#THE BEST CANNON COMPLIANT FIC EVER

[atlasdoe]

you wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me

[ranbitteeth]

hiii i love ur art and ur fics!!🫶🏽

im desperateee for a reader rails mizu w strap fic😭😭 all the smut i see are of reader bottoming and that makes me hella dysphoric sigh

so so like reader stretching mizu out, lots of whimpering, mizu being nervous, mizu feeling full and claimed, just messy subby mizu taking big strap for the first time plssss😭😭😭😭 maybe some pussy eating foreplay idk, whatever u find best and fun to write. i just need mizu to be a subby bottom its plaguing my mind😵‍💫

A/N: Your wish is my command, dearest! Hhmmm I can never really tell if you guys want a modern/cannon compliant setting— but I find my words flowing easier for the latter. If this isn’t to your liking, I can always write another one! More modern and fluffy

Tags: Possessive!Reader, GN!Reader, Reader is besties w Madame Kaji, DomTop! Reader, Jealous! Reader, Straps, Tried to be historically accurate but one can only do so much research on ancient japanese dildos, takes place sometime before Mizu hops in the boat, Goodbye Sex, Misery.

About 3.8k word count, so I’ll highlight the beginning of the actual smut in red and a star! *

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Parting Ways— To London You Go

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

You despised him.

The Blue Eyed Beast of Japan. The onryo. The bastard half-breed that killed the Four Fangs and cut through the Shindo Dojo. Now that was a man that deserved a dog’s death. A humiliating, painful, wretched thing— so much so that pity would spread like disease among even the most hardened of men. A white man had no business in your country. Much less some impure dog, chasing ghosts of white men who had long since fled the island paradise. You believed this yourself, once. The village gossip and fantasies of his approaching death entertained you, excited you. You’d hear of his dishonorable death one evening and you’d think —‘good riddance’.

But no one told you just how much of a darling he was.

You remembered that night to picture clear, the image of his slumped body in the snow so clear in your eyes and memory. His face was twisted into a pained grimace, eyes screwed shut beneath the colored lenses of his glasses— he reeked of blood even in the snowstorm.

Unbeknownst to your family, you brought him inside, ordered your guards to gently place his body in your quarters. The servants made no protest when they saw your insistence on saving this stranger. The wound was seeping a crimson poison onto your floor, red and hot and stinking of blood.

The two of you were alone when his eyelids fluttered open, pained grunts and whimpered muffled by his own teeth against his bottom lip. And you saw it. Blue eyes— unnatural, wrong, and positively lovely. You’ve seen oceans and ponds and skies with less of a dazzling hue. It disgusted you, initially, as the realization of who he was suddenly and violently appeared in your mind.

You hadn’t expected someone so…normal looking.

He did not have a pig’s nose or clammy, sun-abused skin. He was not a beast, giant and ugly— but a man. An injured man, you recalled once his blood stained your palm. Stained your floor, your bed and his clothes. You distantly realized your hands were moving on their own as they undid the binds of his old kimono, and there, beneath the worn, filthy fabric were binds. Not of injury, not of a warrior— but of shame.

Alone in your chambers on a cold winter night amidst the worst storm you’ve ever seen— you knew. The blue-eyed, vicious animal that had earned all of Kyoto’s scorn was in fact a woman.

You adored her.

Your home grew to be a sanctuary to her of sorts. For a being so well despised by the nation, the comforts you provided were scarce luxuries. A bed. A roof. Some semblance of protection. You cared after her like one would a feral pet, a feat which did not go unnoticed. With a blade to your neck and blood painting her hands, she demanded your silence— a vow to never break. As if you’d risk losing such a treasure to the hands of bounty hunters of white men.

The two of you danced with hate for months.

She was a silent spirit, a brewing storm on the distant horizon. At times, you’d catch her eyes on you, other times, she’d notice you doing the same. At times, you’d reach your hand forward and caress the scars on her skin. At times, she’d allow you to– going so far as to present herself.

At times, you’d make love to her. Your depravity was no secret to anyone with ears and working eyes— but your status and wealth made you untouchable. No one but your servants would hear her cries echo from your chambers, and no one but you would see her in the throes of pleasure, head tossed back, expression screwed into one of hesitant bliss and ecstasy.

Or so you thought.

She often returns to you like a dog would weeks after leaving. Loyal, endearing and silent. Whether it was out of some misplaced desire of courtesy or a genuine attachment, you did not know. You’d tell yourself you did not care, but Man would never be born without sin. Madame Kaji, the wonderful hag, would bewitch you in letters with tales of her ladies in the delights her brothel would offer. She mentioned a certain blue-eyed beast in her company in her most previous message. Her letter was pointed, concise, and utterly enraging. By its contents, you would piece together your Mizu’s night with a princess– of all wretched things. After months of silence, alone in your palace with no one but the one and off prostitutes you’d hire and the servants you paid deftly for their loyalty, and the samurai goes off to bed and abandone a lady princess of the Tokunobu clan.

Mizu would not show her face to you until spring. By then, your anger had solidified and festered into an untamable typhoon. As your servants led her to your chambers, Mizu would be standing dead-center in the eye of your storm. Something in her was different. Stronger, yet weaker. Kinder, yet crueler.

“You show your face here again?” You ask cooly, and at least she had the decency to look ashamed, removing her hat. Like this, you could see her properly. (You’d never admit to your anger cooling, but it did.) She does not harden her voice in your presence, but it is quiet, timid, shameful. Before she could open her mouth to speak, one of your servant men approach, head bowed deeply.

“[Title and Name]”, he’d say. Your eyes glance over to him, humming as you granted permission to speak.

“There is a white man inside, bound and immobilized.” He says quickly, bowing his head deeper.

“I only wished for you to be aware.”

Your cold, steely eyes turn to fix Mizu with a chilling stare. She only looks at you head on, taking the challenge. Oh…

“Leave us.” You say, but not before giving an order to boil water over a fire. The door is smoothly slid shut, and the two of you are under the illusion of solitude once more.

“I am to depart for London soon.” Mizu says bluntly, abruptly. You couldn’t have expected anything less. You give no reaction save for a short sigh and two fingers against your temple.

“I am closer to my mission than ever before. I have an informant, I have a boat, I have names.” She talks as if to explain herself, stepping closer in light footsteps, hesitant. “I may not survive through this. I only wished to say goodbye before I leave.”

For a moment, you say nothing. Your mouth is rendered useless as your mind rushes with curses. To the world, to the white men, to Japan, to Mizu, to the hellsite that was London itself. The poisonous concoction of rage and envy that had been brewing for months was bubbling and prickling beneath your skin– only now with the addition of grief.

“This would have been much more convenient in scripture,” you say, voice like hot iron. Mizu’s surprise is tangible, eyes flickering around your features, searching for answers to her questions.

“I adore letters. You know this.” You begin to say, moving from your initial position and circling the room, retrieving several items and placing them on the large expanse of your sleeping bed. You open a box, massive with weight. Inside is parchment, pounds of it. “I collect them.”

You suddenly and harshly shove the box onto the floor, a flurry of parchment and ink spilling at your feet. Mizu seems to shrink, but refuses to cower. Gingerly, you retrieve one excerpt sent just a few months ago from Madame Kaji. You hand it to Mizu, surrounding her. You wait until you are certain she understands what she is reading before you begin to speak.

“Never took you as the brothel-dwelling type.” You say, watching as those demonic, off-putting, oh-so-lovely eyes scan the characters on paper. Your eyes stick to her lips before you remind yourself why you are angry. You imagined those lips entangled with another, and your blood goes cold.

“Nothing happened between me and the princess.” Mizu says, turning to face you. The genuine confusion in her expression is almost insulting. “She meant to kill me that night. Our duel meant nothing. Madame Kaji knows nothing that is true.”

“Not every conflict between you and a stranger is a duel and Madame Kaji is a dear friend of mine.” You reply easily. The hurt in your voice was becoming clearer with each passing syllable.

“You truly believe sailing the seas will come so easy? Do you know how many men I’ve lost in my trades on those voyages? Do you even know what awaits you in London?” You begin to demand these answers, losing the control you pride yourself in as you continue to speak. As a man and a woman, Mizu was nothing but a stupid, lost soul, wandering the earth without an object to attach to. You then gently cup her face in both hands, watching in delight as she melts into your touch.

*“Do you even know how much I’ve wanted you these past months?”

Mizu cannot answer. Her hands raise over yours, fingers brushing against your warmer ones.

“I meant no harm in my absence.” She concedes, round eyes rising to meet with yours. Just like that, the room had shifted. Your eyes darken as they raked along her face and figure, recalling what lay beneath the layers upon layers of fabric she’d use to protect herself.

“You can’t imagine…” You whine, gently undoing the bandages around her neck to expose the delectable skin that lay beneath. Untouched, unseen by all but few. You bury your nose into the crook of her neck before your tongue darts out just to taste flesh and the blood that pumped beneath. Mizu sighs, noticeably relaxing into you. Her arms move to wrap around your neck in a gentle embrace, a position you’ve grown to love and grieve for.

“Gods, how I’ve missed you…” you say, assisting Mizu’s hands and hurriedly undoing her kimono before your hands run hungrily along her skin. Scars, so many more than you remember. A different rage boiled inside of you, protective and not directed to Mizu in the slightest. The two of you move in sync of tangled limbs and warm breaths against open lips. You push her onto your cot, the rage you had felt previously spilling out in the form of hunger. You attack her neck with the teeth in your mouth, suckling and biting down on her white-man skin until cherry-red marks bloom across her neck. She whimpers, coyly craning her neck and exposing herself further– presenting herself. Begging for it. Gods.

“You were away so long I’d almost forgotten what a whore you are…” you coo, undressing her wholly, spreading her legs around either side of your hips. As a surprise to no one, you noticed the particular shininess to the downy hairs on her wet cunt, groaning softly at the sight. Her smell, her taste, her color– you’d spend innumerable nights recalling these things in exquisite detail, going so far as to seek her in other women and finding not one suitable substitution. Your hunger had been building up for months, and now here she was, just as enticing as you remember her. Her teeth nibble down on her finger as she groans into the air.

“[Reader], I haven’t..” she starts, but you shush her before she can continue. Her loyalty only endeared you to her further, and you wanted to remain somewhat angry.

“I know, puppy. You already know who you belong to, don’t you?” You murmured, practically salivating at the sight of her glistening pussy. A whine catches in her throat, allowing you to see in real time her strength and tenacity fail her beneath you. The demon man was nowhere to be found here. You tamed that spirit and contained her in your chambers. You reduced it from a spirit to a man to a moaning, wanton little tart.

“Keep your legs spread and I’ll give you what you came here for.” You order swiftly, to which she nods and complies, spreading her legs further apart. You eagerly adjust your position so that you are resting on your stomach, Mizu’s thighs on either side of your head and your mouth just above her wet cunt. With only an aroused groan as a warning, your tongue descends onto her slick folds, eagerly lapping up the wetness that coated her lovely skin. It was positively obscene, the color and taste of her, the slurping sounds across the room and her whimpering cries as months of stress and anger fell away under your tongue. The poor thing couldn’t even keep her thighs from squeezing around your head, effectively trapping you against her pussy— but it was no matter. Your tongue swirled and massaged what it could reach while the tip of your nose rutted against her clit. Slowly, surely, readily— her raspy, hoarse voice bloomed into something far sweeter, and you could feel the ice around your heart melting. This was the Mizu you knew, without the clothes and glasses and false identity. This Mizu was the one you owned.

You feel her getting close, as it was always obvious with her. You felt her thighs squeezing around your head, felt them shake and tense while her hips bucked against you and her breathing grew more desperate. You feel it, she feels it— she wants it so bad she sobs into her palm. You both know better.

You pull away with a wet, obscene sound, ignoring Mizu’s frustrated groan into her fist. Your lips and chin are wet with her taste and both of your bodies are shining with sweat.

“What? Were you close?” You ask huskily, readjusting yourself so that your body hovers over hers, your fingers pushing in and out of her gushing warmth. You start with two, massaging her insides into relaxation, molding her to your desires. She impatiently pushes her hips against you, holding you in a desperate embrace. You do not hurry, you don’t even respond as you take her lips in yours, letting her taste herself coating your tongue. It was a messy, depraved display— one that made her noticeably wetter around your fingers. Her nails claw into the fabric over your body, tugging it off.

“Take yours off too…” she says in between breaths, eyes half lidded and watery with want.

“You think you can take it already?” You ask slowly, dead serious. Mizu nods, a slow and deliberate thing. Who are you to argue now?

“It’s bigger than the other one. You sure?” You ask again, making slow, hard motions against her wet clit.

“[Reader]…” she gasps, carrying a note of exasperation, her hands now trembling against you. “Please…!”

You laugh, breathless, exhilarated. Your lips gently press against her forehead, a soft ‘wait here’ and a quick trip to the corner of your bedroom later, you retrieve it.

