#and I realized I haven’t posted this set on tumblr yet.

[littlelilikoi]

🍊

[ryywyd]

HYFR

Wnba!Paige bueckers x black!Oc

Nsfw smut w/ plot, they went to scissor city ;) Author notes. This is my first time posting on tumblr #retiredwattpadgirly but my drafts are full so I’m finally posting. This might have two more parts (idk haven’t decided yet.) oh! And this ain’t proofread sorry

The restaurant lights dimmed the room as the low chatter from the surrounding guess filed the rest of the space, in corner set Saida and Paige both low eyed looking at each other with nothing but lust.

The girl sitting in front of Paige had transformed entirely from the person she had known fours years prior. Her once bare skin was now adorned with black ink and piercings. The change did not bother Paige; in fact, it turned her on more than she expected.

The two had sent a year together at UConn becoming more than acquainted before Saida transferred to ucla, the two wasn't in a relationship but they had an understanding but Paige wanted more than that On the other hand, Saida, influenced by her strict religious upbringing, she couldn't bring herself to it, which led them ending things ,.

And Finally reconnecting with each other– bring them here now, after Paige spotted Saida sitting court side at one of her games. Pulling her back in making her realize why she wanted all of those years ago.

"I'm sorry, what was you saying ?" Paige spoke shaking her head, she had completely tuned out everything Saida had said, she was more focused on how the light hit Saida brown skin that made the black link pop out and how the swoop from her straighten hair fell in her face.

"I said it's nice we could do this." Saida repeated as her eyes fell onto Paige's lips. ' y'know with how i ended everything.. I'm sorry again.,

"You don't gotta' keep apologizing, I'm not holding it against you " She husked her voice low 'we good now.,

"So.. was that your girlfriend ?, Paige questioned changing the subject and breaking the uncomfortable silence between them  "at the game with you ?"

"Something like that?it's more of a situationship, I don't know It's complicated." Saida shrugged pushing her straw around, her eyes roaming over Paige.

"If you gotta' girlfriend..what you doing here with me" Paige tried to push down the jealousy that was starting to show.

Saida shook her head biting the corner of her lip motioning for Paige to lean in,lifting up from your seat meeting her halfway whispering into her ear ' because I want you so bad p;

"We can get this shit to go, you gotta prove it to me ma;

In the span of thirty minutes the two had already made it back to Saida apartment and they couldn't keep their hands off of each other particularly ripping each others clothes off. Stumbling into the room, four years away apart felt like a decade and they were feining  for each other.

Paige gripped her jaw making her mouth open slightly "Open." She demanded as she watched her open up her mouth some more sticking her tongue out

Her split dripped in Saida mouth before she pulled her in, sucking on her tongue "I'm bout' to fuck you so good." She mumbled against her as she moved lips back to hers. As she roughly pulled the skirt Saida wore down rubbing her through the thin lace.

" w-wait, I wanna eat you first." She whimpered out feeling her apply more pressure against her wet cunt, she hummed not hearing ignoring what she said.

"You wanna make me feel good?" Paige asked softly watching as her breaths got heavier as she rubbed between her wet slit "tell me how much you want me."

"Please." Saida plead, she was all over the place she didn't know if the pleads were for Paige to keep touching her or for Paige to let her taste her.

"Get on your knees."

Paige lift her bottom half of the bed, pulling her jeans down along with her boxers repositioning herself at the edge of the bed. Spreading her legs wider; crawling in between her legs kissing the inside of her thighs Paige buckled her hips moving her wet cunt closer.

"Don't tease." Paige breathe out gripping saida's cheeks moving her face into, latching her mouth onto Paige moan softly against the blonde.

"Fuck! You so nasty baby." Paige amused moving her hands into saida's hair pulling her closer than she already was grinding into her face.

Saida was restless more eager to get the blonde to come on her tongue than anything, the vibration from her moans sent Paige over the edge

"Come for me p; make a mess in my mouth." Pulling back enough for Paige to hear her. Her hand creep up sliding a finger into her leaking hole with ease. Attaching her mouth back onto her clit sucking as her fingers move

her fingers curled against the blonde g spot. Paige let out weak moan as her hand flew up gripping the back of her neck, nails digging into her skin as she arched her back.

"Don't stop" the girl panted as she tangled her free hand into the dark hair and tugged. Paige whimpered, feeling her slip back inside of her. She didn't even know that she had done that. It didn't matter though, because it felt amazing. She couldn't hold back, her high finally hitting her.

Saida grinned as she felt the girl's pussy clench around her fingers. Her cum flooded her mouth, her sweet taste making her moan.

"I'm boutta cum, fuck sai right there." Paige whimpered gripping the girl hair harder, moving her her closer holding her head down riding out her orgasm,

finally letting go letting the girl up for air pulling her up by her hair pulling her into a sloppy kiss. Paige tilt her head back Opening her mouth signaling for Saida to spit in her mouth "You gon' let me fuck you now ?"

Paige questioned pulling the girl onto her lap, roughly pulling the thin lace to side flipping them over' let me hear you baby,

"Fuck me please."

Paige shot up, straddling Saida right thigh then lifting her left leg up letting it rest on her broad shoulder. She rolled her hips forward, meeting the girl's sloppy cunt with her own. They both were so wet, arousal dripping onto both of their thighs.

You feel so fucking good, fuck." The younger girl groaned, her head falling back onto the mattress, mouth agape. Paige's hands ran over the girl's smooth legs, fingers dancing over the girl's pussy. Her thumb circled her clit, teasing it.

"Paige.." she breathed out, her hips thrusting up trying to meet the blonde touch.

"Look at that making a fuckin’ mess." Paige cooed her eyes focused on where her pussy gushes onto the girls moving her hips to get the perfect angle.

"D-don't stop baby please." Saida whimper as Paige spreader her legs wider with a strong grip on her thigh fucking herself into the bed making the headboard hit against the wall repeatedly.

Paige let out a groan grinding into the girl faster than she was before , this time the headboard bangs against the wall louder than it already was , covering the filthy sounds of your pussys wetness mixing together.

"oh fuck p- Paige Paige !" Saida frantically chant her name over and over her hands moving all over her before landing on her forearms and digging her nails into them.

"you like when I fuck you like this? Like it when my pussy makes a mess all over yours hm?" She breathlessly whispered, her hips stutter and her nails digging into the girl skin

Such a fuckin’ slut i'm gonna cum all over that pussy" she breathlessly whispers. her hips stutter and her hands grip your thighs harshly.

"Cum all over me baby " Saida whine, not breaking eye contact as her hips jerk forward as she desperately chased after her orgasm

"fuck, fuck, oh god-!" she gasps, eyes squeezing shut as she cums. A mixture of both of the girls hot strings of thick cum landed on Saida lower stomach, dripping down and onto both of their folds. it's all too much. Paige can feel her body tense against saida’s , her fingers digging into the soft flesh of your thighs.

Paige rolled off the girl, gently placing tender kisses along her shoulder and up to her jawline. She raised her hand to softly trace the love make she had left scattered around her neck.

“You can’t leave me ever again.”

Author note #2. I hope yall liked this fr, I gave up towards the end.

[awwyeah107]

2024 Fic Recs

Hello and welcome to my fic recs from 2024 post :)

Like in 2023, the vast majority of fanfiction I read has been Tolkien-centric; my hyperfixation is still going strong, lol. I also got into Longmire (the TV show; I haven’t read the books yet), so there’s a handful of Longmire fanfics in here too. And as I said last year, buckle up, because it’s a pretty long post (this one’s got roughly 80 fics, not counting series!).

For each fic, I’ll give a one-sentence summary and then my thoughts on the fic! I’ll also mention whether the fic is a oneshot, doubleshot (2 chapters), or a multi-chapter fic, as well as the fic rating. I’m sorting the Tolkien fics into series, topic-based, character/time/place-focused, AUs & others, and then I’ll put the non-Tolkien fics at the end. I am including in-progress fics in each of those categories.

Credit to @cafekitsune for the galaxy banners used to separate the sections :)

Intro: What to Expect & Fics Legend

Expect: Lots of angst—LOTS of it. I didn’t realize how much there was until I went back through all of these! Also a bunch of fluff and hurt/comfort. Majority of fics are genfic. Mostly Silmfics; some Lord of the Rings and/or Hobbit characters are featured. Most fics are rated T, with a few rated G or M.

Do not expect: Stories with a focus on romantic!Russingon (or any other first cousins x cousins ships), smut, or excessively gory or dark stories. No E-rated fics.

Notes about formatting: Sometimes, the bullet points may be spaced out a little strangely; that’s because Tumblr won’t actually tag more than 5 people at once in a set of bullet points, so I have to space them out in order for people to get tagged properly. When a fic has quotation marks around the summary, that means it’s taken straight from the summary of the fic. Occasionally, I’ll consider a fic to be rated differently for my personal taste than it’s marked on AO3, and in those cases I will mention that. For example: G [AO3 rating] / T [personal rating]. Otherwise, ratings are from AO3.

Fics Legend/Key These emojis are used to denote any stories that have the following elements, and I’ll do my best to put appropriate warnings/mentions of certain potentially triggering topics as well, when needed. Most if not all the stories do have necessary tags or content warnings given by the author, so if I miss something, the author and/or the fic tags should tell you about it. My apologies if I do miss anything.

🔒 Fic only available to AO3 users

🩸 Features somewhat shocking or graphic violence and/or heavy topics (including abuse, severe trauma, mental illness, etc.)

*️⃣ Features background romantic!Russingon or other cousin ships

🏳️‍🌈 Features LGBTQ+/queer ships and/or characters (for those who do or do not prefer to read fics with queer ships/characters. If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me a DM.)

✍️ Fic is in progress/incomplete

Also, this may go without saying, but I feel like it does need saying: Your mileage may vary with these fics, especially those that are not particularly fluffy. So, read what you’re comfortable with, and don’t read or skip what you aren’t.

I will tag authors who are here on Tumblr; I've included multiple fics by the same authors, so I will only tag each author once.

To all the fic authors, people posting meta/analyses, and fan artists: Thank you for sharing your work with the world. Your stories, musings, and art have brought me a lot of joy (and frequently, encouragement) this past year, and it’s still kinda crazy to me that I can read or see it for free. Because you loved canon enough to make something from it, and you wanted to share the results of that love with others. Thank you. ❤️

Series

Annaáuchiwee by @thegreenleavesofspring (Brievel on AO3) & The_Anonymous_Coauthor 🩸✍️ - [Modern AU] The story of how a biker thug scrapes a street rat up off the street and discovers, for the first time in thirty years, that he has a conscience, which leads him halfway across the country and into a lifestyle of love and sacrifice that he had long forsworn. (In-progress series of 4 works, multi-chapters, T) Y’all. Y’all. I cannot recommend this series enough. If you follow my sideblog, @fandomsandfairytales, you have almost certainly seen me posting about this over there. This series is essentially set in the Sons of the Star universe, which is a “sons of Fëanor as a biker gang” modern AU, but it’s a step to the left of that AU. Annaáuchiwee is focused on the modern equivalent of Celegorm, named Riser Way, and his journey (both literal and figurative) to become an honorable man. I absolutely adore the characters and writing in this series. There’s so much: humor (and lots of it), angst (and lots of that too), violence, domestic fluff, thoughtful moments, and so much character growth. I get excited every time I see an update in my inbox! (Warning: The series features a fair amount of violence, and it deals with heavy topics, including trafficking, rape, and child abuse.)

On Elrond Peredhel by @elvinye (leodesic on AO3) ️*️⃣ 🏳️‍🌈 (Russingon + biological son Gil-Galad; prominent in one work) ✍️ - "A series examining Elrond's kidnap-adoption [and Elrond himself] from a variety of different characters’ perspectives." (In-progress series of 13 works, oneshots and doubleshots, all rated T or G.) I enjoy reading lots of different perspectives on kidnap fam, and I love how this series explores a huge spectrum of characters’ reactions to a very Noldorin Elrond. It’s so well-written and gives me major Elrond feels. Seeing Elrond through so many different lenses is really cool; I think leodesic does a great job handling each character’s inner narrative and also showing Elrond as a kind and caring yet assertive individual, no matter what that character thinks of him. If you are into pro-Fëanorian kidnap fam, you’ll like this series!

Quenta Nossëo by HonoraryDawn ✍️ - Elrond accidentally travels through time and space and arrives in Valinor just in time for Fëanor’s birth in the Years of the Trees; Elrond decides to change history and raise Fëanáro himself. (In-progress series of 2 works, multi-chapters, T) This is such a cool series! I love how it changes history, and all the twists and turns throughout! Nature vs. nurture is a key theme in Fëanor being raised by someone other than Finwë, and Fëanor’s development and the way tensions rise differently in Valinor in the Years of the Trees are fascinating. Highly recommend! (I also recommend Fanarts for Preventative Measures by Leira_E, which has several pieces of fan art and fan-written blurbs for the first installment in this series.)

Horrible Goose Fingon by @pearlescentpearl (PandaFlower on AO3) - Fingon, having experienced life in Beleriand, wakes up in the Years of the Trees Valinor and immediately decides to make it Morgoth’s problem. (In-progress series of 2 works, oneshots and multi-chapters, all rated T or G.) Fingon hits the ground running here, and his quick deductions and planning are so much fun to read! I enjoyed his interactions with Maedhros and with Ingwë’s family, and I’m looking forward to more.

Topic-Based

Post-Thangorodrim

I went through a period of time where I was really into rescue-from-Thangorodrim and post-Thangorodrim fics, so here are my top Maedhros-Thangorodrim-trauma recs from this year!

The Shackle by @valarhalla (Elisif on AO3) 🩸 - Fingon rescues Maedhros from the cliff of Thangorodrim. (Oneshot, M) This fic was exactly what I was looking for when I was craving a rescue-from-Thangorodrim fic!!! Masterfully written. It really depicted the sort of state Mae would have been in, neglected and hanging from the cliff as he was. The entire thing is SO angsty and incredibly heartrending and I loved it. (Warning: Graphic descriptions of injury, bodily fluids, and the effects of an extended period of physical neglect.)

Open Wounds by @markedasinfernal (theeventualwinner on AO3)🩸*️⃣ - “Maedhros' post-Thangorodrim recovery.” (12 chapters, M) I devoured this fic over two days and oh my goodness. What an amazingly well-written piece. I loveddddd all of the medical terminology and the very analytical (though never at the cost of emotional, or vice versa!) way Maedhros’ healing was approached. There’s so much angst and tension amongst the rest of the sons of Fëanor and Fingon as well, yet it is borne out of care for Maedhros, and that care is shown very clearly in all their interactions with Maedhros himself. The richness of the relationships in this fic is really beautiful. (Note: Any Russingon in this fic is very, very lightly implied. Warning: Descriptions of injury, physical trauma, and PTSD.)

Whoops, They’re Both Asleep by until_the_stars_are_all_alight - Findékano comes to visit Maitimo when he hears his cousin wanted “Káno” and finds Makalaurë [Kanáfinwë] is already there. (Oneshot, T) A short, absolutely adorable oneshot! It’s only 350 words, but everything is so well-portrayed: the tension between Fingon and Maglor, the way Maedhros is dealing with his recovery, the affection he has for both his brother and cousin. I’ve reread it a few times now and I love it more every time.

No Resemblance by Elisif - Nolofinwë struggles to recognise his nephew after his rescue from Angband. (2 chapters, incomplete, T) This is SO PAINFUL and angsty and so good. From Fingolfin barely recognizing Maedhros for who he was (when Fingon brought him back) to all the memories of young Maedhros in Valinor, it’s shot through with feelssssss.

Dawn by potatoesanddreams - Maedhros’ first sight of the Sun. (Oneshot, T) A proper drabble clocking in at 100 words. I really enjoyed this one—I was fascinated by the second person point of view for Maedhros! The descriptions are so evocative and eloquent.

More About the Things that You Take With by @imnotdyingbutyouallare - Maedhros struggles with Maglor cutting his hair. (Oneshot, T) There is so much gentleness in this fic despite how much Maedhros is still suffering, and so much awareness of each other on both Maglor and Maedhros’ parts, which I loved. Even a “simple” thing such as cutting Maedhros’ hair is difficult for him, and I could really feel the fragility of Maedhros’ state of mind throughout. So, so good!!!

breakdown by @leucisticpuffin 🔒 - Maglor breaks down and Maedhros struggles to comfort him. (Oneshot, T) Oh my goodness, ugh. This is soooo painful and I love it. I feel terribly for Maglor, and for Maedhros feeling so helpless. What an angsty vignette of their relationship in the immediate aftermath of Maedhros’ rescue.

Let them see! by BarbieBlue - Maglor attempts to console Maedhros in a difficult moment during Maedhros’ recovery. (Oneshot, T) I loved reading this fic! I felt the acute frustration on Maedhros’ part that he can do so little and Maglor’s intense guilt. Maglor’s compassion and determination to prove to his brother that he cares is very compelling. (Fingon’s bewilderment at the end is rather hilarious, too.)

Us Against the World by @annoyinglandmagazine (Caranthirwasalesbian on AO3) - It’s the first feast after Maedhros’ recovery, and he realizes only having one hand makes table manners difficult. (Oneshot, G) To me, this fic really demonstrates how much the sons of Fëanor care for each other, and I simply adore it. It’s a beautiful picture of love on a practical level.

Crablor

Oneshots of our favorite singing elf-turned-crustacean, Crablor!

Soft-Shelled Soul by @thescrapwitch (theScrap_Witch on AO3) 🔒 - Maedhros learns from Námo that his brother has been transformed into a crab, and he is determined to find him and bring him home. (Oneshot, G) I really enjoyed this lovely Crablor story! I loved the fact that it was Maedhros and Celegorm who found Maglor—it makes perfect sense to not only have Maedhros, the caring older brother, searching but also Celegorm, the one who knows animal languages. Everything back in Valinor (the reactions! Maglor’s new living space!) are wonderful, too.

The Trial of Crablor Fëanorion by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maglor, in crab form, is put on trial for his crimes. (Oneshot, G) This fic could very well go in my humor section as well as the Crablor section. I found myself laughing throughout, and even typing this I’m smiling just thinking about it. The format of a court trial record is delightful, along with all the shenanigans included for the sake of the record!

lured to be loved by LadyHaleth - Elladan and Elrohir search for their long-lost grandfather…who they discover has been turned into a different form. (Oneshot, T) A sweet adventure! Elladan and Elrohir’s dedication to finding and caring for Maglor is so admirable, and I enjoyed their dynamic as twins and with Maglor. The details in every scene really make this fic! (And don’t miss the awesome art in the middle, since the art and fic were one of the TRSB collabs for this year.)

Humor

to speak, to scream and laugh with the echo by @artandsuffering (Tamatoa (SaltandtheSoul) on AO3) - When Maglor wakes up in the past after the Fourth Age, he decides to make it Sauron’s problem. (Oneshot, T) This fic is SO FREAKING FUNNY. The understated humor in this is incredible, and I love the phrasing throughout. The framing of the atmosphere of Angband as a corporate workplace of sorts (while still being fully in Middle-Earth, of course) simply makes this fic.

This Battle Could Have Been An E-mail by @tilion-writes (Tilion on AO3) ✍️ - A series of emails in Maedhros’ inbox throughout the ages. (4 chapters, in progress, T) INCREDIBLY hilarious. The email addresses, the domains for the email addresses (nargothrond.com! himring.net!), the email sign-offs for each of the characters, the subject lines, the files, the messages (including punctuation and tone of professionalism, or lack thereof) from each character—all of it was priceless.

