is the sweetest con” I smirked… he’s a swiftie. A few moments later Noah came out of the bathroom and I almost choked on my own spit. He had on a pair of tan Lululemon jersey shorts with a black Lord of the Rings T-shirt. Seriously…how does he make casual clothes look that good? “So…Cowboy like me?” “Oh, you heard me.” He bashfully replied, his face flushed pink. I shrugged my shoulders, “I just never expected you to like Taylor Swift.” “Are you kidding me? Evermore was the reason I wanted to do an unplugged album.” He exclaimed as he went to grab our room service that just arrived. I bit my lip, he was too perfect.

“So Tyler texted me while you were showering.” I said as we sat down to have our breakfast. Noahs jaw clenched and I grabbed his hand to calm him down. “It’s a good thing. He basically said he’s not gonna fight it but I do have to find somewhere to live as soon as possible.” “I’ll come help you look for an apartment.” Noah suggests as he takes a sip of his coffee, “If you need to stay in hotel for the time being I can set it up for you.”

“Thank you but Tyler is staying with his parents until we put the house up for sale. I can stay with Danielle if I have to but I’ll start looking tonight.” I replied as I analyzed Tyler’s lengthy text message.

“I’m here every step of the way.“ He expressed as he gave my hand an assuring squeeze. I half smiled, trying to wrap my head around this.

“I’m sorry I’m putting you through this.” I replied, feeling equal parts defeated and guilty. Noah lifted my hand and gently kissed it, sending me the most sympathetic stare. Someone needs to pinch me cause this still doesn’t feel real, he doesn’t feel real. 

“Ellie, you’re worth all of this okay?” He assures me, “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

I just nodded cause I could feel tears filling my eyes. I took a deep breath but couldn’t stop the guilt from clouding my mind. Just a short few days ago Noah didn’t know who I was and was living his life perfectly fine. I had to come in and fuck it all up for him with my problems. Noah grazed my neck before he lifted my chin with his thumb. I stared into his somber eyes as he wiped the tears I couldn’t fight back anymore.

“When do you have to leave?” I asked changing the subject.

“Next show is tomorrow night, so either tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m just waiting for Matt to text me flight details.” he replied, meeting me with sad eyes. “We only have a week left so I’ll be back when everything is done.”

“I wish I could go with you.” I pouted, hoping that me joking would keep the tears at bay. I never had a problem being alone but the idea of being this alone was foreign to me. I selfishly wanted Noah around me every second of every day. I didn’t feel like eating anymore so I sat down on the bed as Noah tapped away on his phone. I watched him, begging for some kind of response from him but he was still typing on his phone. He finally put his phone away and turned his attention back to me.

“Hypothetically…when would you need to be home?”

“Wednesday night.” I replied with a raised eyebrow. Noah knelt down in front of me and reached for my hands. I sometimes forgot how tall he was cause he was still eye level with me despite being on his knees. I stared down at his hands that were tangled in mine, still not having the courage to look at him. “Ellie, come with me.”

“Really?” I gasped as finally met his gaze. He just smirked at me as I tried to find the words to say, but I was speechless.

“I may or may not have texted Matt to change my flight so we can go together. We’re going to be in Vegas tomorrow so it’ll be a good place to take your mind off things. We’ll get our own room, you can come to the show, then after we can gamble or drink a lot and bitch about how awful Tyler is…whatever you want.“

“Why are you doing this Noah?” I sighed. I had this overwhelming feeling that I was becoming such a burden to him. He was uprooting his tour routine for me and getting on more flights than he needed to. I know we had this incredible connection but it felt like a lot of effort on his end.

“How honest do you want me to be?” He answered, tucking the hair that fell in front of his eyes. 

“Like your life depends on it.”

“Ellie, I…I’m really fucking scared of how much I care for you already. Those few hours where I thought I lost you for good were absolute torture. My mind is telling me I’m coming off too strong and I need to back off but I’m sorry, I can’t” he stopped to catch his breath and fight the tears forming in his eyes. “You deserve to know how it feels to be truly loved, and I want to be the man to do it.”

He looked down at the ground and I sat there in disbelief at what he just said to me. No words were escaping me, all I could do was get on the floor and give him a hug. His arms immediately pulled me closer to him. My body was fighting every urge to tell him I loved him. I know it’s too soon to have feelings this deep but I was overwhelmed with emotion.  

“Do you need to do anything today?” Noah asks as he closes up his suitcase.

“I should go to the house to change and pack some stuff for tomorrow.” I sighed, dreading going back to the house. “Also maybe pick up my car, I can leave it at the airport.” “Do you want me to come with you?” “I don’t know.” I confessed crossing my arms, “Tyler said the house was empty but I don’t want to take any chances. I’ll be quick”

“Works for me.” He replies as he puts on a few sprays of his cologne. The smell reaches my nose, fuck he smells so good. “Since we have a free afternoon, where is the one place in this city you’d take a tourist?”

I pursed my lips, “Oh! The aquarium!”

He looks over at me and smiles. If there was in thing in this life I’ll always be sure of, is that I wanted to see that smile every day from now on.

[alj4890]

Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

(Maxwell Beaumont x Olivia Nevrakis) in a Choices The Royal Romance Crackship AU

Masterlist

A/N Sorry this took so long. I'm the girl who gets the flu each year in the dead of summer, instead of the winter like a normal person 🤦🏻‍♀️ Anyway, on to more enjoyable things! The Court is at Lythikos. After replaying TRR, I forgot how the things Maxwell says and his reactions could be interpreted into him actually liking Olivia in the two Lythikos chapters. Naturally, for this storyline, I ran hard with it 😂 This chapter focuses on that first day there.

Chapter 2

The Royal Palace, the Duke of Ramsford's chambers...

"Maxwell?" Bertrand snapped. "Are you paying attention?"

Maxwell remained silent as he stared out the window. His thoughts were focused on a wild variety of revelations. After the previous day's time observing Liam and Riley play croquet and then last night's sneaking out for cronuts, he could see that Liam had a definite favorite amongst his many suitors.

It continued to give him hope, not just for himself, but also for Liam. He'd never seen the prince react the way he was with any of the ladies they'd grown up with. Maxwell could tell that Riley seemed just as crazy about him. If things continued to move along like he thought, he would be lifting a glass of champagne with the rest of the nobles in honor of their engagement in a few months.

The rest of Maxwell's thoughts, as usual, were filled with Olivia.

The conversation he had with her outside her room the night of the Masquerade Ball revealed that she preferred it when he acted like himself. He couldn't help but be pleased to hear that. Perhaps his idea to be more casual and aloof was going to pay off in the end.

It has to, he argued with himself. This has to make her finally see me.

He also couldn't help but notice her looking at him curiously the day before at the derby. When he didn't go up to her to even say hello, her eyes narrowed. Usually, he'd have remained by her side, making outrageous bets in the hopes of seeing her smile. It'd been hard to merely nod her way then turn his back on her. He wondered what she was thinking at that moment.

He'd then done the same at the Queen's tea later on. Olivia's frown followed him over to where Riley was sitting after the croquet match. He hadn't even bothered to look for her, at least not obviously. He'd instead watched her from the corner of his eye.

If his actions kept him on her mind in trying to figure out this new version of himself, then it would all be worth going against his very nature.

His worry now was how to behave at Lythikos.

Should I change it up or--

"MAXWELL!"

He jumped, turning quickly towards his brother.

"Sorry!" He automatically replied. "I um, well..."

Bertrand groaned.

"Maxwell, I have to return to Ramsford." He began again.

"Why?" Maxwell asked.

"Why?! I just went into a detailed explanation on why I'm not journeying to Lythikos with you and Lady Riley!"

"Oh." Maxwell said a touch sheepishly. "Right. Sorry."

Bertrand sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can I trust you to make certain Lady Riley behaves herself appropriately at Lythikos?"

"Of course you can!" Maxwell replied, slapping a reassuring hand upon his brother's shoulder. "You know I'll make sure she has a great time snow skiing and all."

"That's not what I'm worried about!" Bertrand grumbled. "I'm worried about her bringing attention, the wrong kind of attention, upon our House!"

He narrowed his eyes at Maxwell.

"Don't think I've forgotten what I'd hoped was a joke of yours about finding an indecent woman to represent us."

"Come on, Bertrand." Maxwell folded his arms. "You've seen for yourself that Riley has been a perfect lady since she arrived."

"She does appear to be all you've promised." Bertrand said. "I suppose I have little choice now."

"You can't send her home, even if you wanted to." Maxwell pointed out. "Liam is crazy about her. Now, the public wants to see more of her with him."

"True."

Maxwell held his right hand up while placing his left over his heart. "On my honor as a Beaumont, I swear only the best of both me and Riley will be shown at Lythikos."

"I can't very well argue against that type of reassurance." Bertrand's lips curved into a slight grin.

"You and I made sure no one could ever doubt the word of a Beaumont." Maxwell added, grinning even more.

"That we did." Bertrand patted Maxwell's back. "Let's go awaken our chosen lady and give her the details about this next event."

*****************

Lythikos...

Olivia watched from a window in her library as Maxwell's limo pulled into the drive. She knew she should already be outside to greet them, but she wanted just a few more seconds behind the curtains to see how Maxwell acted with Riley.

She didn't know why her curiosity was notched to an eleven over his odd behavior, but she was determined to see if Liam's new suitor was possibly stringing both men along.

Her eyes narrowed even more so to see Drake and Hana getting out of the same limo.

Well that's odd, she thought.

She ducked down when Maxwell glanced over towards her way. Cursing herself for that ridiculous reaction, she crawled out of view and hurried to greet them.

"Welcome to Lythikos." She announced from the front steps. "I hope you will take advantage of all the beauty my duchy has to offer."

Before anyone could properly respond, she waved towards her butler standing at the ready. "Harris will show you to your rooms. Please let him know of any needs you might have."