You commissioned this piece long before you knew Mizu would return. Your very own harigata, hard as a tortoise shell, ribbed and heavy in size and weight. You expressed your desire to be able to attach it to yourself to please your lovers and so the artist complied. You held it up with one hand, allowing Mizu to gauge at the weight and size before stuffing it with warm cotton dipped in the previously boiled water at your side. Mizu hasn’t even noticed the servant come in, far too immersed in watching you align the phallus to her soaking cunt. She feels the heat through the tortoise shell and whimpers, hips trembling before she spreads her legs further apart. The head was already pushing against her hole, oh so ready to slip inside. Just as you mean to push yourself in, Mizu makes a strangled little noise and you cease in your tracks.

“Yes?” You ask, already breathless.

“It’s big…” she says, repeating the words you said earlier. You laugh, endeared.

“Yes. You want it smaller?” You ask again, but she shakes her head no.

She licks her dried lips before she swallows. “Don’t hold back.”

Unable to control yourself, you laugh, head falling beneath your shoulders and against her collarbone. Fuck.

“Tell me when you’re ready.”

You feel her nervousness in the tension of her body. As aroused as she was, it had been some time since she’s seen you. You begin with slow, shallow thrusts to get her accustomed to the feel, not going halfway until you hear her get noticeably impatient.

“Hold on, puppy. I don’t want to hurt you…” you say, but you push yourself in deeper to quiet her whimpers. The ribbed surface rutting in and out of her wet heat had its obvious effects. Her knees shake where they are around your hips and her head arches back as she moans, voice breaking. The harigata was doing everything it was designed to do and more. Mizu was falling apart so beautifully and you weren’t even fully inside.

Slower thrusts, still quick but less shallow, and she moves her arms to wrap around your neck in a tender embrace, holding your back to keep herself present. With you.

Some time passes, and you push yourself in further. You feel some natural resistance, Mizu’s breath hitching. You pause and pull away somewhat to check for her expression, finding her eyes wet with tears dripping down flushed cheeks. Her chest is rising and falling in ragged breaths as she struggles to compose herself long enough to get a sentence out.

“No! No, don’t stop. [Reader], please don’t stop,” she whines, cradling your face. You obliged and continued, though far slower than the pace you were going before. Mizu openly whimpers at this loss before she intertwines her legs around your hips by her ankles, keeping you close.

“Could that princess give you what I can?” You say suddenly, still feeling that burst of envy possess you as you rut your hips forward with a precision that only hours of fantasies and failed attempts to recreate Mizu’s body could give you. A shuddering, wanton moan later, Mizu’s hand flies over her mouth. You take that hand by her wrist and pin it to the floor, still thrusting your hips against hers with purpose and vigor. Not all the way in, not yet. “Well?” You ask. You demand.

“N-no…no she can’t…” Mizu damn near sobs, and possession coils in your gut as you push the harigata to reach new depths. Her moans are pitched and broken, you feel and see her falling apart. The poor thing felt so full, unsure what to even make of the delicious stretch your phallus provided or the hot arousal that being beneath you gave her. To some degree, she was yours, and you both knew it.

Feeling pleased with her state as she answered, you finally and gently push yourself in entirely, making her back arch and moans echo across your chambers like they did so long ago. The harigata’s other end pushes against you, makes you groan at the pressure. You look down at her whorish expression, her inky black hair spread like a halo around her head. You see her flushed skin shining with sweat, you see the tremble in her body and think about how much longer you’ll have to go without it.

“You don’t even know what you do to me…” You begin to ramble without thinking, words flowing like water from your tongue while Mizu moans beneath you.

You can’t help the way your hips begin to plow against hers, you can’t help the strength and ferocity that possesses you when you think of the distance that will be between the two of you. When you think of who she could meet and compare you to. When you think of yourself in the future, in bed, alone, aching for a body that will not be there. You cannot control the desire in your body when your hips move in a way that can only be described as primal, and she takes it all. Mizu has always taken what you give her so well, and it wasn’t long before you were both panting each other’s name against your skins, the room now hot and stuffy and reeking of sex. Her voice reaches a certain pitch, her nails claw into the silken fabric of your kimono, and you can tell she’s closer than ever.

A warm flower of pride bloomed in your chest as you realized that one day, if all went well, you could keep her for yourself. You’d no longer spend the lonely nights in your palace inviting women of the night to give you company. You’d no longer need to bear the crushing loneliness in your bed — not when Mizu’s mission would fail and she’d realize her rightful place at your side. Safe and warm. Protected. Yours.

You imagine fucking her day and night when she returns until she’s sore and trembling, unable to stand without your assistance. The mental image and the emotions it ignites inside of you make you openly and shakily moan in sync with her, and the two of you cum in each other's embrace. She’s damn near bitten through the silk of your kimono by now, drool coating the luxurious fabric. By now, she’s hardly the image of dignified, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

You pull yourself off of her with nothing but a smooth roll of your hips and a near-violent shudder from the body beneath you. By then, it had all blurred together into a hazy memory of warm candlelight, golden skin, and warm, damp towels running along Mizu’s body and freshly fetched water poured into her waiting mouth. You only remember the rest you won for yourself that night, the two of you wrapped in a tangle of limbs and half torn fabric, warm.

But you wake up cold, and you recall why she came by in the first place.

“Would it be too burdensome to stay?” You implore, voice breaking with sleep and heartache. That worn, raggedy kimono is once again wrapped around her figure, her bandages back on. Her very aura is cold and distanced, and the weight of her decision truly settles into your skin.

“We can be happy, you know.” You say, almost pleading but with far too much pride to let it show. “I am in the mountains, far from the city. No white man could find you here,” You can’t being yourself to stand. You watch as her expression morphs from one of sorrow and pity to one of distrust, distaste, and near-resentment. Whether it is directed to you or her father, you cannot be sure.

With her back to you and her voice in the tone of a man’s, she bids you goodbye.

You find that— more than anyone— you want her quest of revenge to fail.

How you despised her.

And oh, how you missed her.

[anulithots]

Noorie's JJK analysis's/ screaming

You cannot keep me contained. My overthinking brain is buzzing.

(all sfw! This asexual likes to find as much fluff as possible.... but stuff tends to go over my head so I might accidently reblog a thing or two. Sorry about that <3)

Analysis

Most of my essays are here

Gojo the analyst

SatoSugu and how they support each other

Ao No Sumika - "Will we meet again?"

Gojo and Geto being compliments in an ironic way

Yuji Itadori and his non-existent coping mechanisms

Satoru Gojo... is there anything you don't have?

Gojo and his teasing

Gojo and Geto teachers AU

Gojo, being alone, and loneliness

Itadori is also selfish... and Gojo is compassionate.

Gojo will take care of it. Don't worry

Chapter 236

Jujutsu Kaisen Meta analysis

Would SatoSugu ever get back together

Itadori the sacrifice

Why Gojo and Geto understand each other... and no one else.

If JJK had a happy ending

Fav Analysis (not by me)

If Geto loved Gojo, why didn't he try to recruit him? by @ellionwrites

How much Geto canonically loved Gojo by @ellionwrites

Who the hell is Gojo Satoru by @fushiglow

Kenjaku's purpose as a literary device by @justrustandstardust

It's only them by @justrustandstardust

SatoSugu as celestial bodies (red and blue) by @justrustandstardust

He knew when he left by @mylee-sketches

Yuji Itadori's... not so healthy tendencies. by @epickiya722 

everything by @glo7to3

Yuji's past by @glo7to3

Yuiji and Megumi's breaking points by @uriekukistan

chapter 261 by @uriekukistan

Yuji and Yuta's teachers by @florasuno

To read

Chap 236

mental health

Fanart

Gojo's wallpaper (crack comic with my sibling @mylee-sketches)

Umbrella

Lousy Personalities

Karaoke (crack comic #2)

Neurodivergent Satoru Gojo

Slice of life ideas

Itadori gets a demon dog plushie for Fushiguro

'I'm Satoru Gojo because of you, Suguru'

KFC breakup

Edits

"You were a wonderful experience"

"You're holy to me"

if JJK had slice of life episodes

(cannon compliant)

Itadori's sense of style

Gojo and Geto insult teachers together

AUs

If Kenjaku possessed Gojo instead of Geto

Headcannons

Aspec Satosugu

Fav fics

Carry me home It's so ridiculously good. Timeline suguru-centric fix-it-fic that doubles as a character deep dive. It's absolutely amazing.

5 Times Gojo Satoru Tries to Rizz Up Geto Suguru and 1 Time He (Kind Of) Succeeds by @justrustandstardust. Really funny. It made the asexual try to hold in laughter. Need I say more. Also prose style and the pacing and character voices are all really really good.

April pink cute satosugu fluff

Urban Privilege Nobara and Gojo bonding. Need I say more.

Embers SatoSugu but post-shibyua and full of painful nostalgia.

like best friends do aromantic satosugu. Mind the tags, for it gets... close to being nsfw? But... aromantic satosugu. It was wonderous.

Two-headed Calf Post breakup but pre vol. 0. What could've been. Absolute pain.

here and where you are - cityboys - 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga) [Archive of Our Own] REALLY REALLY REALLY SAD Itafushi. Alternate Shibuya timeline but somehow even sadder than cannon, believe it or not. It's a 'everyone gets a happy ending' but in the worst way possible.

Fav JJK posts that make me ~feel things~

Suguruuuuu whyyy

___________________

also also, specific JJK things that give me happy sparkles (I like pain):

SatoSugu but they transcend labels and to me they have a queer platonic flavor to them. (Romantic, Queer platonic, best friends, soulmates, everything. They are everything. But I like Queer Platonic for them quite a lot! They feel like Queer platonic to me <3)

Itafushi but I flipflop between fluff ship and best dynamic in history, or both.

Itadori and Fusiguro's their differing morals and perspectives on a complex situation/circumstances.

Maki and Mai angst.

Found family Gojo and Tokyo trio.

Tokyo trio in general.

Itadori and his sensei's

Itadori in general

SHOKO MY ASTHETIC CRUSSHHHh

Geto's children

The Junpei arc

Cursed womb arc

Maki and Nobara

Inumaki

Nanami and Hibara

Megumi and his sister

Found family Gojo and the Fushiguro children

everything. Literally everything except for Mei mei and the dub.

Want to blabber about JJK with me? Feel free to ask! <3

[sneezeplease]

Angel Undone

Hello fellow queers or Haz/bin enjoyers, and welcome to the results of my poll!! I had a ton of people choose option 2, and while I'm such a sucker for Huskerdust this fic kind of got away from me and this is mostly Angel whump.

Tw: Cannon-compliant Valentino Abuse, slight mess, references to ep. 4

Enjoy 2k words of Angel with a bad cold, although he does get some help in the end//

“Amorcito! Dressing room, now!" Despite how lightheaded he felt, Angel struggled to get up out of the bed, grateful that he was just doing a simple gangbang. His hands were shaking far too much to be able to untie anything, and he doubted the other “actors” were anything but disgusted with him right now. The spider tried his best to seem unafflicted, but it was rather hard when even standing up caused the room to spin. He ran a hand through his hair, and must have looked pitiful enough that some new actor helped him to stand. 

“Are you okay?” the guys voice was deep, and although he had long since made an effort to forget the name and face of the dozens of people he worked with daily, he remembered starkly where the guy was from, his breath catching in his throat and causing him to cough weakly. 

Charlie getting yelled at, looking so apologetic and teary-eyed. Valentino turned back to Angel, Angel knowing he had caused her so much pain for no reason, that he had led another one of his friends to be hurt by the cruel man who used to be so kind to him. That was when Angel really knew he couldn’t stay like this anymore, that he needed to fight back in the smallest ways so Val could lose interest. 

“Not really, can you- help me to the wall?” His voice was quieter than it ever was while he was performing, but he really didn’t want to get the man sick after he had been at least decent to Angel. He knew that the only person in the industry who really liked him was Valentino, and he was fucking fine with that. He had to be, there was no way he could change that when Val was so fucking controlling. 

[in the back of his fever-addled mind, Anthony was able to recognize that he had never wanted this life. The sinner was manipulated into it, and his feeling of helplessness is what caused his deeply rooted desire to forget everything, to numb the pain of his bleeding heart for even just a moment]

"Here… you look way… out of it. Did ya start using again?” Despite his aching throat, Angel scoffed loudly. 

“Of course I didn’t! It’s just- some cold I picked off from the prin— from where I live, alright? it’s nothing else!” He didn’t bother to say that he had sworn to his best friend that he could stay away from drugs and didn't feel the need to explain something like that in such an open environment. Instead, Angel tried to stumble forward to the door. He was so- so close, when that terrible tickle got even worse in his head. His stuffiness switched to a twitching, lingering itch, and despite rubbing it slowly, it did nothing to help. 

The spider felt his breath catch, almost like a moan, as he began to sneeze? No, he wasn’t sneezing yet, but it felt like he had to sneeze so much that it was making him gasp and whine, teasing him much worse than an orgasm ever had. “Uhhhhh’kSHIEEwww!! Uhhhh’PTChhh!! Ehhhhh’Tshihhh!” he managed to bring an arm up to sneeze into, only moving it down to grab the doorknob. “It doesn’t sound like any cold, but if that's what you want it to be it can-” the man shrugged before walking away from Angel, leaving the spider sinner to take a deep breath in. he knew what was waiting in the dressing room, but he also knew that he had to face Valentino. Hopefully, it would be quickly over with, but Angel Dust wasn’t going to count on it. 