Please Do Not by @mynameisjessejk - “In which Maedhros has all the foresight of the House of Feanaro and uses it entirely to prevent brother and cousin shenanigans.” (Oneshot, bullet-point, T) This fic is absolutely hysterical. I probably broke something trying so hard not to laugh (I was reading this when there were people around). The phrase “the transitive property of Finrod” still lives rent-free in my head months after I read it XD This fic also turned out to be really heartwarming and gave me many feels. So, so, so good.

How Dare by @catkin-morgs-kookaburralover (ATalkingCat on AO3) - The palantir experiences Pippin picking it up. (Oneshot, G) I laughed out loud multiple times reading this. It’s a short, delightful read with a VERY snarky palantir point of view, and I highly enjoyed it!

Give A Whistle by Prackspoor - “After the sacking of Ost-in-Edhil, the Dark Lord Sauron ordered his prisoners crucified and carried at the head of his army as banners so that their approach would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies; no one could have imagined that the last resistance of the Elven City had no plans to go out quietly… literally.” (Oneshot, T) A VERY humorous, somewhat dark oneshot (with a second chapter solely for references). It’s very Monty-Python-esque, with some direct Monty Python references, so if you enjoy that sort of humor, this will be right up your alley. The sympathetic orc captain point of view is fantastic! (Warning: There’s a few dark mentions/descriptions of torture.)

Romance-focused

Tax Fraud and Picnics by @thesummerestsolstice - Haleth and baby Erestor convince Caranthir to go on a picnic. (Oneshot, G) I’ve got three words for this fic: SUPER. DUPER. CUTE. This fic is as sweet as candy. I adore how much Caranthir loves Haleth, and the light humor sprinkled throughout made me grin (the Caranthir-Turgon arguments over taxes will never not be funny to me).

Mending by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “Caranthir sits by Haleth’s side as she dies and thinks of his family, his life, and his craft.” (Oneshot, T) Very sweet! I loved how the story wove Caranthir’s memories into the present day (pun very much intended), and his love for his craft is so beautiful. I also really enjoyed the visitors at the end :)

Your Eyes Are Like Knives (And I Really Like Knives) by @sweetteaanddragons (Drag0nst0rm on AO3) - Haleth knows that Caranthir is hiding something, and she is determined to find out what it is. (Oneshot, T) I saw that this fic was going to be part of TRSB 2024 a few days before the fics all got released, and I was so excited to read it! I had a fantastic time eagerly devouring it with much excitement and laughter, and as per usual, I thoroughly enjoyed Haleth flustering Caranthir.

Yours Dearly, Most Sincerely by Drag0nst0rm - “Five times Nerdanel had to help Feanaro write a letter, and one time he returned the favor. (And two times they had to write a letter alone.)” (Doubleshot, T) This fic both filled me up with the love Fëanor and Nerdanel had for each other (and their sons!) and ripped me to pieces with angst. The way Nerdanel often balances out Fëanor’s fiery spirit when it comes to composing a letter—and the way he chooses to listen to her!—is wonderful to read; the scene with the third letter practically gave me a heart attack from how adorably fluffy it was. Of course, this makes it all the more heartbreaking when they are apart. A very emotional read all around!

Breaking Into Light by @starspray ✍️ - Glingaereth happens to meet Fingon, the crown prince of the Noldor, and the two begin to take an interest in each other. (4 chapters, in progress, T) I haven’t read any Fingon x OFC fics before, and I really liked this one! Glingaereth and the other original characters stand well on their own, and the chemistry between Glingaereth and Fingon feels natural. I also liked the outside perspectives of the Noldor royal family and the uneasiness amongst the Sindar about the sense of doom following the Noldor.

Nothing in the World is Single by StarSpray - Eärendil and Elwing become friends…and then more. (5 chapters, T [AO3 rating] / G [personal rating]) This is so sweet! I really enjoyed this fic—the easy pacing, Eärendil’s friendly nature, and Elwing’s more reserved personality all combine to make a great read. The descriptions are wonderful, and I liked Eärendil and Elwing’s adventures.

Character, Time, or Place-Focused

Kidnap Fam

What matters is ‘you’ and not the state of you. by @havenotwillnotreadthebooks (EclecticKefi on AO3) - “Maglor contemplates the Peredhel that he and his brother have taken in, then contemplates the effect of this new life on Maedhros.” (Doubleshot, T) This was such an enjoyable read! I loved reading Maglor’s reflections, especially on Maedhros as a father figure to Elrond and Elros. I also enjoyed reading how the twins’ nature as peredhel (and being somewhat eldritch to boot) affects their domestic life with Maglor and Maedhros.

I keep my enemies closer than the mirror ever gets to me by EclecticKefi 🔒 - Elrond and Elros hide in Maglor’s closet and overhear Maedhros and Maglor talking. (Oneshot, T) This fic is both heartbreaking and heartwarming in multiple ways. The two peredhel have seen far too much trauma and suffering in their young lives, but their empathy is really sweet. Also, I’m always a fan of eldritch!peredhel, so I liked the notes of that scattered throughout the story.

On Monsters and Lullabies by Tilion - Maglor is the one the twins like, not Maedhros, and Maglor confronts his brother. (Oneshot, T) I will never tire of the angstiness of Maedhros and Maglor arguing over the twins and the role they play in their lives, nor how Maedhros becomes someone the twins can trust. Maglor’s softness with the twins is so sweet (baby Elrond and Elros are ADORABLE), and the reflections (both Maglor’s and Maedhros’) on how much Maedhros had changed since being in Valinor are really well-written.

And Love Grew by @polutrope (polutropos on AO3) ✍️ - Maedhros and Maglor deal with the aftermath of their attack on Sirion, and Maglor leads their host—including two young peredhel and their caretaker—to Amon Ereb. (6 chapters, in progress, T) A wonderfully complex, angsty, deeply woven tale. Every character and relationship has so many layers, and polutropos does a great job of exploring the darkness of the Oath and the ripple affect it has on the sons of Fëanor, their followers, and the people of Sirion.

And when we’re in the dark, it echoes in your heart by ElectricKefi - Elros unintentionally triggers Maedhros’ Sauron-related trauma. (Oneshot, T) Poor Maedhros AND poor Elros! The idea that the peredhel with Maia blood would bring back Maedhros’ memories of being tortured by Sauron—especially when Elros is trying to help him—is so sad. I loved the instantly-on-alert Maglor who is there to de-escalate the situation, too.

though the shadow closes in by millyfaraway - Maglor and Maedhros strategize to keep Elrond and Elros safe. (Oneshot, T) I really like the dialogue and OCs in this one! The discussion of Sauron and Morgoth’s desire for the peredhel, the plans to keep moving, and the connection Maedhros and Maglor share all flow quite well.

First Age Beleriand

Finwëons & Fëanorians:

Mind the Gap by Tilion - Maglor visits Himring. (Oneshot, T) Loved reading this!! Great characterization of both the characters themselves and their relationship. They are SUCH siblings in this, and I really enjoyed reading them snarking at each other and checking up on each other and seeking to ensure all was truly well. I’ll also never pass up a scene with Maglor braiding Maedhros’ hair.

The Light Behind Your Eyes by Tilion ✍️ - Scenes of Maglor and Maedhros after Thangorodrim. (2 chapters, in progress, T) I love how beautifully this portrays Maglor and Maedhros’ relationship. It balances the past and the present really well. Even though Maedhros is still clearly suffering from his time in Angband, this fic has a calm tone to it, and I can see the healing taking place in Maedhros’ spirit. A lovely read.

Scribbles and Squabbles by @dreamingthroughthenoise (Alantie on AO3) 🔒 - An argument between the Fëanorians, through letters. (7 chapters, T) This was a delight to read! Humorous at times, and heartfelt at others. I could pick up on the underlying hurt and desire to be seen that sparked the argument, and the love and care rising from the letters as things resolved. (The very clear and present sass was quite fun, too.)

Gingerbread Cookies by Elisif - Aredhel and Fingon supervise Idril and Tyelpë while they make Christmas cookies. (Oneshot, G) This is such an adorable fic—tiny Idril and Celebrimbor are so cute, and I loved Aredhel and Fingon’s brother-sister relationship. Their interactions have such fond sibling energy!

A Mere Shadow by Elisif - Maglor comes to visit Maedhros and is reminded of Thingol’s Quenya ban. (Oneshot, T) So good and so sad! I could immediately feel the shift in Maglor’s mood when Maedhros inadvertently reminds him of the ban, and the sorrow oozing from both brothers, as if from a wound.

the raging storm of a foreign war, and a face i'd seen before by @arafinweanappreciation (TelerinJedi on AO3) - Finarfin comes to Beleriand. (Oneshot, T) This fic is short yet so expressive!! I love Finarfin seeing Tol Sirion and him talking about avenging his son in such a terrifyingly calm manner.

Ill-Tidings by TheScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maedhros brings news to Curufin that Nargothrond has fallen. (Oneshot, T) Poor Curufin 😭 This fic has all the dad!Curufin feels!!!! Curufin’s humanity (or elvish equivalent, lol) shines through in this fic in his anguish over his son. His grief and rage are so palpable (and so well-written!).

Too Big, Too Heavy by @hwestalas - Maedhros visits the new High King of the Noldor after the Dagor Bragollach. (Oneshot, T) Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Fingon’s grief over Fingolfin is so raw and real, and I love how he tries to keep it together but fails in the face of Maedhros’ calm, devoted friendship. Such a great read.

ever an anguish that pursued by @thelordofgifs (TheChasm on AO3) 🩸 - Maglor tries to save Maedhros from the fire, but he keeps waking up. (Oneshot, T) UGH SO ANGSTY. So so angsty. All of the “what if”s that Maglor dreams could have happened are so terribly sad, because he can see so many ways out that don’t involve Maedhros jumping into the chasm. (Warning: suicide and multiple near-suicide attempts.)

stone on the board by @dalliansss - The Finwëons play games with politics in Beleriand at Mithrim. (Oneshot, T) So good! Love the politicking going on in this fic, primarily between Maedhros and Finrod. Quite an intriguing read.

there's no timer on grief 🔒 by Kat_isaconfusedbean - After Losgar, Amras mourns. (Oneshot, T) This is SO painful. Especially for how short this fic is. My heart aches for Amras (and for Celegorm). I love Celegorm coming to comfort his brother, along with Huan.

Unrepentent by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maedhros will not give up on obtaining the last Silmarils. (Oneshot, T) The Oath has Maedhros in its grip so tightly in this fic (along with his own memories and experiences), and it’s horrifying yet understandable to see him act and think the way he does. I love the dynamic between Maedhros and Maglor in this fic, too.

the ways of birds by @welcomingdisaster (welcoming_disaster on AO3) - “When Maglor is captured in the aftermath of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, he doesn't expect a rescue. (for the prompts maglor + maedhros + "need to keep quiet" & "roadside wound tending.”)” (Oneshot, T) SO MUCH MAGLOR WHUMP. And so much tension, too. I could really feel Maglor’s raw, gritty pain and the ugly experiences he endured. It made the comfort part of “hurt/comfort” that much more relieving when he was, indeed, rescued.

Non-Finwëons:

Mad, Not Angry by AfricanDaisy - Young Thranduil is woken from a thunderstorm, and searches for a source of comfort: his father. (Oneshot, G) SO so cute! I could really feel Thranduil’s panic in searching for Oropher, and then his simultaneous relief and upset when he did find him. The descriptions are vivid and well-crafted, very fun to read!

no vela, no orion by TelerinJedi - A comment from Andreth’s sister causes her to wonder if she is in love with Nóm (or vice versa), and it is harder to have a discussion with him about this than she thinks. (Oneshot, G) The adolescent awkwardness and embarrassment in this fic brings me back to my teenage days XD This is really sweet though, truly. A light bit of fluff!

Second and Third Age Middle-Earth

living arrows sent forth by @balrogballs (timelessutterances on AO3) - Thranduil and Elrond discuss fatherhood at Arwen and Aragorn’s wedding reception. (Oneshot, T) SO. SO. GOOD. I seriously love the phrasing in this one, as well as Thranduil’s and Elrond’s characterizations, their long-held opinions and memories of each other, and their discussion of parenthood. Thranduil is so snarky and Elrond so earnest. Phenomenal all the way through.

rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated by @lighttrls (thunder_and_stars on AO3) - Unaware of elves’ habit of sleeping with their eyes open, Estel finds Elladan unmoving with his eyes open and thinks he must be dead. (Oneshot, T) POOR BABY ESTEL aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. The angst is off the charts in this one; my heart was breaking for tiny Aragorn. I was so glad that his assumption was corrected, in the end.

i'm fine, i prom- by thunder_and_stars - Elladan and Estel are captured by orcs and tortured. (Oneshot, T) Oh my goodness, I wanted to kill each and every orc right along with Elladan. The descriptions of the orcs’ actions, their impact on Estel physically, and the impact on Elladan emotionally were so vivid. It’s some good, heavy whump (with some comfort at the end).

sticks and stones may break my bones by thunder_and_stars - Some people don’t like the fact that Estel lives with the elves. (Oneshot, T) Once again, right there with one of the twins on wanting to beat up people for mistreating Estel. The way Estel tried to hide his injuries and then admitted what happened and what was said and done to him was so sad. Lots of hurt/comfort here.

A Long Way To Go In The Morning by @nocompromise-noregrets (likethenight on AO3) 🔒 - “The night before the Fellowship of the Ring leaves Rivendell, Elladan and Elrohir give Aragorn some encouragement.” (Oneshot, T) I really enjoyed this one! Elladan and Elrohir are such good brothers to Aragorn, and the way they lifted his spirits was really sweet. I liked the discussion of mortality as well as the hopefulness that the twins had about the Quest and Aragorn’s success.

Advice Unlooked For by sehellys - Aragorn talks to Elladan and Elrohir when they return from the Wild, and then he goes to the Feast in the Hall of Fire. (Oneshot, T) The descriptions in this one are simply beautiful—and so is the dialogue! I loved the shift from serious to “shenanigans mode” after the twins update Aragorn on what’s going on in the outside world.

Re-embodiment in Valinor

Red, Red Moon (Keep On Rising) by Tilion 🏳️‍🌈 (Celegorm/Oromë features somewhat prominently, especially in the back half) - Celegorm wakes up outside Mandos with two silver-haired elflings and no memories; he sets off to bring the boys to their parents and figure out his identity. (24 chapters, T) This was such a fun fic to keep up with as it got updates! Celegorm and the twins (kidnap fam 2.0, one might say) were incredibly adorable. I loved Legolas and Tauriel’s inclusion, and I highly enjoyed the whole identity crisis Celegorm went through (seriously, it was awesome). Celegorm feels SO Celegorm to me in this fic: cocky, rough around the edges, more caring than he’d like to admit. Overall there’s so much to this fic, and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.

Hemlock and Niphredil by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “In Fourth Age Valinor, Elrond and Thingol connect over a shared love of gardening and grief for their daughters.” (Oneshot, T) I had never really thought about Elrond and Thingol’s similarities before this fic, and I loved getting to read them interacting and forming a friendship! Both have lost daughters by the choice to give up immortality, yet they have quite different personalities (and a complicated family tree), and it’s beautiful to see them connect through their shared experiences. (It’s also interesting to read Thingol portrayed in a more sympathetic light than most fics—yet not without his imperfections, certainly.)

Memento Vivere (Remember, You Must Live) by Drag0nst0rm - “Maedhros and Maglor have a long overdue discussion of what happened at the edge of that chasm - and what happened after.” (Oneshot, T) UGH so GOOD and so ANGSTY. There are so many emotional beats in this fic, and I found myself bracing for each one. I painfully love Maglor’s instincts when it comes to protecting/taking care of Maedhros after all these years, and how he doesn’t want the people he loves to be hurt because of him—though he has been in so much pain himself, and Maedhros sees that. Really, really good. (Warning: Discussion of suicide.)

White Water Flowing by StarSpray ✍️ - In Valinor and homesick for Imladris, Celebrían decides to build a new one. (6 chapters, in progress, T) This is such a lovely fic!! I’ve really enjoyed reading it. I love Celebrían’s characterization—many people underestimate her, and it’s wonderful to see her bloom after healing in Lórien. She simultaneously has a gentle soul and an admirable tenacity and drive. I also love reading her interacting with members of Elrond’s family and seeing how those relationships develop.

Handle with Care by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “When Fëanor left the Halls of the Dead, he did not expect Mahtan to be the one waiting for him.” (Oneshot, T) I loved this!!! I don’t see a lot of Mahtan and Fëanor interactions, and I really enjoyed reading their conversation. (I grinned at Mahtan telling Fëanor off about Nerdanel. I haven’t seen that before and I’ve really wanted to, so it was quite satisfying.) It’s clear that they both carry a lot of grief, and they have a familiar relationship underpinning everything.

From Ruins We Grow by TheScrap_Witch 🔒✍️ - Fëanor learns how to live again (and how to garden!) when he is returned to life and placed under Yavanna’s responsibility to tend a small corner of Valinor. (7 chapters, in progress, T) I get so excited whenever I see an update for this fic in my inbox! There’s so much feeling in this fic, which is very fitting for Fëanáro’s fiery, intense character. It’s in turns amusing and exasperating to see him humbled by learning a new craft, yet I always find myself rooting for him in his endeavors. I love the relationships he forms with the visitors to his garden, and all the sweet memories of his sons practically make my heart melt.

AUs

In-Universe AUs

An Unexpected Rescue by SpaceWall - Fëanor realizes that someone has taken on the form of his half-brother Fingolfin, and that the real Fingolfin has disappeared. (Doubleshot, T) This is SUCH a cool AU!!! I really enjoyed reading this one. I love Fëanor’s insistence on figuring out what happened and finding Fingolfin, though of course in denial that he cares for his brother deep down. I’d say more but I don’t want to spoil it!

Will You Greet the Daylight Looming? by Tilion - Maglor persuades Maedhros to live. (Oneshot, T) Oh, this fic is terribly, delightfully angsty. I love how Maglor and Maedhros’ relationship is portrayed here, and the vivid imagery really brings it to life. Lots of thee/thou and ‘dearest’ language, too!

Reforged by theScrap_Witch 🔒🩸🏳️‍🌈 (background Celebrimbor/Gil-Galad) - Maeglin survives the fall of Gondolin, and Celebrimbor and others help him to find his way to healing. (20 chapters, G [AO3 rating] / T [personal rating]) What a story. Just—what a story. It takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion and growth and change and just, wow. I am so freaking proud of Maeglin in this fic, and I love his characterization. He digs his claws into life and doesn’t let go, and it’s incredible to see his transformation over the course of centuries. I also loved the inclusion of many other Second and Third Age characters in this story and how Maeglin’s life becomes intertwined with theirs. This fic is angsty and agonizing on so many levels, but it is fiercely emotional and cathartic in good ways too. I really enjoyed getting to follow along with this fic as it was published!

Scion of Mystery by Tilion 🏳️‍🌈 (minor Erestor/Curufin) - Elrond is determined to uncover Gil-galad’s true parentage. (7 chapters, T) Absolutely BUCK WILD Gil-Galad theory. Complete and total plot twist that I did NOT see coming until a few sentences before it was revealed!! Elrond’s shenanigans along the way to uncover Gil-Galad’s parentage were so much fun to read. Features kidnap fam and Celrond, along with other Fëanorians.

