#ahhh i really love the story/outline i have for it but i just need to. write it now. and i have a fair amnt done but i don't waht to share

[datastate]

my new followers don't even know what mcfdau is... mama mia

[queenofbaws]

hi queenie i find myself humbly at your doorstep again (if there was a bowing emoji i would put it here) so question! do you outline your stories? and if so, how? another writer i admire was nice enough to lay out a "tutorial" of sorts but i have so much trouble with the small stuff. like i have so many Big Moments planned and tiny tiny moments planned but the medium moments? do you have any idea on how to plan the medium moments???? i'm going crazy! 😩

(as always, your answer is appreciated and cherished)

why hellooooooo quill!!! what a treat to find you on my doorstep! please know it is i who is bowing and scraping - it's always a delight to be visited by THE hawke/varric queen! ;)c

extremely long story short: i do outline my stories! i live in constant awe of people who can write by the seat of their pants. alas, like the humble ant, i am always digging out pathways to follow later...usually the pathways are intricate. maze-like. bottomless. 😫 hehehe but i know E X A C T L Y what you mean, finding ways to connect everything can be...so much, especially when all you really want to do is get to those big, juicy moments, AHHH!

i'll throw my general process under the cut, and i hope it'll help in some way/shape/form!!! 💖

OH FUCK, I THINK I HAVE A FIC IDEA an outlining process by theicyqueen

hehehe okay, so as always, this is my general process, and what works for me might not work for others, so by all means take EVERY LAST THING I SAY with a boulder-sized grain of salt ;P

for the most part, my outlining process for oneshots and multichaps is roughly the same: (1) i get a central idea i want to expand on, (2) i write that fucker down in as much detail as possible, (3) i sit squinting at it like that kate beaton comic with edgar allan poe for a week or two waiting for a divine vision to hit, (4) profit. in all seriousness, though, this is typically my order of operations:

get the main idea down: this could be an overarching idea for a story (e.g., hawke and varric attend a fancy party and a murder mystery occurs) OR a big, juicy influential scene (e.g., incensed at hubert being an asshole, varric hurls a pillow at him and uncovers a secret door hidden in the wall!)

think about where you want to go from there: do you want this to be a oneshot? a multichap? how much MORE do you want to add to that main idea, essentially, or how far do you think you can stretch it?

get the biggest scenes down first: you know the ones. the ones you REALLY want to get to. write them down NOW. just trust me on this. WRITE THEM DOWN RIGHT NOW I STG!!!

if there are little scenes in your head, get those down too: don't worry about getting them down IN ORDER, just get them down! you think you'll remember them later: you will not. i love you. you will not remember them later. you're so smart. you will not. remember. them later. this is the writer's curse.

put those scenes into some sort of skeleton: here's where you start thinking about the order you want scenes in. where do you want those big, juicy things? where will your smaller moments fit in between them? what KEY POINTS need to occur before juicy scene b so it makes sense to the reader? what KEY POINTS will have to come AFTER juicy scene b to make sense? if you don't quite know where to put something yet, keep it separated, either in a separate doc, or just off to the side; don't touch it again until you have an idea of where it should go chronologically

look at what you have so far: sometimes, if you're lucky, the way to connect these pieces together will become apparent once you see what you already have laid out in one place. life is beautiful when this happens, but it doesn't always, so don't beat yourself up if you just CAN'T figure out how to get from point a to point h - let it sit. let it simmer. let it STEW. maybe eat some stew. it can't hurt.

consider the evil bits >:)c : what this means FOR ME is usually foreshadowing. is there some big twist you want to drop breadcrumbs for throughout the rest of the story? think about what that might look like! if you decide, for example, that you want to reveal a character was evil the whole time by the end of the story, think about what little nugget of foreshadowing you could insert sneakily into the beginning - a lot of the time tiny, almost insignificant details like this can help trigger bigger scenes in your head, "connecty" scenes, if you will. other examples of "evil bits," might be winks to canon material, easter eggs referring to other works of yours (or a friend's!), wordbuilding info that doesn't fit anywhere else, or not-so-subtle inclusions of your own headcanons that you have no earthly reason to include other than to make yourself smile (for example, in the project i'm working on right now, i'm making it a point to have travis hackett smell a girl's hair against her will! this is not a necessary detail by any means, but god help me my characterization of that freak will be known 🙃). it sounds fake, but seriously, sometimes the tiniest details can help you connect things later. the human brain is inscrutable.

determine whether you NEED to fill every gap: if you can't think of a way connect two scenes no matter how hard you try, it's ENTIRELY possible that they just don't need to be connected. at all. the reader doesn't always need to see characters move from one classroom to another, and we don't always need to see their skincare routine before they go to bed. those might be important scenes to include for what you're writing, don't get me wrong, but if they're not??? just...just skip 'em. DON'T connect the scene before and the scene after. if you're writing a oneshot, ask yourself: could i put a line break in here and just keep going? and if you're writing a multichap, the question is similar: can i just end the chapter here and pick up with the next one? sometimes you just don't NEED a medium-sized scene at all. just skip it!!!!!

talk to a friend who has no idea what any of this means: i'm. i'm so serious. if you're writing fandom stuff, please ask a friend with little to no knowledge of that fandom if you can talk at them about your story for a minute. if you're writing something original, please ask literally any friend at all if you can talk at them about your story for a minute. you will be. shocked. the words that come out of your mouth once you start doing this. shocked. sometimes there's stuff up in your brain you didn't even know was up there. i can't recommend it highly enough asldkjflakdjf

when in doubt, consider a humble "blanket paragraph:" i feel like...i feel like a lot of us...who got into creative writing...and who took creative writing classes...came to hate the simple blanket statement. but we shouldn't. we should love it. sometimes you don't need a scene at all - sometimes all you need is, "and then they ate dinner and watched some movies before bed." that's it. that can be your link. it can. i promise. i promise.

i really, truly hope that helps you in some way! or, if nothing else, kickstarts something in your own way of planning 💜

what a hobby we chose, huh? what a hobby. :P

[macawritesupdates]

Writing Update 10/5/2024

I'm alive! Just I have been doing more art of late which means not as much writing time! Working on two zine art pieces and trying to finish art I owed for something I forgot about 8'3

Also catch up on Ink event for an art server. Got to do that. BUT progress on writing is being made! <3

JJK LONG-FIC UPDATES

CAREFUL WHAT YOU JOKE ABOUT: EDITING NEW CHAPTER AND IT SHOULD BE OUT TODAY! The outline reworks are more or less done other than seeing how many chapters it takes to reach a conclusion I'm happy with. Chapter count is most likely going to change!

BROKEN IN THE WAYS NO ONE SEES: Next chapter is in the works and is full of fluff like promised <3 Can't wait to share it!

WHEN YOU GET TWO GRANDSONS: Next chapter is nearly done so working to finish that up and then edit and post. Get ready to get some Wasuke character lore! hehe!

SPOUSE WANTED: Next chapter is coming along and again, hoping to finish it soon to post up! Going to be one readers have been anticipating!

CULTURALLY INAPPROPRIATE: The sequel to Historically Inaccurate! Continuing Yuuji and Sukuna's journey figuring themselves out while throwing in meeting other vessels and the Culling Games...what could go wrong.

LESSONS IN ACCIDENTAL SEDUCTION: Next chapter in slow progress! Just a lot of moving pieces to handle as we skip to the twins now being older and being Sukuna's assistants in chaos lol

THE YUUJI FILES: Working on the outline for the next chapter...the long-time fans still sticking it out are going to scream when this chapter drops hehe! WHO'S A GOOD BOY: Slowly poking at it. Need to rework some things to get it where I want. MIRRORED LIVES: Need to rework this story and get it more on its own two legs. It was half-baked and parts of its went to other stories in terms of plot so...gotta really get its own identity down.

LONGFIC UPDATES: MY HERO ACADAMIA

JEALOUSY IS NOT A GOOD FRIEND: Good progress for the next chapter! Hoping to get it out this weekend

UNSUNG HEROES: Want to write it SHO bad! AHhh! Need to make time to work on it…

A RUT TIME OF IT: On the backburner for now c:

ONE -SHOTS

Pull Me Along if I Can’t Move Forward: Deku/Bakugo fic that is so slowly being written....

Heatwaves and Curses Don't Mix Slow boat to being done....

Once Upon a Blob: Sukuna, now Blobkuna, has a plan to get his body back and it involves the old fairy tale cliche of love's true kiss. Chaos ensures.

And That's When I knew It (Might change the title though!): A silly Uraraka/Kirishima one-shot where something horribly embarrassing happens and feelings are had (and spice XD)

Rituals of Ascension: ABO in the Heian era involving bitching and just pwp ….

FICS TO COME

Exploration: ABO Modern Sukuita fic on the slow boat to being written

Unnamed: Kugikuna fic because I'm in a mood to write something for em…

We Wretched Few: Fleshing out the idea and preparing it for pre-producting

Law Meets Disorder: Slowing down on it as I work to get it mapped out properly, but it is in the works for pre-production!

The Dragon Story: I am worldbuilding so much for this one…debating if I might try to manga page draw it? We'll see…

[pastelpousay]

SOOOOOOO i would love to know the deets behind Rayco 👀how did they meet? how did Ray get the royal advisor job? how do they fall in love~~~~

anything you wanna share i am ALL EARS :3

@selinas-ships

OMGGG IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY SO LONGGG

OKAY OKAYYY IM STILL SETTING UP THE LORE AS I GO BUT HERES THE OUTLINE FOR WHAT IVE GOT SO FAR (Also this is gonna be kinda long because I need everyone it understand this amazing intellectual idea I had ☝️🤓/j)

Okay so basically uhmm I didn’t have much of a way to actually insert myself like I usually would 💀😭 I googled a time line so uhm- I was lowk kinda cooked but like 💀💀 I have to insert myself so I just kind decided to be extra with it 💀

So time travel is a funny thing?? How this happened I have not a clue. (I’d imagine Ray has a roommate or something who like practices magic or something I dunno 💀💀 I feel so cringe writing that but I’ve got nothing else. Also it just makes sense for Ray to have a roommate who practices magic since she makes potions and stuff like Yzma) so basically yea- uhm I’ll just explain this like a story I guess because there’s more to this guys LIKE A LOT NGL.

okay so Ray practices chem and zoology (she also makes potions) and her roomie (got no clue what to name her) accidentally makes a time traveling portal while Ray is reading up on a old book (for guess what?!? That’s right the poison- poison for kuzco- the Poison made specifically for kuzco- Kuzco’s poison okay I’ll stop 💀) but yea she’s reading up on those exact type of elixirs mostly out of curiosity (lowk wants to turn her professor into a Llama because he failed her on an exam 💀) but yea that happens they get transported back to when and where that book was written (I’m not worrying on the details because nuh uh- too much work)

But yea so Ray and her roomie are kind of adjusting to life trying to blend in. I really have no clue take with that what you will 😭😭 I got no idea it’s just an outline tbh.