He opened the door nearly silently, then winced as he saw Valentino sitting down on his chaise lounge, smoking like he always did. “Angel Dust, someone isn’t looking too good. Tell me, did you finally come to your senses? Or is this just the consequence of being around such filth at that damned hotel?” Before Angel could even speak, Valentino’s face twisted into something sinister and angry, the rage he usually concealed displayed as he stood up and walked closer to the other. 

“Perhaps… you’ve gotten terribly close to Lucifer’s bimbo daughter, haven’t you? Or the old-timey overlord that Vox can’t stand? You probably got sick from whoring yourself out again, without my permission!” Angel winced at the accusations, his arms crossing over his body to defend himself. Despite how much progress he ever thought he had made, it always faded away in this forsaken dressing room, where his confidence and self-esteem had been destroyed so many times before. 

Still, Angel knew the repercussions of not filling the silence, knew the blows he would be getting for being cowardly if he didn’t even attempt an excuse. Between the fever and the panicking, all Angel could manage was a shitty, overused excuse: 

 “Val, I didn’t mean to get sick, I swear!”

“Really? You didn’t leave me just so you could find some other bitch to control you? To make you feel good?” His leash materialized suddenly as Valentino yanked him closer. The pressure from the collar on Angel's throat caused him to cough harshly, whining as he finally got his breathing under control. 

“I haven’t! I just help out at the hotel, that’s all! Someone probably wandered in while— while!!” He tried every trick he could think of to stop himself, even putting his tongue to the roof of his mouth. constrained as he was, he knew he was too close to Valentino to not sneeze on him. 

“While?” Valentino blew a puff of smoke in his face, and that was what did it. Any control Angel had fought for was quickly taken away from him, the usually clingy scent from his cigarette now invading his nostrils and causing him to lose his breathing. 

“HEhhhHHH’GSHUEWWWW!!! EHHHHHH’TCHuhhhh!!! HAhhhhh’CHIEWWWWW!!! AHhhhhh”PSHOOOO!! Uhhhhhh’TSHUEWWWWW!!! IHHHHHH’KSHIEHHHH!!” The sneezes caused him to pull against the restraints with each one, and they were definitely loud enough to hear from outside the room. Valentino first looked intrigued when Angel seemed to be moaning, but now he looked nothing short of disgusting.  

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to Snehhhh-EIhhhhh’TCHIEHHHH!! HIHHHHHH’KSHUHHHH! EHHH’PTSHUEWWWW!!” The tickle was far too overwhelming for Angel to even attempt to cover or hide them, and all he could really do was sneeze, the perfume from the smoke setting his nose aflame. 

“Fine!” The chains released as Valentino threw them aside. That caused Angel to stumble and fall, barely being able to shift and fall on the couch, even if it was face first. “I’ll call off the team for today, but you only get three fucking days Angel! Three days to get rid of that disgusting illness.” The door slamming shut only made Angel's headache worse, but at least he could get dressed now, right?

He tried to get dressed for fifteen minutes, having to pause between his skirt and shirt to muffle another wrenching fit. Each sneeze was taking away energy Angel Dust simply didn’t have and caused him to cough afterwards. The usually high-spirited spider was barely functioning, and he grabbed a black robe to cover himself with, as an added layer of heat (not that he could keep warmth well anyways).

Angel dust isn't quite sure how he got back to the hotel, but the spider was close to tears when he finally opened the door. His entire body felt like it was freezing and overheating at the same time, the fever that had given his fur a notable pink flush getting worse as he pushed his body to the -

"Angel? What happened? Charlie came up to him, her hand hovering like she waited to support him but waiting for his consent, and Angel only pulled himself together long enough to give her a plastic smile. 

“Nothing Toots. It was just a long day at work-" his second set of arms appeared again to steady himself as he tried to hold off the sneeze long enough to make sure he wouldn’t get Charlie-

“hhh’EhhhhhhTch’ieWwwww!!” The one time he had wanted not to make an entrance, and his body couldn’t even listen to him. his sneezes were typically over the top, and while he didn’t find the sensation good or bad, he wished that just once he could sneeze quietly. 

“Damn you! Are you feeling alright?” And now Charlie sounded way too sympathetic. Angel had to resist the desire to bang his head against one of his arms, he knew there was no way to hide his sickness now. 

So he did what came most easy to him when feeling his shittiest: put on a good performance. “I feel great Tootz! Just amazing, ya know?” he racked his brain to think of something, anything, that could make him sneeze like this, but besides one that could get him kicked out of the hotel, nothing else came to mind. 

“You look ill, my effeminate fellow!” Alastor was smiling like usual, even though Charlie was currently attempting to help Angel to the foyer couch. He fell on it dramatically, batting his eyelashes a couple of times. 

“I’m not sick, just had an extra-long day of work. Val’s going on some “honeymooning” weekend with that TV head and the other one, so he made me work for my time off. Nothing I can’t handle, I’ll be fine with some rest–” his voice cut off at the end of his perfect performance, the tones and inflections making his piss poor excuses actually believable.  Angel couldn’t even remember the last time he felt this sick and miserable from something other than trying to quit cold turkey.  The spider couldn’t even turn his head before coughing his lungs out, and it must have sounded bad enough that Al slipped back into the shadows, leaving just the two of them.

“Here you go Angel,” Charlie gently placed a cup of water into his hands, which the sinner gulped down eagerly. 

“Thanks Toots.” Angel couldn’t keep up any sort of act anymore, and he opened his eyes slightly to see Charlie hesitating to run a hand through his hair. “You are a lifesaver, I tell ya.” he drank the water as fast as he could, gulping it down. It barely did anything for his nose, but at least now he could actually say a few words. 

“I could get you some medicine, or an ice pack, or a heating pack but Nifty took that somewhere so it might take awhile, and actually-a-thermometer-would-” Angel laughed softly, but he appreciated how much care Charlie showed to him. Right now, after he had just been belittled and mocked by Val, most of his cares flew out of the window, including any personal touch.

Charlie had just felt his forehead and compared it to her own when Angel felt his nose twitching once again. He wished that it would just stop, that he could force all of these aches to go away and just be able to sleep. “Toots, ya should try to m-move…” Charlie pulled back quickly, although she seemed confused as to the reason. “Is something wrong? I can get you an ice pack or more water–” Charlie’s worried ramblings were cut by Angel lifting a finger, his breath catching a couple of times. It sounded ragged and desperate, but he couldn’t control it. “Ahhhhh’Kihhh’SCHOOooo!! Hahhhh’TCHIewww!! Iehhhh’KCHUHHHH!! HeHHH’SHuHhhhh!!” The fit even sounded tired, and Angel groaned lightly as he did so. “Angel, are you sure you don’t want some help to your room? I could see if Vaggie or-” Charlie stopped talking, looking over Angel's head. All the sinner could do was grumble, hiding his face in the pillow. 

“It’s fine toots, I’ll just fall asleep right here. No need to mess with that room stuff,” A deeper chuckle came from behind Angel's back, and he didn’t need to look back to tell Husker was there. He hid further into the pillow, determined to keep another person from seeing him like this, especially one that Angel had gotten so close to. 

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Teen and Up Rated Fics Masterlist (7)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 /

Created: September 13th, 2023

Last Checked:----

Squeaky Clean-SoThere (AO3)

Summary: Katniss experiences confusing new feelings when she helps her injured best friend. Modern AU inspired by the Everlark Drabble Challenge prompt from anais117: Katniss or Peeta recovering from surgery and the other helping them bathe.

Taste of the Toasting Cake-ally147writes (Tumblr)

Summary: In-Panem, no-games AU. Gadge toasting with a supportive Katniss in attendance who talks with Peeta about his previous misunderstandings about her relationship with Gale.

The Ashes-papofglencoe (AO3)

Summary: Peeta returns to Katniss in District 12 following his release from the Capitol. Canon-compliant. Pre-epilogue. Contains book dialogue.

The Awkward In-Between-LilyMaid (AO3)

Summary: Days after winning the 74th Hunger Games Katniss recognized her life was changing, not just her home. She was already mourning for that old life, when things were difficult, yet so simple. With a tightening in her chest and a fear she didn't understand, she wondered what would be left. Cannon Divergent AU- pre Catching Fire

The Ballad of Snares and Arrows-monabus (AO3)

Summary: "At the end of the day, it’s no different. Hunting is hunting, regardless of what’s at the receiving end of Katniss’ arrow. All that matters is surviving, staying alive. No matter the cost. If I were in the Hunger Games, I would stop at nothing to make it out alive." What was going on in Gale’s mind during the 74th Hunger Games? What exactly did the audience back in District Twelve see on their screens? A chance to explore the moments of the Games that Katniss never saw — all through Gale’s eyes.

The First Year-thinkinthankin (AO3)

Summary: The first year back in Twelve, an extension of the last chapter of Mockingjay. Picks up from "Peeta, bearing a warm loaf of bread, shows up with Greasy Sae. She makes us breakfast and I feed all my bacon to Buttercup." A year of Katniss and Peeta making do, breaking down, and "growing back together." Working on the book. Baking. Hunting. "Real." Sitting around the fire with Haymitch. A birthday, a toasting. "Strange bits of happiness."

The Fruit Stand-Mollywog (AO3)

Summary: The stand was unremarkable in itself, except for the woman behind the antique register. She had been singing when they approached the tent but had stopped upon noticing them. It was a song Peeta couldn’t identify but left him feeling nostalgic for things he’d never experienced; at least not in this lifetime.

The Hunger Games from Peeta's POV-thismustbeagoodidea (AO3)

Summary: “I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning…won’t help in my case.” I want to go back to the charming lies. I planned for this, so why does it feel like something in my gut is rotting? “Why ever not?” Caesar asks. I drag in a deep breath. All that strategizing over how to win the most sympathy, and now I feel like I’ve lost control of my face. My mask is slipping, my cheeks growing hot. There are so many eyes on me, all of them hungry. I meet Haymitch’s gaze in the crowd. His hard expression isn’t exactly comforting, but at least he isn’t enjoying this the way everyone else is. I feel my mouth open as though pulled with a string. “Because…because…she came here with me.”

The List-orphan_account (AO3)

Summary: "The list that Dr. Aurelius and I had made together was burning a hole in my pocket. A list of triggers. A list of things I should avoid." Peeta comes home after the war.

The Lost Girl-Mollywog (AO3)

Summary: Finnick had received a letter from Lord Abernathy before the start of the season alerting him of his niece's debut. He had more accurately instructed him to “watch out” for her. Finnick still wasn’t sure whether it was meant as a request or a caution. At present it felt more like a warning. How Finnick and Katniss became unlikely allies.

[ceo-of-kimona]

What to do with Scott…

A question that many many Kimona enjoyers face in our time is thus: “where the hell do we put Scott Pilgrim?”

The guy is a weird case. He’s the main character, the damn series was named after him, he’s integral to the life and stories of both of these women. Although; he is also a massive cockblock (or vag block?? Idk) and must be obliterated in order for the two to be happy. So, to prevent Kimona fic writers (also known as the greatest and most noble heroes of our time) from needing to contend with this great query again, I shall compile a list of potential things you could do with Scott to get him the hell out of the way. In no particular order.

1. Break Scott and Ramona up

Probably the most direct and simple answer, especially if you’re going for a more cannon compliant, post cannon universe. Though it does kinda invalidate all of the shit they got through to get together if they just split up like that. So I suggest that if you do break them up, make it on good terms. Make it so that it’s mutual and mutually beneficial and mature. Less of a “I hate you and I never want to see you again” and more of a “it was fun, you helped me a lot, but now we gotta go our separate ways in life.” Their development shouldn’t be rendered moot by the breakup, instead make the breakup part of their development.

2. Create an AU where Scott does not exist

A fairly easy one, if Scott doesn’t exist, you can just go along your merry way with your shipping. Fics where Kim finds Ramona before Scott or fics where Scott doesn’t ever fall in love with Ramona for whatever reason also fall under this category. These are good, but a bit bland. There isn’t a great lot you can tell here cause Scott’s douchery kinda holds together the plot pretty much. It is only by him being a rat-ass fuckboy that anyone ever meets anyone in the comics. Also, without having her relationship with Scott, Ramona just doesn’t have her vital character arc that the relationship brings. She’s always gonna be the same ol Flowers when she comes to Kim.

So unless you plan on retelling the entire story of the… everything with Kim instead of Scott, you’ve gotta very flighty and traumatized Ramona Flowers on your hands for the entire fic. Now, this is perfect for angst fics, as using pre-arc flaws to create a tragedy has been a a tool for angst fics since god damn Shakespeare. Also fluff doesn’t really need the “primest character development” in order to be good, so if you’re planning to either make angst or simple fluff then AU is your best bet. If you wanna make something more cannon compliant or lighthearted yet complicated, you’re out of luck.

3. Polycule

Self explanatory. Why not have both? Keep Scott and Ramona’s cute dynamic; and just bring Kim into the mix. While this can be very fun (I’m actually writing a fic where this happens at the moment) it isn’t great for every fic. Cause let’s face it: if you’re here and queer for Kimona, so maybe you do not want to write for the feelings of the dude who got here first so he’s also tagging along. Some people just don’t wanna write Scott, which is perfectly valid. Also, polycules are messy and complicated, both in real life and in fic writing. While complications can create some good drama, it’s also a lot of moving parts to manage. You aren’t getting a Kimona + Pilgrim fic down to 2k words without sacrificing a lot. This one is not built for oneshots or general Pilgrim-haters.