Parley AUs This is a subset of in-universe AUs where someone other than Maedhros gets taken at the parley with Morgoth. Apparently this was the year for me to get into parley AUs, and it even inspired me to write my own, lol!

The Price We Pay by theScrap_Witch 🔒🩸 - “In which Makalaurë goes to parlay with Morgoth, Findekáno still performs his dramatic rescue, and Maitimo struggles with both his little brother’s recovery and his responsibilities as king.” (Oneshot, T) This fic yanked out my heart and stomped on it and then tossed it off a cliff for good measure. I’ve read a few different Maglor-is-taken-at-the-parley fics, but oh boy, this one poured on the FEELS. Everything in this fic is heartbreaking—from Maglor’s belief that he is a “pretty bird” meant to sing to Morgoth, to Maedhros’ distrust/fear of Fingolfin, to all of Maglor’s brothers’ pain over his traumatized state—yet there is an undercurrent of hope that slowly rises throughout the story. It’s so well-written, and I highly, highly recommend it.

Despair Like Poison by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - “Thinking that he’s protecting his family, Maedhros rides to the parlay alone, unaware that Morgoth has a different trick in mind.” (Oneshot, bullet-point, T) Sooooo so angsty!! I really can’t say much about this without spoilers, but aaaaaaaaa. Maedhros is firm about his decision to go, but he’s so gentle with his brothers at the moment of departure, which makes what happens after so much worse.

A Crown of Bones by theScrap_Witch 🔒 - Maitimo and Makalaurë are taken in the parley with Morgoth, and Tyelkormo must take up the crown. (Oneshot, T) I really liked this AU! Celegorm has a lot to deal with here, both in being the oldest Fëanorion and being king of their people. The reminder that he can handle himself in political situations and display his power in words—not just physical action—is fantastic, and the way he cares so deeply for his younger brothers and misses his oldest two is heartwrenching.

Boldness Be My Friend by @a-tehta (tehta on AO3) - Celegorm has been captured by Morgoth, and it is up to Aredhel and Huan to rescue him from the cliff of Thangorodrim. (Oneshot, T) This one is surprisingly humorous for being a rescue-from-Thangorodrim fic, yet also sweet! I really loved getting a Huan POV (so cool), and I enjoyed Aredhel getting to be the rescuer. (There is a bit of implied future Celegorm/Aredhel at the end, but it’s mostly, if not entirely, played for humor.)

Modern AUs

Little Stars, Little Souls by Tamatoa (SaltandtheSoul) - Fëanor looks for his second son, who is dressed up for Halloween. (Oneshot, G) SUPER. CUTE. This is some of the fluffiest fluff to ever fluff and I was just gobbling it up. Baby Maglor is the cutest thing and I love Fëanor as a dad here.

the adventures of Elf Guy by red_01 - “A group of friends obsessed with The Silmarillion discovers a guy who bears a resemblance to Maglor—and uncover the truth.” (Oneshot, T) This was so much fun to read (and highly amusing)! The Twitter format was a great choice, and I’m impressed by the dedication to it. I enjoyed the back-and-forth chaos, internet-typical keysmashes and all caps, and references to artists in the Tolkien fandom (e.g., Clamavi de Profundis, “Phobs-style” cosplays).

Cookies by Brievel 🔒 - Girl Scouts visit the Ways’ house. (Oneshot, G) This absolutely delighted me. I love everything about it—the POV of the girl scouts, the way they were all intimidated by Max, a cameo by Nell, Birdie yelling for cookies in the background. It’s so sweet and made me grin so much.

Valentines Flowers by Brievel 🔒 - “Max brings Misty flowers.” (Oneshot, G) Max and Misty are just straight-up ADORABLE. The way they interact and how they familiar they are with each other’s habits shows how comfortable they are with each other. They both are down so bad, and I love to see it. I also love to see Max doing something nice for Misty :)

Other Tolkien Fics

These are fics that didn’t fit into any other category or had less than three fics within each category.

Miscellaneous:

The War of the Ring by @winterinhimring (morwen_of_gondor on AO3) - The sons of Fëanor are re-embodied and sent to Middle-Earth to atone for their crimes during the Third Age when the Quest for the Ring begins. (42 chapters, T) PSA: if you’ve read The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, you must read this. Required reading. I am only very slightly joking. This story is absolutely PHENOMENAL. I was curious to see what the sons of Fëanor joining the Fellowship would be like, and I was blown away by how beautifully written it is. Y’all. It’s written in the style of The Lord of the Rings books. Like, legitimately. I never knew how much I needed to see the Fëanorions interacting with the hobbits, or showing the strength of ancient Valinorian-born elves in battle, and it all being written in true Tolkienian style is so incredibly wonderful. I can’t recommend this enough.

Joys to Come by @darkfrozenabyss - “Glorfindel, from Tirion to Rivendell.” (7 chapters, T) Loved this fic!!! I love darkfrozenabyss’ characterization of Glorfindel so much. There are so many emotionally powerful, simple and sweet, and feels-inducing moments in this story, and I really enjoyed Glorfindel’s family and how close he is with them!

Years of the Trees Valinor:

Little Father by feanorianswelcome 🔒 - “Maitimo finds little Atarinkë and brings him home for luncheon.” (Oneshot, G) Cute little Curufin oneshot with big brother Maitimo! I haven’t read a lot of Curufin & Maedhros together, so this was enjoyable (and very sweet).

Fine Feathers, Pretty Songs by an_evasive_author - Everyone loves tiny Findaráto (as they should). (Oneshot, G) SO. FREAKING. CUTE. All the fluff for Findaráto! I loved him so much (and the writing style of this fic, too).

Rings of Power:

Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See) by Drag0nst0rm - Second Age!Gil-Galad and Rings of Power!Gil-Galad switch places. (3 chapters, T) I have watched one (1) episode of the Rings of Power series, but I have thankfully read enough articles about it that I understand enough to read this fic! It’s a highly amusing and enjoyable read :) The difference in Gil-Galads is quite noticeable, and I loved seeing Second Age!Gil-Galad quite surprised at his (supposed) past actions in RoP, whereas RoP!Gil-Galad is a little less aware of the change in his surroundings (but everyone else certainly is).

Another Skin by crystal_buizel - Second Age!Elrond and Rings of Power!Elrond switch places (based off of “Look into the Mirror (Tell Me What You See)”). (Doubleshot, T) Another swapped places fic! Poor Elrond in both situations, but especially poor Second Age!Elrond. Like the other fic, I can’t say too much about it without spoilers, but this one is also enjoyable, with a bit more angst on the part of both Elronds.

Tumblr Oneshots:

just you wait by @lintamande - “being brilliant in mind and swift in action she had early absorbed all of what she was capable of the teaching which the Valar thought fit to give the Eldar…” (T) I really liked this oneshot! Galadriel in her youth is rather clueless when it comes to social interactions, though she is vastly intelligent in intellectual matters, and I can feel her frustration, restlessness, and pride so strongly in this. Really well-written.

Oropher and Celeborn have a conversation by @amethysttribble - At a party, Oropher and Celeborn talk about the line of Lúthien. (T) SO good!!!! I loved this so much. Oropher and Celeborn’s characterization and views on things make a lot of sense, and I love how their discussion flows. They are the last two of Doriath, and that weight on their shoulders is so evident throughout this fic.

Non-Tolkien Fics

Longmire

A Never Ending Bake Sale by ladygray99 - Walt and Henry spend a casual evening together at The Red Pony. (Oneshot, T) I absolutely loved reading this fic. I feel like ladygray99 really nailed the characters, their relationship, and their mannerisms. Everything in Walt and Henry’s conversation, said and unsaid, felt very natural and relaxed. You can feel the depth of their 38-year-long friendship and how comfortable with each other they are. Although I’ve only seen the TV show and not read the books, I liked how it incorporated things from both. A great read!

Every Page You Turn You’re Writing (Typing) Your Legacy by @cminerva and @whatamess 🔒 - “For nearly four decades, Mathias has found many reasons to admire Ms. Ruby Mason née Taylor and in that time Ms. Ruby has found just as many reasons to be fond—and so proud—of the man Mathias has become.” (Oneshot, T) Oh my GOSH. This fic is adorable and cringy (in the best way!) and so freaking cute. I highly enjoyed the descriptions of Durant high school in the early 80s, complete with a typing class; although I wasn’t alive at the time, it feels quite realistic. I loved seeing Mathias’ journey through high school into adulthood and the way his and Ruby’s friendship developed over time, from Mathias’ schoolboy crush to his respect for the amazing woman she is. Mathias and Ruby’s friendship has now become canon to me, to the point where I’ll watch episodes and get excited whenever these two characters (who, for anyone who doesn’t know the show, are minor characters and very rarely interact) get to see each other, even only for a quick nod or short smile.

Something New by cminerva - Though they’ve known each other for years, May Stillwater and Mathias Littlesun have never been friends—and indeed, they’ve been enemies before—but perhaps it’s time for something new. (Oneshot, T) I am now a May/Mathias shipper after reading this fic XD I really liked how this not only addressed the (admittedly few) interactions they had in the TV show but also added more “off-screen” ones to give more depth to their on-screen appearances. They have a lot of reason to dislike each other, but I loved how in this fic, they began to see reasons to respect each other and then caught feelings. So cute!

Quigley Down Under

Morning Sun by Brievel 🔒 - Matthew and Cora wake up together. (Oneshot, G) This fic is SO SOFT. I can totally picture this happening as an epilogue after the end of the movie, and I can hear their voices so well. The details are quite lovely. Quigley Down Under is a pretty niche film, but if you’ve seen it, you deserve to read this fic!

I mentioned this at the start, but I wanted to reiterate because I truly am very grateful—To all the fic authors, people posting meta/analyses, and fan artists: Thank you for sharing your work with the world. Your stories, musings, and art have brought me a lot of joy (and frequently, encouragement) this past year, and it’s still kinda crazy to me that I can read or see it for free. Because you loved canon enough to make something from it, and you wanted to share the results of that love with others. Thank you. ❤️

And thank you to all who read this far XD Hope you enjoy some (or all!) of these fics!

Other Fic Rec Lists: 2023 Fic Recs, Fic Recs for Elrond Week 2024 (on fandomsandfairytales)

[musings-of-a-rose]

I Don't Want to See Tomorrow (Unless I See It With You) - Chapter 6

Pairing: Benny Miller x wife!reader nicknamed “Juni”

Word Count: 3500+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. 

Notes: This is it, folks! I had some little short story ideas for this fic. Maybe I’ll write them one day if people want. HUGE shoutout to @laurfilijames for listening to me babble about this fic. I hope you enjoy your husband Will! And also to @mermaidxatxheart for listening to my crazy messages about a world she’s not terribly familiar with. I hope you enjoy your guest spot!  This is not beta’d - we yeet and post.

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

❤If you enjoy the fic, please consider giving me a warm beverage! (It is not required in any way!)

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**Reader is not described

Main Masterlist

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I Don’t Want to See Tomorrow (Unless I See It With You) series masterlist

My eyes blink, trying to focus as I will them to open, my head spinning and aching at the back from whatever hit me. I bring my hand to the back of my head and feel a knot, but no blood. Or at least it’s dried. I hope that’s a good thing. 

The floor beneath me is hard and dirty, which isn’t out of the norm, but a memory stirs at the back of my mind, pulling at the edges of memory.

“And they said Raiders can’t be sneaky!”

My eyes finally focus and I try to sit up, my head lightly scraping against a hard surface. I feel above me a hard roof, my fingers scrambling to try and find an edge. But then my eyes land on the bars in front of me and I realize - I’m in a cage. On all fours, I move around and finally find the door, which of course is firmly locked. I grip the bars, squeezing them tight before I shake the door gently. It doesn’t budge. 

Part of me wants to scream and yell, but I’ve seen enough of those old movies to know that it won’t do me any good. No one will let me out or I wouldn’t be in here to begin with. I take a look around the dingy, poorly-lit room and see no one. Just half broken furniture and some rusty shelves with various parts of metal, some canned foods, and…is that a board game? It’s not until I see the needle full of Jet (a drug) on the table that I know who took me for certain. My memory was not failing me. 

Raiders.

I have no idea why they would take me, but I do know that I’m fucked. It does give me a little hope that they haven’t done anything yet. Maybe they’re waiting for me to wake up….

I quickly lay back down, curling into the same position I had woken from. I keep my eyes open, studying my prison for as long as I can. But when I hear the footsteps growing closer, I close them gently, hoping that I can still look like I’m asleep. Heavy footsteps shuffle in, 2 sets as far as I can hear. I don’t dare open my eyes.

“Still out?” a deep voice asks.

“Seems so.” The bars of my cage rattle as the second man shakes the cage. I don’t move. “Yeah. I’d say she is.”

The first man groans. “I wish she’d wake up. Maybe the boss would let us torture her a bit while we’re waiting on Nightshade.”

Benny. Of course. That’s why they took me. Benny missed several drop offs and he’d assumed they would think he was dead. Apparently, he thought wrong.

“Yeah but the boss said no touching. That we’re waitin’ on what’s owed us. And Nightshade won’t be nice if we hurt what’s his.”

Some more grumbling from the first man before something clanks on the floor next to the bars of my cage and they shuffle out. I wait a few minutes before moving, making sure no one else was coming. When nothing happens, I crack an eye open and scan the area. A can of Pork N’ Beans sits next to the cage, slightly open with what I’m assuming is a fork sticking out of it. Next to it is a bottle of questionable at best water. My throat is terribly dry and my stomach betrays me with a low grumble at the sight of the can. I doubt they’re going to poison me, as they could’ve killed me at any time. That’s the Raider way. Same goes for drugging. They could’ve put a line in my or anything while I was out but they didn’t. They need me alive. 

I take a very small sip of water and nibble from the can, making sure to place them back where they had been left, just in case they return quickly. They would think I was still out. But no one comes back and as the time goes on to what may be night, I start to wonder if they’ll come back. Maybe I’ll be left to die in this crate. I decide to chance another couple nibbles and sips, gently placing the containers back. 

A few hours later, I hear another set of footsteps coming closer. I get back in my fake sleeping position, listening to whomever was shuffling in. Definitely different than the first 2 people. These steps are more confident, like they know what they’re doing. I hear them stop by the cage door, standing there for several moments before heading over to the couch and slumping down on it.  

“I know you’re awake.”

Fuck. Well, no use pretending. I open my eyes and sit up as best as I can, staring at the man on the couch. He’s definitely a Raider, the patchy clothes and scars littering his shirtless body are a big indicator. As is the shoulder plate armor with giant spikes coming from it. He’s got a scar across his cheek and a tattoo of some kind of marking around his eyes. He scratches at the short mohawk on his head, plopping down another piece of armor from his body on the makeshift coffee table in front of him. 

“I’m Draven. Who are you to Nightshade?”

Doesn’t even ask my name. Rude.

“Juni.”

“What’s a Juni?”

I scoff. “My name. Since you didn’t ask.”

He cocks his head slightly. “I’m shocked you told me. I thought you’d have told me to fuck off.”

I nod. “Thought about it.”

His eyebrows raise. “And?”

I shrug. “I figured it wouldn’t get me anywhere.”

He laughs. “Logical. I like that. And funny. No wonder Nightshade keeps you close. Well….most times anyway.”

I cross my arms, willing my nerves to calm down. “What do you want with him?” 

“Ain’t you gonna ask me why you’re here?”

I gesture vaguely. “As a sort of bait or something from Nightshade, I assume.”

He nods. “Or something.” He glances down at the can and jar of water. “You can eat and drink. It’s not poisoned. Water might not be the cleanest but it’s what we got. We never got the parts to fix our purifier.”

I study him for a moment, his dark eyes looking more intense surrounded by the markings. I decide he’s telling the truth and reach for the bottle, taking several sips before setting it to the side and taking a few bites of the beans, my eyes never leaving Draven. He watches me finish eating before shifting on the couch to lay down, tossing his arm over his forehead.

“You don’t have to worry about my people hurtin’ you. I forbid it. As long as you’re cooperative.”

Is that supposed to be comforting? “How long am I going to be here?”

“Just waiting on your boss, hon.”

Boss? Keeps me close? It dawns on me that Draven must think I’m Nightshade’s property. He has no clue how deep Benny’s love for me is. He may not even think that Benny will come for me, but decided to take the chance. 

Draven yawns loudly. “I figure I have nothing to lose. On one hand, if he shows, I’ll be able to get what’s ours. On the other, if he doesn’t think you’re worth it, I get a pretty girl to keep all to myself. Either way, I win.”

I feel the color drain from my face, even though I kind of figured that it wouldn’t end well for me if Benny didn’t show. Question is, how soon will he make it here? Will it be in time?

On the 3rd day in my cage, I’m wakened by various yells and whoops, Draven quickly sitting up on the couch. He looks over at me, a sickly sweet smile spreading across his face as the commotion grows louder.

“Bet that’s your boss.”

The door flies open and a Raider walks in, chest heaving from excitement. “It’s him. It’s The Nightshade!”

Before I can think, my cage door is ripped open and the Raider grips my ankle, dragging me across the cage floor. I try to kick out, but he pins me, Draven coming over to calmly tie my hands behind my back. I knew it wouldn’t work, trying to escape, but I had to give it a shot. Draven hauls me up, gripping the binds at my wrists as he leans in to my ear.

“Let’s go say hi.”

He grips the binds tight, the rope digging further into my skin as he pulls me along, pushing his way through a crowd of people all staring at something on the ground. We break through the crowd and I have to choke back a cry. On the ground is Benny, one Raider on either side of him hauling him up, his arms outstretched on either side. His lip is busted and he spits a glob of blood out on the ground, looking up at Draven. 

“Nightshade. You’re alive.”

Benny pulls a little at each Raider but they hold strong. “I am.”

Draven chuckles, deep in his chest. “And here we thought you were dead. After all, you stopped deliverin’ what was agreed upon.”

“You think I’d go back on a deal?”

Draven watches him for a moment. “I’m not sure. Why don’t you tell your partner here where the load is, then.” Draven yanks me from behind him, pulling me around front and holding me to his body. My eyes find Benny’s and, even though we are not safe by any means, I take comfort from his gaze, a brief flicker of concern before rage sets in, that darkness enveloping his face.

“You let her go and we can talk.”

Draven does that chuckle again. “Now why would I let my insurance go? She’s my guarantee that you’ll do as I say.”

Benny’s jaw clenches. He hates this. I can’t say I’m too fond of it either.

“I’ll bring you what’s owed.”

“That you will,” Draven smiles down at him. “Maybe we’ll start with her. She has such smoothe skin.” He brushes the backside of a crooked finger down my cheek and I jerk my head away from him as his finger continues to trace a path down my neck.

It’s as if I’m watching things happen in slow motion. Benny jerks his arms once, no doubt the enhancements he’s received taking over as both Raiders go flying. He stands, pulling guns from each of the Raiders and aiming at the ones currently charging him. He always hits a mark, but there’s so many of them. They all rush him, the sound of clashing metal and gunfire deafening in the small circle. But then battle cries and screams sound from the opposite side and the Raiders scatter slightly as men clad in umpire gear and a familiar brown pointed hat come charging in. The Minutemen and Diamond City have arrived, the Raiders momentarily surprised by their abrupt appearance. 

This is so much faster than the films. But while they started strong, the Raiders are more willing to take a life and they start to overpower the Minutemen and Diamond City and it sounds like they’re losing. And Fast. Draven pulls me tighter to him and I feel a knife being pressed to my side, his heavy breathing in my ear warm, fanning down my neck. And then he bursts from the crowd, blood spattered across his face and clothes, chest heaving.