Olivia cast her typical smirk and took off towards a frozen pond that already had a gathering of nobles.

"Join us when you're ready." She added.

She glanced back to see Maxwell help Riley with her luggage. A slight frown formed on her lips when she noticed the two laughing over some joke.

Her temper simmered as she faced forward. No matter how distracting Maxwell was at this moment, she was determined to focus all her attention on Liam. After all, the prince was the whole point of this social season.

I despise the mystery that is Maxwell Beaumont. He can act weird all he wants with that barely attractive American. If he wants her, then he can have her. See if I care.

***************

"C'mon Riley!" Maxwell urged. "We need to get down to the pond."

"Okay, okay." Riley struggled with a sweater she was pulling on. "Geez, Max. It isn't like the ice will melt before we get there."

"I know." He mumbled. "I see that Liam is already out there."

"He is?" She hurried over to the window. "Looks like most of his suitors are out there too."

"Yeah." Maxwell's brow furrowed the longer he watched the group skate.

Riley gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah! I'm great!" Maxwell held her coat up for her. "I'm only anxious to get our future queen out there for some fun!"

Riley laughed as she slipped her arms in the sleeves. "I'd love some fun."

"Then you shall have all the wintery fun you could possibly want!" He slung his arm along her shoulders. "On the suitor front though, you'll have to work hard to catch Liam alone here."

"I figured." She gestured about the mansion. "It's what happens when you have a home field advantage."

"Yep." His smile dimmed. "Olivia isn't going to waste this opportunity to win Liam."

"Max?" Riley stopped him once they were outside. "Do you think this is right?"

"What?"

"Me trying so hard to win Liam?" She turned towards the pond, eyes narrowing in thought. "I mean, if he wants someone like Olivia or Hana or anyone else out there; should I be breaking that up?"

"But he doesn't!" Maxwell exclaimed. "He has to humor them because that's who Liam is. He's too polite and thoughtful to tell them he's already made his choice, i.e. you."

Riley shook her head, a smile forming. "You really believe strongly in your candidate."

He smiled once more as they walked to the pond. "I can't help it that the Beaumont's are backing the right lady."

He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Liam really is crazy about you." He whispered.

"You think so?" She asked.

"Not only do I know, I'll prove it." Maxwell helped her lace up her skates before he did his own.

The pair stepped out on the ice.

****************

That was a close one.

Maxwell ran his hands over his face as he thought back to his rash action on the ice. He tried to excuse his impulsive behavior as a means of helping Liam and Riley find a moment alone together, but he knew the truth.

I didn't want Olivia with him.

He stared into the flames of the crackling fire. What had he been thinking? Yelling out for Olivia to watch him spin. He'd nearly blown the whole cool, aloof noble persona he was cultivating by acting like he was twelve years old again, trying to get her to notice him.

Thank God for Penelope.

If she hadn't clapped and begged him to teach her how to spin like a professional figure skater, he might still be acting out in front of Olivia. Penelope's attention gave him a chance to once again ignore the one he wanted most. Olivia's frown formed the moment he turned away from her. Her perplexed expression when she rejoined Liam and Riley helped him keep as far away from her as he could.

When everyone decided to go snow skiing, he knew he couldn't join them. He'd probably break his neck in trying to impress Olivia. So, while his friends headed towards the ski lift, he escaped back into the manor.

Unable to sit still and dwell on how badly he could screw this up, he pushed himself off the couch and looked about. He needed something to distract him from his worries. His attention landed on a pair of crossed swords over the mantle.

I'll go check out Olivia's armory, he decided. That'll take my mind off things.

He lost track of time as he toured the impressive display of weapons and torture devices the Nevrakis had been fond of for centuries. As he got near a wall covered with war hammers and flails, he heard voices coming from a nearby vent. There was one in particular he recognized.

That's Olivia!

He leaned closer to hear what she was saying.

******************

Olivia's Ballroom...

"Harris?" Olivia called out. "Were you able to find the items I asked about earlier?"

"I was, your grace." Her butler answered. "I took the liberty of placing them in Lord Beaumont's chambers as you requested."

"Good." She eyed her ballroom and the work done to have it ready for the next evening's special event.

So far, it was exactly as she pictured it. Her lips curved as she imagined dancing with Liam. Her ballroom always sparked romance with the soft lights of the chandeliers combined with the wide expanse of windows showcasing the wintery beauty of Lythikos. Once everyone saw her in Liam's arms against that perfect backdrop, there would be no doubt that she was meant for him.

The other ladies will be forced to give up, she thought with glee. My history with Liam alone puts me in the top spot. Add in everything else I possess and it will be proven to be a lost cause for those poor, pitiful suitors.

"Your grace?" Harris cleared his throat once more to get her attention.

"Hmm?" Olivia refocused.

"Is there anything else I should put in Lord Beaumont's room?"

"Not at the moment." She checked the time. "Everyone should be returning shortly. Have the footmen prepare the refreshments in the main drawing room."

Harris bowed on his way to do as she commanded.

Olivia left and began to mentally prepare to steal Liam away from everyone. Along the way, she noticed Maxwell running down a hall towards her right.

She almost called out, then stopped herself. She still wasn't certain what was going on with him. The one thing she did know was that she was tired of how often this mystery that was the new Maxwell Beaumont was getting on her nerves. She detested anything she couldn't figure out quickly.

Her hope was simply this: that the old Maxwell would return once he saw the surprise in his room. When that happened, she'd interrogate him over who made him change.

She still suspected it was Riley. He was perfectly normal before she stuck her big nose in Cordonian affairs. Now this woman was trying to befriend everyone. Olivia wasn't buying her sweet, butter wouldn't melt in her mouth act. Everyone had ulterior motives for doing what they did.

She would find out the American's and then make her regret ever coming to Cordonia.

*****************

Maxwell took the main stairs two at a time. He nearly tripped twice as he made a mad dash for his chambers.

I gotta know what she had put in my room!

His door bounced against the wall once he burst inside. Breathless, he quickly scanned the guest room for anything out of the ordinary.

Is it a cool weapon? Maybe a letter finally telling me she's been crushing on me too?!

He shook his head

No. It wouldn't be that.

He noticed a silver covered tray sitting on an end table near a wingback chair.

He lifted the lid and gasped.

"SHE GOT ME CHEETAH CAKES!"

Maxwell slapped his hand over his mouth for that outburst. He rushed to his open door and peeped out to make sure the hallway was empty. He blew out a relieved breath to see that no one heard his undignified excitement over a sugary treat. He hadn't reacted like that since he was eight years old and first tried the perfection that was simply Cheetah Cakes.

He couldn't believe she remembered something so insignificant like his favorite snack cake.

But why did Olivia go to the trouble to find these for me? Does this mean she like likes me? Or am I just wishful thinking again?

He didn't know. He only knew that this made the trip here that much sweeter, literally and figuratively.

"I'll see you in a few hours." He said to his cakes. "Together, we'll celebrate the awesome duchess who sent you to me."

Feeling a lot happier than he had mere minutes ago, he went downstairs to wait on Riley.

*****************

The Main Drawing Room...

Olivia eyed Maxwell from across the room.

He's doing it again!

Maxwell was sitting next to Riley, grinning that dimpled grin of his and listening.

Since when did he ever just listen? He's always got some story or joke or anything that makes him the center of attention! Why is Riley able to be at the center? Why is he not mingling with everyone else? He hasn't even come to me like he normally does to brag about his skiing or whatever he did when he disappeared earlier.

And what in the hell is Drake and Hana doing hanging out with her??? I get why Liam has to be nice to her. That's just how he would be with anyone. But Drake?! There is nothing more unnatural on this earth than Drake Walker going out of his way to be nice! Come on! And is Hana that stupid to think Riley is a friend? She's in competition with you, you idiot! You can trust no one here.

Maxwell, can't you see it's all an act? As soon as she loses to me, Riley will reveal her true self. Then you'll be hurt because she isn't as sweet as you think she is. Are you falling for her? Is she actually playing both you and Liam?

Olivia couldn't take another second of their happy little group.

"Is everyone enjoying all I've provided?" She asked.

The group stilled. Drake and Hana eyed her warily. Riley nodded while Maxwell spoke.

"I've always enjoyed my time with you, Olivia." He said in a soft, unassuming tone.

Olivia blinked over that. She wasn't certain how to take that statement. Normally she'd chalk it up to his crush on her. But that damn tone! How was she supposed to interpret that now?!

She did not like him pushing her off balance like this. Searching for anything to make her world seem normal again, she zeroed in on the half eaten eclair on Hana's plate.

"Drake, did you notice the treats I had the staff set out?" Olivia smiled at him.

She knew he wouldn't like where she was going with this. A little verbal sparring with some carefully executed jabs would be just what she needed to recover from Maxwell's mysterious ways.

"What about it?" Drake asked.

"I remember how Savannah loved eclairs. She plowed through them as if they were the last on earth." Olivia laughed. "I guess we should all be grateful she isn't here or else no one would have a chance at the buffet."

"Don't," he hissed, "talk about my sister."

Drake glanced at his watch and stormed out.

"Wait Drake!" Olivia shouted with a giggle. "I'm not done--"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Riley snapped.

Olivia whirled back towards her. "Well, well. Look who has a soft spot for Cordonia's most popular commoner."

"Leave him alone." Riley commanded, getting to her feet.

Olivia's smirk faltered when she noticed the sad, disappointed look in Maxwell's eyes. A slight pinprick of guilt washed over her.

"As fun as that was," Olivia straightened her shoulders, "I should be on my way. I promised Liam a personal tour of my duchy."

She left the small group, doing her best to avoid Maxwell's unwavering gaze.