4. Send him off to be with Wallace

Probably one of my favorite options to use. It’s kinda an extension of the “breakup” idea, but it gives a happier ending for Scott, as it lets the breakup make sense. Scott falls in love with Wallace and can’t bear the pining so he communicates with Ramona about it, and they mutually agree that it’s for the better for them to split so he can be with Wells. It also will keep the Scollace shippers at bay, may their apocalyptic wrath be kept at bay /s.

If you don’t really have much stuff outside of Kimona in your fic and don’t know how to get Scott out of the picture, try this one. Just throw in a sentence about Scott being with Wallace and everything will make sense and be chill. Truly an option for us lazy bitches out there who just want yuri. It can also potentially set up some Scollace content later down in the fic if it comes to be of a larger scale, but if you just want your yuri you can throw out a “Scott is with Wallace” line and not need to elaborate further, we get it. All around a flexible, powerful, potent, and fun option. Though if you have any Wallace pairings already set up in your fic and you can’t fit Scollace in, this option obviously won’t be that useful to you.

So…

That’s all of the “bye bye Scott pilgrim” tropes for Kimona fics that I could think of. Now for which one is the best… prepare yourself, the answer is disappointing.

None of them!

No one of these is always gonna work for everything. These tropes are all just tools in your toolbox at the end of the day, and which one you use is up to what you’re writing and how you’re feeling. So don’t be afraid to try multiple of these for your fics, throw shit against the wall like spaghetti. Maybe you’ll find something new that you’ll like.

But that’s enough yapping from me. Now go forth and WRITE!

[gayashelljatp]

Prince Charming x James Hook | Trophy Boy Chapter 2.

Tags :Sorta Enemies to Lovers Fake/Pretend Relationship Not Canon Compliant, Inspired by Cinderella (1997), I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Prince Charming is a Bi-King, Prince Charming Is Filipino, Because the actor is and I also am one so yeah, Prince Charming gets a lot of bitches but no love, Merlin Academy (Disney), James Hook is gay, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, I don't know how to tag in this fandom, No Beta Like Not Going To Castlecoming

Content Rating: Teen and Up.

Wordcount: 7028

Notes (Same On AO3):

The first chapter of this fic is up on my tumblr please go support!!! My Tumblr.

Well hello there, the second part was made!!! This second part was so long that I decided to split it into two chapters. Charming and Hook development happens here. Did they start being friends? enemies? lovers? (Ricky Bowen reference.)

More side characters (Bridget x Ella mentioned and Morgie and Maleficent being Hook's bestie is cannon here.) This chapter is more Hook focused. This chapter was actually edited and helped written by my friend shoutout to her for helping me finish this shit. (So apologies if some part sound completely written by someone else.)

A few housekeeping reminders:

- This fic has multiple POVs for Charming focused parts 👑 emojis are used on the other hook if it's James it's this emoji 🪝.

- It wouldn't be a GayashellJATP fic without a playlist of songs I have on that help immerse you in the universe. Spotify playlist here!!!

Notes (Tumblr):

This is such a late post. This Chapter has been up on AO3. I'm sorry to my tumblr peeps. Still tryna get the hang of this. But thank you so much for the support on my fics here ily y'all.

Chapter 2: The Day-te Before The Ball

👑

It was always an early morning for Christopher Rupert Windermere Vladimir Carl Alexander François Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory James, more commonly known as Christopher—or, to the public, Prince Charming.

His day started at the crack of dawn, forcing himself into a princely run to maintain the perfect physique for his and the people's eyes. Afterward, it was straight to bench presses, with Lionel by his side rattling off the day’s duties. By the time the list was done, Charming was already halfway through a hundred push-ups.

After that, a ten-minute shower— it was his favorite part of his mornings and the only time he got some privacy in this rigid routine. He’d belt out a song or two while shampoo was in his hair.

Even while dressing, he juggled paperwork, signing what felt like endless documents. Apparently, being a prince came with a mountain of administrative work no storybook ever talked about.

But today, there was a break in his routine. Instead of reading the morning letters and catching up on the news around his kingdom, he grabbed his skateboard and sped through the halls, headed toward the other dormitory.

He’d asked the doorman for James Hook’s room number, though the name “James” didn’t even exist in their archive. It was simply “Captain Hook.” That, along with a few other things, he’d have to ask about later.

As he neared Hook’s dorm, a flash of green zipped past him. Morgyn Le Fay, the light-haired son of Morgana, ran out of the room, looking frantic—likely late for something. The door swung wide open in his wake. Charming approached and was about to knock, but with the door ajar, he decided to step inside.

Before he could fully take in the room, he was greeted by the sight of Hook—standing in nothing but a towel, hair damp, water still glistening on his skin. Charming froze, eyes wide, before he quickly turned his gaze to the side, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“Princey, you’re too early,” Hook drawled lazily, clearly enjoying the prince’s discomfort.

“Early? Royalty are always on time,” Charming replied, still doing his best not to stare. “Don’t you eat at the castleteria?”

“I do, but I like going last minute,” Hook said, smoothing back his damp hair with a cocky smirk. “Looking gorgeous might seem effortless, but it takes work.”

“Can you look gorgeous with more clothes on?” Charming asked, his voice a bit too sharp as he chanced a glance. Big mistake. Hook was barefaced—no signature eyeliner—and his skin looked frustratingly flawless.

Charming’s eyes trailed lower, catching a glimpse of the pirate’s toned abs before he snapped his gaze away. He wasn’t going to ogle. But… he did see them.

“Come on, I’m not that hideous to look at,” Hook teased, catching the prince’s not-so-subtle avoidance. “Why’d you have to look away?”

“I’m just being polite,” 

“I thought you were fun,”

“I can have fun looking at my own body.” The Prince meant to sound nonchalant, but it came off as much more vain than intended and more charged. It was blowing the Prince’s cover immediately.

“Oh? You like staring at yourself naked, do you, Princey?” Hook shot back, grinning. He leaned against the doorframe, dripping confidence, and maybe a bit of water.

Charming cleared his throat. “Moving on, please.”

“Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll be ready.”

“Can I come in, at least?” Charming asked, gesturing toward the room. He was trying to keep things casual, though the pirate was clearly getting under his skin.

“I was trying to save you from the mess but if you insist,”

Charming stepped inside. The room was interesting, to say the least. Hook’s side looked like a treasure chest had exploded—clothes, jewelry, and trinkets were scattered everywhere.

Morgie’s side, in contrast, was more organized, though still odd—his bed had animal-print sheets, and a collection of wilted plants lined the windowsill.

“Not what you expected, huh?” Hook asked, now rummaging through a pile of clothes. “Don’t worry, Princey, I’ll tidy up just for you.”

“No need to tidy your stole-” Charming had to remind himself not to be too blunt with him so he stopped midway “Just... hurry up.” 

Hook threw on a billowy white blouse, tucking it into his trousers with a smirk. “Patience, Your Highness. Time may be fast but growing diamonds takes forever.” He sauntered over to the full length mirror, lazily adjusting his collar, taking far longer than necessary.

“I just like being punctual now,” Charming said, eyes flicking to his watch. He wasn’t always the best at being on time, but he had been trying to improve lately. The kingdom loved to gossip, and being known as a latecomer wasn’t exactly the reputation he wanted to maintain.

Hook rolled his eyes, still fiddling with his reflection. “Oh, lighten up. You royal types always act like you have a stick up your—”

“Careful,” Charming interrupted, his eyes narrowing. “I’m doing you a favor. You could at least be a little more grateful.”

“Grateful?” Hook spun around, his tone dripping with mockery. “For the honor of breakfast with His Highness? I’m thrilled.” He gave a theatrical bow.

Charming clenched his jaw, trying to hold onto his composure, but it was almost impossible when Hook was being so... insufferable. 

“Let’s just go. We can talk and plan over food,” he said, walking toward the door. He paused, casting a sideways glance at the pirate. “If you’re even capable of sticking to a plan.”

👑

The two arrived at the castleteria, and the energy of the room shifted the moment they entered. Charming noticed the subtle glances, and a few whispers trailing behind them as they passed through the crowded space. 

Hook, on the other hand, seemed to bask in the attention. When they walked by Hook’s usual crew of villain kids, the reactions varied from raised eyebrows to snickers—Morgie, ever supportive, even let out a playful whistle. Not quite catcalling, but more like encouragement.

The sight of Charming and Hook together was strange to most. They looked so mismatched—Charming was laid back but still had to be regal and composed, while Hook was one to strut.

They got in line, grabbed their meals, and made their way to Charming’s all-too-familiar private room, away from prying eyes. As soon as they sat down, Hook wasted no time.

“So, what’s your plan for this whole sham?” Hook asked, leaning back in his chair. He hadn’t even picked up his fork yet, clearly more interested in getting down to business—or, more likely, getting under Charming’s skin.

“Calling this a sham is unnecessary,” “Please, this is easy.  Don’t act like don’t do bad things, I’ve seen the papers,” 

Charming just shoved the pancakes into his mouth trying to stop himself from saying anything. “Do you have anything you're not comfortable doing?” He asked, trying to keep things professional—diplomatic, even. 

Hook leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as if considering it. “Hm,” he mused. “No, everything’s on the table for me. You can even love me with the lights off if you want.”

Charming nearly choked on his pancakes, quickly covering it up with a cough. He shot Hook a withering look. “In your dreams,” he muttered, trying to keep his cool. But inside, his mind was racing—Hook was too much, and Charming wasn’t entirely sure how to handle him. 

Hook, of course, wasn’t phased. “Relax, lad, I’m just messing with you,” he said with a wink. “You’re not this stiff. I’ve heard you're a great date. This is not an arranged marriage.”

Charming, taking another bite, he was gonna ask how Hook knew such information but decided to push forward. “Well, I was thinking we could just act… I don’t know, platonic? Like we’re together were not together, but we don’t have to put on a show or anything. We say we’re a couple, people believe it, and we’re done.”

Hook leaned back in his chair, his signature smirk creeping onto his face. “You’re taking all the fun out of it, Charming. What’s the point of a sham romance if you don’t play it up? Where’s the excitement?” He drummed his fingers on the table. “You and me, strolling around, being all chaste and polite? Sounds boring as hell.”

Charming frowned, hating how Hook always managed to poke at him just right. He liked to have fun—he did—but when it came to Hook, it felt like he had to be on guard and guarded literally. He didn’t know why he kept up the royal façade.

“I’m not boring,” Charming said, defensively running his hands through his hair. “I just think we don’t need to overdo it. This is for show, not for real.”

Hook’s eyes glinted, catching onto something in Charming’s words. “You say that, but you’re so buttoned-up around me, it’s like you’re afraid to let loose.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” Charming shot back, a little too quickly.

“Prove it.” Hook’s voice was smooth, challenging. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked on Charming’s. “We’ll make it fun, Prince Charming. You act like you want this to be all business, but deep down, you’re itching for something a little more interesting. Admit it.”

Charming felt his pulse quicken and opened his mouth to deny it, but Hook was right. Part of him did want the thrill, the unpredictability, the spark that came with being around Hook. But admitting that, even to himself, felt too unreal. Instead, he shifted in his seat, trying to regain control of the conversation. 

“You have no idea what I want,” Charming said, his voice quieter but edged with tension. 

Hook just smiled, that infuriatingly smug smile. “Maybe I don’t,” he said softly. “But I’m starting to get a pretty good idea.”

Hook leaned back, clearly enjoying the tension, the little game they were playing. “This is gonna be more fun than I thought,” he said, his voice a low drawl.

The bell rang, fizzling out the tension in the room, but for Charming, the planning was far from over. Hook stood up, stretching lazily as he prepared to leave.

“Well, see you after class, Princey,” Hook said casually, already heading toward the door.

Charming, not entirely sure why, blurted out, “Wait.”

Hook paused, turning back with a curious smirk. “What? Miss me already?”

Charming panicked the words came out of him without a single thought. “Actually… I was thinking. Maybe we should get excused from class today. It’d give us more time to, you know, get comfortable around each other. Make it easier to pull this off if we actually liked each other’s company.”

Such a smart move Charming. Asking to skip class with him to spend time together. Totally not going to backfire on you.

“Oh? And how exactly do you plan to excuse me from class?”

Charming squared his shoulders, trying to appear more confident than he felt. “You’re the prince’s boyfriend, well pretend boyfriend,” he said, the words slipping out smoother than expected, causing Hook’s lips to quirk into a grin of his own.  

“The teachers wouldn’t mind if you skipped. Royal duties call, after all.” Charming added.

Hook’s grin widened, his amusement shifting into something almost… impressed. “You royals always have a way out of things, don’t you? I gotta say, I’m impressed. Using your little privileges for something a bit selfish—kinda hot, Princey.”

Charming didn’t expect the compliment, and for a second, he wasn’t sure how to respond. Instead, he stammered, “It’s not selfish, I just need this to work. We need to make this believable.”