Benny! 

He takes a step forward, but then the ground shakes, a deafening roar sounding loud over the sounds of fighting as a giant dinosaur looking thing comes stomping into view. It’s tall, at least 20 feet tall, curved horns adorning it’s face, scaly skin, standing on 2 legs, 2 long arms with sharp claw-like fingers at the end. And it hits me - this must be a Deathclaw.

“Fuck!” Draven yells from behind me, yanking me along with him as everyone starts running, some people trying to shoot the thing and take it down. We lose Benny in our escape, and honestly, I’m too terrified to try and slow him down. We have to get away from that thing!

As the sounds of the deathclaw and fighting start to fade a little, a shot bounces off the ground next to us. Draven clutches me to him and spins, the knife poking my side again and I gasp at the pain. My hands grip the arm he has pinned across my chest, frantically turning me side to side to find the shooter. But he doesn’t have to look long as Benny appears from nowhere, his dark jacket flapping in the breeze. He aims his pistol at Draven. 

“Just give her to me and I’ll get you what’s owed. Then I’m out.”

Draven squeezes me a little tighter. “She must be more important to you than I thought for you to bring the literal cavalry in.”

Benny shrugs, but I know it’s for show. I can see the tension in his body, in the small movements of his face that I’m so attuned to. “Hard to find good help.”

“Mmm. Well, if she’s not so important, maybe I’ll just keep her. Trade you for her.”

Benny sighs. “Don’t make me kill you, Draven. You’re smarter than all those other Raiders.”

“You’re right. Maybe I’ll just keep her and kill you. Best of both worlds.”

If I hadn’t been staring at his face, I would’ve missed the nearly imperceptible glance Benny gave me, his eyes dropping ever so slightly before snapping back to Draven, who had been rambling on about the horrible things he’d do to me. Slowly, I loosen my grip on Draven’s arm, lowering my own to my sides. I try to tell Benny I love him and trust him with my gaze but I don’t know if he saw it. 

“-and then, only when I’m done with her, I’ll toss her to my-”

BANG!

A loud gunshot rings out, my own voice screaming with it. Draven drops to the floor, instantly dead with a bullet in between his eyes. Benny lowers his gun and runs to me, holding me to him.

“Hey, sshh hey it’s me. You’re ok, Juni. I’ve got you.”

My breathing starts to shorten and I start gasping for breath a little. “Benny?”

He pulls back and looks at me, his eyes wide with fear. They start to rake over my body, but I know where it is. I reach my side and pull my fingers back, blood covering them. 

“No! Fuck!” Benny grabs me as I slump, my limbs already going cold. He must have hit an organ.

“I l-love y-you, Ben..Benny,” I say, gasping for breath.

Benny holds me, but before he can reply, that same screech comes bellowing at us. Benny turns his head, staring at the deathclaw as it charges us. He turns back to me and holds me tighter, trying to shield me from whatever violent attack was about to happen.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I’m so sorry, Juni. I love you.”

His tears splash on my face, joining my own. It may be because I’m dying, but I hear what sounds like a vertibird (a sort of helicopter) propeller. And machine gun fire, the screaming from the deathclaw indicating it had been hit. Multiple times. Benny tears his face from mine, looking through the dust at the deathclaw, who was falling on his side, sliding across the dirt, dead.

“Hey! Help! Get a stimpak!” Benny screams from somewhere above me, one of his arms leaving me to wave. 

I look up at the sky and I see it then, a large vertibird descending upon us, someone in power armor hopping out. I must be dying because I swear I see Frankie in the pilot’s chair as the stomping from the power armor gets closer. 

“Here! Stimpak now!” Benny yells and the stomps come closer as my eyes start fluttering. The last thing I see before I pass out is Santi’s face appearing from behind the power armor helmet, leaning over me as Benny comes into view, a pinch in my side before I pass out.

Sunlight streams across my face, the warmth and brightness rousing me from sleep. I blink, my eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light. As my vision acclimates, I look around the room I’m in. It’s plain, medical. Like a military med tent. I feel a weight on my hand and look down to see Benny, asleep on said hand. His face is turned towards me and I take advantage of the quiet to study his face. It’s peaceful in sleep, the white of his scars even seems subdued. And I’m struck again by how handsome he is and just how lucky I am that he loves me back. I reach over and                                    brush back some hair from his face as he stirs beneath my touch. His eyes open and he finds mine already watching him. He sits up, taking my hand in his.

“You’re awake! How do you feel?”

How do I feel? “A little sore but alive. What happened?”

Benny cups my face and leans towards me, kissing my gently before pulling back, giving me a small smile. “I fucking love you.”

“I love you too.”

He sits back and takes my hand again. “Draven stabbed you. There was so much blood. You were…” he swallows hard and I squeeze his hand in reassurance. “You were dying. And then that deathclaw found us. He was charging and I thought..well I thought if you were dying, then I’d go with you. I was going to protect you as best I could. But then Frankie and Santi showed up and mowed that fucker down.”

“So that was Frankie and Santi? For real?”

He nods. “Yeah! I wasn’t sure they even got my message but apparently they did. Santi got to you just in time. He jammed a stimpak in your side, but you had passed out. We weren’t sure the stimpak would work in time.” He takes a deep breath. “But you did. Once it seemed you were stable enough, we loaded you up and they took us back to base. We’re in a Brotherhood med tent right now.”

“And the Raiders? Won’t they retaliate?”

Benny chuckles. “Those knuckleheads? The only one of them that had half a brain cell was Draven and he’s dead. The others? Most of them died during the fight. Maybe a few survived but we won’t see anything from them.” We sit in silence for a moment before his eyes drop from mine. “I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you.”

I cup his face. “What? No, Benny you did what you could. You couldn’t just come running in. We wouldn’t have made it out alive.”

Benny laughs. “That’s exactly what Will and Tom said. They said you’d kill me yourself for coming in without a plan.”

“And they were right.”

“Tom gathered up all the Diamond City guards and Lauren got in touch with your Minutemen. They came as quick as they could. I’ve never seen Preston that mad. Anyway, you saw what happened.”

My mind flashes back to the battle and I shake my head. “When can we leave?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

I smile at him. “Let’s go home.”

1 year later…

“And then I mowed that yao gui (mutated bear) down!” Santi boasts.

Frankie snorts. “Yeah but it took you a week to scrub your shit from the inside of that power armor!”

We all laugh as Santi throws an empty Pork ‘N Beans can at Frankie’s head. “Pendejo. How many yao guis have you stood in front of?” They bicker like brothers back and forth for another few minutes, eventually walking back towards the kitchen to get more food. 

Benny and I had returned to Sanctuary Hills, bringing Santi and Frankie with us. They helped refortify the perimeter and took turns on watch. They left for a run to Diamond City and came back a month later with Will and Lauren, Tom and Molly opting to stay behind in Diamond City. Tom was too connected with his bar and Molly and the kids loved it there. But what surprised us most was that Santi brought back with him a girl, Jamie, who fit right in the moment she came inside the gates. 

Benny comes to stand next to me, draping his arm around my shoulders. He tips my chin to him with his pointer finger and kisses me, deepening it momentarily before pulling back. He smiles and rubs his nose against mine before resting his head on mine. 

As I feel Benny next to me and look out at all of our friends, my heart fills with happiness and gratitude that we all somehow managed to make it, together, past the end of the world. And that we would be able to survive whatever this wasteland throws our way.

General Taglist:

@frankie-catfish-morales @chaoticgeminate @janebby @astoryisaloveaffair @balekanemohafe @greeneyedblondie44 @hoeforthefictional @marvelousmermaid @hauntedmama @icanbeyourjedi @wretchedmo @sunnshineeexoxo @livingmydreams13 @adventures-of-a-noodle @sara-alonso @theewokingdead @punkerthanpascal @giggly-otter @f0rever15elf @phandoz @gallowsjoker @lovesbiggerthanpride @booksarekindaneat @charlispersonallyhell @xoxabs88xox @amneris21 @gooddaykate @avengers-fixation @paintballkid711 @harriedandharassed   @ladykatakuri @practicalghost @withakindheartx @batdarkladyvampir @justanotherkpopstanlol   @mermaidxatxheart @alexxavicry @justreblogginfics @kmc1989 @veryprairieberry @mysterious-moonstruck-musings @heartpascalispunk  

[everythingwrongwithizumi]

Awkwardly Awarding

pairing: Satoru Gojo x fem!reader

warning: 18+, porn with plot, smut, dead relative, unprotected sex, oral(f), praise kink?, fingering, hickeys, teasing, pet names (nothing crazy!), squirting, overstimulation, Gojo being Gojo?, lmk if there’s anymore u see!

w/c: 5.8k

a/n: HELPPP😭 No one asked but heres an idea that came to me while I was playing the Sims TT First time writing smut lmk what u thinkkk ;) Also Tumblr being weird so hopefully this posts!

The death of my father wasn’t one I was not expecting. I mean sure, he was a nice dad, but he was never really there when I needed him. Instead of sitting around and complaining about him like I usually did I kept quiet this entire week. I was alone now and in an entirely new area with entirely new people. Arriving at the apartments was a bit overwhelming, to say the least.

The intense amount of traffic, high buildings, and busy streets were definitely sensory overload, but it didn’t matter because the view was absolutely phenomenal. Before Dad bit the bullet he did leave me a huge sum of money which allowed me to purchase my second ever apartment.

My last apartments did not compare to these newer ones, plus they were centered more in the city which meant I was now paying twice my old rent for this new apartment, but that’s what a trust fund is for, right? I didn’t have a lot to move, but it was still enough to fill up a small rented truck from the movers.

The hard part was now done! Was what I thought once all the boxes were moved into the apartment however, the organizing was actually going to cause me to jump off of this building through my beautiful window.

I went through the first few boxes with ease that was until I ran into my childhood things— yes I keep them in a separate box. Quietly I pulled stuffed animal after stuffed animal. Those didn’t hurt as much as the stuffed animal made in memory of my first late dog.

I couldn’t stop the tears from coming as I gripped the dog… Dick… oh how I missed that dog. His name wasn’t Dick that was the stuffed animals name, after the late Moby— who was my actual dog.

After a night of crying I had drag myself out of my makeshift bed made out of pillows and blankets because I was dumb enough not to buy an air mattress. This was the same job I had been working at previously.

Once I got home it was like feeling of dread washed over me. So, instead of cleaning and unpacking I found my self ordering Pizza. I’m not going to lie, I did pick up a few things but after I put up my landscape themed calendar I realized I forgot one big important thing.

A desk…

I rushed to grab my phone and open the Amazon app and after doing so typing up “desk” in the search engine. And after a minute of scrolling and biting my thumb nail I found the perfect one!

It had white drawers down the right side and a beautiful oak that would go well with the frame of the bed I had yet to put together. I sighed at the price, I guess left overs will have to do for dinner. It wasn’t that I was poor buuuut I spend a lot on the deposit for this place and I still had bills to pay and set up.

A couple of minutes later, still in my work clothes, I heard the doorbell ring. My tummy ached for the steamy and hot pepperoni pizza… there was a $5 deal…

I got up and walked to the front door. Out of habit, I looked through the peephole only to feel my mouth water at the sight…and smell. I opened the door wide open with a wide smile. After u paid for the pizza then sat down to eat said pizza, I packed it up and put it in the fridge this place came with.

“It came with all of the utilities,” my best friend I met at work asked. I sat the phone down on my makeshift bed before stripping to get into something more comfortable for bed, “Yes! And everything works—well I haven’t had to wash anything yet but we’ll see.”

I could hear my friend agree through the phone with a hum, “I suppose that’s why it’s so expensive.” I chuckled at her reasoning “Oh yeah, I’m definitely getting my pennies worth.” We talked a little while longer and she offered to come help since she knew someone in the area or in the same apartment but I told her it was fine.

Heading into work with a sore back was not ideal especially if you are standing all day which is not what I was doing exactly. The drive home was lengthier which meant I was more tired than usual. I almost had to pull over to take a quick nap, but I was on the highway so it wouldn’t even have worked out for me.

Once I made it home I was eager to shed off the clothing of running around delivering papers and sitting at a desk doing hand exercises so my hands wouldn’t cramp for how many emails I have to write.

Now left in my lazy but simple lacey lingerie I walked to the kitchen and pulled out a pizza and heated it up. My ears perked up at a notification going off from my phone on the counter. I grabbed it and was shown a picture of the box that contained my desk in it sitting beside my door.

I glanced at the time at the top left corner of my phone… 3:46 am… no one would be up at this time, right? I looked down at my body and waited for a couple of minutes to ensure the delivery guy was gone. I took a peak out the window and watched as his giant van of Amazon shit rode away.

I walked to the front door and opened it, the cool air of the hallway making the buds of my nipples perk up. I shivered and looked down at the box, it was quite big, but no match for me!

I tried to pull it from the side failing miserably so I opted to push it into my doorframe. I checked around the hall quickly, not spotting anyone I got behind the box and bent down to push the box forward. The grunts coming from my mouth covered the sound of a door opening right behind me.

I pushed my legs back and finally pushed the box fully in through the door of my apartment. I stood up straight and sighed placing a hand on my head because being lightheaded was enough for me. Still, I clearly wasn’t aware of the wide eyes of my neighbor right behind me who had been staring at my ass.

I turned to close the door and found myself face to face with my neighbor who stood in his own doorframe. My eyes widened and my ears started burning from embarrassment as I looked down to see what I was wearing.

I slammed the door shut and slumped against the door, my hands covering my face. If I wasn’t so caught up in the way I was dressed or feeling I would’ve noticed how handsome and hot my neighbor was.

Letting out a squeal of embarrassment I got up and just left the box in the entrance and went to grab my pizza that I had left in my microwave that was also provided.

Wanting to ignore whatever happened, I decided to turn in for the night and put my dish in the sink and padded my way to my bedroom with the bed still not made. Groaning out of frustration I took my place in the mess of the blankets and stuffed animals with a pillow or two.

Gojo

There was no way that happened, right? I’ve seen naked women all the time, but only as they present themselves. It’s been a minute since I’d seen someone naked not trying to impress anyone—or was she?

Taking a second to stop and bend over I looked at the watch on my hand,

4:20 am

Damn. I looked up and that’s when I felt it. The tightness in my joggers. This was going to be a long and uncomfortable run when all I could think about were her long and pretty legs. She looked like she smelt like lavender vanilla.

I groaned and began running once more around the city, the buildings never ending and the chatter and laughter never ceased. One girl— drunk no doubt—made eye contact with me. She was blonde, thin, and her tits we’re practically hanging out and when she turned and looked back at me my eyes shifted to her ass.

It was big, unnaturally so which made my mind travel back to her… when she bent over, the way her laced panties rode up the valley of her ass. The soft outline of her pussy, wonder what it would taste like?

Shit.

I had to come to a stop and fix my problem before it looked like I visibly pissed myself. “Hey,” I turn at the nasally voice behind me. I saw the way she looked at me up and down and letting my pride take over I smirked and glanced over her body for a second time.

She wasn’t with her friends this time which meant she sought me out in purpose. “Hey there,” she giggled at the dip in my voice, right on track. She offered for me to go back to her place just a block away, walking up to me and placing her hands on my biceps.

The walk there was mostly her talking about her friends and how much she hated them because she “knew” they were jealous of her. I didn’t really care and let her yap on, the hardness of my dick lessening as she spoke more and more.

As soon as we made it in her lips were on my neck and her hands were sliding under my shirt. Taking it off I forced her on her knees which made her grin up at me as she pulled the sweats I was wearing down.

Placing my hand on her head my mind went back to her… the way her h/c spread across her shoulders and the way her butt jiggled when she pushed the box through that door. The more I thought about her the closer I felt to cuming.

Y/n

“Ughh how long is this going to take,” I nearly pulled the hair out of my head in frustration. I was in the bathroom of my office and was currently trying to avoid the meeting. “You know no matter how hard you tug you won’t pull the boredom out of your head,” I turned to see my best friend smirking.

“Shoko, I feel like I’m going to die. I’m so under stimulated,” I practically whine and she just laughed and walked next to me. “Let’s go back, besides we get off in an hour and a half so this meeting shouldn’t last long,” her words naught some comfort to me as I sighed.

I pulled her in for a hug to which she returned, “What would I do without you,” I mumbled into her suit jacket backing her chuckle. “Let’s go out for drinks tonight, we both have the day off tomorrow in a long time,” she held me back from my shoulders.

Now that sounded amazing but I only sighed and felt myself visibly deflate, “I can’t, I still have a couple of things to unpack—“

“So come out when you’re done—“ Shoko interrupted making me frown even more, “I have to build a desk, Shoko.” Her face winced at that. The last time we both tried to build one it fell apart after we placed my computer in it, breaking to computer and the desk.

“How does tomorrow sound,” she spoke through her teeth cringing at the thought of building. I laugh at her suggestion and nodded. We both went back to the meeting and sat there for nearly two. More. Hours.

I know I needed the over time, but this was ridiculous. After another 30 minutes I looked at the clock to find it was 8:05pm. Then we were dismissed, the room filling with grumbles and mumbles of distain.

Once again, the ride home was long but out of sheer anger and annoyance I found myself eager to get home and build that damn desk so I can have fun tomorrow. Making in the building and to the elevator I sensed someone was standing beside me.

I glanced and nearly gasped at the sight of my handsome neighbor. The elevator dinged and we both made our way inside. The silence was deafening and the awkwardness was heavy. I shut my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see his face but was pulled out of my thoughts by his deep and soothing voice.

“I’m Satoru Gojo, haven’t had the pleasure of formally meeting you,” I opened an eye to look down and see he held his hand out. Then I looked up at his face and instinctively gripped his hand when the elevator shook.

“Y/n, it’s nice to meet you too…formally,” I wanted to shrink into a hole and die. His chuckle made my belly flutter and my chest tighten. The elevator dinged causing the both of us to let go of each others hand and get off.

We both walked side my side with each other, still in awkward silence. Stopping at our doors we stood there for a good minute not saying anything. I heard his mouth open as he was about to speak before I beat him to it, “Come inside?”

He nearly fell to his knees when he heard it.

“S-sorry,” his voice waived causing me to shake my head in embarrassment, “It’s okay if not, I understand it’s been a long day. I just wanted to welcome you into my new home as a friendly neighbor.” Was I stupid? Inviting a stranger— a man! Into my home.

I could practice at my dead dad screaming at the top of his lungs about me being stupid. “Sure,” his response caught me off guard. He was stuttering and mumbling just a second ago, now he’s running a hand through his hair and smirking?

I roll my eyes and we both walk into my home. I notice his eyes go to the box containing my desk on the floor as I try hard to ignore it. “It’s… not much and I’m still waiting to get a couple more pieces of furniture, but with my budget it’s gonna have to wait,” I gesture to the mostly blank living room and dinning area.

Really, the only places completely done were the bathrooms and the kitchen. I needed to set up my office and my bedroom. “It’s nice… cozy” he says looking around making me fake a laugh “haha,” this in turn causes him to laugh, a sound I never want to forget.

I walk to the fridge and open it, “I apologize, I don’t have much as far as food so I’ve just been eating takeout. Need to go grocery shopping by the end of this week,” I hear him hum in acknowledgment, “No it’s fine, I ate beforehand.”