[twopoppies]

You’re right, maybe the ask didn’t go through. I was asking about your opinion on why do you think louis was the most ‘sabotaged’ one out of all of the boys? He is blacklisted from radio, didn’t release his first album until 5 years after the hiatus (although i’m sure there are other factors affecting this, but in 2018 he said he wanted to release an album and then we got txf instead), and not to mention bg and the long term gf, i’m sure he fights against all this behind the scenes but why do you think he’s the one suffering from it the most? And i was looking through your hiatus tag and came across a post you reblogged (third one in your tag, genuinemusic is the OP since i can’t figure out how to link it) i’m sure louis was very aware that the band needed a break but do you think that maybe louis on board with the hiatus until he was hit with babygate? Which made him less confident in taking a break? So sorry for bothering you again but i really appreciate your opinions! Hope you’re okay!

Hi darling. Oh, I never saw your original ask, so it must have gotten eaten. So sorry.

So, I still think that post holds an interesting theory. Louis has said that the last year or two of the band was when he had felt the most confident, so it would stand to reason that this could roll over into feeling more confident in the idea of having a solo career.

In regards to how babygate affected that, I really think that when it began he thought it was going to just be a few rumors and then it would be cleared up. It was just another way to make him look straight and keep his name in the papers. So, no. I don’t think it would have affected his confidence in the beginning about a solo career. Although, as the months went by, he must have seen how it was affecting the way his fans saw him. So… Maybe?

Honestly, I think he may have had a normal level of stress about going solo, or even just stress about not having the comfort of something he’d known for the previous five years, until babygate became such a mess and he was saddled with another beard and his mom got sick… Plus, I’m sure Simon was in his ear like a venomous snake every chance he got, trying to undermine him. All of that may have played on his ability to think clearly.

As for your question about why he was sabotaged, obviously none of us know, so it’s all theories. My best guess is that Louis was a fly in the ointment from early on. From what the other boys always said, Louis was the one who stood up to the people in charge and really fought for the band. But worse than that, Harry fell in love with him and mucked up Simon/Sony’s plans to have Harry go solo after the first couple of albums. I really think if “Larry” didn’t exist, they wouldn’t care all that much about Louis, and likely they would have let him go off and sign with whomever, the same way they let Liam and Niall.

So, I don’t know. I think everything a music label does is driven by the desire for more money and more power. And controlling someone like Louis gives them a sense of power. And in many ways, I think it also gives them some control over Harry. The sabotage, or whatever you want to call it, seems like a personally motivated vendetta but it happened to Michael Jackson. And Prince. And George Michael. And thousands of lesser known artists. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[gollanta]

an idea for a maxi(?) thiam fanfic where theo dying after the sixth season. (please, someone write this😭)

Theo isn't a perfect chimera, right? Sooo he has one problem. The Dread Doctors kept him alive but without them, he would have died a long ago (as a chimera). Every year the same shit: Theo starts to lose his strength and healing. Then he loses werewolf powers and almost dies, but the Doctors inject him with some kind of serum(?) and save him. (This may sound stupid because they killed everyone who started to die for some reason, but let's pretend that the guy was fucking special, and they were ready to tear their asses off to keep him alive?? You'll understand) They always said that Theo is the one but without them, he would have died for sure. And Theo believed them. He felt like he was dying, how could he not believe them?

He was trying to find this serum or at least records about it, but there was nothing. He couldn't leave them without it. He thought he could live alone if he took Scott's power, but it didn't work.

He went to hell and when he came back he thought that maybe this time he finally can get a full life.

After season 6 he stayed to protect Liam and his friends. A year later, they all began to trust each other and became friends. Theo finally had people who cared about him, loved and trusted him.

But then his wounds stopped healing.

He knew what that meant. He tried to figure it out on his own, but it didn't work. He just found the last of the serum, which he used to stall for time and come up with something. Or to say goodbye to everyone. He left some of the serum to test it, but it didn't work.

So he just accepted it. He didn't want to tell anyone about it. He thought it would be better if he just left the city and died somewhere else. So that others would think he just ran away like he wanted to for a long time.

At the time, Stiles returned to BH and noticed that Theo was acting strange. Everyone had told him that Theo changed but he knew he was still keeping secrets. Stiles couldn't just let it go and took Theo for a ride. With a little fight, Theo finally said what was going on.

«Everyone is worried 'cause you're acting fucking weird. They don't know what is going on but think you're gonna leave BH soon. OMG Liam is going crazy because he thinks he's not enough to make you want to stay. What's your plan? To leave the house like a goddamn cat and die somewhere on the street? They will not forgive themselves if they find out that you left to die alone when you have a pack to take care of you.»

Stiles persuades him (with threats) to tell at least someone about it and go to Deaton. 

And he does. He returns to the pack and, under Stiles' supervision, tells the truth.

I think he kept some of that serum to analyze it, but he couldn't do it himself, so he gave it to Deaton, but he also didn't know what it was. I like the idea that Malia and Deaton went to France to find something that could help Theo. They came back on the day that Theo was dying. They said nothing but "wait" and watched Theo die. Theo suffered in pain for several days but did not die. After a while, his power returned. He started healing. He was alright.

Then Deaton explained that all this time Theo was not dying. The doctors poisoned him so that he would never leave them, because "without them he would die". He was not supposed to feel pain again, but a few months ago he went to the place of doctors (I don't remember where they were) and found the last of his serum. He was afraid he would die without it, but in fact he only poisoned himself. I think it works like a poison and an antidote. When you take it once (the first time) in a few months you'll start to feel like you are dying. When you take it a second time, the pain will immediately disappear but recur in a few months. It will happen again and go around and around.

«You needed to get through it without the poison, so the next time the pain would be easier until it completely disappeared», Deaton said.

*Somewhere in the background are flowers and tearful scenes where Liam begs Theo to fight and stay with him because they have just begun to understand their feelings for each other.*

*Some kind of cool ending with happy thiam and good relationships between Theo and everyone else*

I want a MAXI, like a big fanfic with everything written in detail. With drama, with flashbacks, with jokes, with the reactions of almost all the characters (better without Scott, I hate him, but it's okay if he's there), and with Theo refusing to accept that he's been deceived all this time.

I really wanna read this😭😭

[walker-extended-universe]

Liam Fanfic Masterlist

to go up at 8:05 am

This is a list of fanfictions I have written where Liam is a main/major character. Enjoy!

Alibis- Liam Walker/Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester. NSFW. In which Liam meets two strangers in a bar and ends up being their alibi the next morning.

In Which Liam Is Not A Dumbass series- A series of fics in which Liam fixes his relationship with Bret in season 1 based on various episodes

"Hard" at Work- Liam/Bret. NSFW. After Bret and Liam revive their relationship, Liam decides to shave the way Bret likes. Bret decides to show his appreciation for this decision by getting Liam a little hot and bothered at the office.

Self Care Is Important. And Hard.- Liam/Bret. Liam's having some trouble adjusting after the last few months. Bret's there to help.

My Mate At Last- Liam/Bret. Omegaverse. NSFW. Bret has waited a long time to make Liam his mate. Now, the day has finally come. (Pun not intended).

Just For One Night- Walkercest. Liam has a dark secret that no one can ever know. After making a scene at his wedding, he’s closer than ever to revealing it.

I'm in Love with a Monster- Liam/Bret. Part of the Walkernatural Series. Liam is getting tired of supernatural interference with his life and decides to confide in his beloved Bret. Little does he know that Bret has a bit of a curveball for him.

Perfect Hair- Liam/Dan Miller. NSFW. Rape/Non-con. Liam once said that Dan had perfect hair. While Dan didn’t necessarily disagree, he liked Liam's hair more. It was the perfect length for pulling.

Winter Wonderland- Liam/Bret. Bret invites Liam up to his family cabin for Christmas. Things don’t exactly go according to plan.

Avoidance- Liam is hiding from his family after Cordell made him reveal his questionable actions. Micki decides to drop in and lend an ear.

Boy Toy- Liam/Bret. NSFW. Liam's had a rough day at work. Bret knows just what to do to help him out.

Love Bites- Liam/Bret. Part of the Walkernatural Series. Things are going great between Bret and Liam. But when Bret's past rears it's ugly head, new threats rise for their relationship.

Soulmates- Walkercest. Omegaverse. Liam always knew he and his brother were meant to be. It’s a shame it took so long for Cordell to realize it.

When Love Isn't Enough- Liam/Bret. NSFW. Bret gets a break from work and comes back to Texas to see Liam, but neither of them are feeling it anymore. After a heartfelt talk, they have one last night together.

Groundhog Day is Just a Movie- In which Cordell finds himself stuck in a time loop

Hiding In Plain Sight- 15 years after Cordell ran away from home, he returns to Austin with his wife and new life. He just wants to live his life without worrying about what he left behind. Unfortunately, he moved in right next door to his little brother.

We Just Need To Talk- Liam has a nightmare about his time in captivity and goes looking for comfort. After witnessing Cordell have a nightmare too, he decides enough is enough. They don’t have to talk about what happened, but they are going to engage in some brotherly cuddles and at least acknowledge that there’s a problem.

The Missing Piece- Liam/Ben. Liam finds out that Ben was the one to figure out he was missing. He doesn't take it well.

The Smell of Fear- Omegaverse. Alpha!Cordell has an extreme reaction to seeing his omega brother in cuffs and bruised. He goes feral, kills a few guys with his bare hands, the usual. When rescue finally arrives, he’s still in feral mode and won't let the rescue team near them, so Cassie has to go in and try to cool him off. Eventually, they tranquilize him and keep him under until the feral has worn off.

Paradigm Shift- But there was one more thing Liam needed to get off his chest. He just wasn’t sure he had the guts to do it.

Under Duress- Walkercest. Omegaverse. NSFW. In the cage, Liam was unwillingly turned into an Omega via special pills that were outlawed decades ago. When he goes into heat, Cordell fears for his life and does what he thinks is necessary.