How they became his advisor?? 💀 not a clue. I’d imagine most of the town’s people not only from Pacha’s village but all of them have at least bumped into her or heard of her (he stands out to much 💀) but most regard them as highly intelligent. And since Yzma got turned into a cat Kuzco’s been looking for a new advisor ever since then but hasn’t found the right pick. I’d also imagine a few of the town’s people had been suggesting her as a new advisor for a while but he never got to it until he started actually doing interviews and they showed up. And uhh well yea he sure did ace that interview!! (Kuzco just really likes talking to them lmaoo- they were literally like pretend bickering the entire interview they clocked his shit 💀 so off he had to hire him he can’t just have some boring old person be his advisor now he needs something fun of course!!)

OKAY THATS ALL IVE GOT FOR THEIR LORE NOW TBH ID SAY ITS LIKE… friends to lovers but it’s happening slowly (neither of of them wants to say they like the other they have wayyyy to much fun hating on each other lmaoo) ANYWAYS THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR ASKING ABT MY GOOFY AHHH SHIP

[lovelylotusf1]

Bingo Bongo Bongo Stray Dogs AU??? I am so intrigued by this combination of words 👀

Tell me more!

Ahhh, thank you for the ask Charlie! <3

It's not really a full fic idea yet, just a vague outline and a few dialogue snippets but I love it so much so this'll be quite long.

Basically, it's a fusion with the anime "Bungo Stray Dogs" and it came to me in a dream before I yapped at the lovely @wanderingblindly and it solidified into a greater idea! And the Bingo Bongo ist just there because it sounds funny😆

In this AU, some people have an "Ability" basically special powers that can be very specific or very vague. Those abilities can literally be ANYTHING, which makes this so fun. In the original anime, one guy can transform into a tiger, another can make objects out of whatever he writes in a special notebook, and another can "withstand bomb blasts as long as the bombs are lemon-shaped" lmao. The only rule is kind of that the abilities' names have to reference book titles. So creating abilities for the drivers was really fun :D

It would be a lestappen murder mystery story, basically:

There has been a series of strange murders in Monaco and the police suspect the culprit to be an Ability User, which is why they ask the two detectives who are considered experts when it comes to Abilities: Max and Charles.

Charles' ability would be known quite soon because he likes to use it: "The Killer's perfume" (reference to the book "Perfume - the story of a murderer"). If people smell his scent, he can control their emotions. This is why he's often called in for interrogations, since he has learned what exactly people need to feel so they confess.

Max's ability is unknown😉 Or more exactly - people can't figure it out because it almost seems like he has multiple abilities at once (which isn't possible).

Max only gets informed that he's been assigned a partner AFTER he's already at a crime scene, and he's not very pleased that he has to work with someone. Charles also doesn't make the best first impression and his attitude is confusing tp Max. He seems so sure of himself, almost as if he's certain how Max should react to his words. For a moment, Charles is angry when he realises that Max doesn't feel the way he is supposed to, before Charles can plaster his facade back on.

In their heads, they're both suspicious of the other, maybe even thinking that the OTHER is the murderer.

Then I realised, I have to be smart to make a murder mystery story so the WIP has been dormant ever since😔

Ask me stuff about my wips

[amywritesthings]

Hello! I love your writing style and I would love to know the whole process of how. Like how do you outline and do everything that comes with writing a chapter/story? The whole process basically, if it ain't too much trouble.

AHHH HELLO! It isn't trouble at all, sorry it took me a bit to get back to this. I really appreciate your kind words about my writing style. It's definitely the thing I'm most proud about as a skill, since I am also a writer in my day job!

My process is a little chaotic? I guess.

edit: this got long i'll put it under a read more, actually (w/a screenshot of my actual completed outline for a one shot!)

For new stories or new chapters, a scene that's usually mid-story will come to me out of nowhere, and I will build the story around that. I almost always exclusively write my work in bulletpoints before fleshing it out to actual (very short) paragraphs. I don't usually know the ending to fics that are beyond one shots. I tend to mold it as I understand my own characters and how they development way beyond my original concept, because I don't like pigeon-holing myself into one singular outcome.

Once I have the entire (or most of) the idea outlined, that's when I'll start going in between the bulletpoints and 'rough writing', which is literally just me pushing out anything I want. It doesn't have to make sense. It doesn't even have to sound good. My strength comes with editing after I see the structure written out before me, so my goal is to just get a general chapter/one shot done before I fine tune.

For long fics, I do this chapter by chapter. Sometimes I'll even jump to a chapter 3-5 ch from now and just blurt out a 600-word excerpt that comes to mind. Storytelling doesn't need to be linear, it just needs to be passionate and well-loved.

Then comes the real doozy, which is editing. That's when my real writing happens. I tend to be dialogue-heavy, so once I'm done my first round of edits... I read the entire thing out loud. I deepen my voice (ha) for all my guys I write. I even mumble my smut lines because if Din Djarin's dirty-talkin', I won't let that poor man sound like a moron in the sheets.

Then I format on AO3, copying & pasting to wordcounter.net as I make my last-minute edits so AO3 can't eat my stuff (bc that has happened before and oh it is pain) and post!

For funsies, I went back through my doc and found my entire holiday Nanami x Reader one shot outline for ya!

You can see that I kind of talk to myself through outlines (I'm my own best friend, yes I literally do this in all of my drafts of stories and they can get v unhinged) and I will also add dialogue that comes to mind while I'm outlining that I want to keep for the end story.

If you have any other questions, I don't mind chatting or if you wanna keep sending q's that is fine, too!

[justagalwhowrites]

Ok so I have a couple of asks because I'm curious or more like nosy. Feel free to skip if it's to much.

1. What does your writing process look like? Do you outline everything or just make it up as you go? Do you write in order or write scenes as they come to you and fit them together later?

2. If you could give one piece of advice for everyone reading to live by what would it be?

3. If you could could visit anywhere in the world where would it be?

4. Is there a particular genre, topic, trope or Fandom you haven't written but would like to?

BESTIE!! HI!!!!

I love these omfg

I loosely outline everything and I write in order. I lay out the story chapter by chapter but only like (for example in Yearling): Chapter 1 - Bambi boyfriend turns, cut to future, Joel finds her. Things often take longer than I planned (see chapters 16-17 of Lavender that was supposed to be just one chapter and then became 2) or I might feel like a plot point didn't accomplish what I wanted in character development and need to add another element to get the character to where I want them to be. I'm not a slave to the outline but it definitely is the basis of my work!

Ooo I don't know if I'm the best person to give advice lol but one that I think is good for people who enjoy fic is: There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure. If it brings you pleasure and doesn't hurt anyone, don't feel guilty about it. Life is too short to be ashamed about what you enjoy! Love the things and people you love fully and whole heartedly and you'll be a lot happier for it.

AHHH such a good question! My favorite place to visit is probably Paris. My dream life allows me the freedom to go to Paris for a few months a year so I can do things like sit at a cafe or a garden and write and watch the people go by. But I'd love to explore someplace new! Southeast Asia would be amazing to visit. I have a friend who LOVES Vietnam so that's been on my list for a while and Indonesia looks incredible. I'd also love to check out Australia, Morocco, Scotland and Brazil. I also think it would be incredible to visit Antarctica at some point though that's lower on the list. I love to get a taste of other cultures when I travel (I do a lot of nature stuff close to home, we camp and hike a fair bit) so I focus on that more.

I want to write a superhero story at some point! I'm a casual Marvel fan and I like Batman well enough from DC but I don't really feel like a part of any superhero fandom (except maybe Watchmen?) But I love the idea of 1) a hero who is always surrounded by other superpowered people dealing with the mortal fragility of someone they love or 2) someone who is used to being the strongest in the room suddenly being outclassed. I love how inhuman things (like superpowers or the infected in TLOU) allow us to explore the depth of our humanity, it opens the door for so many amazing stories and I want to tap into that!

Thank you for asking, Bestie!!

Love you!!!!

[sailoryooons]

hali hey! about fanfic asks (my answers) i haven't read all of your works but i have read some of them, sorry!

1- i'm a big yoongi biased but i was impressed by Drabble The Store, i was so intrigued by the open ending! What did they do? Did they kill Hoseok? Did they become friends? And if they did, did anyone get suspicious? Were they caught? Did they kill each other? I loved it. And my favorite series is Mixtape, besides being the first work of yours that I've read, I really liked the character development, both of the main character and yoongi.

2- Okay, but the first chapter of GOTD is precious. I don't read much fantasy, but girl, what was that?

5- I haven't read anything related to Seokjin, Tae and Jungkook yet, but I promise I will soon when I have time.

9-GOTD AND I NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY? And obsidian… I need to know more about this man.

11- I really wanted you to explore The Store, but not necessarily the story if you don't want to. I loved the writing of this drabble, the fact that it's a serial killer made me love it even more because I love true crime and I miss finding a fic with this kind of plot.

12- I'm obsessed with Yoongi from Obsidian.

13- I always talk not only about your fics but about the fics of everyone I follow in general, moni's, mari's etc. to my psychologist. I don't know why I like to give her this information. When she asks me what I've been doing that's interesting since my last appointment, I tell her that I've been reading fics, and then I talk about all the fics and how they've affected me or reminded me of something from my childhood.

14- GOTD

15- When are you going to update Obsidian? LOL 😁 just kidding, I won't put that pressure on you 💗

-lilshy

HELLO HELLO OKAY I AM SHOWERED AND READY FOR THIS

1 The Store was SO much fun to write and it really made me want to write something similar but full out in like a mini-series or full series next year, maybe. Not specifically for those two characters, but the same concept of like - what happens when two serial killers meet? Everyone can make up their own ending and I love hearing the different versions, I think in my perfect ending, they probably carry out the murder together and like revel in the fact that they have found someone who shares an interest so dark. I think eventually it would lead to competition and disaster though!!

AHHH Mixtape. That story is so close to my heart because it was the first thing I really wrote and posted on here and ahhhhh it is so good. The friendships in that are my favorite part, and of course, our very honest and communicative, Naruto-sleeve having Yoongi. That story really is dear to me so I am so glad that you like it.

2 I literally do not know. I originally started that idea as being inspired by the song Lilith but then I was like what if ... he's not a dark god or demon at all, what if he's the god of dreams and desires misconstrued as something dark because he rules over the night, nightmares and so often people equate sin and desire, sort of like reader's parents wanting her to be married/thinking she is like full of sin for wanting to be free! That one really really spoke to me as I wrote it and as I write chapter two, I'm sort of amazed by the direction that story steers me in. I don't really have an outline - that's one that just sort of goes where it needs to go as I write it.

5 Honestly it's sort of criminal of me, but I do not have a ton of content for Taehyung and Jungkook. I have an okay amount for Seokjin, though I do want to write more of him in the future, but Taehyung and Jungkook desperately need more fics added to their sections on my masterlist. It's part of why I started my series Lights to get some content for Jungkook on there.