A moment of awkward silence washes over us before he breaks it, “your desk.” What an odd thing to say. I look up at him in confusion. He’s standing on one side of the island while I stand on the other. I watch as he glances to the box in the entrance, “you still haven’t built you desk?”

I sigh in embarrassment, “N-no I haven’t really had the time.” I raise my hand to nervously scratch the back of my neck. The next words that come out of his mouth make my eyes light up, “I can build it for you. If you want?”

“Yes!” I answered a bit too quickly making his eyebrow raise. “I’m sorry I just—I’m no good at building and I asked my friend but she’s also not good at building,” he nods in understatement before he walks over to the box. “Where do you want it,” he asks picking up the box with ease making my jaw drop.

He walks over with the box in his hands, the veins in his hands and arms popping out making me gulp. “Sweetheart I’m gonna need you to use your words,” I look up at the words usually used for endearment. A faint blush rises to me cheeks as I point to an area in the living room.

“O-over there is—is uh fine,” I tell him and I hear the box run against his hair which meant he nodded in acknowledgement. Once he set it down he pulled out a pocket knife making me jump and he stabbed box open.

Who the hell carries a knife with them in the cit— that was a stupid thing to question. My eyes fall to his arms as he tolls his sleeves up, the oversized dress shirt accentuating the veins on his arms. Instinctively, my thighs clutch together as I watch from the kitchen island.

He grunts as he pulls out the large wooden plank causing me to bite my lip and he sets it up against the wall. Now all the pieces were out along the empty floor. He claps his hand together, “thank you for the build,” he speaks to no one.

Is he serious? Did he just turn a common eating phrase into a building phrase. Odd guy, I like him. I want him… “what do you think,” I was caught off guard once more by his panting and out of breath sentence.

Gulping I look to see that he’s done with the drawers, “I-it looks really good Gojo.” His smile grows wider, “call me Satoru!” I chuckle at his expression. Demon. How can someone so sexy speak so cutely.

Shifting my weight to my other leg I freeze at the sensation. I was wet… and it felt uncomfortable except for the fact that it was caused by Gojo. I took another glance and noticed his stance. He had one knee in the ground and the other balanced him out, foot placed firmly on the ground.

He didn’t look hard but boy, can eyes be deceiving. “Alright,” he spoke in a song making me giggle at him. He was sure adorable when he wanted to be. Was he done already? I can’t believe I was so in my head I didn’t even her him hammering or drilling the screws.

“I just need to place this on top and secure it then I’m all done,” he grinned at me and put his hand on the wood plank still being held up by the wall. Now that I had the chance, I glanced at his body full over. His hair was slightly disheveled and there were light traces of sweat coming down his forehead and neck.

Feeling embarrassed I let out gasp and walk to the cabinet with the cups and pull one out before placing it under the ice dispenser and changing it to dispense filtered water. Unaware of Gojo watching me and my form with an unfamiliar gaze.

Then I make my way over to him and notice the desk was now finished. “I couldn’t thank you enough, but here’s some water,” I tell him with a worried voice and shove the glass into his hands. His fingers grazed my as he walked closer to me.

I felt my breath hitch as I look up at the man who was now towering over me, “There might be a way—but ah~ I don’t wanna sound so sleezy,” I watch as he backs up slightly and his hand lightly shakes the back of his neck.

“N-no, not at all! Anything,” the tone in my voice unintentionally drops at the last word. His eyes narrow and then I feel his hands being placed on my hips. The water had been discarded and placed in the desk. At least it didn’t crumble under the pressure of water.

He brings one hand up and places it under my chin pulling me closer to his face as he leans down. “Let me taste you,” my thighs rub together at the raspyness of his voice. Noticing his eyes were now on my lips I let my gaze fall to his.

No way a man this beautiful with such beautiful lips had one of the most filthiest—in a good way— sentence come out of his mouth. I couldn’t take it, it felt like all night I was being teased so I gave in.

I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him into me, his lips puckered and pressed against mine. The kiss was heavy and needy. Just then, I felt the eagerness and desperation in the actions of his tongue. I let my mouth open slightly as his tongue slid inside.

His hands gripped my waist and turned me so my ass was pressed against the desk he had just built. He stops the kissing momentarily to speak, “let’s see how good this desk really is,” his voice sounded nearly like a purr.

I let out a soft hum in agreement as his hands slid down to the underside of my thighs, giving them a squeeze to signal to jump back onto the desk. As soon as I was on it he waisted no time placing his lustful lips all over my neck causing small moans to escape my mouth.

His hand made its way down to where I desperately needed him the most. Feeling me twitch beneath him, I could feel the smirk against my skin. That didn’t stop him from sucking my neck like a sex crazed teenager.

“Can I take this off of you baby,” he mumbled against the skin of my neck, the vibrations causing another moan to slip from my mouth. “Yes, please Gojo,” he didn’t like this. He ripped down the work pants I had on and the panties I was wearing as well.

“How many times will I have to keep saying it, say my name,” he almost sounded like a little kid having to give up their rights to their favorite toy. His hands were back on me as he pulled me closer to the edge of the desk rather harshly.

His hand also made its way back to my now unclothed center causing me to gasp. His eyes widened as he pulled back entirely and looked down then back up at me. The look on his face was one I’ll never forget.

He looked so genuinely happy and the way his eyes were wide with excitement made my heart and my pussy swell. He looked at me with pure adoration, something I rarely have done to me especially by men.

“Shit, is this all for me,” he beamed in excitement and when I nodded he fell to his knees at the sight in front of him. “It’s so pretty…” I felt the familiar heat rise in my cheeks, was I really embarrassed by his words?

My body tensed as he took two of his fingers and slid them down my labia, his way of teasing. I glanced down at him and he looked like he’d never seen pussy before making me slightly nervous. Then I felt it, the warm almost hot, thick, and wet muscle making contact with me.

He took his tongue and slid it from the base of my vagina all the way to the hood of my clit. I didn’t miss the way his tongue disappeared in between my folds and pussy lips. The sight making me more wet.

He looked up at me and I could see the clear but faintly white discoloration on his tongue before swallowing it in front of me, “oh you taste heavenly, just like I thought.” His hands were now hooked around my thighs as his tongue once again made contact with my pussy.

This time he licked around where I needed him the most causing me to squirm, “Satoru~,” he hummed at my whining, “Use your words sweetheart.” I couldn’t do this anymore, “Satoru eat me out already,” I begged causing him to chuckle lightly.

He wasted no time licking a stripe up all the way to my clit before wrapping his puffy lips around it. My hand flew straight to his beautiful head full of white hair. This only encouraged him to suck on my clit before releasing and placing a kiss on it before moving by down to lap at my entrance.

“S-Satoru,” I moaned out forcing my head back in pleasure. The hum of contempt send vibrations through my pussy causing my thighs to tighten around his head. He pushed forward and used his hands to spread my legs apart.

I looked down and the sight nearly made me cum on my own, Satoru's blue eyes were staring right up at me and instead of his wide ones, I was met with half lidded and dazed blue eyes. The tip of his nose was glistening under the living room light and his hair was moving as his head was shaking side to side with his tongue landing on my clit each time.

I forced my other hand onto his head in attempt to push him into me further. He showed no interest in backing away as he continued to suck and lap at my clit and folds. The ludicrous sounds echoed through the mostly empty apartment and the tightening in my belly pulled me back down to Satoru, “T-Toru..hng…I’m gonna cum—please, p-please let me cum.”

“Since you asked so nicely,” The vibrations from his sweet voice sent me over the edge as the grip on his hair only tightened and I attempted to push his head away so I wouldn’t be overstimulated, he however had other plans.

He retreated his lips from my throbbing clit with a pop and looked up at me as he inserted a finger through my hole. I gasped and looked down at him and he grinned at the sight of the flushed look on my face. “Toru,” I whined which only made him shush me, “Don’t worry baby, I’m gonna make you feel real good again, okay?”

I could only nod as I felt another finger join inside me. He smirked and began pushing them in and out at a steady pace making me gasp, “D-don’t stop, Toru,” he hummed in response and I felt the familiar warm lips wrap around my clit once more as the pace of his fingers sped up and began curling upwards inside of me.

I tried to mask the lewd moans coming out of my lips by placing my hands over my mouth. Another pop was heard and his lips were off of my and now frowning, “Don’t do that. Let the neighbors know how good I make you feel, scream if you have to,” he muttered the last part with a smirk before diving back in to lap at my pussy.

His words encouraged me to place the hand that was once over my mouth and into his head once again. Soon, I felt the feeling coming back again only this time, it nearly burned and caused my body to twitch against him. “T-Toru wait—there’s something—ah!”

I threw my head back as he pulled away slightly with an open mouth while his fingers continued to fuck me. The moans I let out sounded almost like screams of pleasure. Coming down from that high I looked down feeling my body and my legs trembling at Satoru.

His face was now covered in my juices and his hair was slightly damp. I blushed in embarrassment as his eyes looked up at me, sparkling. “I think I just came in my pants,” he admitted causing my eyes to widen as I spread my legs to look down.

Sure enough there was a stain in them, but it didn’t look like he was soft or getting softer. “If you’re alright with it, I don’t have a condom and I’d like to fuck the shit out of you,” my mouth gapped at his forwardness. After a couple of second of him smiling at me I spoke up, “Y-yes, I’m not on birth control and I’m clean so…”

His smile only grew, “I’m clean too!” Before I knew it, he was helping me take off my shirt and pulling his pants down along with his underwear. His eyes immediately flew to my chest and he lean forward to kiss the skin on my neck, littered with bruises now showing.

My eyes widened at his length. I had been with men, sure, but him? His dick was hard which caused it to stand up in the air with a slight curve upwards. It was lengthy just like he was—if I had to guess, 8 inches? He also had girth to him, it wasn’t huge but it was definitely big enough to hurt.

I felt his dick rub against my thigh as his lips trailed down to my chest. He reached an arm around to unclip the bra and pull it away. I could feel him twitch in excitement again as he watched my breasts fall free, the buds hardening at the coolness of the room.

I then felt his familiar wet and hard tongue drag around my nipple causing me to let out a soft moan and his eyes shot up to me. He smirked and used his other hand to pinch and roll the bud while his lips wrapped around the other causing my back to arch into him and his touch.

“T-Toru,” a hand flew to his head and ran from the nape of his neck to the top of his head and I felt him twitch against me again. “Hmm~” he moaned against me. “Please… please fuck me,” his eyes stayed on me and he lightly nibbled on my bud, then I felt him twitch against me again with his eyes closed.

Releasing my nipple with a pop he brought his hands to hook around my legs, spreading them apart as he bent his slightly to angle himself. The height of the desk was perfect for this exact reason.

I felt his warm tip trace up and down my slit causing me to whine, “Don’t tease Toru~ please…” he only grinned and lean forward to catch my lips in a kiss.

Then I felt it, he slowly entered inside of my causing my body to shift in slight discomfort. He groaned and wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me closer. Once he was in fully, bottoming me out, did he release the kiss.

“I knew you’d be mine the second I laid eyes on your pretty body,” the words would sound disgusting and rude if they weren’t coming from the most beautiful man known to man. That and his intentions. I bit my lip and earned him to move with my legs wrapped around him pushing him against me even closer.

He chuckled softly and lean forward to place one hand at the edge of the desk while his other held me up. I glanced down at the veins on his arms before pulling his face in for a kiss. He pulled out till his tip was almost out until he pushed back in causing me to moan against his lips.

After getting comfortable and him doing that a few times I whined, “Toru, faster,” he shook his head with a lopsided grin, “You’re such a baby.” I had no time to react to his words as he began to pick up the pace of his hips, snapping forward causing light screeches to come from the desk.

I moaned his name as I wrapped my arms around his neck the feeling of his cock throbbing in my pussy sending shivers through my body. He grunted and moaned in my face wrapping the hand that was holding me now placing it around the bottom of my chin. “Such a pretty pussy, you like that huh? I do~”

The sound of skin slapping echoed through the apartment as well as Satoru’s teases and praises. The grip under my chin releases and now he’s upright, pushing my legs back to fold and places them on his shoulders, not easing up on his thrusts.

The angle causes him to hit that spot causing the familiar feeling to bubble in my chest, “You gonna cum on my cock pretty girl?” He grinned and placed a hand on my pussy before rubbing side to side. I felt my back arch and my moans turned into squeals, “that’s right pretty girl, cum on my cock. You can do it, fuck…” he threw his head back increasing his pace in both his hips and fingers.

After a few seconds of thrashing around I feel myself tightening around him and releasing. His hips began stuttering but his hand didn’t stop and soon I felt the same other feeling flow through my body and the sounds of spurting fills the air, joining the symphony of lewd noises.

“Fuck!” I hear a shout from Satoru and he pulls out of my overstimulated pussy. I look down and watch as ropes of thick, hit, white cum shoots onto my pussy, belly, and the bottom of my chest. I take a moment to watch his body, he’s shuttering and shaking in pleasure. His eyes are glued onto my core as he releases.

After a minute of both of us panting and giggling, Satoru steals a kiss before hooking his arms around my legs pulling me into bridal style, walking me into my bedroom. “Where’s your bed,” he asks looking down at me. Shyly, I point to the big box on the other side of the room that had a 2d model of what the bed should look like.

He chuckled and shook his head before walking to the bathroom and placing me in the tub. The aftercare was amazing and dare I say hot. He had taken a bath with me and offered to have me sleepover at his place to which I was too tired to disagree.

So after we clean up and I give him a pair of oversized sweats that were a little too big on me, we made our way across the hall to his apartment. It looked exactly like mine in terms of the layout but the decoration was minimalist with hints of maximalist, in the bedroom was no different. I guess that’s how he knew my layout…

We both got into his king sized( obviously) bed and I felt his arms wrap around me to pull me close to him. “Satoru,” I call him name softly and he replies with a tired hum. “You thought about fucking me,” I question, bringing up a previous sentence he said. This made him burst out in a tired laughter causing my to pull back slightly and look up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“That’s what you took away from all that?”

“I forgot about it…”

[jrob64]

Exacting His Revenge - Chapter 4

Now a complete story!

Here we are, finally at the end of this story. When I started posting it in October for @kmomof4 's birthday, I had no idea I would be posting until Christmas!

Thank you and Merry Christmas to my wonderful beta and friend @hookedmom !

Story Summary: When Hook sees an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, he seizes it, putting him in the company of Emma Swan. A season 2 canon divergent story.

Rating: M (for smut in this chapter, requested by the birthday girl)

Words (chapter 4): 11,928

Posted on Tumblr: Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 and also on Ao3 & ffn

Story under the cut.

*********

Hook awoke slowly the next morning, not wishing to leave the dream world in which he was holding Emma Swan. She left the office soon after she locked him back in the cell last night, but he was pleased to see she seemed a bit lighter and less like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

He pushed himself into a sitting position, then swung his legs over the side of the cot. Yawning and rubbing his hand down his face to try to wipe away the sleep, he failed to notice David sitting at the desk. When his vision cleared, he met the other man’s gaze, surprised to see it wasn’t laced with anger and dislike. While he wouldn’t term the look one of friendship, at least it was less hostile.

“Good morning, Dave,” Hook said. “Have you been watching me sleep?”

“Not by choice. It’s just my turn to keep an eye on you.”

“I was alone all night and yet I’m here. Do you really still think I’ll try to escape?”

David got up and crossed the floor to stand in front of the cell, rubbing his hands together brusquely. “What did you say to Emma last night?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“When I left here, I could tell she was very upset but refused to talk to me. Whatever you said to her seemed to calm her down, because when she got back to the loft, she was able to tell us what happened with Henry. She said you helped her realize that he will get over it.”

“I just reassured her that she’s a good mother. Henry is a good lad. After he’s had some time to think about it, he’ll see that she had his best interest at heart by avoiding the truth.”

David eyed him skeptically. “How could you possibly know that? You haven’t even met Henry, have you?”

“Not formally, but in the weeks after I arrived in Storybrooke, I observed the two of them together. Additionally, Emma talked about him during our time together on my ship. He sounds like a bright boy.”

“He is. I know Emma feels a tremendous amount of guilt about giving him up for adoption; but ever since he found her, the two of them have been very close. Getting back to the subject though, what truth was she avoiding with Henry? She still hasn’t told Snow and me the whole story about what happened with Neal.”

“Might I suggest you sit down and have that conversation with her soon?”

He was taking a chance, giving Emma’s father advice like that. He figured it wouldn’t go over very well, since David made it quite clear the evening before that he thought of him as nothing more than a pirate.

So Hook was quite surprised when the other man nodded in agreement. “You’re right. I’m sure if we did, it would help us understand the situation better.”

“Your daughter is a tough lass, but she’s had to handle a lot on her own. I’m sure she would welcome support from her parents.”

“Breakfast is served!” Ruby announced, prancing into the station with a large brown bag in her hand.

David let Hook out to use the restroom, while Ruby set up breakfast. When Hook was locked back in his cell, David grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. “I gotta go, Ruby. I’ll eat breakfast later.” With that, he sprinted out the door.

Ruby gaped as she watched him go. Then she slowly turned toward Hook. “What flew up his skirt?”

*********

By late morning, Hook was seriously considering breaking his promise of not escaping. Once Ruby left, he was alone for hours, endlessly pacing and wondering what was going on with Emma.

When he finally heard the door open, he strained to see who was coming in. Relief flooded him upon seeing golden hair and red leather.

Emma entered and tossed her keys on the desk, then looked at him. As he was trying to read her guarded expression, a grin suddenly spread across her face.

“You were right,” she said simply.

“Of course I was,” he cheeked. “But what was I right about?”

“Henry. He called this morning to say he forgave me and wanted to meet Neal. The three of us had breakfast together and now the two of them are at the park, getting to know each other.”

“That’s excellent news, Swan.”

“It happened soon after David came home and asked me about my history with Neal. I guess you suggested it to him?”

“Aye. I thought it would be beneficial to all involved, except perhaps Baelfire. Did you tell him?”

“Yeah. I sat down with my parents and told them everything.”

“How did they take it?”

“Dad was upset, but Mom was downright irate. Dad had to stop her from going to the boarding house. She wanted to punch Neal in the face.”

Hook laughed. “You must get your fierceness from your mother.”

She smiled again. “They had calmed down by the time Henry called, and didn’t protest about him wanting to meet his dad.”

“I’m very happy things worked out so well.”

“Me, too,” she sighed. “Now, if I can just get it through Neal’s head that he and I have no future together, everything will be great.”

“Still pushing for that, is he?”

“He mentioned something about being a family a couple of times. When Henry left the booth to use the bathroom, I told Neal to stop putting ideas in the kid’s head because it’s never gonna happen.”

“How did he respond to that?”

“He started to protest, but I told him if he keeps it up, I’ll limit his time with Henry. Then he promised he wouldn’t bring it up again.”

“And you trust him to keep that promise?”

“Not really, but I told Henry to let me know if he keeps talking about it. I just don’t want my kid to be set up for disappointment.”

“I don’t blame you for that,” Hook said.

Emma walked closer to the cell. “I wanted to thank you again, Killian, for being there for me last night. You were a good listener, which was exactly what I needed.”

“Well, I couldn’t help being a captive audience,” he teased.

“Ha-ha,” she said flatly, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled. “I’m glad I could help, Swan.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that we saw Belle in the diner today. She asked how long you were going to be locked up. When I told her a month, she was actually fine with that. I was pretty surprised, but once she walked away, Neal told me that after they left the cemetery, he filled her in on the details of his mother’s death.”