When It All Comes Crashing Down- The Walker family's initial reactions to Abby's collapse

Why Am I Here?- Ben/Liam. Ben is really tired of being kept in the dark. Liam bears the brunt of his anger

It's a Nice Day for a Picnic- Ben/Liam. Liam finally gets Ben on that picnic

[muldxr]

2022 writing review 🤍

another year has come and gone! i was tagged by @neondiamond @beardyboyzx @wabadabadaba @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 18

2. Word count posted for the year: ~56k

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry/Louis, with a dash of Zayn/Liam in my new fic

5. Story with the most: Kudos: greased lightnin’ [155] Bookmarks: Hill Country [54] Comment threads: Hill Country [17]

the rest is under the cut!

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): Hill Country was a creative experience from start to end. I mentioned this one a lot this year, but there's nothing major I would change about it. I will always, genuinely, enjoy re-reading it and I thank everyone who gives it a chance

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why): it was a really hard year so i don't want to be negative about any of my works <3 they all have their strengths

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received: I appreciate @lululawrence for kindly reccing dark blue on her June podcast episode here! I was in awe because it is a fic that i didn't think anyone would enjoy - and she COMPARED IT to other iconic crackfics, and it's just a big honor to have this underrated gem on that list.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard: lately my writing motivation has dwindled as the daylight disappeared, and i didn't have a very fun time writing in aug-oct but i'm prepared to do better in 2023

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: does Figs count? i loved the creativity that came with this style of poem and the 'scene' it sets up. i have been testing my limits with writing shorter but more impactful works this year

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing: this is from after hours and i can't resist a scene where all hope is lost

“Harry, please, leave it.”

“I’ve been trying to hold onto something, to find something good out of the bad. Why don’t you?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“You said I’ve been too quiet. You said I wasn’t helping you figure it out, but I was. And I can’t be positive about it like you are, because the answer’s fucking obvious.” He makes a sweeping gesture at himself, an absolutely broken flick of the hand. He doesn’t bother to look at Harry. “It’s my fault.”

Then Harry can’t get a word in while Louis passes him, walking into the house. He doesn’t follow, not right away. Sooner or later he’ll have to go up, work through the stubbornly silent treatment to console Louis, and come up with an easier way to separate their guilt from what they have to do. 

That, and because, when the sound of footsteps returns, Harry realizes he has the keys.  

13. How do you hope to grow next year: 1) I want to continue betaing/cheerleading, so hit me up! 2) I hope i can write another 15k+ fic! that would be great because I enjoy the chance to sit with a plot/cast of characters for longer than a few months

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc): people who tagged me in snippet games!! i don't post those very often because it's hard for me to write more than a few sentences at a time and I have a lot of scattered dialogue and incomplete scenes, but i enjoy interacting with everyone

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:  this is a deep-dish-pizza-loving household, thus after hours gave it the attention it deserves. hill country also held a lot of texan essence~ and i'm glad i poured it in there. I-80 was inspired by a roadtrip. see-see was based on 15+ years of movie-going experiences (if i figure out how, i might write a longform deaf au, emphasis on might). i think that's it? i try to be creative and pull inspiration from things, but if it turns too personal it's difficult to not want it to be 100% perfect

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: not to say this applies to everyone - but I have learned in the last 1.5 years of writing fic, it's important to take things in moderation when planning wips and committing to fests. i learned this the hard way, and it made me reevaluate my connection to writing and taking care of myself

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: it's a slow year! I am working on fics for @harryrarepairfest and @omegaharryfest due in March before I take a personal break. Then two more projects finished by November? I'm also open to writing for other fandoms 🫣

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read. @allwaswell16 @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @onlythebravest @tommokat @beelou @phd-mama @littleroverlouis @starsweredible @thedevilinmybrain and who else wants to share!

[amatchinwater]

Devenford Academy

Warnings: panic attack

Ao3 link ch 1 2

Ch 3: Cracks in the Wall

---

Avoiding Brett has become practically impossible since officially meeting the pack. Stiles gets a few breaths alone after breakfast and before lunch. Other than the two classes in between, Brett is almost always there. Stiles has almost gotten used to it.

Almost.

It’s more so that when in the presence of the pack, the spark has learned to guard himself from the Alpha’s advances. Became desensitized to it. In reality, all it did was develop a type of rapport with Brett in the last week. Stiles has actually grown quite fond of it. It’s close to the way he and Isaac interact with one another. Just, you know, with Brett’s added flirtation and sexual innuendos.

As far as the pack goes, Stiles adores them. Having Isaac and Liam back in his life is amazing. Lori is hilarious and helps the spark not be as nervous around Brett. Donovan is, well, he’s not stalking him from the bushes anymore. Mason is fucking smart, like crazy smart and is just as into research as Stiles. He misses his father like crazy, but they’ve all proven that they’re here for him.

Today is particularly bad. The potion that he made has done nothing to calm the spark down. He feels moments away from having a panic attack. Stiles was able to make it back to his room, his second period teacher excusing him with a stomach ache. Not a complete lie. Aside from not being able to control his breathing that somehow got set to manual, Stiles feels like he might throw up.

Or pass out.

Possibly both.

Both are seeming more and more likely as the seconds creep by like glaciers.

Stiles stumbles into their bathroom half blind. Shoes and jacket thrown somewhere in the room on his way. The spark barely gets the shower turned on before his wobbly legs give out. His knees hit the floor with a harsh thud, promising bruises the following morning. Tugging his tie off does nothing to help the spark breathe better. He has to do something before he brains himself on the porcelain. 

“Lori,” Stiles croaks. Calling out to the she-wolf that he’s grown close to. “Lori, I need you.” Though they mean well, the spark can’t handle the intensity that would come with Isaac or Liam. And he doesn’t know if he can handle seeing Brett being gentle.

That would shatter every brick wall he’s tried to build between them.

They’re already flimsy at best right now.

A few months later, someone bursts into his room. “Stiles?” Lori calls out, “Stiles, where a- Stiles!” She crashes on the floor beside the shaking spark with a grounding hold on his shoulders. “What’s wrong? What can I do?” Her tone panicked, but doing her best at holding it together.

“P-p-” Stiles wheezes, eyesight getting worse. Who put the room sideways? “Panic…attack,” he gasps out.

“How can I help?” Lori asks, strong voice laced with worry. “Stiles, I don’t know what to do. I’m going to get Isaac, okay?” The spark shakes his head, trying to point to the shower. “Shit,” she hisses, grabbing his hand until there’s a draining feeling and black veins on hers. She’s trying to take his pain. “It’s not working…” she mutters something else, but it was too low for Stiles to hear.

“Stiles!” Brett’s voice catches his attention along with his whine. Did Lori call him?” Isaac, stay out here,” his voice gets louder, footsteps following on the tile floor. “Why didn’t you call me, Lori?”

So she called Isaac. Brett came on his own. It’s third period now, the Alpha doesn’t share that class with Isaac. Could he hear Stiles?

“I figured Isaac would make him more comfortable,” she says in her defense.

“Stiles?” Brett asks, lifting the spark’s head off the toilet seat. Oh, that’s why everything was sideways. Stiles leans into the touch, gasping for a proper breath, pointing at the irregular thundering in his chest. “Lori, get out.”

“What?”

“It’s fine, just go,” the Alpha says to his sister. “He needs space. I’m gonna get him in the shower, just wait with Isaac.” Brett scoops Stiles into his arms, “I can take care of him,” he says and warm water starts to cascade on them.

“But-”

“Lori,” Brett stops her, “I’m the Alpha. It’s my job. You did fine, but please, go so that I can help him.” The bathroom door closes and the wolf maneuvers them until Stiles is sitting in his lap. “Come on, pup, breathe. I’ve got you. Look at my hands,” Brett raises them, speaking softly, but sternly, “count them.”

The warm water settles into his pores, moderately easing the shaking of Stiles’ limbs. He takes a gasping breath and then another. His lungs hurt so badly. His ribs feel bruised with how hard his heart is slamming against them. Stiles blinks hard, begging for the Alpha’s hands to stop being blurry.

“Come on, Gorgeous,” Brett regains his focus. Wiggling his fingers, the wolf repeats the instruction, “count.”

Logically, Stiles knows that Brett being an Alpha does jack squat for him. He’s not part of the pack yet. But it’d be a lie to say that the wolf isn’t helping. Stiles is incredibly grateful right now.

Though he’s not shaking anymore, someone replaced Stiles’ limbs with lead. It takes a tremendous amount of focus to lift his hand. “One,” he taps the wolf’s pinky. “Two.” All the way to ten. His lungs finally pull in air properly.

“Good,” Brett kisses his temple, rubbing their heads together, “again. Focus on my breathing.”

Stiles does as he’s told. Letting the Alpha coax him back to reality. To safety. Back to normal. Breathing gets easier and his head no longer feels ready to explode. The worst has passed. All that remains is a minor sense of unease lingering in the back of his mind. But that’s usually how it goes. He just needs a few more minutes. 

“Thank you,” Stiles says, sinking into the Alpha’s hold.

Brett’s begun softly rumbling in his chest, carefully stroking the spark’s arms. “Any time. Isaac used to get them when he first got here. Liam too. This is why you should be in our pack,” the Alpha rests his head back against the tile wall.

“So you can help me through panic attacks,” Stiles snorts, turning a little in the wolf’s lap. He seemed to have done just fine without them being packmates. 

“So that it won’t take as long to,” Brett retorts. “I’m glad you trust Lori enough to call her, I do.” The Alpha pauses, like he’s trying to make sure this doesn’t come off as a lecture. He did just come down from a panic attack, so Stiles gratefully and patiently waits for the wolf to find the right words. “If I hadn’t decided to listen for you on a whim, I’d have never known something was wrong. As an Alpha- as your Alpha, I wouldn’t have to check in randomly. I’d feel it.”

The spark’s brows pinch, “how? Sorry, I don’t know everything about werewolves. Or packs.”