9 I am writing both of those in tandem and it's hard but it's also fun. This chapter of Obsidian is VERY VERY action packed. As a secret, I can tell you that reader gets sent to do a very dangerous job for Jimin that puts her in a bad spot, and she might need to call that number that Yoongi gave her!

11 I actually want to explore this more. I really enjoyed psychological thrillers and I love the aspect of writing from morally grey characters who do not remotely think or behave the way that we, as mostly normal people, do. I really find them so intricate to write and I want to do more of it, but because of the dark nature of the topics, I will most likely put them on Hali After Dark. I'm not super sure what I want to do yet - I am stuck between dissolving that blog and doing what I want on here or keeping myself safe from any harassment for darker themes.

12 Yoongi from Obsidian is going to be the most hot and cold character I've ever written. If I had to describe him, I think it would be that he is someone who goes from very unpredictable and chaotic to absolutely focused and razor-sharp in a second. He is very good at making people think he is... silly and not to be taken seriously.

13 I think that is really sweet. When I was going to therapy I would talk to my therapist a TON about what I was writing and how I thought it was influenced by things going on in my life, or other stories that I was reading that I found comfort and introspection in. There are a few darker stories as well that have given me SO much insight and perspective on a lot of things I've never thought about and I don't know. I feel like you learn a lot from people when you read their stories!!

15 THIS MONTH!! I promise - I have nothing that I'm focused on outside of Obsidian and Gods of the Dark right now. My goal is to finish GotD by the end of the year and then Obsidian sometime next year. That one is definitely a long fic.

Thank you for playing lil shy :) I love hearing so many thoughts and intricacies from readers, I really enjoy talking about writing and stuff!

Reverse ask game

[egcdeath]

omg neptune you’ve done it again, i just read your latest update to the soccer parents au and it was so good!! i’m truly a lover for angst to fluff, and the way you write it is phenomenal :) i cannot WAIT until the custody battle

ahhh thank you so much for your sweet words ella!! i'm so glad you enjoyed it!!

i am also quite excited for the custody battle fic but when i tell you it is beating my ass... (spoilers i guess for the fic under the cut? that feels crazy for me to say but)

the fic is coming from 2 requests, one of them suggested the catalyst of the custody battle coming from nathan finding out that they're moving in together. so technically i need to write a fic where they move in together first. even if i don't do that, this fic has just been pretty difficult to write. im not really familiar with the legal system in texas, and i am definitely not familiar with custody laws like AT ALL and i don't want to get things wrong and have people side eye me for it. and the cherry on top is that i just don't really have a great outline for the story. i should probably work on that.

but i definitely want to write this fic the most of all my wips and based on the last two polls this is the fic most people want to read! that also makes it hard because i don't want to disappoint anyone but i'm definitely excited to work on that fic too!

okay thats far more than you asked for loll. thank you for sending me this lovely ask!

[nebulouscoffee]

3, 6, and 19 for the AO3 wrapped asks? 💜

Thanks for the ask! Really needed some writing positivity today❤️

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Ahhh this is hard! Okay it would probably have to be 'Home', simply because I still cannot believe I actually worked up the courage to post the thing haha! Sometimes I look back and genuinely wonder if I was possessed by someone else.

This fic was my first ever attempt at fanfiction, first time writing romance of any kind, first time posting my writing on the internet (well, technically second posted, but close enough), receiving feedback from actual humans, interacting with fellow writers (I made friends through this fic?? That is so incredibly precious to me)- plus, it was SO not written with an audience in mind- it honestly began somewhat as an exercise in self-therapy lol, so the fact that I eventually chose to make it publicly readable (half a year later, but still!) is sort of huge to me. Not sure how obvious this was, but I was constantly terrified while updating it (I still never look at stats because if my brain sees numbers increasing it goes ABORT ABORT PEOPLE ARE SEEING THIS DELETE AND NEVER POST AGAIN lmao), but I'm glad I powered through, because sharing this story was such an Experience- like someone really told me reading it was healing for them? Someone felt inspired enough to make art?? I just!! dgsfgh people are very nice sometimes

Idk, I guess that I took the plunge and wrote something so far outside my comfort zone and shared it does make me feel a bit proud :)

6. Favorite title you used

'Light Matters and Hollow Graphics', simply because I am a Bad Puns Enjoyer first and everything else second

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

I have a few deranged and probably more entertaining answers, but since you asked- siskoshir! I've been outlining a multi-chapter, and if I manage to write it in time I'd love to contribute to the Siskoshir Big Bang 2023 :)

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

Hi! Just wanted to say that I really like your writing, I love the storylines and they keep me hooked and I wish the stories would keep going for ever. 🤗🤗 Got a question for you too, how can you write regularly? I find myself struggling to commit to write and always make excuses and saying I’m not good enough or that no one would want to read what I’d have to say. Would love your suggestions or tips or advice! ♥️

Hello friend! Ahhh thank you so much for saying that! It means a lot that you feel that way about my writing and came to actually share that here! 💖

And to answer your question... yes, committing to writing is so hard and also writer's block is a very real! And then on top of that, there's that lack of feedback that exists heavily on this platform that discourages so many writers! And that doesn't mean you aren't good, just people don't take the time to give feedback. There are some really well established blogs that have been around for ages and have a huge following and do get a lot of feedback and interaction, but to those of us that are newer to writing on here there's not too much to go off of, you know?

Anyway haha my advice would be to have an idea or outline what you'd like to write about - at least know the beginning and the end. If you are interested in the story you are writing it's easier to write it in my experience. And well I am a full time employee and work 40-50 hours a week (kill me), so in terms of time, I try to write a little bit everyday after work to update my stories once a week. It's a little bit like my stress relief. You will also notice that I have a lot of series and that's because for my life it makes sense to just build out one story thoroughly than to crank out a bunch of different one shots every week. I found that I would have a lot of unfinished works when I would try to write one shots. Like I would get bored or just start something new all together and it just wasn't productive. But when I started writing and developing characters and taking my time with the stories I discovered that it was so much easier for me to commit time and keep going. Also, remember that your fics don't have to be super long winded, they can be really short and impactful as well. So I would say try out different things, like little concept/drabbles, a one shot, a series and see what feels more comfortable for you. And also don't be afraid to reach out to any other writers you may know on here for ideas/feedback/support. There's literally room for everyone on here and if you are in need of any support you are always more than welcome to reach out! I hope this helps and I hope you share something you write with me one day! 🫶☺️

[m1ckeyb3rry]

🌫️ mira no oh my god you have genuinely broken my heart with that sith outline 😭😭😭

SITH SPOILERS

yk me i am a friedrich girl through and through but just WHYYYYY like i was rooting for him so bad bc even if y/n and friedrich obviously would not end up together i just wanted him to still be happy and safe in the end🙁 and the fact that she left believing he would come out safe and then he literally DIED knowing that he was going to in order for her to survive oh i’m soooo sick😭😭😭

and oh the ending as well😭😭 genuinely nothing hurts more than the feeling of knowing you have outgrown the person you loved. even though that connection still remains, you know it doesn’t feel the same because although it ties you two together there’s just so much pain between the two people 🙁 that’s literally y/n and colt but i hope more than anything that they’d find their way back to each other i am such a sucker for bittersweet endings and you described the feeling of theirs perfectly like this hurts so bad like ugh them seeing each other again after a few years and then all the feelings coming back but knowing that you have both changed too much for things to have been the way they used to ohhh i am SICKK 😭😭

i’ll always hope sith makes a return because reading these two moments will be so worth it to me like i will always wonder how it would be written out 😔 but the way it will go is the way it will go and even just knowing how the story is supposed to play out is nice even though this has literally broken my heart💀

omg AHHH i think friedrich as a character is probably one of the saddest i’ve ever written. i think him dying is as much him being lowkey suicidal as it is him trying to save y/n. after his brother’s death he basically has no one left (besides his parents, but i don’t think they have a very normal relationship) but y/n and colt, and then he finds out that he’s going to have to live for like 10 or so years without them as the jaw titan. like he’s literally going to have to work together with the kids who devoured his two best friends, and i feel like him sacrificing himself was him saying “fuck you” to that fate and also, in a way, to marley. it’s so heartbreaking though because the curse of the titans ended like a year or two after he died and he could’ve been happy with the others 😔 i think he really would’ve bonded with some of the scouts (especially armin) and they would’ve helped him come to terms with a lot of the things he’s done (he has far and away the highest kill count of the candidates and although he acts p nonchalant abt it it def weighs on him, especially the guy he shot during the demonstration)

the ending is one of my fav endings to a fic ever i just KNOW it would feel so satisfying after 500k words of them suffering to see them putting that behind them and starting over again!! but i agree although it’s def not off the table, there’s a lotttt of stuff between colt and y/n that would need to be resolved before they could have a relationship, and it probably would never be on the same level of the bond they had when they were just terrified kids leaning on each other to survive. i think that no matter who y/n ends up with, she will at least remain friends with colt, and he’ll be an important part of her life, but given how averse she becomes to ANY reminders of the past (to the point that she straight up refuses to help armin and the others in spreading their story), i think it’s very likely she doesn’t marry someone from her time as a candidate (so colt, reiner, hadrian, marek, etc). in the original ending she explicitly does marry someone else (hadrian before i ended up making him more important to the story and an anti-marleyan volunteer) but i wanted to leave it open to reader interpretation since it IS a colt x reader story after all. but in my mind she either a) marries jean or b) marries someone completely random from athyae who we’ve never met. again though it’s open to interpretation!!

ooh writing friedrich’s death, her meeting hadrian again, her interactions w the scouts (esp jean), and the ending have always weighed on me, but we’re so far out from that part of the story that even if i posted a new chapter once a week with no breaks, it would take over a year for me to get to it 😭 but who knows!! one day maybe i will

[inkyblinders]

Dancing with the Devil: Part II

Part 1

Pairing: Luca Changretta x Reader

Author’s note: This was so embarrassing to write not because of smut...but because I’m crushing hard on Adrien Brody right now. And I can’t even share this obsession with anyone because… he’s kinda niche? Someone please reassure me that I’m just going through a phase because dear God why can’t I stop watching Darjeeling Limited just to see him ahhh.

The story picks up right after the end of Part 1, so I recommend reading that first. Comments, likes, and reblogs are always appreciated, let me know what you think!

Summary: Following your meeting with Luca Changretta, you face the Shelby family and Tommy's reaction. (2.6k words)

Warnings: Smut, angst, swearing

Tag: Let me know if you would like to be added or removed

@anythingwriter, @rrtxcmt, @shut-chan

_____________________________________________________________

You barely make it into your bedroom before he is all over you. The buttons of his crisp, tailored shirt fall like marbles. He moans when you nip the skin of his neck, right over his tattoo of the black cross, legs tangled together like a depraved waltz.