Hook’s brows knit together in a scowl. “How did she react to that bit of news?”

“Neal said she was angry and hurt that Gold lied to her. It all happened before she met him, of course, but she was still shocked that he was capable of doing such a thing to the mother of his own child.”

Hook studied the toes of his boots, before speaking quietly. “It’s too bad she was misled by that bloody demon.”

“Yeah, I think on top of everything else, she feels foolish for trusting him. Anyway, she doesn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings toward you.”

He looked at her incredulously. “Not even for shooting her?”

“I told you, she’s very sweet. Apparently, she’s very forgiving, too.”

He thought about that for a few moments, staring into space until Emma asked, “Is something wrong? You look a million miles away.”

His eyes snapped back to her face. “I was, um…I was just thinking that it feels quite nice to be forgiven. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

She smiled and reached into the cell to squeeze his bicep. “I better get some work done. Is there anything I can get you?”

“A book or two to while away the hours would be much appreciated. I’ve already counted all of the cracks in the walls and ceiling of this bloody cell. If I don’t have something to occupy my mind soon, I think I might go mad.”

“I can arrange that. Do you want anything in particular?”

“I trust your judgment, Swan. Whatever you choose will be fine.”

“What about a bodice ripper love story?” she smirked.

He grabbed the bars with his hand and hook and leaned in as close as he could possibly get to her. “Are you intending to put ideas into my head, Love?”

Color immediately flooded her cheeks. “I’ll pick up a couple of mysteries for you.”

As she turned and walked away, he grinned. He found it quite entertaining to fluster Emma Swan.

*********

Every day of the next month followed a familiar routine. Either Emma or David were in the office throughout the day, leaving Hook alone overnight. Ruby dropped off food for him three times a day, and he was allowed out of the cell to use the bathroom, when necessary. Three times a week, he was taken to Granny’s boarding house to shower. After the first week, they didn’t even handcuff him for the walk across town.

Emma provided Hook with a steady supply of reading material from the library. One day, he was taken by surprise when Belle stopped at the station with two books clutched to her chest.

“Emma was checking these out when she got called away for an emergency,” she explained nervously. “I told her I would bring them to you.”

Hook slowly rose from the cot and approached the bars. “That was very kind of you, Lass.”

She moved closer, but didn’t offer the books to him. “I, um, I was hoping to talk to you, anyway.”

Hook waited, giving her an opportunity to collect her thoughts.

“Neal…Baelfire, he…he told me what Rumple did to Milah. How he…killed her. I know he was the Dark One, but I never thought him capable of such a thing. I mean, crushing the heart of his own son’s mother.”

“Aye,” Hook said quietly. “He did it right in front of me.”

“I should be angry at you for killing the man I loved, but after hearing that, I’m not sure I ever really knew him. What you did wasn’t right, but I…I’m not going to hold it against you.”

“I’m not sorry for finally getting my revenge on the crocodile, but I would like to apologize for shooting you. It was very bad form,” he said sincerely. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

Her fingers reached up to rub at her shoulder subconsciously. “I’m recovering nicely. Dr. Whale says I won’t have any lasting damage.”

“That’s good to hear. I truly am sorry.”

“Thank you.”

“Once I’m released, I would like to make it up to you somehow, if you’ll allow me.”

“Actually, since my injury, it’s been difficult for me to shelve the books that go on the upper shelves. Would you mind helping with that?”

“I would happily do that for you. It’s the least I can do.”

They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, until Belle seemed to remember her purpose for being there. Holding the books out to him, she said, “I helped Emma choose these for you. I must say, you have very good taste in books. You read them so quickly, too.”

He took them from her hands, checking the titles on the spines. “Well, I have very little else to do in here. Being on the ship for months on end helped me develop quite a love for reading. I got into the habit of…acquiring books at the many ports I visited.”

“Acquiring as in stealing?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Pirate, Love,” he quipped. “If you are interested in seeing my collection of books, they’re on my ship. You’re welcome to peruse them at your leisure.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Belle said, “but I’m sure you’ll understand if I don’t want to go aboard your ship, after what happened there.”

“Aye,” he said simply, nodding his head. “I hope you won’t harbor ill feelings toward me, but I understand if you do.”

Belle clasped her hands in front of herself. “I was thinking…since you have to be locked up for another two weeks, perhaps I could come by and we could discuss books together.”

Hook looked up in surprise. “You want to visit me, after all I’ve done?”

She shrugged slightly. “What’s done can’t be undone. I believe one way to overcome bitterness with someone is to get to know them better.”

“That’s quite noble of you, Lass. I would enjoy having someone with whom to discuss literature.”

Belle smiled. “How about if I stop by after I close the library tomorrow? Do you think you’ll be finished reading The Swiss Family Robinson by then?”

He flipped through the pages of the book. “I’ll be finished. Dave was kind enough to provide me with a lamp so I can read after both he and Emma leave at the end of the work day. I usually read until late at night.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it. Thank you again, Lass - for everything.”

With one last smile, she turned and left the station.

Soon after the door closed, Emma came bursting into the room. “Everything alright, Killian?”

Ever since he asked her to call him by his given name, she stopped calling him Hook altogether. Hearing his given name, he realized it had been centuries since he heard anyone use it. The last person he could remember was…Milah. Now, every time his name passed Emma’s lips, his heart swelled.

“Aye, Love. Why do you ask?”

“I just saw Belle leaving. Did the two of you talk?”

“We did.”

“How did that go?”

“You were right about her - she’s very forgiving. She said Bae told her what Rumplestiltskin did to Milah, and she understood why I wanted my revenge, even though she didn’t agree with my methods. I apologized for shooting her and told her once I am released, I will help with replacing the books on the upper shelves of the library until her arm is completely healed. She accepted both my apology and my offer, then, believe it or not, she proposed stopping by here from time to time to discuss books we’ve both read. As a matter of fact, she’s coming in tomorrow after the library closes.”

“Wow,” Emma remarked. “That’s…unbelievable.”

Hook nodded in agreement. There were several beats of silence, until he said, “Belle said you were called away to an emergency.”

“Yeah. Two of the dwarves were driving over to the mine and Tom sneezed loudly enough to wake a squirrel that was apparently sleeping behind the seat of Leroy’s truck. It started running berserk, which caused Leroy to run off the road into Peter’s pumpkin patch. When I got there, Peter and Leroy were at each other’s throat, while Sneezy was still trying to get the squirrel out of the truck. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt and there was no damage to the truck. All it took was for me to threaten Leroy with jail time if he didn’t pay for the pumpkins he smashed. I don’t think he was interested in being your cellmate.”

Hook laughed as she finished explaining.

“Laugh all you want, buddy. You weren’t the one who had to separate Grumpy and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater. I swear, my life is so bizarre.”

*********

The next day, Hook was waiting for Belle to arrive, when Henry ran into the station, shouting, “Mom! Mom!”

“She’s out at the moment, lad,” Hook responded.

“Oh,” Henry said, looking crestfallen.

“I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Doesn’t she usually meet you after school?”

“Sometimes. My dad was supposed to pick me up today, but he wasn’t there. That’s why Grandma brought me here to find my mom. I have something really exciting to tell her.”

“Well, I know I’m not your mother, but if you would like to share, I would be amenable to hearing it. Unless you want your mother to be the first to hear it, which is quite understandable.”

Henry studied him for a few seconds. “You talk funny.”

Hook couldn’t help chuckling. “Aye, I suppose it does sound funny to your young, modern ears.”

“Did you really kill Mr. Gold?”

Hook scratched behind his ear. “Aye. Did your mother tell you about that?”

“No, and neither did my other mom. I heard some of the kids talking about it at school. He was my grandfather, you know.”

  “I’m aware. I suppose you are angry at me.”

Henry shrugged. “Not really. He wasn’t very nice to anybody, except Belle. He was the beast from Beauty and the Beast, you know. She’s the beauty, of course.”

“That makes sense.”

“You believe me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“It took my mom a while to believe me when she first came to Storybrooke. She didn’t think fairytale characters actually exist.”

“Well, coming from the land without magic the way she did, I’m sure it was quite unbelievable,” Hook chuckled.

Henry scrutinized him. “Where’s your hook?”

“Alas,” Hook said, raising his left arm slightly, “your mother insisted on taking it from me for fear I would use it to escape.”

“Would you?”

“Of course,” Hook grinned. “I am a pirate, after all.”

“Yep, Captain Hook!” Henry said excitedly. “Have you actually been to Neverland?”

“Aye, spent many a year there.”

“Did you meet Peter Pan?”

“I have,” Hook grimaced. “He’s a bloody demon.”

Henry looked astonished. “He is? But in the movie, Captain Hook is the villain and Peter Pan is the good guy.”

Hook scoffed. “I can assure you, that isn’t true.”

“Why? What did he do that was so…”

“Henry?” Emma called, striding quickly into the station. “What are you doing here?”

“Hi, Mom!” Henry said, rushing over to her. “I came here to find you. Guess what? I got an A+ on my geography test! I even got the extra credit question right!”

“That’s great, kid!” Emma said, wrapping him up in a hug. “I’m very proud of you!”

“I”m the only one in the class that got them all right. Thanks for helping me study.”

“You’re welcome. Now, back to my original question. Why are you here? I thought you were going to be with your dad after school.”

Henry shrugged. “I waited for a while, but he didn’t show up, so I had Grandma bring me here to tell you my news.”

“Seriously?” Emma asked, pulling her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans. “Let me see if he sent a message.” She unlocked the device and swiped the screen, her expression changing from concern to anger. “Nothing. I’m going to call him to find out what’s going on. Stay here.”

She went into the inner office and shut the door. Hook and Henry watched her become increasingly animated as she carried on a conversation they couldn’t hear.

“She looks mad, doesn’t she?” Henry asked.

“Aye, that she does,” Hook agreed.

“I don’t think she likes my dad very much. That’s why she lied to me about him dying.”

“She had good intentions, lad. She didn’t want you thinking badly about him when she thought you would never have a chance to meet him.”

“I know. I was really mad at her for a while, but I get it now.”

“I’m very happy you forgave her. She was quite distraught knowing how angry you were about it.”

Emma ended the conversation and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her. “I’m sorry, kid. It looks like you’re gonna have to go hang out at the mayor’s office for an hour or so until my shift is over. Regina knows you’re coming.”

“Is my dad okay? Did something happen to him?”

“He’s fine, he just…something came up. He said to tell you he’s sorry and he’ll see you another day.”

Henry’s face fell. “Oh, okay. I won’t get to tell him about my good grade, then.”

  “You can tell him the next time you see him,” Emma soothed.

“Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled.

“Come on. I’ll walk with you,” she said, slinging her arm over his shoulders.

Hook watched them go, silently seething at Bae. He was handed a golden opportunity to get to know his son, but evidently wasn’t putting much effort into it. This was Storybrooke - how could something come up that was more important than collecting his son from school?

Hook was still ruminating on that, when Belle’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “Hook? Are you okay?”

He mentally shook himself and forced a smile onto his face. “Aye, lass. I’m looking forward to our discussion.”

*********

Belle was on her way out when Emma returned to the station. They exchanged pleasantries, but the smile quickly slipped from her face as she dropped down in her chair.

“Alright there, Swan?” Hook asked.

“I’m fine. Neal is an ass.”

“What was his excuse for not spending time with his boy, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He met someone and was getting ready to go on a date.”

“He met someone? In Storybrooke?” Hook asked with undisguised surprise.

“That’s what I said. Apparently, she’s one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.”

“I heard those two are a bit dense.”

Emma scoffed. “They would have to be, to go out with Neal. That doesn’t say much about me though, does it?”

“Don’t be hard on yourself, Love. You were young, impressionable and alone. I have a feeling he took advantage of that.”

“You’re probably right, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. Now he’s making excuses to not see Henry. Hurting me is one thing, but hurting my kid is inexcusable. If he keeps it up, I’m gonna tell him to go back to New York and stay there.”

She stood up and began pacing in front of his cell. After a couple of passes, he reached through the bars to lightly grasp her arm. “Calm down, Swan. You handled the situation and Henry will be okay. Perhaps this will be the only time Bae lets his son down.”

“I wish I could believe that. Unfortunately, he tried to back out on seeing Henry a couple of other times, but I insisted that he keep his promise. A father shouldn’t have to be forced to see his own son.”

“Too right, Love.”

“This is one reason, among many, why I don’t want him around Henry. He’s unreliable and only cares about himself.”

“How does Henry feel about his father?” Hook inquired.

“He seems to like spending time with Neal, but I think the novelty of meeting his dad is wearing off a bit. He’s not as excited to be with him as he was when they first met.”

“I’m sure the boy senses his father isn’t fully committed to him. It’s probably putting a strain on their relationship.”

Emma nodded in agreement. Wrapping her hands around the bars, she looked at him for a few moments before saying, “You made a good impression on him. He talked about you the entire walk over to Regina’s office.”

“He’s a bright lad. I enjoyed my conversation with him.”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “He’s a good kid, which is amazing, considering what he’s been through.”

“What has he been through?”

“Being given away the day he was born, then being adopted by Regina. She sent him to therapy and tried to make him think he was crazy when he got the storybook and started figuring things out. Once he found me, he had to learn how to deal with two mothers, and now a father who he thought was dead. It’s a lot for a kid his age.”

“He inherited your toughness, lass. You haven’t had an easy life, either.”

She smiled slightly, then sighed. “I better get out on patrol. Thanks for letting me vent. Again. Having you behind bars is convenient when I need a captive audience.”

“I would be there for you even if I weren’t in this cell, Swan.”

Her smile grew. “Thank you, Killian.”

*********

“Ready to go to Granny’s for a shower, Hook?” David asked once they were finished eating the breakfast Ruby delivered.

“Aye, mate,” Hook answered, standing up and stretching.

David unlocked the cell and swung the door open. “Can I ask you a question?”

“I’m sure you are quite capable of asking one,” Hook teased.

“You know what I mean,” David said, rolling his eyes. “Why have you decided not to escape? You’ve had several opportunities.”

Hook waited until they were out of the station and walking toward the boarding house before he answered. “I have my reasons for staying.”

“The dinner you intend to have with Emma?”

“Aye, that’s one reason. Another is the fact I have nowhere else to go. Now that I’ve gotten my revenge, I’m at a loss as to what to do next. This town is as good a place as any to stay, until I decide.”

David was getting ready to respond, when Happy walked past. “Good morning, Sheriff! Good morning, Hook! Great day, isn’t it?” he asked with a huge smile.

Both men greeted him in return, then walked on. They encountered a half dozen more people before they reached the boarding house, all of them calling out a greeting to both the sheriff and the pirate.

“It seems you’ve been accepted as part of Storybrooke, Hook,” David observed. “Everyone says hello when you walk down the street, you have a book club with Belle, Henry thinks you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread, Ruby flirts with you ridiculously when she brings your meals, Granny includes extra goodies in those meals, and Emma…well, she seems to have found a confidant in you.”

Hook digested this assessment, pleased to know Emma’s father noticed the bond they had and didn’t seem to be upset about it. “What about you, Dave?”

“What about me?”

“I’m winning you over, I can feel it,” Hook quipped.

“I, uh, I guess you have grown on me a bit.”

“Well, I tend to have that effect on people.”

They arrived at the boarding house and walked down the hall to the room where Hook always took his shower. “I’m going to get some coffee while I wait. Would you like some?” David asked.

“Of course,” Hook said. “You know my order, mate.”

He entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Leaning back against it, he smiled. Perhaps he truly had found a place to belong.

*********

“Today is the day,” Emma announced when she entered the station the morning of Hook’s release.

“Aye, Love,” Hook responded with a grin. He rose from the cot, stretching his arms over his head. “As much as I have enjoyed your hospitality, I am more than ready to regain my freedom.”

She opened a desk drawer, grabbed the keys and held them up. After taking a couple of steps toward the cell, she suddenly stopped and pivoted to go back to the desk.

“Forget something, lass?”

She pulled out another drawer and shuffled through it. “Thought you might want these back,” she said, holding up his oversized hairpin and hook.

Hook hadn’t worn his brace since he’d been locked up. He rummaged under the mattress where he kept it, slipped off his shirt, then slid the straps over his shoulders. When he turned, still attaching the cuff over his stump, he caught Emma ogling him.

“See something you like?”

“Huh?” she asked, her eyes still focused on his exposed chest. “Oh, uh, no. I just haven’t seen…I mean…” Her face was rapidly filling with color.

He chuckled as he began to put his shirt back on. “Why, Swan, have I rendered you speechless?”

Her eyes finally met his, which were sparkling with amusement. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you half-naked,” she admitted.

She unlocked the cell door and swung it open. After accepting the hairpin from her, he expertly used it to button up half of the shirt, then slipped it into his pocket, smirking as he saw her eyes lingering on his chest again.

“My hook, if you please,” he said, holding out his hand. She handed it to him and watched him lock it into place. “Might I have my coat, also?”

“Yeah, it’s in the closet. Come on.” She turned and led the way toward the front of the station.

He stepped out of the cell and breathed deeply. He may have been let in and out of his cell numerous times since Regina pronounced his sentence, but knowing that this time, he wouldn’t be returning to the small, dank cell felt exceptionally good.

Emma came back into the room, carrying his long, leather duster. “This thing weighs a ton. How the hell do you wear it all the time?”

He took it from her and pulled it on, the weight and creak of the leather a welcome friend to him. “I’ve gotten used to it through the centuries.”

“What are you, like a million years old?”

“More like two hundred.”

They walked out the door, almost bumping into David as he was about to enter. “Ah, that’s right. You’re leaving us today, huh Hook?”

“Aye, mate. I can stop in from time to time to play cards again, if you like.”

Emma looked between them. “You guys played cards with each other?”

David shrugged. “What else was there to do all those hours we were stuck in here together? Hook is a decent poker player. Have you ever seen him shuffle the cards one-handed?”

Emma’s eyes shifted to Hook. “No I haven’t. You’ll have to show me sometime.”

He took a step into her space. “There are numerous things I would like to show you, Swan.”

David cleared his throat. “Don’t make me punch you again.”

Hook chuckled and offered his hand. “It was a pleasure being your prisoner, Dave.”

David grinned as he gave it a firm shake. “I hope you don’t make a habit of it.” Then he went through the door into the station.

“Come on, Killian,” Emma said. “I’ll treat you to breakfast at Granny’s to celebrate your freedom.”

“That’s very kind of you, as long as you’re not considering it to be the meal we agreed upon.”

“You said it was going to be dinner on your ship. Oh, by the way, I’ve been stopping by the harbor every few days to make sure it’s okay.”

“She,” Hook corrected.

“Excuse me?”

“You should refer to my ship as ‘she’, not ‘it’.”

“You make it sound like a woman. It’s just a ship.”

He whirled around and stopped in front of her. “She’s not just a ship; she’s my home. We’ve been through more together than you can even imagine.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Emma apologized.

“It’s quite alright,” he said, turning to resume walking. “Thank you for checking on the old girl.”

They arrived at the diner, where they were greeted by Granny, Ruby and a few patrons, including Leroy, who even offered them a hint of a smile.

As they took a seat in one of the empty booths, Ruby approached with the coffee pot and asked, “Same as usual, Hook?”

“Aye, Love,” he answered, flipping the coffee cup upright on the saucer.

“What about you, Sheriff?” Ruby asked as she filled Hook’s cup.

“Pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon,” Emma said, turning over her own cup.