“It’s part of the pack bond,” Brett explains, not sounding like he’s berating him for not knowing. Rather actually educating. “When you’re a werewolf you have heightened senses. I could hear you across campus, yes. But when you’re in a pack, you all share a deeper connection; an emotional bond. I can feel all of my Betas and they can feel myself and each other at any given time. On top of that, if we were pack, my presence alone could calm you down without needing to touch or scent you like I’m doing now. It’d definitely help, but it would only be extra at that point.”

The spark had no idea.

That must have been what Brett did for Isaac on his second day like his best friend mentioned. Worked him through a panic attack and explained the benefits of being together.

“I’m not trying to force you into anything,” Brett assures him. “I meant it when I said that it’s entirely your choice. I’m just letting you know the benefits. I already told you you have a place in my pack, that you just have to take it. So, just think about it, okay?”

“I’ll do it,” Stiles agrees. The park is smart. He knows that at the very least, Brett isn’t lying to him about this. He’s seen the proof with Isaac and Liam. And now even himself. The extent that Brett was able to help him without being pack was great. Knowing that it could be all that much easier is definitely a bonus. 

The Alpha’s hands stutter for a second, “what?”

“I mean, an ironclad assurance that Isaac and Liam will be in my life?” Stiles laughs, “can’t find a reason to pass that up.” Brett rolls his eyes. “I’m all alone now,” the spark turns serious, the real reason he’s saying yes so soon. “It’ll be nice to have people who care about me again. A family. So, yes. I’ll join your pack, Brett. What do I have to do?”

Moving the wet strands of hair from his face, Brett moves Stiles to face him fully. “Tilt your head back,” the Alpha says with glowing rubies. “This won’t hurt and it doesn’t go deep enough to turn you. But I need you to trust me,” Brett exposes the spark’s throat more, grabbing him by the nape of the neck to pull him closer. “Can you do that?”

“Yeah,” Stiles gulps. Scared of fangs being that close to his neck, but he’s placing his trust in the Alpha. If Isaac did it, so can he. Brett did just help him after all. The spark can offer him the level of trust he’s asking for. Because he’s only joining the pack, it’s not a marriage proposal.

“Try and sit still,” the Alpha says, slurring around his fangs. Brett places the softest, briefest kiss on his bobbing adam’s apple. The spark recognizes it for what it is, a means to help soothe him, not hit on him. “Relax, pup,” the wolf’s warm breath ghosts across his skin before his fangs pinch around Stiles’ throat. 

It’s only a pinch, honestly. The smallest of a stinging sensation. Stiles has to fight not to moan, letting out a choked whine in his efforts. His neck has always been his weak spot and as much as the spark tries to ignore it, it’s Brett’s mouth and fangs. The Alpha growls around the bite and something blossoms is Stiles’ chest. He moans then, can’t help it really and will absolutely feel shame for it later. It takes a second to realize that the feeling must be the pack bond Brett was talking about. 

Stiles can feel everyone in his very being. Their worry for him as they wait in the spark’s room. It gives Stiles a sense of fullness. A wholeness he’s never experienced before. Except for maybe when he was young and his parents were alive and Isaac hadn’t moved away yet.

It’s amazing. 

Brett pulls back and on instinct, the spark reaches for his throat, expecting to feel puncture wounds. But there’s nothing aside from his own goosebumps from sitting in the shower fully clothed.

“Are you okay?” The Alpha asks, red fading away from his blue eyes.

“Yeah,” Stiles whispers, afraid to speak out loud, though unsure why. Because he just moaned from Brett biting him, duh. Red stains his cheeks. 

“Normally an Alpha will stay with their new Beta and the pack.” Brett tells him, “it helps solidify the pack bonds.”

“But?” The spark pushes, “I feel a but coming.”

The wolf shakes his head with a smile, “sharp as a tack. But, we’re sitting fully clothed in your shower. I’m going to quickly run back to my room to change and let you actually take a shower first. The pack is right outside if you need anything. Unless you don’t think you can wait,” Brett suggests, “I’m sure Isaac has something that’ll fit me.”

“I think an actual shower would be nice,” Stiles says with a soft smile, “but thank you. I’ll be okay. Like you said, everyone is right outside. Go get yourself dry.”

“Okay,” Brett taps the spark’s chin, helping him to his feet, “I’ll be back soon. Are you hungry? I can stop by the food hall on my way back.”

“I skipped breakfast, so that’d be great,” Stiles agrees as his stomach rumbles.

“I’ll grab something,” the Alpha pulls him into a tight hug before stepping out of the shower.

When the bathroom door closes, Stiles peels off his wet clothes that have become a second skin. “Hey, Is,” he says, “can you grab me some pajamas, please?”

It takes a second before the door opens, “here you go.” Isaac doesn’t leave right away, “are you okay?”

“I’m better now,” the spark tells him. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about my dad and everything hit me at once. But I’m okay now. I’m sorry if I scared you guys.”

The wolf chuckles through his nose, “I just care about you, is all.” The door opens, but Isaac pauses, “I’m really glad you’re part of the pack.”

“Me too,” Stiles grins to himself and the bathroom door closes again. The spark quickly washes himself off, toweling himself dry and gets dressed. Isaac was smart enough to give him a long sleeve. It helps as a comfort and something Stiles can fiddle with. 

When the spark steps out of the bathroom he instantly has an armful of Lori. The she-wolf hugs him tightly to her, “I’m so sorry, Stiles. I didn’t know what to do,” she whines, rubbing her cheek against his neck.

“Don’t apologize, Lori,” Stiles lifts his chin to help her better scent him. He may not know much, but the spark knows about scenting. “You did everything you could and I’m so grateful for that. I wasn’t even pack yet, but you still came when I called.” 

“Pack or not,” Donovan says, joining their embrace, “we would have come if you needed help.”

“It’s what we do,” Liam confirms, him and Mason wrapping their arms around them.

Isaac joins too, circling Stiles in a chorus of soft growls. 

“I brought pizza,” Brett announces when he walks back in. Stiles can see his smile from the small hole between Mason and Lori’s heads. “Glad to see you guys have started already.” The Alpha sets the boxes down, “let me in there.” The pack opens up to give him space, his arms replacing his sister’s around Stiles.

The spark hasn’t felt love like this before.

—

It’s been a week since Stiles’ panic attack. A whole seven days of being part of a pack. It’s pretty amazing actually. It was strange at first, feeling six other people alongside himself. But the warmth and connection that came with it far outweighed the weirdness. Stiles has a whole family now. It’s such a beautiful feeling. 

Brett gave him a day or two to adjust before the flirting picked back up. Stiles almost missed it. He’d grown accustomed to being hit on by the wolf. It made the absence of it very odd. No matter how short lived. Which just means that when it came back, the spark’s guard was a little off. 

“Hey, Gorgeous,” Brett’s arm loops around his shoulders when they walk out of their last class. “You’re not running away from me again, are you?”

Stiles leans into the wolf, patting his chest. The spark bats his eyelashes, “I wouldn’t dream of it, Alpha,” he says, oozing sarcasm. 

He’s teasing the wolf, Stiles knows it. Surely Brett does too. The spark just wasn’t prepared for the Alpha’s reaction.

Brett growls, yanking him around the corner. Most of the students have left and the Alpha pins the spark to the closest wall. “Careful, Gorgeous,” the wolf rumbles in his chest, red flickering in his irises. “Don’t tease me like that if you can’t handle the consequences,” Brett whispers the words against his neck. Hands squeezing the spark’s hips.

Stiles has forgotten how to breathe. Taking shallow gasps for air that are flooded with Brett’s cologne. He’s so fucking close. The kiss on Stiles’ pulse makes him whine to prevent a moan.

“Teasing an Alpha isn’t smart, Stiles,” Brett pushes his knee between the spark’s legs. God, the friction is heavenly. Stiles blushes, feeling like a virgin though he’s far from it. The Alpha nips his neck, kissing his jaw, “you never know when his control might snap and get yourself fucked-” Brett accentuates the word with a dig of his knee. Stiles can’t stop the moan then, “-right here in this hallway. Unless you want to stop lying to yourself,” the wolf leans back to look in his eyes, moving his knee away, proving who’s the better tease here. “Let me walk you home and I can give you exactly what you want, Gorgeous.”

Their lips are so close that their breath becomes one. Though his eyes are glassy, it’s enough to break the spell. Stiles gently shoves the Alpha off of him. He actually moves too, proving he’s not forcing anything; Stiles can’t match an Alpha’s strength. “I’m not that easy, Talbot,” the spark smirks before walking away.

He has dinner in the food hall with the pack, laughing and having a good time. Stiles and Mason team up to keep the last brownie away from Liam with their powers. The sparks split the treat together, much to the young wolf’s annoyance.

Stiles narrowly escaped Brett’s invitation to walk him home again. The spark told him he needed to go to the library to study for his biology test. Science has never been his forte, so he mostly got away with the lie.

To his surprise, when the spark gets back to his and Isaac’s room, the pack is there again. Various snacks and drinks litter the room with the Infinity War menu playing on the t.v. screen.

“Friday’s are movie nights,” Isaac explains to the spark’s cocked eyebrow. “We were waiting for you.”

“I told you there was no funny business,” Brett’s lazy grin shines from Stiles’ bed. “I was coming here anyway,” the Alpha says in regards to the offer to walk him home.

How was Stiles supposed to know that? The last time Brett offered, the wolf was suggesting fucking. “Let me get changed,” Stiles shakes his head with a smile. “Who picked the movie?” He asks from the bathroom while getting dressed.

“Brett did,” Mason pipes up. “Isaac mentioned that Marvel was a favorite of yours,” the other spark sounds so proud of himself. Especially when he chuckles at the Alpha’s growl.

Once changed, Stiles heads back out. Brett’s gotten under the covers, lifting the corner for the spark to join him. The spark sees Isaac and Liam laying the same way in the wolf’s bed, so he tries to calm down about it. Tries. But when he settles under the blankets, the Alpha’s arm wraps around him, curling the spark close. Stiles can only hope the movie starting hides the sound of his hammering heart.