When he grinds into you, you shudder deliciously at the hardness that meets between your bare thighs.

How easy would it be for him to kill you after he fucks you, leaving your corpse twisted in the bedsheets. You know Tommy would find it when he eventually remembers that he has not seen you for days.

“Signorita, you know I come to you with the most honorable of intentions.” He murmurs, as if sensing your thoughts.

“You're not a very honorable man then.” A laugh that turns into a gasp as he trails his hand lower and strokes between your legs. No, not very honorable at all. And pretty soon all thoughts of honor are forgotten as he coaxes a moan from your throat.

His fingers are magic. The cold outline of his onyx rings scald your skin each time he crooks a finger inside you. Knowing exactly what you need, seeking your depths, swirling, rising to rub the clit, all the while exploring the flushed expanse of your body with his other hand.

Shoulder to breasts to hips and back again.

Without meaning to, you’ve let this stranger take control of your entire being. But God, do you crave this pure ecstasy.

It’s as if he wants to know precisely how much you can take before you're undone. So when you clench around his hand and feel the familiar ache he is right there, helping you ride the wave of pleasure, never breaking the rhythm of his thrusting fingers even as you curse, rake your nails down his back.

You almost cry out his name when you come. But you bite into his shoulder instead.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna have to hear you next time.” He growls.

His words barely register as you come down from the high. Aftershocks spark like tiny flames. Now you are wearing his scent as much as he is wearing yours.

“Be inside me,” You whimper, tugging at his soft hair, urging him for more.

He rasps an empty warning, “What's my name, sweetheart?”

Of course. All this time you've never acknowledged you know of his identity. There was no use in trying to hide it now.

“Luca,” you breathe. And his eyes gleam with approval.

With a snap of his hips, he plunges into silky warmth. The fullness stretches you to your limit, head thrown back. It’s good, so good. Every withdrawal of his thrust is a blessing because you know what follows next. It’s him inside you again, wrapping you with his touch and the scent of tobacco and roses.

“Does your Tommy fuck you like this? Like the way I do?”

“He’s not mine.” You choke out, punishing Luca with a bite on the neck that elicits a chuckle rather than a yelp of pain.

He kisses you, your foreheads pressed together. “A damn shame for him.” Soon he starts to quicken his pace, going faster, more erratic, his breathing heavy upon your ears.

Yes, you urge him, come on, now.

And this is your chance. In a flash you roll on top of him, pinning down his shoulders with your hands. He tries to arch up but you stop him with a knee.

“How many men did you bring, Changretta?” You ask, making your voice rough to mask the lust, pressing your hands around his jugular.

It's a pleasure to see him like this. Shocked at your actions, maybe even scared. Naked with want but unable to do anything to relieve it. Unless he tells the truth.

“Fifteen. Why baby, am I not enough for you?” He laughs breathlessly, hands trailing goosebumps along your hips, tracing the contour of your breasts. The jib doesn't hurt you. After all, men have said worse. He tries to surge into you again, and his hot member pulses on your thighs.

“Do you swear on your honor? That you’re telling the truth?” You insist, squeezing him harder. The touch brands his skin as much as it brands yours.

In a voice full of self-mockery he says, “Yes I swear on my honor. Now let me in, clever Isabel.”

You take him in you, the sensations amplify a thousandfold. You try teasing him, going slowly in and out, but soon you are caught up in the sensation of him completely at your mercy and you ride him, faster, until you keen his name, until he too is undone.

****

Through the haze of dawn, he stumbles out of bed and gets dressed. Before he dons his hat once more, Luca leans down to whisper in your ear, as soft as sin.

“You tell Tommy Shelby he may expect a visitor in the night. I'm coming for him as the angel of death. The vendetta has begun…” He kisses your hair.

“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

The door clicks shut. You rise from your pillow, and a small, hard lump rolls next to your hand.

It is a signet ring of onyx and gold.

****

“So we all get a death letter from the mafia, but Izzy gets jewelry?” Ada huffs as the family filters into the betting shop. As usual, Tommy holds court at the front of the table, brooding over a glass of whiskey. You roll your eyes as Arthur and John try to cover their snort of laughter with a cough.

“If you want it, you can have it, Ada. He’s probably planning on killing me too.”

“Doubt it. You’re not a Shelby, and we’re the ones who killed his father. Well, someone did, to be precise.” She shoots a bitter look at Tommy, who doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed.

Despite Ada’s matter-of-fact tone, the words cut to your heart. Not a Shelby.

It’s not her fault. No one knows you’ve been sleeping with Tommy, not even your dearest friend. It’s a lonely secret to keep, but at least you can look at the family square in the eye and not have to worry about the things they say behind your back. Or worse, pity you.

You can handle the violence and moral ambiguity of Tommy’s business. But to lose the love and respect of the Shelbys would break your heart.

“What was the mafia man like, Izzy?” Finn asks eagerly. It’s obvious the boy is thinking of the dashing, gun-wielding gangsters he’s seen in the pictures.

“He was a wrinkly old brute. Kind of like your arsehole brother Tommy.” A smile to take the edge off the insult. But Tommy only looks off into space. As if he hasn't paid attention to this entire conversation.

Arthur clears his throat. “Now, let’s get one thing straight. It was me who pulled the trigger on his dad, so the blame falls on me.” He pats Linda’s hand even as his voice is heavy with guilt.

“No one’s blaming you Arthur, you weren’t the brains behind the operation, no offense.” Ada says. He is about to say something when Polly cuts in.

“Stop squabbling like children. We’ve all voted for truce, despite everything Tommy’s done to us—” The words nearly having us hanged hover pointedly in the air. “—So let’s focus on the matter at hand." She fixes Tommy with a sharp look.

“What’s the news from Camden Town? Will Solomons help us?”

“No.” He says tiredly. And all of a sudden you feel sorry for teasing him. He look gaunt. There are shadows under his eyes, even more so than usual. Without you to remind him to eat, you can imagine his diet for the past few days consisted more of alcohol and cigarettes than anything substantial.

“Spent three hours on a fucking tour of his bakery and another pretending to drink his piss-poor rum. I think he was trying to get me sloshed so I’d forget what I came for.” Tommy rubs his head.

“He’s refusing to send his men to help. Said he’s not going to go after another oppressed people.”

“Did you tell him the Italians are rounding up Jews in their country as we speak?” Polly asks incredulously.

“Wouldn’t make a difference to Alfie. Besides, that’s just an excuse. He’s really just a fucking coward.”

Polly looks troubled at this, as does the rest of the family. Everyone had been counting on Alfie’s friendship with Tommy, however peculiar, to help them with the vendetta. What they hadn’t expected was his extreme sense of self-perseverance. How are they going to protect themselves now?

“Before everyone panics, I’d like to say something.” Tommy clears his throat, setting down the whisky.

“As you may all know, two nights ago our Izzy encountered Mr. Changretta in the Garrison. He bought her a drink and asked her to deliver an official beginning of the vendetta.” He chooses this time to finally look at you. You hold his gaze until he looks shiftily away.

“We can also assume that he has been scoping out Small Heath, looking for any weaknesses on our turf. Now, Izzy has something to share with you all.”

You stand up uncertainly. The last time a woman other than Polly tried to speak her mind at the table it had been Esme, who still refuses to come to the betting shop unless Tommy is not here.

“While Mr. Changretta was, er, indisposed at the Garrison, I found some items in his coat that I think could be useful.” You fish out a passport and a stack of papers from your skirt pockets.

“Good job, Izzy! Oh, I knew we could count on you more than my idiot brother.” Ada beams.

“Becoming a right little spy, eh?” John ruffles your hair good-naturedly. As everyone gathers around, Polly gives a low whistle.

“Goodness, if this is your definition of an ugly brute, I wonder who’ll really catch your fancy, darling.”

You flush. The documents were obtained shortly after Luca had fallen asleep. It was an exercise in agility, trying to extricate yourself from his tangle of limbs, especially when you wanted nothing more than to stay in bed, encased in his warmth.

To your own credit, the papers were highly useful indeed. Some were maps of Birmingham, circles drawn in places where the Shelbys are known to frequent. The Garrison. Charlie’s Yard. The Arrow House. There was also stationary from The Stanton, a hotel just outside of the city.

There had been another piece of paper in the stack, a letter. But you kept that for yourself.

“We all have Izzy to thank for bringing us this valuable information.” Tommy’s voice rises above the chatter. “I will be personally examining all the documents and think of a plan. In the meantime, everyone stay alert, stay armed, and stay together.”

“Now if no one has any further questions, I need to have a private word with her. Alone.”

*****

You twirl the onyx ring around your finger as everyone filters out. It’s much too big but you still wear it anyways. The thick band of gold is comforting in its own way. And despite what you told Ada earlier, you don’t want to give it to anyone else.

Tommy’s curt voice snaps you from your reverie.

“Was it good, then?”

A small muscle tics on the underside of his jaw. His previously blank expression is now cold. The coward in you compels you to feign ignorance.

“What do you mean, Tommy?” You ask lightly.

“Did it feel good to have that fucking wop inside you?”

You burst out laughing. “Christ, Tommy. Did you pick up that word from Alfie? You sound bloody ridiculous when you’re trying to be crass, you know.”

“Don’t fucking change the subject, Isabel.” Tommy snaps.

“Oh, so I’m Isabel, now? You only call me that when you’re trying to get me in bed. Is that what you want? A bit early in the evening if you ask me.”

“What I want for you is to tell me how it felt having that man inside you, inside---”

You blaze with anger. “My sex life is none of your business, even if you are an occasional participant. I did what you would have wanted, and now I’ve got intel on the Changrettas that could save your arse!”

“Do you know how dangerous it could have been? Fraternizing with the enemy is exactly what got us into trouble with the Changrettas!”

“And fraternizing with them again has given us an advantage. We know how many associates he’s brought with him, and where they are staying. Good God,” Your eyes widen as you see the mutinous look on Tommy’s face. “Are you jealous?”

The silence of the room presses in until it's almost palpable. Finally he rubs a hand over his eyes, looking utterly defeated.

“I have no right to.” He says, pained. “But I am, just the same.”

The admission of his feelings would have made your heart soar a few days ago, before you met a man who enchanted you in the Garrison. You only laugh bitterly.

“What makes this different from all those other times you made me seduce the men you wanted to spy on?”

He says nothing. But what else is there to say? The past is in the past, and so many hurts have been caused by the both of you, it would be impossible to untangle it all.

You soften your voice, laying a hand on Tommy's arm.

“Let me continue seeing him. He wants me, and we can use that. You know it will be help, you know it might save us all.”

A breath flutters in your chest as you wait for his decision. If Tommy allows it, you’ll do it in a heartbeat. The Shelbys are your family, whether you're one in name or not.

But if he refuses, then perhaps… Perhaps he might actually care for you, deeper than jealousy, deeper than he admits.

“Very well.” Tommy says finally, and something in your heart shatters. The corners of your mouth curve up in a wobbly smile.