“Same order as Hook’s. You two have similar tastes,” Ruby remarked.

After she walked away, Emma tilted her head and looked at him curiously. He took a slow sip of his coffee, swallowed, then asked, “Something on your mind, Swan?”

“You really have been accepted by the people in this town.”

He sat back in the booth, his fingers fiddling with the spoon laying in front of him. “Is that so surprising?”

“Well, you were in jail for shooting Belle.”

“She’s fully recovered and has forgiven me. Lately, she’s been mentioning a man named Will Scarlett quite frequently.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen them around town together. She seems to have moved on from Gold.” Emma took a drink of her coffee before adding, “You, um, you also killed a couple of people.”

“Both of whom were villains who would have killed me first, if given the chance. I believe the townspeople understand that.”

“There must be different rules for people from the Enchanted Forest. In the land without magic, you can’t get away with murder, unless it’s clearly self defense.”

“You think I should have been incarcerated longer?”

“I’m not saying that. In all honesty, the world is a better place without Cora and Gold. I’m just a little surprised that everyone is willing to overlook your crimes to make you one of their own. Even my dad seems to be your…mate,” she said, attempting to imitate his accent.

He shrugged. “It’s nice to know people are willing to give me a chance, but as I’ve said before, there’s only one person whose opinion matters to me.”

Ruby arrived with their meal, interrupting their conversation. Once she walked away, Emma picked up a slice of bacon and raised it to her mouth. Before taking a bite, she quietly said, “I, um, I hope you decide to stay in town.”

Hook froze with a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth, a slow smile spreading across his face. As the two of them continued eating their breakfast in companionable silence, he felt a spark of hope that perhaps he was beginning to win Emma Swan’s heart.

*********

As soon as he got back to his ship later that morning, he began planning the dinner he and Emma would share. He wanted everything to be as perfect as possible, and he knew he would need help.

Over the next two days, he visited many shops in town and once he procured everything he required, he made a trip to the sheriff’s station. Striding into the familiar confines, he saw Emma standing at the file cabinet with her back to him.

Quietly walking up behind her, he leaned in and asked, “Did you miss me, Swan?”

She jumped. “Oh my gosh! You scared me!”

“Sorry, Love. I didn’t intend to take you by surprise.”

“It’s okay,” she said, closing the drawer and turning to face him. “What are you doing here? I thought you would want to stay away from this place.”

“I came to invite you to dinner tonight.”

“Tonight? That’s kind of short notice. How do you know I don’t have something to do tonight?”

“I talked to your parents and they said they weren’t aware that you had any plans. Your mother volunteered to take care of Henry for the evening, and David is willing to finish your shift, so you’ll have time to get ready.”

“So, my mom and dad are okay with me having this dinner with you?”

“Aye, so it seems. I told you we were getting along,” he smirked. “What do you say, Love? Will you join me for dinner on my ship?”

“Well, it seems like you have everything covered, so…sure.”

“Excellent! I will be at your door promptly at six o’clock.”

“You don’t have to pick me up. I can drive over to the docks…”

“Nonsense,” Hook said firmly, cutting her off. “A gentleman would never allow a lady to transport herself to their date.”

“Wait - you’re considering this a date?” Emma asked.

He was confused. “That was our agreement, was it not?”

“You just said dinner. You never used the term ‘date’.”

His heart sank a little. “Does that change things?”

To his surprise, she took a step forward and rubbed her hand down his arm. “No, it’s fine. I’ll still have dinner with you. How should I dress for this…date?”

“It promises to be a clear night with a chill in the air. Since we’ll be dining on the deck, I would advise you to dress warmly.”

“Got it. I guess I’ll see you at six o’clock then.”

He gave her a crooked grin, then turned to leave the station. He still had a lot of preparation left for his date with the fair Lady Swan.

*********

Hook straightened the left cuff on his new, leather jacket, which had a convenient zipper allowing it to fit over his brace. He had thought about handing her one of the dozen red roses from the arrangement he purchased as soon as she opened the door, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her with such a romantic gesture.

After taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he raised his hook to rap on the door. He only had to wait a few moments until Emma swung it open. He was very glad he had taken that deep breath, because gazing at the vision before him, he was having trouble breathing at all.

She was dressed in form fitting, black jeans, knee-high black boots with a heel, and a dark blue, hip-length coat, embellished with colorful flower appliqués running from shoulder to shoulder. Her thick, blonde hair draped loosely over her shoulders, creating a lovely contrast against the inky color of the coat.

The somewhat nervous smile on her face disappeared as she surveyed him, her eyes growing wide and her jaw dropping. He was sure she had been expecting him to wear his usual pirate attire, so seeing him in modern clothes had to be a shock.

“Swan,” he breathed, “you look…stunning.”

“You…look…”

“I know,” he smirked.

She smiled genuinely and called over her shoulder, “I’m leaving!”

“Oh, wait!” He heard Emma’s mother call. Then she came bouncing into the room with a strange contraption in her hands. She stood in front of Hook and Emma, held it up and pushed a button. It made an odd whirring sound, then a thick square of paper came out of a slot in the front.

“Pictures? Really?” Emma sighed. “Why are you making a big deal out of this?”

Mary Margaret waved the square around in the air. “It’s the first of your dates I’ve ever gotten to witness,” she explained. “I want to commemorate it.”

Just then, Henry came bounding down the stairs two at a time. “Hey, Hook!” he greeted, then pulled up short. “What happened to your pirate clothes?”

“Now that I’m living in the modern world, I decided I should dress to fit into it,” Hook responded, looking down at his new outfit.

“Oh,” Henry said, clearly disappointed. “So you’re not a pirate anymore?”

Hook chuckled. “I’ll always be a pirate, lad.”

“Mom says she’s having dinner with you on your ship.”

“That’s right.”

“When can I see your ship?”

“You’re welcome aboard anytime, as long as it’s alright with your mother.”

Henry turned to Emma. “Can I, Mom?” he asked excitedly.

Emma shot Hook a quick look before answering, “As long as you listen to Hook and do what he tells you. And as long as it’s okay with Regina.”

Henry’s face fell. “She probably won’t let me. I don’t think she likes Hook very much.”

“Henry!” Emma and Mary Margaret exclaimed at the same time.

Hook just chuckled. “She probably doesn’t, but to be fair, she’s not fond of most people.”

“That’s true,” Henry said, nodding his head.

“We better get going,” Emma said. After giving Henry a hug, she pulled on some black gloves. “Ready, Killian?”

“Aye, Love,” he said, opening the door for her. “Goodbye, lad. Goodbye, milady. Have a good evening.” Mary Margaret took another picture, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

Hook followed Emma into the hallway, closing the door behind himself. As they were descending the stairs, David came through the outside door. “Leaving already?” he asked. “I was hoping to be home by the time Hook arrived.”

“Don’t worry, Mom took pictures,” Emma assured him.

David eyed Hook. “I want her home by midnight.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Emma exploded. “I don’t need a curfew. I’m not a teenager!”

“You’re still my little girl and he’s still a pirate.”

“He’s also your card playing buddy, and I can take care of myself,” Emma snapped. “Come on, Killian. Let’s go before he decides I should wear a chastity belt.”

“Now that you mention it…” David began.

Emma grabbed Hook’s hand and forcibly pulled him out the door.

Once they were out on the sidewalk, she looked up and down the street. “Did you walk here?”

“I don’t have any other mode of transportation. It’s a lovely evening, but if you prefer to drive…”

“Walking is fine with me.”

He offered his elbow, she threaded her arm through it, and they started off down the sidewalk. As they passed various shops, they peered through the windows, commenting on the contents. When they walked past Gold’s Pawn Shop, with a ‘closed permanently’ sign on the door, Hook remarked, “Belle told me she plans to open the shop to the public soon, so everyone can claim what is rightfully theirs.”

“That’s nice of her,” Emma commented.

They continued on in silence for several steps, until Hook quietly said, “She told me he still has my…my hand in a jar in the back of the shop.”

Emma snapped her head around to look at him. “You’re kidding! That…that’s really morbid.”

“Aye,” he agreed simply.

They walked on a bit further. “Maybe…” Emma began thoughtfully.

When she didn’t continue, Hook asked, “What’s on your mind, Swan?”

“I do have magic. Maybe I could…reattach it?”

He stopped and turned to face her. “You would be willing to do that?”

“Of course. I can’t guarantee it would work, but I don’t think it would hurt to try. That is, if you trust me.”

“Of course I trust you, and I fully believe you can do it. You proved how powerful your magic is at Lake Nostos.”

“If it does work, what will everyone call you? Captain Hand?”

“Killian will do,” he said with a shake of his head.

Emma took his arm again and they resumed walking. “I’ll talk to Belle tomorrow,” she promised.

“Thank you, Love,” Hook said, past a lump in his throat. After centuries without his hand, the thought that he could soon have it back made him a bit emotional.

When they were within sight of the docks, Hook steered them down a side street. “Where are we going?” Emma asked.

“I ordered food from Tony’s and told him I would pick it up on our way. I want it to be piping hot when we eat.”

“Tony’s, huh? I’ve heard about that restaurant, but I haven’t eaten there.”

“Do you like Italian food?”

“Sure, who doesn’t? Besides, I like that it’s not Granny’s.”

He laughed. “Lady Lucas has tasty food, but I thought you deserved something different tonight.”

After picking up his order, they covered the remaining distance quickly. Emma was sniffing the air with a smile on her face. “Oh my god, that smells so good!”

They arrived at the pier and Hook gestured for her to precede him up the gangplank. She came to a stop as soon as she stepped onto the deck, taking in the sight before her.

Hook had set up a square table, flanked by two chairs. It was covered with a red tablecloth and had a huge bouquet of red roses sitting in the middle, surrounded by fine china plates, silverware, and crystal wine glasses. An ice bucket containing a bottle of wine was on one corner. Lit lanterns were scattered around the deck, each one creating a halo of soft light.

“Wow,” Emma uttered. “You really went all out.”

“Nothing but the best for you, Love.”

She gave him a grateful look, then walked over to the table, bending to smell the roses. “They’re beautiful.”

He moved to join her. “So are you, Emma,” he said sincerely.

He could tell she wasn’t sure how to respond to his sentiment, so he set the large brown bag of food down and pulled out a chair for her. Withdrawing the box containing breadsticks, he set it in front of her, then picked up a corkscrew to open the bottle of wine. While he was pouring the burgundy liquid, she opened the box, taking out a mouthwatering breadstick. Biting into it, she moaned at the taste.

They enjoyed their dinner and the easy conversation accompanying it. After consuming their plates of pasta and meatballs, he reached into the sack and pulled out one final box containing tiramisu.

“I didn’t think I could eat another bite, but I’ll make room for that,” Emma said, eyeing the dessert with undisguised eagerness.

“I’ve never tried it, but it came highly recommended,” Hook explained.

They ate the rich cake, uttering expressions of delight as they savored it.

Once the meal was finished, Hook noticed Emma beginning to shiver. “Cold, Love?” he inquired.

“Just a little chilly,” she replied, wrapping her arms around herself.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, heading toward the ladder leading below deck. He returned with a blanket and draped it over her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she said, grasping the edges and pulling it tightly around herself.

He put his hand on the small of her back and steered her toward the bow. “I’m happy it’s clear this evening,” he said, pointing at the sky with his hook. “I’ve always loved gazing at the stars, even before I became a sailor.”

“There were stars all the way back then?” she teased.

“Curses and Neverland may have given me experience, but as you can see, I’ve retained my youthful glow.”

She scoffed lightly, then turned her attention to the sky. “Is it true that sailors use the stars to navigate?”

“Among other things.”

“The only constellation I can find is the Big Dipper,” she admitted.

As Hook began pointing out the various star configurations, she leaned back against him, her head on his shoulder while she scanned the sky. Wanting to keep her there as long as possible, he began regaling her with myths related to each constellation.

When he became quiet, she breathed, “Tonight has been very nice, Killian.”

“Aye, it has.”

She turned to face him, slowly running her hands up his chest. “I like your new clothes. They suit you.”

“Thank you, Love. They may take some getting used to, after centuries of wearing my leather trousers and duster.”

“You don’t plan to stop wearing your pirate garb altogether, do you?” she asked, her fingers caressing the lapels of his jacket.

He quirked an eyebrow. “Are you saying you would miss it if I did?”

“Maybe,” she said coyly, ducking her head to look up at him through her lashes.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said, putting his hand and hook on her hips to pull her a bit closer, “you say the word and I’ll wear them anytime you want.”

“Just for me?”

“Aye,” he affirmed.

“Good,” she whispered, then tugged on his lapels, bringing his lips to hers.

His surprise quickly turned to pleasure. The blanket around her shoulders slid to the deck as he ran his hand up her back to tangle in her hair. He swiped his tongue across her lips, tasting a hint of wine and garlic. She opened to him and he eagerly accepted her invitation.

  Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, drawing in quick breaths when necessary. To his great delight, she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to end it. Their tongues explored, while their hands roamed, fingers teasing any skin they encountered.

When their lips finally separated, Emma rested her forehead against his. Neither of them spoke as the heavy breaths they were taking mingled between them.

“That was…unexpected,” Hook murmured.

“Yeah, for me, too,” Emma concurred. “I wasn’t planning to do that, I just…”

“Couldn’t resist my charm?”

She took a step back and peered up into his face, her fingers still toying with the hair curling behind his ears. “Something like that.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but when she opened her mouth to do so, she seemed to have second thoughts and began to pull away from his embrace.

“Hey, talk to me,” he urged.

She sighed. “I don’t…I don’t know if I want to be in…a relationship. I’m not good at them.”

“Perhaps you simply haven’t met the right person yet.”

“And you think that person is you?”

He looked deeply into her eyes, radiating sincerity as he spoke. “I never thought I would be capable of letting go of my first love…of my Milah. To believe that I could find someone else. That is, until I met you.”

Her jaw dropped and she blinked rapidly. “Are you…are you saying that you…”

“Love you? Aye, that’s what I’m saying. You have captured my heart, Emma Swan - a heart that has been hardened for more years than I care to admit.” As she opened her mouth to speak, he added quickly, “I realize you aren’t ready to return my sentiments, but if you give me a chance, I believe I will eventually win your heart. Not through any trickery, but because you want me.”

“Killian, I…” she began. Wrapping her arms around herself, she bit her bottom lip and dropped her eyes, clearly reeling from his confession.

“Emma, I don’t want things to be awkward between us. Please don’t pull away from me.”

She raised her eyes to meet his once again. He held his breath as she studied him, then felt a thrill of hope when she leaned in to press a brief kiss to his lips. “Be patient,” she requested.

“I have all the time in the world.”

*********

After walking Emma home and enjoying another languid kiss outside her door, Hook went back to his ship and cleared away the remains of dinner, returned the table, chairs and lanterns to their rightful places and retired to his quarters.

Lying in his bunk, his mind replayed the events of the night. Dinner went as he had hoped, and the time they spent in conversation was extremely enjoyable. He hadn’t planned to admit his feelings, but her kiss took him completely by surprise and brought those feelings bubbling to the surface where he couldn’t suppress them.

If he had to pinpoint the moment when he realized he had fallen in love with her, it was when she came to the station and told him Henry’s reaction to finding out about his father. The way she trusted him when she hadn’t even wanted to tell her own parents, and released him from the cell so he could comfort her, gave him hope that he was breaking down the walls she built around her heart. Then when she used his given name, his love for her was solidified.

He hoped she wouldn’t have regrets when she thought about their evening together. He certainly didn’t. Touching his lips, he smiled, then closed his eyes and went to sleep, dreaming of the lovely Emma Swan.

*********

Hook was polishing the railings of the Jolly Roger late the next morning, when he saw Emma’s yellow contraption quickly approaching. Laying the cloth and jar of polish aside, he disembarked and met her as she was opening the door.

“Hey,” she greeted breathlessly. “I just talked to Belle. She wants me to bring you to the pawn shop right away so I can try to reattach your hand.”

His heart began to race. He had absolute faith in Emma, so he knew that after more than two hundred years, he was within minutes of having his hand restored.

Climbing into the passenger seat, he watched her maneuver the car the short distance through the streets, neither of them speaking. He was sure she was nervous about using her magic and he didn’t want to say anything to put more pressure on her.

Once she parked in front of the pawn shop, she cut the engine and looked over at him. “You want this, right? Henry might not think you’re quite as cool without your hook,” she teased.

He could tell she was trying to lighten the mood. “He can see it whenever he’s on my ship,” he chuckled.

She blew out a heavy sigh. “Alright then, let’s go,” she said, opening the car door, as he did the same.

Belle met them outside the shop, unlocked the door and led them inside. “Wait here. I’ll go in the back and get the jar,” she said.

Hook noticed Emma was anxiously wringing her hands. He went to her and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t fret, Swan. If it doesn’t work, I’ll be no worse off.”

Belle came through the thick curtain carrying a large, glass jar containing clear liquid and a human hand. Hook glanced at Emma and saw her swallow hard as she looked at it.

“Why would he keep it all of these years?” she asked.

“Probably to remind himself that he should have finished the job and killed me to get what he wanted. He cut it off to get the magic bean he thought I was holding, but when he wasn’t looking, I slipped it into my pocket. I’m sure he wasn’t happy when he discovered I tricked him.”

He stepped closer to the counter where Belle set the jar. Carefully turning it around, he got a lump in his throat remembering that fateful day when he lost so much more than his hand.

He didn’t hear Emma move to stand beside him, until she spoke quietly. “Are you alright, Killian?”

“Aye.” His voice was gruff with emotion. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Aye, Love. I just didn’t think there was a chance of ever having it back.”

“It will take powerful magic to reattach it,” Belle stated.

“Emma is bloody brilliant wielding her magic,” Hook said proudly. “She’s the only person I’ve ever seen who repelled Cora’s attempt to take her heart.”

“Rumple always said that magic isn’t an intellectual endeavor,” Belle said. “It’s emotional. You have to ask yourself, why am I doing this? Who am I protecting?”

“Like you did when you restored the waters of Lake Nostos,” Hook said. “You were thinking of how much you wanted to get back to your son and father.”

Emma pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied the macabre sight of the hand floating in the formaldehyde. Finally, she locked eyes with him. “Are you ready to do this?”

“I am if you are, Swan.”

She closed her eyes tightly and held her right hand over the top of the jar. Hook watched her intently as her face became a mask of grim determination. Then she slowly moved her hand in a circle three times, thrusting it toward him at the end of the final rotation.

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she could do it, but he hadn’t known what kind of sensation to expect when his hand was back in its proper place. A tingling began at his shoulder, moving down his bicep to his elbow, then his forearm, wrist, and all the way to his…fingertips!

“You did it, Love!” he exclaimed, turning his reattached hand this way and that, while flexing his fingers.

Her eyes popped open, widening when she saw him holding up his hand in front of himself.

“Oh, Emma!” Belle exclaimed, giving a happy little clap. “How wonderful! I’m so happy for you, Hook!”

“I don’t believe you can call me that anymore, Love,” Killian said gleefully.

“No, I suppose I can’t,” Belle agreed. “What shall I call you, then?”

“My given name is Killian.”

“Killian it is,” she said, smiling brightly.

His eyes turned back to Emma, who was staring at her own hand, apparently in disbelief that it was capable of such powerful magic. Stepping forward, he captured her right hand with his left one.

She blinked rapidly before stammering, “I…I d-did it.”

“You’re a bloody marvel,” he praised. Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the back of it. “Thank you, Love.”