“Mm-hmm, whatever helps you sleep at night.” Hook shrugged, leaning back against the door frame. “I have a stitching & enchantment test in first period and I have a thing in second period, but I can ditch the rest.”

“Of course, school is important,” 

“Less of a hassle for me,” Hook said, trying to make it sound effortless, but Charming knew the list of top scholars of the school. James Hook was on it. How did he know this information? it was not because Charming had asked Lionel for any details about the pirate. Absolutely not

“Right. Well, I’ll handle getting us both excused. I’ll see you when I see you.”

Hook’s eyes gleamed as he pushed off the door frame and stepped closer, his presence filling the space between them. “Don’t worry, Princey. I’ll hold up my end of the deal.”

Charming held his ground, even as the tension between them crackled in the air. “We’ll see.”

Hook chuckled, the sound low and lazy, before giving him a mock salute. “You know where to find me.” Then, with one last look that lingered a little too long.

🪝

Sewing & Enchantment should’ve been an easy test for Hook to ace. After all, he’d been sewing up sails and tailoring his own clothes since he was a baby pirate. But today, his mind was adrift, lost at sea, and he couldn’t find the lighthouse—or, more accurately, the answers.

There was a nagging thought, an irritating little itch in his brain, like the screeching of a seagull that wouldn’t shut up. It was Charming’stupid face. With his stupid smile with perfect white teeth that had lingered far too long in Hook’s mind. He hated it. Hated how it distracted him, how his brain kept flashing to the image of Charming’s chin-length, perfectly windswept hair.

What was it about that royal pain in the ass had suddenly become so…painful?

He was finally starting to understand what the others saw in the prince. But of course, no one was as beautiful as himself. Still, he forced his focus back to the test. Come on, Hook, stop thinking about the prince and think about the damn answer.

Maleficent, who sat next to him, had already finished her test, leaning back with her arms crossed. She had a thing for sharp objects—thorns, spindles,and needles. She found them interesting, but her main interests were world domination and, of course a bit of mischief.

The brunette teen rushed through the last of his test, hoping he got everything right. Overthinking wasn’t his style—he preferred being thoughtless and vain. But lately, a certain prince had been taking up way too much brain space.

Maleficent smirked, her voice low so as not to draw attention as she tilted her chair back. “Saw you with your man earlier.”

Hook didn’t miss a beat. “He’s not an object for me to own. He’s not valuable enough to be called mine. More like I’m… borrowing him.”

“Care to tell me what this whole ordeal is?” Maleficent asked, checking her nails with a bored flick. “Yesterday you were bitching and moaning about the prince, and now you’re cozying up to him in the castleteria ? And don’t lie to me, Hook. I saw you smiling .”

Hook leaned back in his chair, flashing her a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I just loved the attention, that’s all.”

Maleficent gave him a knowing look, tapping her long nails against the desk. “Come on, Hook. Since when do you keep secrets from me?”

“I’m very good at keeping secrets,” Hook drawled, but the hint of defensiveness in his voice didn’t go unnoticed.

“Not from me, you’re not.” Maleficent smirked. “Of course, I could always hit you with a truth gummy.

“I’d lose all my friends if you did that.”

“This pirate’s a liar.”

“A damn good one at that.”

Their teacher, Ma’am Odie or more she’d to be called Mama Odie, glanced up from the front of the room, her eyes falling on the two troublemakers. “Maleficent, James,” she said sweetly, her southern charm making her reprimand sound more like a warm invitation. “Y’all can take this conversation outside, please. I don’t wanna disrupt the rest of the class.”

Hook nodded, gathering his things. Ma’am Odie was too sweet to argue with, and Hook wasn’t one to make a fuss unless absolutely necessary. Maleficent, however, shot him a curious look as they stepped outside.

“Now spill,” she said the second they were out of earshot. “You and Charming, huh? You’re really into him, aren’t you?”

Hook rolled his eyes. “Don’t start.”

“Oh, I will start,” Maleficent drawled, crossing her arms. “You’re all smiles and excuses, but you’re slipping, James. Just admit you’ve got a little soft spot for your royalty.”

“Just because you got fucked over by your ex who left you for royalty doesn’t mean they're all bad… And I don’t like him,” Hook was cracking badly at Maleficent's accusatory woes.

“Bringing up that traitor Stefan means you really want to defend him that badly,” The dark fairy said, giving Hook the look of if you ever bring him up again you’ll be in a 100 year curse.

“Look, it’s just all just some stupid game,” Hook said, trying to dodge the accusation. “He’s just using me. That’s all. I don't like his company.”

“Uh-huh.” Maleficent’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “And what about that slip earlier? Borrowing him? You’ve got it bad, Hook. Just admit it.”

Hook let out a groan, running a hand through his messy hair. “Fine, maybe I enjoy riling him up. Maybe he’s fun to mess with. But like him? Please, that's preposterous!”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Maleficent replied, clearly enjoying herself. “I’m just saying, if this is all a game for fun, you seem to be enjoying it a little too much.”

Hook shot her a look, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. “What about you and Hades? You two have been circling each other for centuries .” Hook is really throwing every single rock at Maleficent and he keeps missing.

Maleficent rolled her eyes but smiled, the hint of affection breaking through her usual cold demeanor. “Hades and I have an understanding. It’s not the same.”

“Right, because no one could ever get under your skin, could they?”

“Exactly. But nice try, Hook. You’re the one getting all flustered over a prince.”

Hook grumbled, but before he could respond, Maleficent leaned in, her eyes gleaming. “Get your act together Captain.”

🪝

Hook sat cross-legged on his bed, leaning back against the headboard, absentmindedly polishing his hook. The sound of the metal scraping softly should've been calming, but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Across the room, Morgie was sprawled out on his bed, face buried in his pillow. He looked like a starfish, completely taking up as much space as possible. His muffled voice floated up, tinged with exhaustion. "Magicology is killing me."

“Has Madam Mim been awful to you again?”

Morgie rolled onto his back with a groan. “Yeah. She cares more about my mom’s reputation than teaching me anything useful.”

“That’s ridiculous. She shouldn’t be all bitchy with you, especially since your mom’s way more famous witch than she’ll ever be.”

Morgie sighed, tracing patterns into the sheets. “Well, my mother is public enemy number one in the magical community.”

“Yeah, fair. I’m still surprised they let you in this school with a reputation like that,” Hook teased, but his smile softened when Morgie only groaned again.

“Why are you here sulking?” 

“ Sulking ?” Hook raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. “I don’t sulk. Pirates don’t sulk.”

Morgie rolled his eyes and shifted to his side, squinting at Hook. “You only polish your hook when you’re trying to avoid something,” he muttered. Then, lowering his voice dramatically, he added, “Are you trying to avoid the prince?” He mouthed the word prince as if it was a forbidden curse like saying his name out loud would summon him.

The brunette haired teen hated how much Morgie knew him.

Hook scowled, flipping the hook in his hand with more force than necessary. “Why is everyone on my ass today about that prince? I’m just going to a ball with him. No big deal.” 

“I’d love to go to a ball,” The sandy haired boy said wistfully,  “But villain kids are always on the banned list. Even if the invitation says it’s extended to everyone in the kingdom, we both know that doesn’t include me. Le Fays are public enemy number one in the neighbor kingdom Camelot.” His voice dropped in frustration at the last part.

Hook glanced up from his hook, watching Morgie with an amused grin. “You could always just go in disguise,” 

“Then what’s the point? What if I meet someone there and fall in love?” Morgie sighed dramatically. “You can’t fall in love with a disguise on. They’ll feel deceived.”

“Are there really no other things to do at a ball than fall in love ?”

“Dancing and food do seem amazing,” Morgie admitted, a little smile tugging at his lips.

A comfortable silence stretched between them. James returned to polishing his hook, trying to focus on the shine of the metal rather than the image of a certain prince’s smile that kept creeping back into his mind.

Morgie turned his head slightly, peering at Hook with half-lidded eyes. “You know, something’s bothering you,” he said, his tone casual but piercing.

“What?”

“You can’t fool me. What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Hook’s response was immediate, too quick. His fingers fumbled a little on his hook.

Morgie’s lips quirked up in a knowing smile. “Should I have not mentioned your date? Should I not bring—”

Hook’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not a date and he’s the last thing on my mind right now,” 

Morgie sat up, crossing his legs to mirror Hook’s position. “You can’t lie to me, James Hook. I can feel it. You've been weird since last night.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Uh-huh, and that’s why you’re sitting here, polishing your hook like you’re trying to keep your brain from thinking about him .” Morgie grinned, nudging him with his foot. “Come on, you’re practically gushing over him.”

“ Gushing ? Please,” Hook scoffed, though he felt his ears burning. “I’m just... caught up in this dumb plan. It’s all strategy, Morgie. You wouldn’t get it.”

“Oh, I get it,” Morgie teased, leaning in with wide, curious eyes. “He’s got that whole royal, windswept thing going on, huh? You like it. Admit it.”

“Why are we even talking about this? In the first place.”

“Because you're a hopeless pirate, and I’m your best friend.” Morgie poked him again with his foot, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “So, what is it? The hair? The smile? Or is it the fact that he’s actually not affected by your charms?”

“I mean... his hair is stupidly perfect, right? And don’t get me started on that ‘I’m better than you’ attitude. It’s annoying.”

“Annoying?” Morgie snorted. “Or are you just mad because you can’t quite get under his skin like you thought?”

“Shut up,” Hook muttered, but he couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

Morgie flopped back onto his bed dramatically. “God, I love it when you fall for people. Does this mean you're going to be a prince if you marry him?”

Before Hook could correct him, Morgie suddenly bolted upright, his eyes wide on the clock in the side of the room. “Oh, no. I’m late!”

“Late for what?”

“Muse-ic class! I completely forgot I promised Uli I’d help her,” Morgie scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping over his own feet in his rush.

Hook rolled his eyes, still lazily polishing his hook. “Just tell her you were with me. I’m your ‘get out of jail free’ card, remember?”

“Thanks!” Morgie shot back, grabbing his bag and making a dash for the door. “And also, go get your prince!”

Hook scoffed, shouting after him, “He’s not my prince, Morgie!” But even as the words left his mouth, he felt that familiar frustration creep back in.

Ever since Charming had walked—no, sauntered —into his life, Hook hadn’t been able to think about anything else. No matter how hard he tried to push aside the royals' annoyingly confident demeanor had lodged themselves firmly in his brain like an anchor.

With a groan, Hook pushed himself off the bed. He needed air, a break from all this thinking . A walk to the castleteria sounded like the perfect distraction. Maybe he’d grab a drink or... anything to stop these thoughts.

But as he turned the corner into the hallway, his mind still swirling, someone suddenly barreled into him. Hard.

“What the—” Hook stumbled back, glaring at the person who had dared to knock into him. “Watch where you’re—”

His words froze in his throat as he realized who it was. Of course. The universe really had it out for him today.

“Charming.” Hook straightened up, trying to act like he wasn’t rattled by the collision or the fact that his lie had just come crashing into him—literally.

The prince raised an eyebrow, a half-amused, half-annoyed look on his face. “Funny seeing you here, Hook. Didn’t you say you had something to do?”

Hook plastered on his best grin, the one that usually got him out of trouble. “Ah, yes, well, you see... things change. Pirate business. Very important.”

“Pirate business?” Charming crossed his arms, clearly not buying it. “And that involves wandering the hallways during class? Where’s your crew?”

Hook’s smirk wavered just a little. “You know, sometimes pirate business looks a lot like... taking a walk.” He shrugged, trying to seem casual, but Charming’s piercing gaze was making it harder than usual.

“Mhm.” Charming didn’t look convinced in the slightest. “And here I thought I could trust you.But I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me.”

He wanted to make fun of Charming trusting him. But he had to have the upper hook.

“ Avoiding you ?” Hook’s laugh was a little too loud, a little too forced. “Please. Why would I avoid you? You’re... delightful company.” His tone dripped with sarcasm, but the flicker of heat in Charming’s eyes told him the prince wasn’t going to let this slide.

“Right,” Charming said, stepping just a little closer, the space between them shrinking. “Because running into you in the hallway was purely coincidence, wasn’t it?”

Hook shifted uncomfortably, his brain scrambling for an out. “I told you, I’ve got pirate things to–”

“You mean, you’re free ? No classes, no pirate business, just... wandering the halls?”

Hook opened his mouth to argue, but Charming was right. He had nothing. And now, he was caught up in his own rope of excuses.

“Fine,” Hook muttered, crossing his arms in a defensive stance. “Maybe I was... considering taking the rest of the day off. What of it?”

Charming’s smile widened, satisfaction clear in his expression. “Good. Because if you’re free, we’re going to actually sit down and start planning.”

Hook’s stomach twisted at the thought. Planning meant sitting with Charming, hashing out the details, and spending more time in close proximity. And that was exactly what he’d been avoiding. If he just ignored it long enough, maybe the whole ridiculous idea would vanish, and he wouldn’t have to deal with whatever was happening between them.

“I’m not avoiding anything,” Hook lied again, his voice too defensive to be convincing. “I just figured this whole fake dating plan didn’t need... overthinking.”