Doubtful.

Though no one teases him for it, so the spark will take it.

About halfway through the movie, Mason and Donovan are snoring where they’re snuggled up with Lori. The Betas made a little nest of blankets and pillows on the floor. His and Brett’s legs have tangled together, the wolf softly rubbing his foot against the spark’s.

Brett’s been careful the whole time. Slow in his movements so as not to startle Stiles. Or bring the attention of the pack. The Alpha’s hand carefully slides under the spark’s shirt to caress his skin. Slow and deliberate in his intentions, giving Stiles plenty of time to tell him no. Although it elicits goosebumps and feels more than just friendly, it’s soothing so the spark allows it.

Stiles yawns, jerking his head off the wolf’s chest. He’s so relaxed in the wolf’s arms he could pass out. He didn’t even realize that he was laying on the Alpha. Isaac is the only one besides them that’s still awake. The spark usually has no problem staying up late. Right now, he’s so exhausted and boneless. He yawns again.

“If you’re tired,” Brett whispers, “you should sleep.”

“I’m-” Stiles fails at stopping another yawn, “-not tired.”

The Alpha chuckles silently, coaxing the spark back into snuggling with him. Once Stiles’ head is resting on Brett’s chest again he says, “I’ve heard Alphas are very comfortable to sleep on. Warm and safe,” Brett starts to growl softly.

“Jus’ to sleep,” Stiles mutters, eyes fluttering closed. Brett’s warmth, heartbeat, and growls lulling him to sleep effortlessly. “Nothing funny.”

“Just to sleep,” Brett agrees, holding the spark close and kissing the top of his head.

[triskhellion]

Amīca

Rated: General (1.5K)

Relationship: Derek Hale/Melissa McCall, Derek Hale & Melissa McCall

Characters: Melissa McCall, Derek Hale

Tags: POV Melissa McCall, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Pre-Relationship

Summary: Melissa befriends Derek after Scott and the rest of the gang leave Beacon Hills. On the anniversary of the fire Derek comes over wrecked and comfort turns into kissing...and maybe eventually more.

Super Blue Moon prompts: Special, Unravel & Woman

It began with a forehead kiss. 

For months now they’d been enjoying each other’s company, light conversation over dinner a couple times a week or sharing stories about all the exasperating, but amusing and lovable teenagers they knew when he came over to fix some broken appliance or another. Sometimes they wouldn’t say much of anything at all, reading or writing in a comfortable silence.

A much different one than the quiet of absence in the house after Scott and the rest of the bunch went off to college or other endeavors out of town. For a while it had been refreshing not to have a gaggle of rambunctious troublemakers yelling and roaring about the place. Getting bloodstains on the furniture, mostly accidentally smashing things, and generally being underfoot when she was trying to get something done around the house. But eventually the novelty had worn off. She missed them.

One afternoon on her way to work she’d seen Derek broodily wandering on the side of the road and it occurred to her that he must be lonely too.

Not even Peter was around these days for dubious companionship and while some of the new kids remained — going over to Liam’s now instead of her place — they weren’t really part of his circle despite being the only Alpha actually in residence. So a few days later when she’d had a day off she brought food over to the loft for the first time figuring that he could use a home-cooked meal. Enchiladas de mole poblano with esquites and salpicon de res. 

Watching the play of emotions on his face, the surprise and confusion giving way to a cautious smile, had filled her with warmth and satisfaction. Melissa was just planning to drop it off, but he stiltedly invited her inside and offered her a beer. It was pretty awkward at first, but became less so and when Derek stopped by her house the following week to return the platter, bowl, and baking dish she told him he should come back the next evening for lasagna. He did, bringing a bottle of red wine, and they ended up watching some artsy movie he mentioned liking when she scrolled past it while looking for something to put on. 

And so it went, their friendship a bright spot in this new mother-of-adult-child stage of life and the dinners, movie nights, and occasional joint errands something to look forward to. They had more in common than she would have guessed, swapping books back and forth and sending each other music, but they were also very different in other respects, which led to some lively debates from the philosophical to whether pineapple belonged on pizza. (Yes, it does, Derek! Sweet & salty-savory is a time honored flavor combination.)

Sometimes he showed up when he was obviously troubled, but Derek usually didn’t want to talk about it. Melissa wished that he would, but at least her presence seemed to help and she was glad that she could do that much. 

Then the anniversary of the fire came around again and he was suddenly there at her door, shaking, and all those bitten-back words and bottled up tears starting coming out. 

She guided him over to the couch and sat down with him, wrapping her arms around him as he clung to her, the hint of claws making tiny holes in her blouse, but not causing any actual pain. Eventually Derek ended up partially cradled in her lap on his side facing away. She had one hand carding through his hair and the other lain across his torso. His eyes were closed, tear laden lashes in little peaks, and his breath slowed now that he’d calmed, but with the irregularity of wakefulness.

Melissa looked down at him then, this powerful yet vulnerable creature. Beautiful and broken and brave, special and so so warm, and she felt a fierce protectiveness and love for him. Tucking an errant strands of hair behind his ear, she smiled softly and leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead. 

Glossy green-hazel eyes flew open and he froze momentarily before turning onto his back, staring at her anxious face and then lowering to her lips. Licking his own he then rose up slowly, eyes never leaving hers and giving ample time to pull away. She didn’t. 

Eyebrows raised and flushing, Melissa watched him get closer until her eyes unfocused and his mouth was meeting hers, at first clumsy, soft, and unsure and then vigorous and desperate. Heat flashed low in her belly as the kiss deepened and a large, strong hand fisted in her hair. When they paused for breath she was left panting, gripping his back and her head resting on his shoulder.  

Their eyes met when she straightened up and astonished smiles were exchanged, but when he aimed to go further, tentatively reaching for her blouse, she took his hand firmly in both of hers and kissed the back just below his knuckles. 

Derek averted his eyes and went to pull away, an apology clearly forming on his tongue.

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’re okay,” she said, gently squeezing his captured wrist. “You didn’t do anything wrong and I’m not…” — she lifted one of her hands and waved it around — “uninterested, as I’m sure you can tell. But I think we should think about this. Not rush into anything at such an emotional time and try to figure out what you, what we, really want. Okay?” 

Derek hazarded a glance at her and nodded. Melissa smiled and kissed his hand once more before letting go. She was worried that he would immediately run off, possibly out of the state or even the country, but after fidgeting a bit he chose to stick around while she grabbed the remote and put on some random black and white movie, sitting on the floor with his side against her left leg. 

At some point she fell asleep and when she woke up with a blanket over her he was indeed gone, but she felt somewhat better about the prospect of seeing him again. However this went she didn’t want to lose him. More importantly, she didn’t want him to lose a source of support and comfort either. Melissa sighed.

Now she had some decisions to make. They both did.

The next evening found her thinking in the kitchen while drinking coffee before her night shift. She looked at the pictures on the fridge of her son and then turned away. This wasn’t about him or anyone except her and Derek.

Melissa ruminated on her lack of intimate connection, her long dormant desire raising its head at the possibility of being allowed out of its constraints. How tightly wound she’d become, just begging to be unraveled. To flourish.

It wasn’t like Melissa was unaware of how attractive Derek was, she had eyes after all, but she hadn’t approached him with any such designs in mind. Had only occasionally gone there in the privacy of her mind and bedroom and mostly just kind of ignored it. Part of her was raring to leap at the chance to experience him, but she wanted nothing to do with hurting him more.

She thought about what she knew of his various relationships and entanglements, some of which she’d inferred on her own and some she found out from overhead or occasionally direct conversations with Scott and the others.

There was the tragedy with Paige and then of course Kate, who took advantage afterward, and used him in order to destroy — to murder — his family. That Jennifer Blake woman, the vengeful darach who tried to sacrifice her and used Derek yetagain. 

She had no idea about what happened in the intervening years in New York. If he couldn’t let down his guard down or had too much guilt and trauma to date at all or if he hooked up with someone new every week to try to the dull the pain, or something in between. However it had gone she was going to assume there hadn’t been anything meaningful. Derek had never given the impression that he left someone behind, though who could say for certain with how close he usually kept things to his chest. 

Finally, there was Braeden. She at least didn’t seem to have damaged him and as far as Melissa knew they had fun and companionship and parted on good terms, but she doubted he’d gotten what he clearly so desperately craved from the no-strings mercenary either. What he needed. 

And with that thought she made up her mind. 

Maybe he’d realize that his feelings got all muddled up and he didn’t really see her that way. Or that even if he did that it wasn’t a good idea to act on it, which would be completely understandable. Whatever reason he might give she would accept. 

Melissa wouldn’t push. God knows he’d had enough of that.

But she also decided that if he truly wanted to give something more between them a shot then she wouldn’t say no. And that whatever happened she would do her damnedest to at least make sure she left him better than she found him.

Now the ball was in his court.

[seraphimart]

Caught

(Akumu doesnt do blackmail)

Rose sat bolted down and chained onto a steel chair, powered by old alchemy. She watched the figure pace back and forth.

"I'm telling you right now that you're wasting your time."

"Quiet."

Darkeethus paces more, tossing things around and muttering to himself. Rose was a bit concerned for the mental state of this man.

"Getting his attention this way never works. Trust me. We will be sitting here for weeks, months even. He doesn't do blackmail."

He grabbed her by the hair and pushed her head down, cranning her neck, and pulling the chains taunt by the pressure and force.

"I said SILENCE!

I know he'll come. You're his best soldier. His right hand. Killing you will lose him millions that he can not afford, but i won't have to do any of that if he just listens."

Rose frowned, unimpressed, and looked up through her bangs. Her neck was a little tight after being shoved down so roughly.