“Thank you for trusting me, Tommy. I won’t let you down.”

“You would never let me down, no matter what you do. Just…Be careful, Izzy.”

He closes the distance between you and enfolds you in a hug. You enjoy this quiet warmth, as fragile as spider's silk. With a small laugh, you pull away, patting his arm before turning to the door.

You don't look back to see if he follows.

[chemmerson]

the way you make me feel - chapter two

Chapters: 2/?

Words: 4.8k

Warnings: alcohol, swearing

A/N: thank you so much for all the love on this story so far. lmk what you think<3 (also im sorry if your username didn’t tag correctly if you told me you wanted to be tagged ahhh)

read on ao3

---

the thing about reminiscing

“Um—“ You stuttered, letting Kakashi drag you into the kitchen. “What did you—“

“Honey whiskey,” he said. “How does that sound?”

He stopped at the counter, and you peeked around him to see why. A bottle of honey whiskey sat on the counter, and Kakashi grabbed it and looked over his shoulder at you for an answer.

You backed up, not wanting to invade his personal space. “Um, sure. That’s fine.”

Kakashi scanned you over for a moment and it made you feel even more insecure than you already felt. But then he smiled softly and turned back around. “Good.”

He opened the cabinet above him and grabbed two shot glasses for the two of you. He gestured for you to take them, which you did, and he grabbed the bottle before turning around to head back into the main area.

The handcuff situation was a bit more difficult than you had anticipated, so when Kakashi turned around, your wrist was pulled in a strange direction. Your face met Kakashi’s chest awkwardly, and as you tried to step out of the way, he accidentally stepped with you and your front was pressed further into him.

“Sorry—“ you couldn’t help but laugh. “Um—“

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” Kakashi spoke in a low voice, and your eyes glanced up to meet his. Faces inches apart, there was a moment of stillness that seemed to last forever. Kakashi was always so handsome he seemed untouchable. Yet up close, there was something in his eyes…

Whoa. Hold the fuck on.

You cleared your throat with an awkward laugh and stepped back and then to the side of him to straighten your hands out. “Sorry.”

Kakashi nodded and began walking. You just followed him as you tried to calm your heart, your breathing, your mind.

Why were you freaking out? It was just Kakashi. You knew him. Not well, but you knew him. The kind of off-putting, sometimes funny, and smart guy. It was just Kakashi.

A slow breath in and out through your nose and you forced yourself to relax.

The whiskey would help calm your nerves.

You were thrust back into the present moment, the loud music and loud voices filling the space around you. Everyone was finding a place to sit with their partner, talking over what their strategy might be for the night. You eyed Shizune and Kurenai who were chatting enthusiastically, Kurenai clutching her bottle of tequila with a bright smile. Gai and Anko were speaking in hushed whispers, probably something about how fast they could drink the vodka without puking their guts out. Genma and Raido sat on the shitty couch, laughing about who knows what.

“Have you taken English 170?”

You were once again brought back by Kakashi’s steady voice, and you looked over at him. He had set the whiskey bottle down on the kitchen island, and you followed with the shot glasses.

“Children’s literature?” You clarified. “Yeah, I did. I loved that class.”

Kakashi nodded, opening the whiskey bottle and pulling the two shot glasses toward him. “I’m taking that class right now. It’s required for education majors.”

That’s right, you remembered. He’s an education major.

You smiled, watching him pour the shot glasses, taking note of his rather slender fingers wrapped around the bottle. Reminding yourself not to be too intimidated, you responded. “Well, if you ever need any help, let me know. I was a TA for that class last semester.”

Kakashi looked over at you with a smirk. “Oh really? Have any tips on the final paper?”

Kakashi pushed one shot glass toward you, and you pulled out a stool to take a seat. “Not really. If you do the required outline it makes the actual paper really easy.”

He pulled out a stool as well and sat down next to you, but you were still getting used to being handcuffed to him. Your hand went wherever his went. It was oddly…well, intimate.

Just take a deep breath. He’s not that intimidating. Just like Obito said. And it’s not intimate.

“That’s good to know,” Kakashi said, turning to look ahead and watch everyone else.

But you stayed fixed on his handsome face. His moonlight hair. His dark eyes. He reached up with his hand to rest his chin on his palm.

That feeling you always felt around him was washing over you so strongly that you felt lightheaded. Was it intimidation you felt around him? Or was it…

“Alright losers, listen up! Hey, Genma. Shut up, you fucking dipshit.”

Obito’s voice boomed over the music. He stood in the middle of the room, a shot glass in one hand and Rin next to him holding hers. “You all ready to start this thing?”

“Hell yeah!”

“Can we hurry it up?”

“Genma, fuck you.”

“I hate this song.”

“Kotetsu you weren’t supposed to start yet!”

“Okay!” Obito yelled again, his mischievous eyes catching yours for a moment. “Everyone get ready.”

Obito held up his shot glass, and everyone around the room followed suit. Eyeing your own glass, you reached up with your handcuffed hand, and Kakashi followed suit. You both grabbed your glasses and met each other’s eyes for a moment, hands moving in tandem to hold them up.

“Three…two…one…start!”

Everyone cheered around you, however, your eyes were locked with Kakashi’s in an intense, still moment. You never noticed how deep his eyes were, and you realized that Kakashi was a complete mystery to you. He was always someone you had written off as an uninterested, couldn’t-care-less asshole who hated people.

For some reason, suddenly he wasn’t that person at all. You didn’t even know him.

“Cheers?” He spoke in that low, steady voice. He gestured his shot glass towards you with a quirk of his lips, and you held up yours.

“Cheers,” you said.

And you threw back the first shot.

———

1 hour later

“Genma, you are such an idiot,” you drawled. “Do you even know how to play poker?”

Your friend frowned deeply at you. “What are you even talking about? Do you even know how to play?”

“Yeah, I fucking do. You don’t.”

“This is why I can’t play games with these two,” Iruka rubbed the bridge of his nose.

You were playing poker with Genma and Raido, Asuma and Iruka, and yourself and Kakashi. You and Genma were the most competitive out of the bunch and often started commotion when there was any sort of game.

“Maybe if they weren’t so drunk already it would be more bearable,” Asuma mumbled under his breath.

You barely heard anyone else’s comments, too focused on trying to blink the blurriness out of your vision to look at Genma. But for some reason, the blurriness wouldn’t go away.

“Whatever. Just take the fucking chips,” Genma narrowed his eyes at you.

“My fucking pleasure,” you smiled, using your free hand to pull the chips towards you. “You have to take a shot, then.”

Genma gaped at you. “No fair! You can’t do that.”

You smirked with drooping eyelids. “We made that rule at the beginning of playing, Genma.”

“No, we didn’t!” Genma whined. “Raido, we didn’t make that rule, did we?”

Raido sighed. “Yeah, we did Genma. I’m taking another shot. You give me a headache.”

Genma huffed. “Whatever. Give me the fucking bottle. I’m not even drunk.”

Asuma let out a snort, and Iruka chuckled. You laughed too, wanting to find any reason to poke fun at Genma right now.

“You’re fucking wasted, Genma,” you mumbled, and then felt Kakashi move beside you to gather the cards.

“Oh, I’m fucking wasted, huh?” Genma slurred then took a swig from his bottle and handed it to Raido who took a rather long swig himself. “Look who’s talking.”

“I’m not drunk!” You protested, your hand being taken with Kakashi as he started to shuffle the new cards. “I’ve had like…four shots!”

“Three,” Kakashi deadpanned, dealing the cards out.

“Yeah!” You retorted. “Three! Fuck you, Genma.”

“I’m winning this round,” Genma challenged you by flipping you off.

You flipped him off back, and then you felt Kakashi lean in beside your face.

“Your turn, champ.”

You giggled, turning to him. But as soon as you did, your faces were inches apart, and your eyes widened slightly in surprise. Kakashi didn’t move though, just stared at you with those stunning eyes and you tried not to giggle again.

I need more whiskey.

Which is what you had been telling yourself for the last hour to make yourself less nervous around Kakashi. He was being calm, cool, collected, and handling his liquor way better than you. And that’s probably why you were still nervous. But three overzealous shots later and now you were drunk and trying to play poker.

“Right,” you whispered with a smile and turned back to the table. You looked at your cards for a second until Genma snickered, eyeing his own cards with a glint in his eye.

“You’re fucked,” He mumbled but looked at you anyway.

“What did you say to me?” You clenched your teeth, fire erupting in your veins. Genma knew he was getting you worked up, and you had no problem giving him a reaction.

You heard your name from beside you, and you whipped your head to see who had spoken. Kakashi was sitting down, his wrist hanging in the air as it connected to yours. That’s when you realized that you were standing up, hands planted firmly on the table ready to square up Genma.

“Oh!” You exclaimed, feeling bad that you had dragged Kakashi’s hand so violently. “Sorry, Kakashi.”

So you fell into your chair with a thump, but your chair felt harder and less…roomy than it had before.

Snickers from across the table made you turn your head, and you looked down.

You had sat firmly on Kakashi’s thigh.

“S-Sorry!” You blurted, cheeks heating from embarrassment as well as alcohol. “Uh, I didn’t—“

“It’s alright.”

His eyes flashed with something, something that made your throat constrict and your stomach feel warm. And you needed to stand up, to get off of Kakashi’s thigh but then—

“Well, well, well, what’s going on here?”

Obito waltzed over with Rin, both of their cheeks blushing from the alcohol. As quickly as they had gotten over there, suddenly Obito was sitting down in your seat and you quickly stood up.

“Um, excuse me jackass,” You glared at Obito. “That’s my seat.”

Obito smirked at you. “Looked like you already had a seat.”

You felt your cheeks flare with heat, embarrassed and angry all at the same time. Rin was already pulling up another chair in between Raido and Obito, and you were out of luck.

“Annoying,” you mumbled, turning towards Kakashi.

But he was smirking and sitting on the edge of his seat to leave you room next to him. It was sweet. He smiled and you sat down.

“Sorry,” you whispered while the others chatted. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know,” he smiled back.

Your shoulders were pressed up against each other along with your thighs, not to mention still handcuffed together and you were so overwhelmed by all the different emotions running through your mind—

“How are we doing on the bottle?” You decided to say, eyeing where it sat on the floor. Kakashi looked at you for a moment before leaning down and pulling it up. It was a decent amount gone, but you could only imagine how close some of the other teams already were.

Speaking of which, you heard Anko’s loud scream come from the kitchen where the rest of the people were playing another game. She was definitely drunk.

You were too, but you were still so nervous and you still felt the electric shock of Kakashi’s touch every time you brushed against him, so you started to reach for it.

But then Kakashi pulled it back out of your reach, and you frowned. “What?”

Kakashi smiled, slowly setting it back on the ground. “I think maybe we should slow down.”

You frowned deeper, reaching over him with your free arm and trying to grab the bottle. Kakashi just pulled it away more, and you huffed.