Charming narrowed his eyes, stepping even closer now, his tone lowering as if they were sharing a secret. “Sounds like someone’s scared.”

“ Scared ? Of you? Please.”

Charming’s lips twitched into a smirk, the same one that made Hook’s pulse quicken for reasons he hated to admit. “Then why are you running away?”

Hook opened his mouth, then closed it, searching for a comeback that wouldn’t sound weak. He hated this. Hated that Charming could see right through him. But running away from the truth was exactly what he’d been trying to do.

After a tense beat, Hook exhaled sharply, dropping the act. “Fine. You win, Princey. Let’s plan.”

👑

Charming knew from the start that Hook was going to be a problem. 

Getting the pirate to sit still and actually focus on anything was nearly impossible, but this little "accidental" run-in had finally given him the upper hand—or, more fittingly, the upper hook.

The pirate was slippery, always finding some way to avoid responsibility or slink away from their plans. He had finally managed to pin Hook down, so to speak, by dragging him to the gymnasium for a "meeting" that involved more sparring than talking.

Hook was lounging on a bench, lazily twirling his hook, watching as Charming fenced with Lionel. The prince dodged and parried with ease, but there was an obvious frustration building in Hook’s eyes.

“Charming, I’m getting bored watching you win every single match,” Hook called out, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I thought we were supposed to be planning something, not watching you show off.”

Charming grinned, narrowly avoiding one of Lionel’s strikes. “I’m sorry this isn’t entertaining enough for you,” he quipped, deflecting the next attack. “Lionel, do I have any other duties planned for today? Something a bit more exciting for our guest ?”

Lionel, panting slightly but still focused, shook his head. “No, sir. I’ve told you all the tasks for today. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up.”

Charming took a quick glance over at Hook, who was still lounging, his sharp eyes half-lidded with boredom. The pirate twirled his hook absentmindedly, clearly not paying attention to the sparring. 

That single glance distracted Charming enough for Lionel to get the upper hand, and before he knew it, Lionel had landed a clean hit.

His first loss of the day. Lionel stood victorious, while Hook let out an unexpected cheer.

“Wait, I cheered for the wrong team,” Hook muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. He seemed genuinely amused for the first time that day.

Charming shot Hook a withering look, wiping sweat from his brow. “Lionel, you’re excused,” he said with a sigh. “I’ll deal with him myself.”

Lionel glanced between the two of them, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “As you wish, sir,” he said, bowing slightly. “Try not to get into too much trouble,” he added with a wink before heading out of the gymnasium.

As soon as Lionel left, Hook stood up, stretching lazily before walking over to the weapons stand. He casually picked up a sword, giving it a few experimental swings. “What do you think you're doing?” Charming asked, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice.

Hook smirked, twirling the sword in his hand. “You’ve got a thing for multitasking, don’t you? I thought I’d play to your strengths.” He gave Charming a wicked grin. “Let’s spar, Princey.

Charming raised an eyebrow, his competitive spirit kicking in. “You’re on,” he said, readying his stance.

They began circling each other, swords raised, both of them tense and ready. Hook moved first, quick and agile, his strikes more precise than Charming expected. “I think you forget,” Hook said with a mischievous grin, “I have this class too.”

Charming dodged another attack, their blades clashing with a sharp clang . “We have a meeting with the tailor later,” he reminded, trying to regain the upper hand as Hook’s blade narrowly missed his shoulder.

“Ooh, clothes. I love it,” Hook replied with a sarcastic lilt, his sword almost piercing through Charming’s sleeve. “But what color are you going to force me to wear?”

Charming parried, their swords clanging loudly. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t like it,” he said, his voice strained from the effort of matching Hook’s strikes. 

“I’m a considerate prince.” Their blades locked for a moment, and Charming looked Hook dead in the eyes. “But we really need to work on our chemistry—you look like you want to kill me with those eyes.”

“Well, I’m sorry I keep giving you the death glare.”

“I could work on smiling more,” Charming quipped, his breath quickening as they continued sparring.

“Please don’t. You smile enough,” Hook shot back, though the way his eyes flickered away suggested there was something more behind his words. Charming noticed it, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it as their swords met again with a loud clang.

Charming saw an opening and decided to exploit it. He flashed Hook one of his signature, brilliant grins—the one that made heads turn at every royal event. It was blindingly confident, and he saw Hook’s steps falter for just a second, enough for Charming to push forward and take the upper hand.

“Checkmate,” Charming taunted, smirking as he pressed the attack.

Hook stumbled onto the floor, his eyes narrowing. “Lad, I think that’s for chess,” he muttered as the match came to an end, Charming’s sword pointed directly at Hook’s chest.

“Well, I bested you,” Charming said with a wink.

Hook groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes. “You seriously need to work on your endings. Are you gonna take that sword out of my face or what?”

Charming tilted his head, leaning just slightly closer. “I think I like being on top of things.” He said looking down at the other in such a compromising position.

Hook’s brow shot up, his lips curling into a wicked smirk. “No need to get sexual, Princey. I didn’t know you were into doing things in public.” His voice dropped to a low, teasing drawl.

Charming choked on his own sweat, eyes widening as he stumbled back slightly. His face flushed, and for the first time in the match, he felt genuinely flustered. Hook just grinned, clearly enjoying the effect his words had on the prince.

Charming cleared his throat, quickly composing himself. “

“Help me up?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Charming muttered, offering Hook a hand, though he purposely avoided looking at the pirate’s face, still reeling from the innuendo.

Hook took the offered hand and pulled himself up, but the contact lingered a moment too long. Their gazes met, and for a brief second, the teasing banter faded into something more charged, something neither of them was quite ready to acknowledge.

As soon as Hook was back on his feet, he leaned in close, his voice low and teasing. “You know, you should really work on your defenses, Charming. You’re too easy to beat.”

Charming rolled his eyes, trying to shake off the strange fluttering in his chest. “You’re just... annoyingly good at this,” he muttered, though there was a hint of admiration buried under the frustration.

Hook grinned, sheathing his sword with a flourish. “I try my best.”

Lionel, who had been watching the entire exchange from the doorway, couldn’t help but shake his head with a fond smile. 

As he watched the two of them bicker and spar, Lionel muttered under his breath, “Young love... even if they’re too blind to see it.”

🪝

Lunch rolled around, and Hook found himself enduring yet another round of "ball planning." Charming was running through an endless list of hypothetical disasters that could happen on the big day, his voice steady and serious.

Hook, on the other hand, couldn’t have cared less about what might go wrong, especially when the conversation shifted to dancing.

"I don't dance," Hook said, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair.

Charming blinked, as if he hadn’t heard correctly. "What do you mean? Everyone knows how to dance."

"Well, I don’t." Hook said firmly.

Charming’s lips curled into a smile. "Then I’ll just have to teach you," he said, clearly amused at the idea.

Hook was ready with a sarcastic retort, something about never needing to dance on a pirate ship, when the doors swung open, and in walked Bridget and Ella, hand in hand. 

Bridget, the Princess of Wonderland, immediately caught Hook’s attention. She was Uliana’s worst nightmare—the living embodiment of everything pink and bubbly that his sea witch friend despised. Bridget, with her unshakable spirit, was a hard target to torment, much to Uliana’s eternal frustration. Hook had always found it hilarious.

Ella, on the other hand, was quieter, more reserved, Hook mused, watching the two approach. He knew little about her other than that she was Bridget’s partner (Uliana called her Bridget’s lap dog.) and apparently had a tolerance for the constant excitement that followed Bridget wherever she went.

"Hey there," Bridget chirped, her voice light and sweet. "We wanted to bring you a little treat. Tomorrow, we won’t be able to attend the ball, so we’re bringing this as an apology." She waved a metallic pink cloche (That’s what those serving things are called.) in her hand before passing it to Ella.

"It’s okay, B," Charming said with a warm smile. "I know you’re not a fan of parties."

Bridget shook her head, pink curls bouncing with the motion. "No, it’s not that! I’d love to come, but I’m heading back home to Wonderland for a little trip. I’m bringing Ella with me to meet the Wonderlandians." She beamed as if this was the most exciting thing in the world.

"Yay," Ella said flatly, her voice devoid of enthusiasm. Hook couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. He liked this girl’s deadpan delivery—it almost made him regret teasing her in the past.

"She’s totally excited," Hook quipped from the corner, a smirk playing on his lips.

Ella turned her gaze toward him, a knowing look in her eyes that told him she was far from thrilled. Hook nodded at her, as if in silent agreement—meeting new people could be a drag.

Charming, meanwhile, was already moving on. "So, B," he said, "what do you have for us today? And what side effects should I be warned about?"

"Blame the cookbook, not the cook!" Bridget giggled, twirling a strand of her pink hair around her finger. "Well, actually, I’m more of a baker than a cook, but you get the idea."

Charming chuckled, but then turned to Bridget with a more serious expression. "B, I need to talk to Ella about that project we have together, but I’m sure Hook here would love a little company while I’m busy. Why don’t you chat with our resident pirate for a bit?"

Ella on the other hand looked like she was ready to vent to Charming. It was clear to Hook those two were really good friends and Bridget was the ray of sunshine that was in between these two.

Bridget’s face lit up as she practically skipped over to where Hook was seated. "Of course! I’d love to." She plopped down next to Hook, her infectious energy filling the space between them.

"So," Bridget began, her bright eyes fixed on Hook, "how’s the whole ‘dating the prince’ thing going? You two make such a cute couple!"

Hook almost choked on his water, his mind racing for a response. He hadn't exactly agreed to this charade for the compliments, but Bridget was looking at him with such genuine excitement that he had to try.

"Oh, you know," Hook said, waving his hook hand nonchalantly. "It’s... a lot of work. Keeping up with someone as perfect as Charming."

Bridget gasped. "I knew it!" She leaned in closer, her pink curls brushing against his arm. "You’re totally in love with him, aren’t you?"

Hook blinked, caught off guard. He’d been prepared to bluff his way through this conversation, but something about Bridget’s sweet, innocent nature made it harder to lie outright.

It reminded him a bit of Morgie’s bright energy—the same warm, unwavering kindness. His usual defenses felt weaker around people like her.

"I mean," Hook began, trying to sound convincing, "how could I not be, right? Charming’s... charming." He grimaced inwardly at his own terrible pun.

Bridget giggled, clearly delighted. "I knew it! Love is just the best, isn’t it? It makes everything brighter and more magical."

Hook shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to respond. He wasn’t one to talk about love, let alone pretend to be in it. But Bridget’s wide-eyed enthusiasm was almost... endearing. Maybe in another universe they were friends.

"Sure," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Love’s great."

Bridget sighed dreamily. "I’m so happy for you two. You know, I think it’s important to fight for love. It’s like Wonderland—you have to be brave enough to embrace the chaos."

Hook tilted his head, watching her with a curious expression. Despite the intense energy she exuded, there was wisdom to Bridget’s words. "You really believe that, don’t you?" he asked, a note of respect slipping into his voice.

"Of course!" she said, beaming. "I’ve always been a ‘love conquers all’ kind of girl. When you find someone special, you have to hold on tight and never let go."

Hook glanced over at Charming, who was deep in conversation with Ella now. He felt a strange pull in his chest, something he couldn’t quite name. Bridget’s words lingered, gnawing at him in a way that felt both uncomfortable and... intriguing.

"Yeah," Hook murmured, almost to himself. "Maybe you're right." He caught himself and flashed Bridget a grin, trying to shake off the strange feeling creeping up on him. "But don’t tell him I said that."

Bridget giggled again, clearly thrilled. "Your secret’s safe with me, Hook." 

The pirate was trying not to think of the prince across the room.

But just as the thought crossed his mind, Charming looked over at them, catching Hook’s eye for a split second before quickly turning back to his conversation with Ella. Hook’s heart gave an unexpected lurch, and he cursed himself silently.

"Well," Bridget said with a wink, "it sounds like things are going to get interesting for you two at the ball."

Hook just smirked, not trusting himself to say anything else. This whole fake-dating situation was starting to mess with his head—and the worst part was, he wasn’t entirely sure he hated it. 

Notes:

Hope you enjoy the fic & Remember to give feedback!!! It is always appreciated. That was a doozy to edit down, I'm so excited to show more of this to y'all and I hope your ready. (And if you reading this on tumblr. Thank you so much for giving this a read.)

Request go here on my tumblr.

[the-francakes]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thanks for the tag @schmem14 - sorry this took me so long!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

28: 27 finished and 1 WIP

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

350,018

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter. sometimes si consider others but ideas never hit me like they do for hp

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Five Times Draco Malfoy Accidentally Apparated into Hermione Granger's Bed… And the One Time He Meant To (Dramione) - every time draco masturbates, he ends up in hermiones bed 2. An Overly Considerate Friend (Jegulus) - james confronts regulus about spying on their quidditch practices and ends up liplocked instead 3. Both (Hermione/Fred/George) - the hermione and the twins fuck or die DVP PWP 4. I WANNA SEE SOME ARSE (nottpott) - theo is on an island vaction and somehow sharing a bed with harry who has an amazing arse 5. The (Third) Worst Year (drarry) - draco has one year to kiss his true love, harry potter, or turn into a dragon... so he picks dragon like a dumb ass

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes.I do my best to because i think the converation is important and im grateful so i want readers to know. i havent lately because i get overwhelemed and im on a hiatus but yeah i try to

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

You & Lily - regulus is so tired of being used by james, he gets his mark and only tells james after they have sex to really fuck james up. then years later he returns to james to apologize by promising to save harry and its open ended but like... also cannon compliant

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

all of them are happy endings tbh... while i like writing angst, i dont like writing unhappy endings or dead dove sort of things. so pretty much any of my fics will leave you happy

8. Do you get hate on fics?

nah not really. i think its cause im in happy rare pairs world. every now and then i get the off the wall comment like 'telling somone to come is SO overdone' and im like cool bye.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

all the smut. mostly vanilla-ish? i like to change up positions or what the sexual act is, but i dont cross into anything kink mostly cause i just write what i know/like/is comfortable.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

nope. probably never will either.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that i know of...