"You think so highly of me. I'm kinda flattered. But if you knew him like I do, you can stop wasting both of our time and shoot me already. He's not going to bother-"

"-saving his daughter?"

Rose's voice gets caught in her throat, almost making her gag.

Rose looked back at Darkeethus.

"W-what?"

His lips stretched into a disconcerting smile.

"Oh it took a lot of digging and lots of righteous sacrifices, but I know who you are now. I know how you came to be.

Scarrlette."

Rose started sweating. Things usually get complicated when they know who she really was.

He turns so his back is facing her.

"Or should I say a clone of Scarrlette. A faulty product, a failure."

There were questionable tools on the table that made the bottom of her stomach tighten. She knew what they could be used for.

Darkeethus messed with a few of the objects on the table, inspecting each one closely before giggling manically to himself. He turned around, holding a weird scoop like tool very surgical with sharp edges. He showed it off to her, causing her face to pale when she realized what it was.

Darkeethus leans over the bounded redhead.

"Now let's see, what can we remove to show him we are serious?," He makes a show of pondering as he tapped his chin, "Oh yes! That beautiful eye of yours."

Rose feels the panic start to bubble up in her chest as the scientist holds a different tool, which is supposed to keep the eye socket open.

"Wait, wait! You wanted him to listen to you, right, I can relay that information to him! I can bring him here guaranteed, with no eyeball removal."

Darkeethus thinks for a second making Rose assume he's actually taking the offer. Her hopes shattered when he shook his head.

"No, this way will do, my sweet."

The tool started to move close to her eye, hovering a few inches away.

"Shit fuck shit shit."

Sweat starts to bead down her forehead.

She shuts her eyes, teeth clenching in anticipation. A small, "Agghhh!" Escaping her lips.

When suddenly shadows start to form behind the mad scientist. It clumps up like millions of bats until a physical body is created.

A clawed hand gripped Darkeethus' shoulder tightly.

Then, he flings him back with ease. Darkeethus hits the wall, and pieces of wood shattered. His body slides down as blood poured out of the gash across the back of his head.

The new figure stared at the scientist that they flung, making it difficult for Rose to see who it was. Her eyes caught sight of the black hair, and the way it flowed flawlessly in the wind. She was shocked, and maybe she could even say relieved. Was it really him?

"A.. Akumu..?" She tried.

Red eyes looked over their shoulder to the bound redhead.

The figure turns around, and the second time that day, her hope shattered. It was Akumu's pet vampire, Liam Von Goethe.

Rose tried not to feel too disappointed, her smile wavering.

"L-Liam! What are you doing here.."

"My leige does not have time to deal with whatever this is, so he sent me."

He crossed his arms, looking at her.

Liam doesn't say anything else after that and stares. Rose starts to get uncomfortable with how awkward the stare is.

"Are you gonna untie me? Or just stare..." Rose asked, feeling quite flustered under that gaze.

Liam stands there with a hand on his chin as he studies Rose.

Another voice chimes in. "Beautiful.."

Liam turns his head to the scientist. They were sitting upright, leaning heavily on the wall, face covered in blood, a large contrast against their pale white hair.

Darkeethus stared at Liam in complete awe, one eye swollen shut.

"You're absolutely beautiful."

Liam became flustered a deep frown stretching his lips.

"Are you an angel?"

Liam scoffs, a look of disgust on his face.

"Che, you're delusional from blood loss."

"And you." He turns to face Rose his clawed hand reaching out.

"How much more will he tolerate before he sees you as a liability, I wonder.." Rose looked up at him with a frown as he caresses her cheek. It made her stomach twist from how gentle he was being.

He stared a little while longer before suddenly getting up. He dusted his cloak off from imaginary dust and started to leave.

Rose watched him go for a few minutes. The door slammed shut behind him, shaking the walls with force.

She looked down at the steeel chains and bolts, powered by alchemy, keeping her in place.

"Fucking asshole didn't untie me."

She tapped her temple with her shoulder, hitting her intercom and waited for the call to go through.

"Yo?"

"I'm calling in that favor you owe me."

[sebastianstangirl]

The Other Side

Chapter 1: Rue

Series Synopsis: Prudence - or Rue for short - is the younger sister of Clint Barton and the newest recruit to the Avengers team. After months of flirting and secret touches, she's unable to deny her attraction to Bucky any longer. Bucky, a willing participant, is completely enamoured with Rue and wants to do things the right way. Which means winning big brother Clint's approval.

Word count: 2610

Warning: alcohol consumption

Rating: MA

Chapter Summary: With Natasha's approval, Rue and Bucky's attraction comes to a head.

Series

Tags: @twinkleallnight @tessa-liam @sparklebae15-blog

He’s not supposed to be here. 

He and Scott are supposed to be handling a mission in Istanbul. But here he is, while Lang is a no-show. Of course, Steve and Tony questioned him when he walked in earlier, but he reassured them that his partner had simply gone home opposed to joining the party. 

If I knew he was going to show up I would have put more clothes on. I’ve never been one to flaunt my figure, nor to shy away from looks from those around me. But for some reason when Bucky is around, I try to wear less revealing clothes. Unlike the red cocktail dress that’s currently hugging my curves like a too-small glove. 

His gaze burns through me like a forest fire. 

The air seems to still time around me when Bucky catches my eye, his eyes searing into me as if he’s searching for some unspoken answer. His lips are pulled up in a crooked smirk, and I can feel the heat rushing through my body like wildfire. 

Clint is chattering away about a football game he lost a bet on, but I am hardly paying attention; my eyes keep drifting back to Bucky, who is leaning casually against the wall and smirking at me knowingly. My heart hammers in my chest as I try desperately to break free from his gaze and focus on what Nat and Clint are discussing, but it’s futile.

Clint, at least, doesn’t seem to mind my lack of input though, he hardly ever does. 

That’s one thing I love about my brother, he’s always been fine with my sudden silence. Sometimes I think he prefers it, if I’m being honest. Natasha, on the other hand, has not only noticed, but is now trying to redirect my attention with her flirting eyes.

“Don’t you agree Rue?” She finally asks, tapping my knee.

I look at her and blink, feeling my cheeks start to burn as Clint turns and sets his eyes on me as well. 

“Uh – what?” I fluster with the sudden shift of attention. “You guys know I don’t really care about football.”

Clint’s eyes narrow as he brings his glass to his lips, but if he’s suspecting something he keeps it to himself.

“I was saying,” Nat reminds me, “that your brother needs to stop betting away all his money while talking about retirement in the same breath.”

“It’s fantasy football, Nat,” he huffs, setting his glass down. “Betting is the whole point.”

I shrug a shoulder and lean back in my seat, still feeling Bucky’s lingering eyes. “He’ll never actually retire. He likes the fight too much.”

Clint scoffs but I don’t miss the slight uptick of the corner of his lips. “I’m getting too old for this job, you know that. I have to do yoga for an hour every morning or I pull a muscle.”

“Pfft,” I roll my eyes with a smirk, “Tony’s older than you and he’s still going.”

“Tony also has a metal suit,” he quipped back.

“Yeah, yeah. Metal suit excuse,” I glance down at my nearly empty glass and let out a sigh. 

Might as well get it over with. 

“I need a refill, can I get you two anything?” I ask as I stand with the glass in hand.

Clint shakes his head, “I’m probably about to call it a night. Jetlag is setting in.”

“That’s always a bitch,” Nat agrees as she passes me her glass. “I’ll take another pisco sour.”

“Of course,” I say with a wink before heading toward the bar.

The bar should be the last place I want to go, since it’s where Bucky and Steve have stationed themselves along with Bruce and a few others. I suddenly become self conscious as I approach, I glance down at the tight red dress and question if I should go and put on something with a more relaxed fit. I could accompany Clint to his room then swing by mine and change, it would be a good excuse. 

I know I’m not going to do that though. 

I revel in the way Bucky's gaze never leaves me for longer than a beat. I fight to keep my lips from curving into a smirk as I glide past Steve on his other side, purposefully avoiding any contact with him. Steve’s eyes burn into my skin as they flick from my dress, up to my face, and I can practically feel the intensity of his stare. 

“I saw that Rogers,” I tease, which makes him blush.

“Sorry Barton, I guess it’s hard for me to deny my basic instincts when I’m a bit under the influence.”

“A bit?” Bruce laughs from behind the bar. “I’ve been giving these guys the strongest drinks I know for the last two hours and they’re still able to hold an intelligible conversation.”

I turn to lean on the counter with an elbow and place my other fist on my cocked out hip. “I’m not surprised in the least.”

“What are you having Rue?” Bruce asks. He tries to twirl a stir stick between his fingers, fumbles and drops it.

“Nat wants a pisco sour and I’ll have a boulevardier.”

“Coming right up.”

I turn my attention back to the man beside me, “what have you been up to today Steve?”

My eyes narrow in on Steve as my real target lurks behind him. He thinks he holds all the power of manipulation, but I'd been schooled in the art by a pair of  masters – Clint and Nat. 

His icy blue gaze may be sharp enough to slice through my defenses; yet the way to take him down was by turning his own game against him - with flirtatious glances directed at his companion. As I lock eyes with Steve, I know I’ve found my moment of victory. Bucky fidgets uncomfortably in his spot, wanting to look away but unable to.

The roads between us have never been easy. We’ve had our moments of gentle teasing and flirtation, the fleeting glances and secret smiles when nobody was looking. But despite my feelings for him, I know that acting on them is out of the question. 

Natasha is my friend – possibly my best friend if I don’t count Sam. 

Despite the longing in my chest to be closer to Bucky, I can’t ignore their past. I know it didn’t last long, and it happened years ago – even before Bucky joined the team. But it had been full of fiery passion, or so she told me one day at Clint’s annual spring barbeque.

 Plus, there’s the fact that the team still doesn’t fully trust Bucky, not after everything he did – Clint especially. Even though my brother was on Steve’s side during the Civil War, it didn’t mean that he trusted Bucky – in fact he expressed his distrust to me a few times when I first joined the team (which he was also against, but that’s neither here nor there anymore).