“What? You can’t handle it?” You challenged with slurring speech. “You don’t wanna win?”

Kakashi chuckled, low and deep and it rumbled in his chest where your arm was currently pressed against. Your toes tingled.

“I think I’m handling it just fine for now,” Kakashi said to you, finally settling the bottle on the ground where you couldn’t reach. “And surely you didn’t think we would win with Anko and Gai here. Even Asuma and Iruka could beat us.”

You scoffed. “You’re giving up so easily, Hatake?”

“Not giving up,” he smiled. His face was very close now. “Just being realistic.”

“That’s no fun,” you slurred. “I like winning.”

Kakashi’s eyes flashed with that something again. “I know you do.”

You knew he was referring to the poker game and your competitive nature, but something about the way he said it made you feel warm.

That was probably just the alcohol.

Kakashi’s cheeks were dusted with pink too, and the sight made you giggle. The slightly intimidating guy you thought you knew was relaxed, eyes drooping lower than usual, and fun to be with.

“What’s so funny?” Kakashi said suddenly, smile back on his nice lips.

It was then you realized you were giggling right in Kakashi’s face, and that made you giggle even harder.

“Sorry,” you laughed. “Sorry, I don’t—“

You paused, feeling giddy and bold. “Do you like kids?”

Kakashi’s eyes widened slightly, and you realized your mistake after you had spoken. You felt your entire body react to your embarrassment.

“No!” You exclaimed, waving your hand around. “T-That’s not what I meant! I, uh, I—”

Kakashi’s lips then turned upwards in amusement, but you continued rambling. “I meant, well, y-you’re an education major, right? So, you’ve gotta like kids! Teaching kids, not having kids.”

Kakashi watched in amusement as you kept spewing nonsense. “Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting to have kids!” You waved your hand even more. “I was just saying, I meant do you enjoy being with kids?”

You were frozen, waiting for Kakashi’s reaction to your absolutely mortifying attempt at starting a conversation. If you ever thought you had a chance at becoming closer to him by the end of the night, it was certainly all out the window, now.

A deep chuckle rumbled in Kakashi’s chest, and then it grew into an actual laugh. A cute, lovely laugh that was making you melt on the spot. He threw his head back slightly and scrunched his eyes, nose crinkling as well.

You threw a hand over your eyes to hide your embarrassment while you listened to his amusement. “I’m so sorry.”

You felt a gentle hand grab your fingers, peeling them back away from your face. You were met with Kakashi’s warm, soft expression. “Don’t be sorry.”

He looked so genuine, and you smiled. “That was embarrassing.”

Kakashi laughed again. “Not as embarrassing as you think. Obito has done some pretty embarrassing stuff around Rin.”

You quickly looked over your shoulder at the pair who were sitting next to you, talking to everyone else who sat at the table. Obito was mesmerized as Rin was telling some story to Asuma and Iruka, his eyes sparkling and smile as big as his face. He was smitten. You turned back to Kakashi.

“That does not surprise me,” you said. “He’s so down bad.”

“You should hear him talk about her,” Kakashi smiled.

It was then you realized Kakashi still held your fingers in his hand that settled on top of his knee. You didn’t dare look down.

“But, to answer your question,” Kakashi continued. “Yeah, I like kids. They’re alright.”

You giggled. “Just alright?”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t even know I wanted to teach kids until I worked at a summer camp. I actually didn’t really care for kids until I worked at that summer camp.”

Kakashi’s eyes lit up as he spoke. “It was a cool camp. My co-counselor, his name was Yamato, we had a blast. Yamato was more of the…strict counselor. I was definitely more laid-back. Lots of late-night pranks pulled on poor Yamato.”

You couldn’t help but smile while watching him talk. “Anyway, the kids in my cabin were great. Well, most of them. There was this little blonde kid who was quite the handful. He and this other kid with dark hair fought basically the whole summer. But by the end of the summer, they were best friends.”

Kakashi looked down at his knee where he held your fingers. “I think that’s I decided to be a teacher. Because I liked seeing the kids change and grow.”

“Same,” you said. “It’s rewarding. Everyone says that, but it really is true.”

“I remember you told me that freshman year. I didn’t believe it until I experienced it myself.”

You almost choked. “What? I said that?”

Kakashi smiled. “Yeah. Remember, freshman year? That one party at that shitty house on Main. It was the second week of class. All of us on the dorm floor went to that party. I remember talking to you at one point and you were going on and on about teaching.”

Kakashi looked at your surprised face and chuckled. “You definitely don’t remember. You were hammered. I believe it was the first time you had ever even had alcohol.”

The memory was foggy and patchy, but it was slowly coming back into your mind. “Oh my god! We all walked there, right?”

Kakashi hummed. “We grossly underestimated how long the walk was.”

The image of Anko, Rin and you followed by Asuma, Obito and Kakashi came into mind, all of you making the trek to the house party in question. You remember being pumped for your first-ever drinking experience.

“That’s where we met Genma and Iruka, right?” You smiled. “I remember because Genma was the drunkest person I had ever seen. It wasn’t even an hour into the party and he was asleep in a chair.”

“Iruka had to carry him all the way home on his back,” Kakashi chuckled.

You laughed too, the old memories of your friends coming back. You were all so much different back then.

“I had to carry you back, too,” Kakashi smirked.

You blinked. “Me?”

Kakashi hummed again. “Yep. All the way back to the dorm. On my back.”

That was one you didn’t remember and no one bothered to ever mention it to you, either. The image of Kakashi carrying drunk freshman you on his back was more embarrassing than you cared to admit.

“Are you serious?” You shook your head. “I never even knew. Anko never told me.”

“Anko was passed out on Rin’s back. Obito was passed out on Asuma’s back. The three lightweights all in a row,” Kakashi sighed out with a smile.

“Oh my god,” you chuckled. “I think Anko has us all beat now.”

Kakashi’s eyes then flipped ahead, staring at nothing. He leaned his arm on the back of his chair with a smile. “I remember you talked to me the entire way back. About how much you loved Anko as a roommate, about how much Obito annoyed you. About how excited you were for classes and teaching. I had never heard anyone as drunk as you talk so much.”

Kakashi’s words jarred a memory in your brain, and it came back so vividly you almost gasped. “I threw up on you.”

Kakashi’ threw his head back in a laugh. “I wasn’t going to mention that. But I guess you remembered.”

Your hand flew to your mouth as the memory replayed in your mind. “Oh my god, Kakashi. I threw up on you.”

“You sure did,” Kakashi looked over at you. “And then you cried and told me you would pay me back somehow.”

He sighed. “But, of course, there was no need to pay me back. I think your hangover the next day probably did the trick.”

You stared at Kakashi. His words sunk in as you stared at him and his dark eyes and moonlight hair. You gulped.

Kakashi Hatake was not a dick. Kakashi Hatake was not stand-offish. Kakashi Hatake was not at all who you thought he was.

Kakashi Hatake was a very sweet and very wonderful guy.

He had always been there, and he had paid more attention to you than you ever thought. For some reason, you had just played him off as Obito’s roommate, the guy who was too handsome for his own good, the guy who got a lot of attention, and the guy who seemed to be so intimidating.

And you realized that feeling of intimidation you seemed to always feel around him wasn’t intimidation at all. It was attraction. You had just been too dense and too scared to realize it.

Having a one-on-one conversation with him made you realize that. The alcohol sure did help you realize it, too. And you felt so stupid. Why had you never given him a chance before? Why had you always brushed him off, always looked the other way when you might have had a chance to get to know him.

And you realized now, this entire time, the entire three years you had known him, you probably looked like a complete asshole yourself.

Too many realizations, too many feelings, too much alcohol, it was all way too much—

You quickly stood up, making Kakashi jump at the sudden movement. “Uh, are you—“

“I have to go to the bathroom,” you blurted. Anything to give you some room to breathe.

“Uh—“ you heard Kakashi say, and you whipped around to Obito who sat next to you.

“Obito, get these handcuffs off of me,” you whispered harshly, leaning down to his face.

Obito turned to you with a smirk. “You finished your bottle?”

“What? No,” you shook your head. “I need to pee.”

Obito raised an eyebrow. “Again, why do I need to take off your handcuffs?”

You rolled your eyes. “Quit it, Uchiha. I need to pee. Take these off for a second.”

“Looks like someone thinks the rules don’t apply to her,” you heard Genma say across the table with a smirk. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“He’s right,” Obito added. “Handcuffs stay on until someone wins. No exceptions.”

You felt your face flush as if you weren’t already flustered from what had just happened. Now, your plan to get away from Kakashi was ruined.

You leaned closer to Obito. “Obito, please. Just for a second, I’ll put them right back on—“

“Ah,” Obito pressed a finger to your lips. “What was that? I don’t speak quitter.”

“I’m not quitting,” you tried to protest. “I just—“

“Quitter!” Genma yelled. “You’re a fucking quitter!”

You turned your head to the obnoxious asshole across the table. “I’m not a fucking quitter, dipshit.”

“Really?” Genma challenged.

You realized everyone at the table had their attention on you, waiting for your answer. Asuma had a dumb smirk on his face, Iruka looked quite amused, Rin was smirking herself. You found Genma’s eyes again.

“Prove it,” the asshole pressed further.

That was it. That was the last straw. You took a deep breath, quickly took a step in front of Kakashi, and reached for the liquor bottle that sat on the floor next to him. You lifted it up to your lips, took a couple of big sips and ignored the burn, then slammed the bottle on the table.

You stared Genma straight in the eyes. “Fine.”

You didn’t bother waiting for Kakashi. You started walking and continued walking even when you felt the handcuffs pull a bit. Kakashi obviously followed because you felt him walking behind you, and then you heard your name. You ignored it, feeling fired up and annoyed. Genma was so annoying, so was Obito and they had the audacity—

As you aggressively wrapped your hand around the bathroom to open it, an arm darted out in front of your face, blocking your entrance to the bathroom.

It was Kakashi, pressing against you as he blocked your bathroom. He looked down at you, and his face was hard to read. You had no idea what he was doing.

“Kakashi, what are you—“

“You don’t have to do this,” he spoke quietly and low. “I can pick the lock.”

You opened your mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” he continued, silver hair falling in front of his face as he looked down. “Obito’s rules are dumb.”

The dark hallway, the close proximity, Kakashi’s tall frame, the alcohol making your body tingle all over.

Something made your hand reach up and brush the hair away from Kakashi’s forehead. Just as quickly as it happened, your hand fell back by your side. “I don’t mind. I’m not a quitter.”

Kakashi scanned your face, searching. Finally, he sighed. “Of course not.”

You quickly looked away as he removed his arm. You opened the door and turned on the light. Kakashi closed the door behind him, and you heard the lock click.

It was only then did you realize the situation you were in. You focused on Genma and Obito’s faces of defeat when you would walk out of the bathroom, your victory at not chickening out…

You were suddenly standing in front of the toilet, and Kakashi was already turning around.