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! The Quidditch Pitch Incident is in Russian Five Times Draco Malfoy Accidentally Apparated into Hermione Granger's Bed is in Chinese

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No! But im open to it with the right person

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

I dont really have one. It always changes for me. I like trying a new ship so i think the majority of my fics are different ships.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

honestly, Im starting to think Echoes wont be finished. i havent had the want to write it all year and i dont think the first parts are really my best writing. so part of me might even delete and rewrite it if i start getting the vibes to pursue it again.

16. What are your writing strengths?

characterization. i love fanfic because i can use the base of what we know and grow from the tiny details to make fully developed ones. its hard for me to read some fics that the characterization doesnt match what i know from the books without explanation. like its hard for me to see hermione as a sugar baby for money and loves being doted on because i dontt hink that matches her from the books but like if you can explain she gets her strength and independence from manipulating men then im like yes okay im on board.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

im awful with commas. everyone else loves them but i forget them so much grammarly is always yelling at me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

nah. i've been living in italy for a month now and the only words i know are ciao and allora LOL - if i want it i ask someone to translate for me

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter and twilight at the same time back in 2004 ish

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I cant pick just one so here are my faves that are not my most popular because of the ships but probably some of my best writing and get really good comments. Locals Only (draco/blaise/theo) A Saving People Problem (draco/james potter snr) The Quidditch Pitch Incident (ginny/blaise) A Good Night for Whimsy and Love (ron/luna) tis the damn season (Pansy's version) (pansy/ron) Maid of Honor for a Day, Best Friend for Life (susan/blaise)

tagging whoever sees this and also @crazybutgood @vukovich @holygnocchi @phdmama @sailtomarina

[monkiedude]

@brendaonao3 tagged me to do this! Love you, old friend.

3 ships

Hangman/Rooster my beloved!!!! I don’t know if TG:M was just at the right place at the right time or what, but I haven’t been this invested in a ship in AGES. Just. Enough canon to work with, enough blank space to play with, you could make me believe they get together just about any way and I’d buy it and thank you for it. (Plus the raw material GP and MT bring to the table doesn’t hurt. Hnngh.)

I tend to be pretty fandom-monogamous, but two other fave ships I’d revisited pre-TG:M:

Arthur/Eames (Inception). Coincidentally (?) LOTS of parallels to Hangman/Rooster. Two supporting characters in a team that has to work together to pull off a mission. Total opposites in many ways that you know would make them total complements if they could get over themselves. MAJOR bitter ex energy. This ship also has some of the most incredible fic I’ve read for any fandom, ever. The canon-compliant stuff is great, but the AUs! Dear god, the AUs. It is my very fervent wish that we start getting TG:M AUs like that. (Plus the raw material that TH and JGL bring to the table doesn’t hurt. JGL’s wardrobe alone.)

Kirk/McCoy (ST:AOS). Oh, man, I was super-obsessed with this one back in the day. Much like TG:M, I saw the first movie WAY too many times in the theater. In general, I’m not big on ships that start as best friends, for whatever reason, but I vibe with this one. Plus Star Trek is just a fun universe to play in (although, again, some of my fave fics for this ship are AUs too, god, there is one kids-to-adults one that focuses mostly on HS and I re-read it still, all the time). I’m sad about this ship, though, because most if not all of my engagement with it was on LJ, and I know that a lot of the fic hasn’t made it to AO3. (I love K/M in TOS too, fwiw. DeForest Kelley’s McCoy in Wrath of Khan after the Kobayashi Maru, draped across the floor, actually begging for a compliment from Kirk…SO fruity, god love him.)

First ship

JC/Joey (popslash). I still stand by it and will not take questions at this time.

Last movie

In truth, the OG Top Gun for the zillionth time, while I was multitasking doing laundry and a crossword puzzle. Before that, it was actually Whiplash for the first time, as I continue in my quest to watch Miles Teller’s back catalogue, and a rewatch of Tombstone for the first time in at least a decade, for Val Kilmer. Next up is a rewatch of Jerry Maguire, probably for the first time since it was in the theater? (I have a huge embarrassment squick, so I remember not loving it, but I’m also in a Tom Cruise phase, so needs must.)

Last song

Sturgill Simpson’s cover of “The Promise,” which I didn’t know existed, but now do thanks to a completely captivating Hangster WIP. Before that, some random new-ish country songs as I continue digging for songs that Jake thinks about playing for Bradley on acoustic guitar. Suggestions welcome.

Currently reading

I mean, the real answer is Hangster fic, but I also just started “Girlhood” by Melissa Febos and am getting ready to be furious about it.

Currently watching

Other than the movies mentioned above, I just finished rewatching Bridgerton s2, which I unironically love. Oh, and trolling YouTube for Miles Teller interviews. (Glen Powell is my guy, but sometimes I find him to be, like. Overly polished, and kinda performative, in interviews. Miles is a fucking loose cannon and I find him fascinating.)

Currently consuming

Diet Dr. Pepper. Should actually eat lunch at some point.

Currently craving

Trying to remember if I have stuff to make a Jungle Bird, but I think I’m out of Campari. Boo.

I literally don’t know how to tag people, I’m such a fossil, but this was fun! Am I doing this right? @greendaze, @daggerspared, @saint--claire ?

[aspiring-artist-em]

What do u think about jegulus?

I add reg in and write jegulily bc it makes sense to me and I like the idea, but I prefer jily if I had to choose a monogamous ship for James, and like, I will still read jegulus but I mean, I like it enough but I don't think I'll ever write strictly jegulus. I also don't really care for strictly jegulus in cannon compliant fics, I do like it in non cannon compliant fics more bc it just makes more sense to me, yk?

overall, not the best, not the worst. will read under certain circumstances, won't write alone (excluding jegulily). I like jily more tbh. it makes more sense with their personalities.

I can and still reblog shitposts and/or cool fanart bc that stuff slays. also, if u ship jegulus this isn't a dni thing, just a personal preference. like, im not judging u at all bc they're all dead gay wizards from the 70's, yk? its just like a neutral thing to me, not always my cup of tea, but we all have different tastes in tea and its not that deep.

[v3nusxsky]

Akajshdujs that's absolutely adorable!!! I swear you're literally the sweetest person ever plus that's the best explanation for something I've seen all week and I've been binging video essays on my favourite games.

As for the sleep I concede I'm tired af rn cause I went to bed late buttt it was for good reason since I'm writing a personalised fic for my friend who is in love with Leia and has read all the hanleia and Leia fics on the internet (slightly concerning, yes)

The thing is I haven't watched the original trilogy in like 3 or 4 years so I am gonna need to rewatch and do some other research to make sure I get dates and fic just right so I was drafting a basic plot outline last night and now imma go rewatch the movies so I can make corrections so it's cannon compliant since that's their favourite type of starwars fic

Aw you’re much too kind to me sweetheart but truly I love this friend sm I owe them a lot they’ve saved me in so many ways and they don’t even realise it. It’s a pure pleasure to call them my friend (totally gonna be called a simp here but that’s all good )

Okay I can get behind the reason that’s really sweet of you to do for your friend dear. And I’m not exactly much better on the sleep front🤫

Enjoy darling I can’t say I know much of starwars but I do know who liea is!

[atlasdoe]

i don't usually make posts like this but...

THE MARAUDERS SERIES BY PENGIWEN (AKA THE BEST CANNON COMPLIANT MARAUDERS FIC) IS NOW ON AO3

i could talk about this fic for hours it is my favourite thing ever. It's like if The Marauders were produced by the CW but in the best way ever.

It has literally everything you want in a marauders fic and I am telling the truth when i say that. I need everyone to read this fic

The main ships are Jily and Wolfstar

REGULUS STANS YOU WILL LOVE THIS

REGULUS HATERS YOU WILL ALSO PROBABLY LOVE THIS

Also if you love time travel you will also love this fic

Literally ask me anything you need to about this fic and I will answer it. I am about to become the most annoying person ever. Drop me an ask an out anything and i will answer it

The whole fic is about the marauders from their first year to the end of the war (and with flash fowards of seeing the events of the main series from certain characters pov)

pretty much everyone gets a pov at some point it's brilliant

there's literally so much to this fic and now that it's on ao3 you have no excuse. READ IT PLS I BEG

[splishsplashyouropinionistrash]

AFTG Fic Recs

After receiving several recommendations for AFTG fics, I decided to compile a list of my own favorites so far. All of these are on AO3.

1. it would have been you by thereisnothis ~ 

Jerejean oneshot

TW: major character death, suicide

“Jeremy should have known. He should have fucking known. All the signs were there. How could he have been so blind?”

Short and painful fic where Jean never recovers from the Raven’s Nest and Jeremy is left to pick up the pieces. I sobbed violently. 

2. Scribbles and Sticky Notes by Fortheloveofexy

Andriel oneshot

TW: major character death

“It started soon after Andrew’s official retirement from Exy.”

A painful hurt/comfort fic after Neil is injured and forced to retire. Another one that made me sob uncontrollably.

3. Teach Me How To Heal by foundinthedark

Jerejean, 1/7 parts published, last updated 7-28-22

TW: panic attacks, mental illness, and all the fun stuff that comes with Jean

“After Jean Moreau struggles at practice, his therapist suggests he starts a seven-day self-esteem journal to get him back on track. “

Jean learning to be happy after coming out of the Nest (with Jeremy’s help). It melts my heart-

4. assorted cannon/post-cannon compliant aftg brainrot by mostly_maudlin

a series of oneshots about the Foxes, check out the TW for individual stories

5. In Which Neil Josten is a PR Nightmare by CoverYourEyes

Andriel, 16/? parts published, last updated 7-27-22

TW: None, surprisingly

“the one where Neil does what he wants, picks fights with reporters, discovers Twitter, breaks the internet, and really shouldn't be allowed out of his house. Andrew does nothing to discourage him.”

Post-cannon from an OC’s perspective (his publicist). Kept me up cackling at ungodly hours of the night.

6. never fallen (from quite this high) by crystalcrow

Andriel, 43/43 parts published

TW: All the fun cannon-typical warnings

“For most people, a problem is a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful that needs to be dealt with or overcome. For Andrew Minyard, it’s the word that fits Neil Josten with a capital P.”

It’s the series from Andrew’s POV, what else do I need to say? A must-read for AFTG fans.

7. Hoax by gus_47

Jerejean, 26/? parts published, last updated 8-01-22

TW: recreational drug use, all the fun stuff that comes with Jean (he deserves a break, oh my god)

“ Jean's first year with the Trojans / a recollection of his last year with the Ravens”

It’s a Jerejean after the Ravens fic, fairly self-explanatory (and fairly heartbreaking so far)

8. goodbye, family by queenDay05

Background Andriel oneshot

TW: mentions of death

“the day before his countdown ends, Neil films a video. it's an apology, a goodbye. for the foxes.”

Neil knows he’s dying, so he leaves a goodbye for the foxes. Utterly heartbreaking.

9. don’t say goodbye by queenDay05

Background Andriel oneshot

TW: mentions of death

“the foxes reaction's to Neil's goodbye video“

Sequel to goodbye, family after the riot when the Foxes realize Neil’s missing and find the video he left them. Somehow more heartbreaking than the first.

10. Innominate by Major_816

Andriel, Jerejean, Ichirou x OC, 17/74 parts published, last updated 7-24-22

TW: mental illness, mafia shit, and general aftg warnings

“An AU where Mary never got Nathaniel out. Instead, he became too invaluable of an asset to be killed off or 'gifted' to Tetsuji. Instead, he's raised with Ichirou and Jean as a part of Ichirou's inner circle. He'd always had a knack for languages and lying and all the 'messy stuff' came easily enough when your father is called the Butcher of Baltimore. So Nathaniel became the Wraith. He was untraceable, unknowable, infalliable; a criminal fairytale. When Kevin Day leaves the Nest, there's no better person to send.”

Neil is in the mafia (and he’s a total badass). Big found-family vibes, a good mix of fluff and angst. One of the best fics I’ve ever read, I am begging you to go read it.

11. Let’s make things interesting by Nico4undead 

Andriel, background Jerejean, 16/? parts published, last updated 6-24-22 (might not be abandoned, author is slow to update)

TW: Nothing, I think (shocking, I know)

“Andreil, after they both join a pro Exy team. Neil suggests they make things a little more interesting and don't necessarily tell anyone about their relationship, just act as they usually would. Cue the Minyard/Josten rivalry and basically just Andrew and Neil being little shits and thoroughly enjoying making everyone think they can't stand each other.”