Just thinking about their opinions makes me feel like I can’t breathe, knowing that even if Steve and Sam are on his side, most others in the room with us are not.

“Not much really,” Steve’s words pull me from my head. “I did read a book series.”

My eyes widen in surprise, “a whole series in one day?”

He chuckles and rubs the back of his neck, “I got sucked in.”

“That’s cute.”

Bucky shifts behind him, clearing his throat before downing his drink and turning to Bruce. “Another, barkeep.”

“Barkeep?” Bruce shakes his head as he sets mine and Natasha’s drinks on the counter. “You do know we all take turns back here right? I can sign you up for next time.”

Bucky narrows his eyes, “you think that scares me?”

“I think that’s a challenge Bruce,” I chime in as I grab the cold glasses. “I think he absolutely should play barkeep next time.”

I flash a grin at Bucky before turning and walking back to Natasha, making sure to sashay my hips since I know he’s watching my every move. I had her drink over and sit back in my seat, Clint is already gone so it’s just us girls. Running a hand through my hair, my eyes flick back to the bar for a fraction of a second.

“It’s okay,” Natasha says calmly.

I look back at her with my heart in my throat. “What are you talking about Nat?”

She nods in the direction of the bar, her knowing eyes trained on my face. “James.”

I drop my eyes, feeling the heat rushing to my face. “There’s nothing–”

“I know. But there could be.”

I take a quick sip of my drink, savoring the burn of the whiskey as it runs down my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Nat.”

She tips her head to the side with a soft smile, “yes you do.”

Shame floods my body, my chest clenches tightly as I look up to meet her green eyes. I chew the inside of my cheek before blowing a raspberry and leaning back in my seat.

“I’m sorry.”

Her brows quiver, “why? I said it’s okay.”

“I know, but I’m sorry I kept it from you. You’re family and I shouldn't – I shouldn’t’ve even dared, let alone hid it from you. You deserve better than that.”

Nat takes a breath and licks her lips before leaning towards me, resting her elbows on her knees. “You weren’t really hiding it – not from me anyway. Neither was he,” she nods towards Bucky.

“I –”

“You don’t have to say anything, not to me. I know you, and I know him. I think it’ll work, so…” she took a sip of her drink and smiled. “I’m not the one you have to convince.”

I close my eyes and inhale sharply, “Clint.”

Natasha chuckles and pats my knee, “good luck with that one.”

“Yeah,” I laugh under my breath.

~~~~

A few hours later the group has severely diminished over the hours; only myself, Nat, Sam, Steve and Bucky remain. I stifle a yawn, a clear indicator I’m ready for bed. Ready to call it a night, I stand with hooded eyes.

“G’night guys, going to bed.”

Everyone choruses their farewells as I slip my shoes off so I don’t end up falling on my face. Bending down to grab them, I’m unable to keep my balance and end up toppling over into Sam’s lap. He lets out an ‘oomph’ while I burst into laughter. He helps me right myself in his lap and I run my hand through my hair to pull it all out of my eyes. I turn to kiss his cheek before pushing off of him.

“Thanks for the save,” I giggle with a wink.

“Always,” he smiles.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go up alone,” Nat suggests cautiously.

I roll a hand in the air, “I’m fine.”

Not giving her or anyone else a chance to try and baby me, I make my way to the elevator and hit the button. I lean against the cool metal of the door and hum to myself with closed eyes until it dings and the doors open. Without opening my eyes, I walk in and immediately lean against the wall before hitting the button for my floor. 

Before the doors are able to shut completely, a metal hand shoots out to stop it. The doors fly back open and Bucky steps across the threshold. He turns his back to me and silently presses the button for the residential floor. When the doors close us away from the rest of the world, I reach out and run a finger down his vibranium arm. The metal reacts to my touch, shifting and whirring lowly. He turns to look down at me, his face unreadable.

“What are you doing Prudence?”

I cringe at the use of my formal name. “Just feeling you, James.”

His lips twitches in agitation of the use of his. “Don’t call me that.”

“Don’t call me Prudence and I won’t.”

“Touché no,” he steps closer, towering over me. “What were you thinking wearing this dress around when I can’t touch you?”

I suck in a breath and tip my head up to bat my eyes at him, “nothing’s stopping you now.”

He reaches out to tuck my hair behind my ear with a soft smile. “You know that’s not completely accurate, doll.”

“Nat knows,” I blurt out.

Bucky blinks in surprise and runs his hand across his mouth. “And that matters why?”

“She told me about you two a few years ago,” I answer with a shrug.

He looks away for a second and runs his hand through his hair. “That wasn’t exactly me. It was–”

“Winter Soldier, I know that too.”

He meets my eyes again, his hard blue eyes diving through the windows of my soul. The door behind him dings and opens but neither of us move. 

“She doesn’t care,” I whisper, and take a risk in reaching out to lay a hand on his chest.

His hand lashes out to the side with lightning speed and slams against the emergency stop button. The doors echo shut like a clap of thunder, trapping us both in this tiny box of metal and glass. My heart is pounding in my chest as he moves closer, overshadowing me with his stance. He lingers there, silently questioning whether his advances will be welcomed or rejected. His eyes search mine for a fraction of a second, and I know that I must make the first move if anything is to happen between us. 

So, summoning every ounce of courage within me, I take a step forward into his embrace.

My heart slams against my ribcage as I wrap my arms around his neck, eagerly pulling him down to meet my own lips in an urgent kiss. Every part of me is alive and begging for more, and with every stroke of his lips a new wave of heat spreads through my veins like molten lava. His hands explore me hungrily, caressing curves and exploring contours as if he is learning the map of my body. The scent of whiskey on his breath mingles with the aroma of leather and sage, until it threatens to overwhelm me, driving my craving for him to a new level.

Desire I'd kept locked away for months finally breaks through, and I pour into him with a fervor that's almost desperate. His enthusiasm matches mine, his blazing smile against my lips when he pins me to the elevator wall. My legs buckle beneath me at the intensity, but Bucky holds me up so I barely notice when my knees give way. He groans low in his throat as I tangle my fingers in his dark hair, gripping tight and tugging gently.

My lips part with need as I moan his name, hungrily biting down on his bottom lip. 

“Buck, I want you”, I pant into his mouth, desperate for him to stay. 

His forehead presses against mine in a tender embrace while we revel in one another's presence and intoxicated scent. Our hands meld together, searching for any remaining space between us. 

His need is palpable as it radiates through my lower belly, threatening to consume me until he steps back and rasps, “I want you too doll. But first... first things must be done properly.” 

His knuckles graze my cheek softly, making me yearn for more of this forbidden bliss.

Realization floods me, I nod lightly while trying to squash the building fire in my abdomen.

“Clint.”

He licks his lips and nods, “yeah, Clint.”

[the-price-if]

18+

Roaring stadiums, filled to the max with screaming fans, as you stand with a microphone in hand. Your heart pounds against your chest as you get ready to perform. Shouts of adoration filtering past your ear as the lights finally turn on; the show truly beginning. With you in the center of it all.

Except… that isn’t you. You’re to the side, watching it all, with a clipboard pressed to your chest. Making sure that nothing was out of place.

You’re just an assistant, an assistant to the biggest star gracing the stage in the past decade, but still just an assistant.

That is until you woke up alone in a room that was way above your pay grade; with a shiny ring on your finger. Your new spouse? The very star that you have been working for, for the last two years. The same star that many believed would never settle down— until you came along.

These rapid fire events thrust you into the spotlight. Rocketing you towards the twinkling lights of stardom as you desperately try to figure out how to come to terms with everything.

The media and tabloids are just the tip of the iceberg. As the very star you’re married to offers you the deal of a lifetime.

Stay married to them for a year and get a record deal; the biggest reason you moved to L.A.. All of your dreams will come true after twelve months.

If only you had known what the price of stardom truly brought.

Romantic Options—

Adrian/Ariana Ocean (M/F): Your boss, and also your spouse, the most sought after star in the entertainment industry. With a reputation as spotty as one would expect with someone at the top. However, with the news of your marriage, people seem to be seeing them in a new light; something that they’ve been wanting for a very long time. Let’s hope it’ll last.

Blake Turner (M/F): A Hollywood starlet that’s coming off their recent Oscar win; who also happens to be your ex from college. An ex that dumped you when they dropped out of college to become a star. A story that you never truly got to hear the entirety of. And suddenly, just like that, they’re back in your life with the same smirk from before. The one that made you fall in love with them to begin with.

Liam/Leah Shaw (M/F): Your newly assigned bodyguard, you still have to get used to that, that is supposed to protect you whenever your spouse can’t be with you. You just weren’t expecting for them to start affecting you that way that they have. Their warm smile like a beacon in this unfamiliar world.

Isaac/Isabel Carnell (M/F): The photographer that is tasked with taking lovely shots of the newly wed couple. One of the only people, besides management, that actually knows what the hell is actually going on. Their general cheerfulness does wonders to lighten your spirits. Not to mention the pictures they take are absolutely divine.

Carson/Cara Madden (M/F): The lawyer that is making sure everything goes smoothly; while also trying to not get gray hairs throughout. An aloof individual that only cracks a smile around a select few people. However, they’re good at their job and that’s what should matter most to you. Even though you sort of wish they’d smile at you. At least just once.

ROs Appearance

Features—

Customizable MC; name, gender, sexuality, and appearance.

Will you actually fall in love with your pretend spouse? Or will you fall for something less complicated like the fun-loving photographer?

Get into the studio and start preparing for what will come after this year is up. Find the voice you have always wanted to showcase in the industry.

Figure out what exactly happened that night you got married. Or just leave it the hazy fog that’s better left in the recesses of your mind.

Are you willing to pay the price for your dream?

Will that dream change?