“Um,” you said. “D-Don’t look.”

“I won’t,” Kakashi said deadpanned.

“A-And don’t listen either,” you said, then cringed at your words. Stupid.

“I’ll do my best not to,” Kakashi answered again.

You gulped, reaching down to unbutton your shorts. It was hard with just one hand, but you made it work and sat down.

“Don’t look,” you blurted out in nervousness. Your hand that was connected with Kakashi’s hung in the air in front of you.

Kakashi sighed. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Are you listening?” You asked stupidly. God, you were so bold when you were drunk.

“All I can hear is your rather loud voice.”

“Oh.”

You finished and stood to pull your shorts up, and as you tried to button them with one hand, you realized your issue.

Drunk you was tingly and numb and also running at about 50% less capacity for normal tasks, so you couldn’t figure out how to button your shorts.

“Um,” you mumbled. “Just one—“

You tried to bring the button and its hole together with one hand, but even that was deemed impossible.

“I…need my other hand,” you mumbled. “Sorry.”

You brought your other hand to your shorts, taking Kakashi’s with it awkwardly. With a flush in your cheeks, you button your shorts as quickly as possible and sighed.

“Okay. I’m good.”

You walked to Kakashi’s side and made your way to the sink, Kakashi following you. You didn’t want to look into his eyes and started to wash your hands in silence.

That’s when you eyed the soap dispenser that was shaped like a dog.

You giggled way too loudly. “I like that dog.”

“Me too,” Kakashi said, and you could hear his smile.

Drying off your hands, you and Kakashi’s conversation came back into your head. You hung the towel back up and followed Kakashi as he made his way to the door.

For some reason, as he turned off the light and opened the door, you grabbed his hand. He turned, which made your proximity much closer than you anticipated. You stood in the darkness, feeling something inside of your stir as the conversation replayed in your mind.

“Kakashi…” you spoke softly, almost a whisper.

Kakashi didn’t say anything, just stayed still and looked down at you.

You gulped. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” His low voice pinched your chest.

“I…I feel like I’ve been a bad friend,” You confessed. “We’ve known each other for three years. And I never took the chance to get to know you better. I mean, since freshman year, you’ve always been there—“

“Don’t,” Kakashi interrupted you, and it made you look up in surprise. Even in the dark, you could see the spark in his eyes. “Don’t do this right now.”

“Kakashi—“ You breathed out, guilt blooming in your chest. Was he mad?

“You’re not a bad friend,” Kakashi said, giving your hand a squeeze. “But we can talk about this all later. When we aren’t drunk and handcuffed to each other.”

It felt like there was something he wanted to say, yet he was holding back. And you felt like it wasn't because of the situation you were in.

Then he smiled, that warm, firm smile with crinkled eyes. “We have a game to win, remember? Don’t tell me you’re a quitter.”

You grinned back. “Right.”

And you followed him back out into the party, in a daze from all that was happening and thoughts of what Kakashi wanted to say.

But you had a game to win.

tags: @apricitobio @kerouacbridge @sonja3 @silverhairsimp

[justthehiddleswrites]

Accidently Married | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 2 | Be Careful with Clive, I Have Grown Attached to Him

A/N:  Tom makes certain comments about an ex (who is unnamed).  It is a fictional girlfriend, take from it what you will.  Keep your hate to yourself.  

SERIES MASTERLIST HERE

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Molly Bishop)

Summary: Tom is stuck in a news cycle from hell; Molly is stuck in the dead end job of bartending with a pile of student and credit debt.  Tom has an idea to solve all their problems.  Get married, get the paparazzi off his back, divorce after a year and Tom pays off Molly’s debts.  Tom has everything figured out, that is until he sees Molly as more than a just a friend and so does someone else.  In this vying for affections who will win, the handsome Brit or the boy from Boston?

This Chapter: Tom and Molly are now married.  Surprise! These two talk about the logistics of Tom’s half-baked plan.  And Molly moves to London to face the firing squad, aka the paparazzi.  

Warnings: fake marriage, smut (vaginal sex), mentions of:  child abuse/neglect, foster care, substance abuse, cheating.

TAGLIST IS OPEN! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED!  THANK YOU FOR READING!

–

After they signed the license along with the apostille, there had been dancing. That much Molly remembered. And drinking. Specifically drinking champagne. Tom danced with abandon, pulling Molly into the whirlwind of activity he created around him.

But now it was morning, and Molly woke up in a bed that wasn’t her own. She groaned as her head pounded, having forgotten that champagne and her have a love-hate relationship. Molly saw the faint outline of Tom asleep on the couch, his long body stretched out, still wearing his suit from last night. After glancing at the alarm clock, Molly fell back asleep.

Several hours, Molly woke up again and headed to the bathroom, not noticing the now opened curtains.

“Hey good lookin, Whatcha got cookin,” Tom’s voice twanged as he stepped out of the shower. His head pounded a bit, but not the worst hangover he had.

“AHHH!!!” Molly screamed as she stepped into the bathroom.

They both froze, which was more embarrassing for Tom, as at least Molly was still wearing her dress from last night.

“You’re naked.” Molly blinked, her head darting around the room until she focused on an interesting corner of the room.

Tom chuckled, grabbing a towel and wrapping it loosely around his waist. “I don’t normally shower in my clothes. You can look back now.”

She slowly turned back around. “Sorry.” She shuffled her feet. “I should have knocked.”

“It’s quite alright.” He moved towards the door. “Shower is yours and we should talk things over.”

Molly nodded. “We should.”

While Molly showered, Tom dressed in the other room. After finding a clean t-shirt for Molly to wear over her dress until she could change, he called the airlines and changed his single ticket for that morning to a later flight for two, fishing Molly’s ID out of her wallet.

“Thanks for the shirt.” she stepped out.

“It looks good on you.” Tom gestured to the sofa. “Sit. Would you like some breakfast?” Her stomach growled. They both laughed. “That would be a yes.” Tom shoved the room service menu. “Order what you like.”

She selected an egg white frittata while Tom got the pancakes. Tom put in the order and returned his attention to Molly.

“So let’s talk about how this will work.” Tom shifted in his seat.

“An excellent idea. You mentioned living together in London. When do we leave?”

“This afternoon.”

Molly coughed. “That quick?”

“I’m afraid so.” Tom’s hands fidgeted in his lap. She noticed he was still wearing the spider ring. “I have work obligations back home and in order for it to be believable you would need to live with me.”

“Naturally.” Molly slapped her thighs. “So after breakfast, I can head back to my apartment, pack up what little I have, say goodbye to my roommate, and change into appropriate clothing. And you need to get us some proper rings.” She waved her hot pink ring in the air. “Unless of course you intend for your bride to wear a ring from the top of a cupcake.”

“Only if I get to keep my ring. I’ve grown quite attached to Clive.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You named the spider?”

“Yes.” There was a knock on the door. “That will be the food. Allow me.” He disappeared and returned shortly with a rolling table, ladened with food. Tom poured a cup of coffee and offered one to Molly.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

“I can have them bring up a teapot.”

“I’m pretty sure there are some complimentary ones in the room. Now,” She cut into her food and took a bite. “how will everything else work? Living with you, your life, the paparazzi? That is the whole point of this charade.”

“You do get down to business. So yes, I would expect you to live in my home. In a separate bedroom, I can set up another room as an office for you. We would need to attend events together and generally appear as a loving couple on the outside.”

“And my debts? That is part of the deal, right?”

“Right,” Tom gazed over at her while eating his pancakes. “I would assume the payments while we are together, and after the divorce is final, I would pay off any balance. I would also take care of your daily expenses while we are married. You are welcome to work if you want, but I will give you spending money.”

“So I would be a trophy wife?” Her brown eyes glinted.

Tom waved his hands in front of him. “Not that is not what I meant… I…”

“I am kidding, Tom. If you prefer, I can not work. I don’t mind. Give me some time to figure things out.” A thought came to her. “What about…” Molly searched for the words. “… other needs? Or if you wish to engage in a romantic relationship?” Her cheeks blushed as the words fell out of her mouth.

Tom blushed as well. “I have great self-control and I think if either of us get to that point, we can discuss it. I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

“And I don’t want you to be trapped either. I guess that is as good of an answer I could expect. Anything you want to ask me?”

Tom stared at Molly. The air hung heavy. “Do you regret saying yes?”

“No. Do you regret asking?”

“No.”

Molly downed the rest of her juice. “Well then, it is all settled. I am going to take off to pack. And you have some shopping to do. My ring size is a 7.”

Tom finished up the last bite of pancakes. “Right. We need to leave here by 3 to make it to the airport.”

“I shouldn’t be more than a few hours. Do you have a key to the room I could borrow?”

Tom fished one out of his discarded jacket’s pocket. “Here I will have the front desk make me another one.”

She tapped the key against her nails. “Thanks, Tom. For the help and for being a decent guy.”

“I should be thanking you.”

“You already have.” She grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

-

Tom headed downstairs, asked the front desk for a new key to the room, and also inquired where the nearest jewelry store might be. The front clerk handed him a key and directed him to a small collection of luxury stores in the hotel. He found Tiffanys and purchased a classic platinum solitaire engagement ring and plain platinum band for Molly and a yellow gold band for himself.

Molly wasn’t back when he returned, so he set about packing up for the flight. His phone buzzed. Luke.

It appears you had a good time in Vegas. The papers say you are drowning your sorrows. Looks like the story is here to stay. Call me when you wake up from your nap at home.

Tom typed back.

I did have a good time. I have a feeling the papers will soon find another story soon. Still in Vegas, taking a later flight. Talk to you soon.

His phone rang. He clicked it off, seeing it was Luke. Rather to get all the yelling done in person. The door opened and Molly came in, dragging a suitcase behind.

“Sorry! My roommate had questions.”

“So does my publicist.”

Tom took in Molly for the first time, really. Outside of the light of a casino floor. And not in a wedding dress purchased for fifty dollars on the way to the chapel. She wore faded jeans, a pair of beat up black Converse and a boxy white tee tucked in. A large black cardigan tucked under her arm. Dark hair in a bun. Quite lovely, if Tom told the truth.

“Are you in some sort of trouble?” Her brows knitted together.

“Not yet.” Tom tucked his phone into his jean pocket. “Here.” He pulled out the little blue bag.

Molly gasped. “I thought you would go buy some costume jewelry. This is too much.”

“Nonsense. This marriage may be fake, but the jewelry will be real.” Tom opened up the boxes. “May I do the honors?”

Molly held out her hand, and Tom slipped off the plastic ring before replacing it with the wedding set. “Much better. And yours?”

Tom slapped the box into her hand. “Be careful with Clive.” Molly pursed her lips as she pulled off the spider ring and replaced it with the gold band, putting the plastic ring in the Tiffanys box. “Here you go. Clive’s new home.”

Tom tucked the box into his luggage. “Ready to go?”

Molly rocked back on her heels. “Yep.”