Andriel after Palmetto. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will laugh some more. It’s hilarious and fluffy and heartwarming (while staying cannon-compliant).

Well, there you go! A list of every AFTG fic I read and enjoyed since figuring out how to use AO3 five days ago (do I have a problem? maybe). 

Hugs and kisses, my loves. Go read about our gays <3

[shipsgaysfordays]

Leather

Sad cannon compliant fic about the Remus alone years, sad isolating depressed Remus incoming, sorry. Response to the prompt from @wolfstarmicrofic

Everywhere that Remus saw a leather jacket he couldn’t stop thinking of his former lover. The people passing him by without a second look on the busy street, for just a second he would think that it was 1980 and he was with Sirius, until he remembered that this was just a random stranger passing by him and that in reality it was some random year that he couldn’t keep track of anymore and Sirius was in Azkaban for killing their best friends. 

So, Remus stayed home, hoping not to see any reminders of Sirius or his friends or his former self. He couldn’t take it. Almost all the photos in the house would end up face down in a box, so he wouldn’t have to see their smiling faces almost mocking him for being the one left behind. 

His closet was one of the worst things to go through, filled with sweaters that Sirius would steal from him, sweaters that still smelled like them. Plus their own t-shirts and jeans. Their jewelry. Makeup. The occasional skirt and dress.  

And that fucking leather jacket. He wanted to bring the leather jacket with him for a full moon so he could tear it up and be rid of it, forget it all. Forget them, forget all of those years. Forget any of his past because remembering it was growing to be too much.

But then there were also late nights where he sat on the floor, clinging to that same jacket, and pretending for just a moment that the person who was now in prison was somehow a different person than who they’d proven themself to be. That his Sirius and that Sirius were different, two entirely separate beings. Just as he pretended that this Remus was different from the Remus he had once been, because how could he ever be the same without them?

This Remus could never be the same as the one who had once walked onto the Hogwarts Express in those leather boots with the mismatched shoe laces, filled with spiraling rage and some strange sense of confidence and toughness. This Remus could never be the same as the one who turned bright red and stuttered in awe the first time he saw Sirius in a leather jacket. This Remus knew he had to protect himself and his emotions, he had to make his walls even taller and more sturdy than before, he couldn’t let his emotions control him. Yet behind those walls that appeared impenetrable despite being made of pebbles, that’s all he could do, let his emotions take control and keep him trapped because he couldn’t trust his logic and there was no one else around to even try trusting. 

[baku-bowl]

broke 1,000 followers (the fuck? I don't even make content people), so decided to write up a list of some (but not all, I'll make other lists later) of my favorite Bakugou-centric fic recs. my tastes run towards hurt/comfort, as you'll probably figure from the list. if there are some Baku-centric fics that you've enjoyed that aren't on here, please add them - this is definitely not a complete list of the ones I've read and love, but I'm always up for some recs. <3

fair warning, most of these are wips.

------------------------------------------------

Social Media 101 by WindsChild8178

Part 1: Survival Guide to Fucking Up

[Solely Bakugou’s point of view]

Katsuki Bakugou doesn’t have a gentle bone in his body. He’s aggressive in everything he does and does everything with 100% of his heart in it. After the Sport’s Festival, Katsuki starts to get harassed by strangers for his unheroic demeanor. It starts with letters but it doesn’t end there. The moment Katsuki realizes the harassment has entered dangerous territory and he needs to tell someone, it’s already too late.

Part 2: Post Traumatic Life Disorder

[Point of View opens up to Bakugou, teachers and classmates]

When the Dorms are finally built, everyone is settling in well, but things become tense as people begin to realize something isn’t right with the recently rescued Bakugou.

[Cannon compliant right up to after the License Exam]

hands down my favorite fic in the fandom right now. it’s the one that converted me into a Bakugou lover. if you have any fondness for Bakugou as a character then it’s likely you’ve read this one already, but if not, I can’t recommend it enough. incredibly depressing, but with the hope that comfort is coming soon in the next few chapters.

The Kids Will Be Alright, Eventually by NotWithThatAttitude

Bakugou is spiraling in the aftermath of Kamino and his friends are starting to notice. He's stubborn, aggressively independent, and less than willing to dig into his past, but after a breakdown that ends with a painful secret revealed, he starts to get help.

Whether he likes it or not.

Meanwhile, a new kind of villain threatens an uneasy peace following the loss of Allmight. Whispers build as a new narrative slowly takes shape:

Hero society needs to change.

Feat. Therapy, Dadzawa, best boy Kirishima, dysfunctional families, healing, growing up, and the mortifying ordeal of being known

guys.. the medical accuracy of this fic is just... *chef’s kiss*

I rarely see mental health genuinely handled well in fics, but this one goes above and beyond. kudos to the author for doing such excellent research into psychology, and making the application of it in here not-boring. also, while this one does have abusive!Mitsuki, it’s done in a way that feels realistic, and how I usually will see it occur in real life, rather than just for the hurt/comfort feels.

fair warning, the fic can be incredibly triggering (themes of severe depression, PTSD, panic attacks, rape survival, abuse survival, suicidal ideation/attempted suicide, among other things), so be safe and heed the tw’s if you decide to read. legitimately one of my Top Favorite fics in this fandom.

Lock and Key by autochorystalize

Bakugou made a choked, gravelly noise before croaking out a low, “You can’t be serious.” His fingers ached to blow up everything in the room.

“I’m sorry, young man, but you can’t change reality! This sometimes happens.” Recovery Girl clicked through his file, adding a new symbol in a previously empty slot.

- - -

A pair of eyes discreetly locked on to an explosive blond plowing his way forward, parting people in his path. He recognized the kid, of course. Anyone in the underbelly of society would recognize him, after the publicity of both UA’s Sports Festival and the events leading up to All Might’s fall. The uniform he was wearing cast away any doubts about the young man’s identity.

It was a bit of a surprise that the little firecracker presented as an omega.

- - - - - - - - -

Or: there are certain types of evil that seemed too distant, archaic violations and perversions that would never actually threaten bright-eyed heroes-in-training in the clean, modern world...but sometimes those evils aren't as distant as one might think.

remember when I said that I love a/b/o fics that are full of plot and world-building and gender-induced tension? that’s this one. the OC’s are fabulous and you love to hate ‘em. also, it’s the fic that made me fall head-over-heels for the TodoBaku dynamic, so it’s got a special place in my cold, dead heart. 

be warned, there are rather explicit non-con scenes between an adult (OC) and a minor (Bakugou) in this one, but the author warns for them in advance, and you could likely skip those parts without missing too much if you need to.

Never and Always, Eventually by Wawa_Boonliang

"Katsuki can remember the exact moment that he and Deku…that he and Midoriya Izuku became friends. He can also remember the moment he and Izuku became fierce rivals, a time when they were almost enemies.

However, what he remembers most clearly about their relationship is the moment that they moved passed rivals and became something more close than mere friends. Something more like brotherhood, something forged in fire and secured in the middle of a battlefield or in the midst of natural disaster where the number of the dead was climbing ever higher. And then it was torn from him."

Katsuki is given a second chance. A chance to save everyone. A chance to change everything.

But should he?

y’all. I’m a slutty, slutty whore for time travel fics. a time travel fic with autistic!coded Bakugou? it was love at first read.

Lessons Learned by Sif (Rosae)

Rather than the police station, Katsuki's friends bring him to a hospital after rescuing him from the villains. His wounds were minor, but it didn't make having them treated any less important. As it would so happen, Best Jeanist was also brought to this hospital after the attack.

Sometimes, small choices have a big impact on how a story plays out.

classic Bakugou hurt/comfort. this fic opened me up to the potential that could be a genuinely good Best Jeanist & Katsuki mentor-mentee relationship, and I kind of dig it and search ravenously for it in other fics now. I’m also a huge fan of the behind-the-scences Pro Hero Chat group.

Slope by sunfleurmoon

“I’m not a hero. Or a good person,” Katsuki says, giving Aizawa a pointed look, “So leave me alone. I don’t care about the League or UA, or you—” The two years he’s been away have been fine, more than fine, fucking fantastic actually if you ignore the bi-monthly near-death experiences. He doesn’t need this place. He doesn’t miss this place.

And yet, longing, a childish desire to tear up, or maybe blow something to bits, they all twist in his chest like a band of traitors regardless. “—I just want to go home.”

Or: the one where Katsuki and Izuku fail the first term exam, Aizawa discovers their pasts, and Katsuki is booted from UA. Featuring questionable descriptions of villain organizations, a slightly illegal moving shop, and your favorite emotionally constipated badass in distress with a newly discovered penchant for collecting strays.

paaaaaaiiiiiiiin. the hurt is ALIVE in this one. lots of tortured, angsty exploding child goodness. the OC’s are excellently crafted, and the Bakugou & Eri relationship? beautiful. definitely deserves a read.

Ground Zero by WindsChild8178

In the wake of Kamino, Katsuki is tested more than anyone could imagine. Bound by a villain’s quirk to keep his silence or die, he lives each day knowing it might very well be his last. He continues to work towards becoming a hero, keeping his secret from his classmates and teachers, focusing on making it through each day and trying not to allow the panic or depression to get the best of him. When the villain finally corners him with demands in exchange for his life, there is really only one answer Katsuki Bakugou can give.

honestly don't know which I want updated more - social media 101 or ground zero. this author's fics are amazing, and I really wasn't expecting the twist in this one. can't wait for windschild to come back to this fic some day.

The Defect by LadyGreenFrisbee

"Why do you want to win the Sports Festival so badly?" 

Because I want to see if the defect could usurp the masterpiece.

(In which Endeavor holds a terrible secret and Bakugo has to suffer since childhood for it.)

a great concept, and I adore the shouto and Katsuki sibling interaction here. hoping the author will come back to this one some day.

A Name That You'll Remember by Heronfem

Kirishima Eijirou is a Hero. Bakugou Katsuki... is not. Trapped in his toxic workplace and increasingly desperate to get out, Red Riot's days are only brightened by a new villain known as Caution, who's not exactly villainous and keeps accidentally doing good deeds. But when a real villain appears, a threat from the past that demands that Red Riot make the ultimate sacrifice to keep the public safe, Bakugou is forced into saving the day... and eventually, Red Riot himself.

sob story good guy villains are my weakness, this fic is a gem, and I'd kill for the sequel.

Our Hero by AnonymousTwit

He felt everything jerk to the side and throw his balance off before he saw anything, dust clouding his vision and irritating his lungs as the earth itself opened up to swallow them whole. For a single moment, in a millisecond's time, his wild eyes locked with Raccoon Eyes', hers alight with fear and adrenaline-fueled desperation. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized that it was the first time she'd looked at him with something other than long-deserved hatred in days.

And then he was free falling.

Or

After a particularly nasty encounter between childhood friends, the class learns about Bakugou and Midoriya's dark history and practically ostracizes Bakugou while trying to defend Midoriya. An earthquake during an outing has all sides regretting their decisions.

just fucking tear apart my self-sacrificing faves in every way imaginable while their loved ones watch on in terror. 💖🥰💖 this one is heavy on the Bakusquad and Class-1A feels, and VERY heavy on the Mina & Bakugou relationship (platonic).

Running back the tape, watching it replay by Faralyne

For someone ripped from their time, ripped from the few but strong relationships built by time and personal development, by self-reflection and swallowed pride, ripped from the one thing that made him feel worthwhile and needed and put-together, and forced to forge everything over again—Katsuki thinks he is handling it pretty fucking well.

Or

A villain’s quirk sends a 29-year-old Bakugou back in time to his middle school days.

am I a sucker for time travel? yes. am I a sucker for vigilante!bakugou? also yes. am I a sucker for this fic? literally refreshing the page in wait for an update as we speak.

Liability by sandelf

After All-Might dies rescuing Bakugou from the League, Bakugou is determined to prove it wasn't for nothing.

But the world is against him, his grief is overwhelming, and his stability is splitting at the edges.

very self-indulgent bakugou angst. tw for harassment, severe depression, and suicidality.

Special Mentions:

How To Win The Sport Festival: A Step By Step Guide by mhwright

Short re-imagining of the Sports Festival Arc if Shinso had planned a little better and worked a little harder to win the Sports Festival and if the match-ups had been slightly different. Self-indulgent fic of watching him succeed.

this is completely Shinsou-centric, not Bakugou-centric, but I love and adore it and am dying for a sequel. Shinsou is Best Boy here and you'll be rooting for him the whole time.

[wheredafandomat]

13, 31 and 39 for ask thingy love 😘❤️💚

Thank you for the asks!! 💚

13: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Simply write when you want to and are feeling inspired. it’s a hobby meaning it should be fun!

31: Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

I’m not strict in the slightest when it comes to canon 😂 especially cannon now, I refuse to acknowledge it

39: Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

I don’t really get bad reviews anymore. I remember I got some hate for my dark fic which I handled badly and then thought Ah well fuck it. Some people will like it some won’t. Bad reviews are not a reflection of yourself personally and it’s usually from some troll siting behind a screen.