Tom held out his arm. “Let’s go home, Mrs. Hiddleston.”

-

The flight back was uneventful, Molly and Tom dozed off, leaning against each other for support. Molly woke up first. She stared down at her rings. This was not how she expected this weekend going. Molly thought she would scrap together enough tips to make an extra payment on her credit card. Not flying to London with a Tiffany diamond ring on her finger and a famous actor as her husband.

“Life does throw you curveballs from time to time.”

“What was that, darling?” Tom muttered, stretching in his seat.

“Just commenting on the craziness of all of this to myself.” She held out her hand again. Tom laced his fingers with hers.

“I have done the same thing myself. Now when we land, there will probably be paparazzi around. Are you up for getting this whole thing off and running?”

Molly perked up. “What do I need to do?”

-

Tom tightly gripped Molly’s hand throughout the concourse and baggage claim. They eyed the doors.

“Ready?” she asked, squeezing his hand.

“I promise to be gentle.” Tom squeezed back, smiling.

As they stepped through the doors, Tom flashed a killer smile and Molly did as well, giggling as his arm wrapped around her waist. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. Molly melted against him, making sure her rings were visible as she cupped his cheek. She was right, Tom was an excellent kisser. After making sure any photographers had plenty of time to snap a pic, they parted.

“Think they got my good side?” Molly giggled.

“Do you have a bad side?” Tom asked.

“Just wait and see. Now take me home, darling!” She threw her arm over her eyes dramatically.

“Drama queen.” Tom pinched her side.

-

Tom’s home was cozy and clean. Definitely a bachelor’s home, as evidenced by the empty fridge except for a few bottles of beer and some questionable brown sauce.

“I can go shopping later.” Tom dragged a toe along the kitchen floor.

“I can go shopping later.” She reached up and smacked his face playfully. “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t feed my husband?”

“Fair point. I will call the bank tomorrow and get a card in your name. Just run any big purchases past me first. And we will need to get your name changed, passport, etc. I can have someone help you.” Tom prattled on.

“Why don’t you show me the rest of the place first?”

Tom held out his arm. “This way.”

Tom’s book collection was impressive along with his collection of movies.

“I clear some space if you need it.”

“I only packed clothes. My roommate is selling the rest, including my car and wiring me the money.”

“Oh.” Tom’s face fell. “Let me show you the bedrooms.”

He showed you a small guest room. “This could be an office for you and next door is a bigger bedroom for you.” Tom hustled along the hallway to open the next door. “Here.”

It was a bigger room with a queen bed and a wardrobe. Spare and clearly used for company.

“It will do just fine. And the bathroom is across the hall which is nice. Where’s your room?”

Tom made his way to the end of the hall and opened the door to his room, decorated in tones of grey and navy. A large king sized bed taking up most of the room along with a dresser. A bathroom en suite and a small closet completed the space.

“Very nice. Do you mind if I steal the color palette to decorate my room?”

“Please do. I never got around to decorate it. My sisters and mother are the only ones who stay in there.”

Molly paled a bit. She hadn’t thought about Tom’s family. “I supposed I will meet them soon.”

“I supposed so. It would be odd for my wife not to meet them. I hadn’t thought about it.”

Molly rocked back and forth. “Now why don’t I go shopping and you unpack and relax?”

“I would feel better if I came with you. You are in a different country, a strange city. And what if you have problems with the card?”

“Then let’s go and you can point out some of your favorite foods.”

“It’s a deal.”

-

“When I said pick out your favorite foods, I didn’t expect it to be only sweets. Did I marry a seven-year-old?”

“I’m 35, thank you. and I enjoy those sweets.”

“You eat like a college frat boy.”

“Guilty.”

“That is definitely changing now that I am around. You can’t continue to eat like that. There are things called vegetables.”

Tom snapped his fingers. “I’ve heard of those.”

“Get out of here!” Molly swatted at him. “I am certain you have things to attend to, and I need to familiarize myself with the kitchen.”

“Are you kicking me out of my kitchen?”

“Our kitchen. And yes.” Molly smirked.

“I yield! I yield. I’ll be in my study if you need me.” Tom walked out of the kitchen and towards his study.

He spied his phone sitting on the desk, still off from the flight. By now, any pictures should have been posted somewhere. Tom collapsed into his desk chair and clicked the phone on. While he waited for it to start up, he could overhear Molly puttering about in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she put away the groceries.

Buzz. Ten messages and eleven missed calls. He didn’t bother to listen to them and instead dialed Luke.

“Luke, I’m back in town. Thought I wou—” Tom started in as soon as Luke picked up.

“I WASN’T FUCKING SERIOUS WHEN I SAID TO GET MARRIED??! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND?!”

Tom pulled the phone away from his ear. “No, I haven’t. But I am married. To a wonderful girl. Her name is Molly. Molly Bishop. You should meet her, Luke.”

“YOU ARE FUCKING RIGHT I’LL MEET HER. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! SHE CAN HELP IDENTIFY YOUR BODY, THOMAS!” Luke continued to scream on the phone.

“Can you dial back the volume, Luke? I would like to preserve my hearing. Is there something wrong with marrying the woman I love?”

Luke cleared his throat. Tom understood Luke was doing his best to collect himself. “Apologies. There is nothing wrong with marrying the woman you love, Tom. Nothing at all. Except I don’t think you love this woman, since until a few weeks ago you were in love with—”

“Don’t say her name, it will ruin my marital bliss. I’m a hopeless romantic, Luke.”

“Hopeless, yes. Romantic, the jury is still out. And your fans don’t count, they are blinded by you. But I see the truth.”

“Which is?”

“You are not as smart as you think you are.”

“Did any of the articles mention her?” Tom inquired, spinning his wedding band on his finger.

“No.”

“Then I am exactly as smart as I think I am.”

There was a clatter from the kitchen.

“Tom!” Molly called out. “I need your help.”

“Got to go, Luke. My wife needs my help.” Tom emphasized the word “wife.”

“This isn’t over, Tom.”

“It never is. Bye.”

More clattering and another cry. “Tom!”

Tom rushed into the kitchen to find Molly perched on top of the kitchen counter, reaching high into a cabinet.

“Why is everything so high in here?”

Tom chuckled and reached around her, pressing his torso against her back. Molly jumped for a moment at the touch.

“I’m not used to sharing my space. I’m six two, I put things where I can reach them. What are you grabbing?”

“The roasting pan.”

Tom pulled it down and placed it on the counter. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it.

“Thank you. Well, I am five six, so unless you want me climbing counters for the next year, we need to rearrange some things.”

“But you’re so cute climbing around like a little monkey.”

Molly frowned. “Is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, then try again.”

Tom opened his mouth and closed it. “I’ll pull things down after dinner.”

“Thank you.” She rubbed his arm. “Now to try my hand at a roast dinner. Did you get stuff done?”

His phone buzzed again.

“I called my publicist. The pictures posted.” Tom pulled out his phone to shut it off.

“Oh good. So I take it, I had the desired effect.” Molly crunched on a carrot and offered one to Tom, who wrinkled his nose.

The two of you. My office 8 a.m. tomorrow. No excuses. I want to meet the blushing bride.

Tom frowned at the screen.

“It would appear so. I suggest you go to bed early because you are meeting Luke, my publicist tomorrow.”

Molly’s mouth fell open. “Should I be worried?”

Tom smiled at her. “No, I should be.”

[bardic-inspo]

do you like transformers too or are you just embracing the megatron vibes? 2. your writing has been stellar lately ahhh 3. do you have a best practices mental rundown of how you go from daydreaming to forcing yourself to sit down and put words on the page? bc I would love to gain insight bc I'm wanting to start writing again myself :0 godspeed w the next BtG chapter!! P.S. when he said he will bring the gasoline... I said WHOAAAA he said the line!!!! very exciting times :)

Hi friend! :D

No. 1 - Good/fair question! It's actually an old nickname I got in high school that's stuck with me a bit. My name was very badly spelled on a certificate and people started calling me Megatron. I ran cross-country and people would shout it at me to cheer me on during races. It died down for a few years and then I had a co-worker who thought it was the funniest thing and started calling me nothing but. I incorporated the 'h' from my actual name as a differentiator. I know basically nothing about Transformers, haha. No. 2 - THANK YOU OMG. You are so so kind <3 🥺 I really appreciate that. Encouragement is always a huge motivator <3 Number three is under the cut for length!

No. 3 - Disclaimer that of course different things work for different people, so grain of salt for all of this. I'll just speak to my own experience as a way to frame this. This ramble boils down to three things: keep track of your daydreams, set a specific output goal (preferably with a group that will help keep you accountable), and the original draft is only for you. Before I really started writing again, I started keeping an excel sheet with basically a list of scenes I thought up/about. This works with a bullet list, too. At first, there were giant gaps between them all, but gradually, my daydreams started to fill in those gaps. This can eventually serve as an outline. But I think it's really important to never stop doing this; if you're at the beginning and you have fresh ideas for the middle or the end, write them down. You'll thank yourself later. Prior to BtG, I basically hadn't written anything for years despite many vivid daydreams and I was really really struggling with breaking back into it. Then I did NaNoWriMo. Going zero to sixty like that doesn't work for everyone, but it jump-started me. The only goal became getting the words down. Not making them good or anything my inner editor wanted to do. I experimented, I changed tenses and points of view without starting the whole story over, and found what did/didn't work for me. I kept forward motion even when I'd decided that, later, I'll go back and fix certain things. I proceeded with it as if they were already fixed for the sake of continuing. I kept up with smaller word-count goals for several months after that, at which point I realized getting words down was no longer my main obstacle and I transitioned away from tracking word count at all. It absolutely doesn't need to be NaNo, and I'm personally of the opinion that NaNo is best for creating "roughest drafts" or breaking a writing drought and don't personally see myself doing it again unless I'm doing more rough-drafting. But having a known, established goal kept me from moving my goal posts, and gave me access to a community to help cheer me on or commiserate. Setting goals with a group of writer friends or doing a set-your-own-goal sort of thing like Get Your Words Out (which I'm doing presently with a habit/# writing days goal) or Camp NaNo are also great options. The other thing that helped me immeasurably was the promise I made to myself: no one but me will see the original draft. I only ended up using very, very small pieces of it in the posted versions of BtG (and I'm almost out of it entirely now!), but I have viewed it as a sort of narrative outline, and an invaluable experience not only for helping my build my writing skills, but also for showing me what not to do with certain plot points. I wouldn't have known if I hadn't gone down those routes. Bonus bit: fanfiction is just a fantastic place to start with writing. You have less pressure in terms of world/character-building and can just focus on building yourself as writer, bit by bit. 10/10 would recommend. I'm seriously flattered that you'd ask me this and please know I am cheering you on so hard in your writing endeavors <3 <3 And I swear I can't say thank you enough for the support. It means the world :) (I'm so so happy you got giddy with the title line finally cropping up!)