“I, um…I need to get back to the library,” Belle cut in. “The door is locked. Please close it tightly when you leave.” Without waiting for a reply, she hurried out of the shop.

“I can’t believe I did it,” Emma said, seemingly unaware of the other woman’s departure.

“I knew you would,” Killian assured her.

She finally dragged her eyes up to meet his. “You really did have faith in me, didn’t you?”

“Aye,” he said simply. “May I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What were you thinking when you did it?”

“Honestly? I…I was thinking about how important you are to me. You helped me get back to Henry from the Enchanted Forest and protected me from Gold to bring me back from New York. You listen when I need a sounding board and offer me good advice. You…you have become my best friend and I desperately wanted to help you by giving you the thing you want the most.”

“You’re wrong about that,” he said, wrapping a strand of her golden hair around his finger.

She looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy to have my hand back,” he said. “But the thing I want most isn’t having it restored. I could have gone on living without it, if necessary. However, I couldn’t go on without you. You’re the most brilliant, beautiful, mesmerizing woman I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “Do you really mean that?”

“Every word.” Taking another step into her space, he murmured, “And I am bloody grateful that now I have more than one hand to hold you with, if you’ll allow me.”

In answer, she closed the remaining distance between them, pressing her damp cheek against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of caressing her with both hands.

*********

When he and Emma walked down the sidewalk together the next day, she surprised him by taking his left hand and holding it all the way to Granny’s. The fact that she didn’t seem bothered by being seen showing signs of affection toward him made his heart beat faster with hope that she was beginning to have the same feelings for him that he already expressed for her.

With Emma and Regina’s permission, Henry began spending quite a bit of time learning the basics of sailing with Killian. One Saturday afternoon, he took his ship into the open water beyond the harbor with Emma and Henry aboard, so the boy could show his mother all he had learned. Killian wasn’t sure which of the three of them was the proudest.

It didn’t take long for word to get around town that Captain Hook was now a man without a hook. Townspeople smiled broadly as they greeted him as ‘Killian’ and received a smile just as bright in return. As time passed, he became more and more comfortable, and everyone welcomed him as a fellow citizen of Storybrooke.

David no longer showed any resistance toward the pirate dating his daughter. In fact, the two men were actually becoming the best of friends. Killian was often a dinner guest at the loft, being invited by Mary Margaret the majority of the time. The conversation around the table was always lively and filled with laughter. Afterwards, the four adults and Henry played card games until it was time for the boy to go to bed. Killian thoroughly enjoyed the time with Emma and her family.

As the weeks went by, he and Emma went on several more dates. Whether it was on his ship, at a restaurant or strolling around town, Killian couldn’t get enough of spending time with the woman he loved more deeply every day.

One evening, after having dinner with Emma, Mary Margaret and David while Henry was at Regina’s, Killian retired to his ship. He had just shrugged out of his leather jacket and was removing his vest in his quarters when he heard footsteps on the deck above. Grabbing a cutlass, he started up the ladder to confront the intruder. Before he reached the top, he heard Emma softly calling his name.

Without taking time to return the weapon downstairs, he completed his ascent and emerged through the hatch. “Hello, Love,” he greeted.

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the cutlass he was holding. “Planning on stabbing someone?”

He looked down at it, then back up at her. “A man must always be prepared when he is protecting his ship,” he explained. “What brings you here at this hour?”

She stepped forward boldly, pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt and whispered, “You,” before kissing the holy hell out of him.

The cutlass hit the deck with a clatter as he wrapped his arms around her and eagerly reciprocated. When she finally took a breath, it was to utter, “Show me your quarters, Captain.”

He blinked in surprise, then an alluring smile crossed his face. “As you wish.”

After quickly descending the ladder, he stood below it to ensure Emma’s safety as she followed him down. She glanced around the shadowy hallway, lit only by two dim lanterns hanging on the wall.

“This way, milady,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door he left open in his haste.

She walked into his room, once again peering around the cabin. “So, this is your home, huh?”

“Aye, for more years than I care to admit.”

“You are pretty ancient,” she teased, winding her arms around his neck. “But hopefully not too ancient for what I have in mind.”

His brows rose on their own accord, even though he had already deduced her purpose for being there. Still, he didn’t want to assume anything, so he asked, “And just what do you have in mind, Swan?”

She kissed him chastely, then murmured against his lips, “I want to make love…to the man I love.”

He pulled back to look into her eyes. “Truly?”

“Yes, truly. You won my heart, Killian…and I want to share every other part of me with you.”

He dove in for another kiss, then moved his lips down her throat as he hummed, “I love you, Emma.”

It had been many long years since he was with a woman, his mind more focused on finding the crocodile once Regina’s curse was cast. At this moment, he was glad he abstained all that time. It would make his first time with Emma all the more special.

He could feel the rising pressure against the zipper of his jeans as he continued licking and nibbling the soft skin below her ear. His hands pushed her red leather jacket off of her shoulders and she allowed her arms to slide out of it. Once it was in a heap on the floor, his hands moved to begin toying with the buttons of her blouse, while her hands went to work on his belt.

Their movements were purposeful, and soon more clothes were on the floor. Killian scanned down Emma’s body, now clad in only her bra and panties. “You are absolutely, bloody gorgeous, my love,” he rasped through a throat clogged with emotion.

“So are you,” she returned, her fingers tracing the hard lines of his bare abs. She had disposed of his shirt and belt, and unzipped his pants. Now, she pushed at the waistband, encouraging him to remove them. He accommodated her immediately, then pulled her to him for another round of passionate kisses. She gasped into his mouth when she felt his stiffening member pressing against her.

As his hands traced up her back, he encountered the band of her brassiere and froze momentarily.

“It unhooks,” she mumbled, then giggled. “You shouldn’t have any problem with hooks.”

Her giggles turned to moans when he proved her right and began squeezing her breasts as soon as they were free. Then his mouth moved to explore her nipples, first licking them, then gently tugging at them with his teeth.

It was his turn to moan when her hands slid down inside his boxers and began fondling his ass. He wrapped his arms around her and easily lifted her into his arms. As he carried her toward his bunk, her legs encircled him, her ankles crossing at the small of his back.

Gently lowering her to the mattress, he looked down at her, his breath catching when she locked eyes with him. The love he could see shining in them was unmistakeable. He removed his underwear, then slid hers down her legs. The next several highly pleasurable moments were spent exploring each other’s naked form with their hands, fingers and lips.

Killian was even more grateful to have both hands as he used them to stroke, tease and arouse the beautiful woman beneath him. She moaned as she writhed under his ministrations, widening her legs as he neared her most intimate place.

He took that as permission to slide his fingers through her sodden folds, his thumb finding her clit at the same time. “Killiannn,” she gasped.

“Tell me what you want, Love,” he requested, his breath hot against her left breast.

She didn’t answer right away and he could tell she was hesitant to voice her desires. Moving his mouth up her body, he whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid to tell me exactly how you want me to pleasure you, Emma.”

He felt her draw in a shaky breath. “Use your fingers to…get me ready.”

Nodding, he decided to probe a bit more. “Just my fingers?”

She hesitated again. “And…your mouth?”

“Aye, Love. I can do that.” His lips found hers as his fingers found her center, his tongue thrusting into her mouth while first one, then two fingers did the same down below. He paused his kisses to ask, “Can you take more?”

“Mmhmm,” she affirmed and was promptly filled with a third digit. He licked and kissed his way down her body, as she rode his fingers. Curling them inside her, seeking that spot, he simultaneously sucked hard on a nipple. She cried out and shuddered against him, her walls clamping tightly around his digits. He continued stroking her as he adjusted his position, then he wrapped his lips around her clit, using his tongue to toy with it.

“Oh, fuck!” she exclaimed, her thighs tightening around his head. His hands found her hips, holding her steady as he licked her slit to taste her arousal. His gaze slid up her body to see her fingers plucking at her nipples, her eyes closed and mouth open in pleasure.

The combination of what he was seeing, tasting and feeling made his cock almost painfully hard. He began to rub it against her calf and heard her mumble something. Pulling away from her a bit, he asked, “What did you say, Love?”

“I…I want you inside me.”

He didn’t need a second invitation. Quickly straddling her, he leaned down to kiss her, knowing she would taste herself on his tongue. As she let out a surprised gasp, he lined himself up and slowly began entering her.

After becoming a pirate, Killian accepted the fact that he had very little chance of getting to Heaven, but at this moment, he felt like he was there. Her sheath wrapped around him and drew him in until he was fully engulfed in her heat.

He rested his forehead on hers, their breath mingling in the small space between them. Opening his eyes, they connected with the sparkling jade of hers. “I love you,” he whispered.

Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “I love you, too.”

Pushing up to rest on his forearms, he began moving his hips languidly, sliding almost out, then back in again. Emma wrapped her legs around him, meeting him thrust for thrust. The pace quickened and sounds of slapping skin, moans, curses and panting breaths filled the air.

Killian felt the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine, signifying his impending orgasm. Wanting to ensure Emma reached her peak first, he reached between them and rubbed his thumb over her swollen clit. The result was instantaneous. She cried out his name, tightening her legs around him and digging her fingers into his shoulders almost painfully.

He followed her over the edge, his body shuddering with his release. Moving his hands to grip her shapely buttocks, he rolled them over so she was resting on top of him. They lay without speaking, as their breathing returned to normal and their bodies cooled.

“Will you stay with me tonight?” he asked quietly, the fingers of both hands moving lazily up and down her back. Gods, he was so happy he was able to use both hands.

“Yeah,” she answered simply.

“Your parents won’t wonder where you are?”

“I’m pretty sure they knew where I was going and the reason for it.”

“And your father didn’t want to come along and threaten to kill me?”

“Why would he want to kill his best friend?” she laughed, lifting her head to look into his face. Her fingers moved to brush some strands of hair away from his brows. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

She lay her head back down on his chest. “I love you, Killian,” she murmured into his skin.

“And I, you, Emma.”

After several more minutes, they finally moved to clean themselves up and Killian donned the flannel sleep pants he’d grown fond of while he was incarcerated. Emma stealthily snagged his shirt from the floor and slipped it on, earning a nod of approval and eyebrow wag from her pirate.

They settled into bed together and soon found a comfortable position. His arms held her snugly against his side, while her fingers toyed with the charms on his silver chain. “Goodnight, Killian,” she mumbled sleepily.

“Goodnight, Love. Sweet dreams.” His lips pressed against the crown of her head repeatedly. Within minutes, he heard her breathing even out and he knew she was asleep.

He remained awake for some time, thinking about everything that happened to bring him to this moment. The woman he held in his arms bested him not once, but twice. If anyone else had done that to the fearsome Captain Hook, it would have meant their death. Instead, Emma captured his heart and made him want to be a better man - one who was worthy of her love.

For dozens of decades, he thought getting his revenge on Rumplestiltskin was all that was left for him and that once he did, his life would be complete. However, attaining that revenge was only a footnote in his story now. Circumstances he never would have imagined brought him to this place that he now called home, where he had friends and was happier than he could remember being for a very, very long time.

Most importantly, he was in love with a brave, beautiful, fierce, passionate lass who, wonder of wonders, loved him in return. He would never understand what he did to deserve that privilege.

Tightening his arms around her sleeping form, he began drifting off himself, knowing that when he awakened in the morning, the first thing he would see would be Emma Swan, her green eyes shining with love for him.

*********

Thank you all very much for reading. I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate, and a great New Year, hopefully full of lots of new CS content!

Tagging:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4

@hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper

@lfh1226-linda @pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic

@eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426 @julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling

@andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica

@booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones @zaharadessert @lyssapup27

@undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat

@teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90

@apiratewhopines @hollyethecurious @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate

@caught-in-the-filter @stahlop @veryverynotgoodwrites @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite

@whimsicallyenchantedrose @earanemith @superchocovian @idristardis @captainswan-kellie

@beckettj @killihan-jones

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

birthday countdown 2024, day 7: bodyswap snippet

it's my birthday next week! and while i'd love to have a new fic to share with you on the day, the fact is i don't have anything ready to post, unless you count the short little notfics i throw out now and then—and if i shine one of those up, it's more of a present for my ao3 subscribers than for y'all.

but i do have a lot of works in progress, so i thought i'd share a couple snippets from my wips here on tumblr!

today, i have for you a bit of mihawk pov from the shuggy bodyswap fic, tentatively titled let's exchange the experience:

Mihawk set the flat of Yoru under Buggy’s chin and lifted, and this pressure he could not use his powers to get away from.  He raised his head up, staring at Mihawk without a trace of fear in his eyes.  He was defiant, and furious, and… amused? Mihawk knew those eyes. Those weren’t Buggy the Clown’s eyes.

(about 1k below the cut)

Bad enough to be associated with Buggy the Clown on paper.  Worse still for the posters, newspapers, and gossip to suggest he was subordinate to that clown.  And to be surrounded by his garish aesthetic at every turn—well, that was beyond words.  It was too awful to be described.  But somehow, being forced to participate in that ridiculous treasure hunt… that was the worst thing yet.

Fortunately, his co-conspirator in this little operation seemed to be fully in agreement with Mihawk.  It was with no small amount of pleasure that he watched Crocodile shove the clown face-first into the carpet, the heel of his shoe grinding down on Buggy’s skull and forcing his nose down and out of sight.

Mihawk briefly fantasized about leaving them like this, about smothering the thorn in his side until it was no longer his problem.  Alas, it wasn’t to be.  As trying as Buggy was—and he was very, very trying—he did have his uses.  When Crocodile lifted his leg to get a better angle for the next round of attacks, Mihawk interceded.

“Remember,” he said, the blade of Yoru all that separated Crocodile’s ire from Buggy’s body, “he still has a purpose to serve.”

Crocodile chewed on his cigar furiously for a moment. “You sure about that?” he asked.  They could still hear the ecstatic cheering echoing from across the island; Buggy’s loyal followers, inspired by his ridiculous declaration of intent to acquire the One Piece.  Almost certainly the biggest waste of time and money Buggy could have thought of for Cross Guild—and with the numbers on his side, there was no way they were getting out of it.  “If I haven’t reached my limit by now, I don’t know where it is.”

“We’ll know when he’s outlived his usefulness,” Mihawk said, staring Crocodile in the eye, “when both of us are too furious to hold back.”

“’Ppreciate… your restraint…” Buggy mumbled around a mouthful of bloody carpet, struggling to get to his knees.

Mihawk had Yoru’s edge against his neck in an instant.  “Don’t sass me, clown,” he said, walking a slow circle around him, until he was at Buggy’s back and by Crocodile’s side.  “I’m not advocating for your life here—just against your death.”

“The nuances are beyond his comprehension, I suspect,” Crocodile muttered under his breath, giving one last kick to the clown that knocked him flat on his stomach again.  “But you’re right,” he said, acknowledging Mihawk’s point.  “It’s too early to give in to such petty impulses.  And besides… if I’m to have any hope of my plans coming to fruition, this childish little venture may provide a decent smokescreen.”

Buggy made another muffled comment, but he seemed to have given up on trying to stand.  His shoulders shook as he sniffled—ugh, was he going to start crying again?  The emotionality repulsed Mihawk, but he wasn’t about to withdraw.  Not until he was certain the clown had conceded—and what had become clear today was that, so long as he was making smart comments, he hadn’t fully given up.  Buggy’s shoulders went stiff, then spasmed, and Mihawk realized he’d given the clown too much credit.  It was only a sneeze.

On the far side of the room, the former senior officers of Buggy’s Delivery, now occupying reduced positions in Cross Guild, went silent.  They exchanged indecipherable looks, then turned as one to stare at Buggy.

Buggy pushed himself up on his elbows, saying, “Oh, ow, that smarts.  Did things really need to come to this?  Surely…” He turned his head and froze, that bulbous nose not half an inch from Yoru’s blade.  His eyes flicked up to meet Mihawk’s, and there was something wrong about them.  “Surely, Hawkeyes, we could have come to some kind of an understanding without things getting… violent.”

“You’re the one undermining the understanding we already had in place, clown,” Crocodile griped, stepping forward and squatting down to talk to Buggy on his level.  Raising his golden hook to press against Buggy’s cheek, he slid it back into his hair and got the hook thoroughly tangled there.  He yanked, to pull Buggy’s head back, and said, “How quickly you forget—” before his words fell away.

Because Buggy’s head had not been pulled back; his hair was still tangled around Crocodile’s hook, but it was a free-floating piece, chopped free by Buggy’s Devil Fruit powers.  And his eyes…

Mihawk set the flat of Yoru under Buggy’s chin and lifted, and this pressure he could not use his powers to get away from.  He raised his head up, staring at Mihawk without a trace of fear in his eyes.  He was defiant, and furious, and… amused?

Mihawk knew those eyes.

Those weren’t Buggy the Clown’s eyes.

“I was wrong,” he said to Crocodile, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him away from the impossible thing before them.  “You should have killed him.”

“Oh?”  Crocodile glanced between Mihawk and the blue-haired man on the floor.  “Why the change of heart, Hawkeyes?”

“That isn’t Buggy the Clown,” he said.

They watched as the man carefully got to his knees and turned to face them.  He sat before Mihawk and Crocodile in a casual, sprawling posture that still managed to radiate unbelievable power.  His jaw shifted, and without breaking eye contact he spat out a broken tooth.  “Gee,” the man with Red-Haired Shanks’ fearless eyes asked, voice almost cheery, “what gave me away?”

[ripeteeth]

Self-rec time! What are your favorite five fics that you've written and why? After replying to this ask, feel free to pass on to five other writers to spread the love. 💗"

Thanks, @danpuff-ao3! You’re always a treat to see on the dash and I hope you’ve been having a lovely break <3.

I’m always a bit awkward with these, both from an itching sort of discomfort with staring my own artwork in the face, and I think from a lifetime habit of denying compliments out of a feeling of guilt or fear. So! I’ve had a glass of wine (and an edible) and I’m going to try to kinder to myself. I might be in the mood to talk right now. (Honestly, that’s a good sign. One of the big elements of my recent writer’s block has been an inability to express myself in any written way, even tumblr posts and comments. Maybe this is why I hit twitter so hard.)

My five favorite fics. Not my five best fics. Not my five most popular fics. My favorites. Hmm.

5. blood, bones, and butter | MDZS/The Untamed] SongXueXiao | E, 12,443

“A relationship, deconstructed. Served three ways.”

Ah, Yi City, that deliciously painful Shakespearean tragedy echoing Wangxian’s romance. The specific notes of obsession, revenge, love, and grief that run through these three make me completely unhinged. I love the quiet service and stoic devotion of Song Lan, the otherworldliness and power of Xiao Xingchen, the unchecked brilliance and cruelty that fill up Xue Yang. The Yi City fandom is easily one of the most incredible fandoms I’ve ever been a part of, full of uniquely talented and deranged writers and artists who love to really explore the dark edges and nitty-gritty of these character and let them be their fucked-up selves. The appeal of SongXueXiao isn’t to make it better for them, it’s to see how much you can make it worse.

It’s two pretty classic tropes: a first time after meeting at a bar, and also a story told from alternating POVs. I really wanted to focus on trying to carve out distinctive interiorities, like their motivations, their assumptions, their fears, their memories, and allow the reader to draw their own conclusions without spelling these all out outright. I’d recently rewatched Rashomon, and I love how the understanding of an event can be so differently shaped by each person’s POV and I wanted to show their first night together in that way, moving the lens over the night a few times, before it gets clear. It was a really fun process to focus on and I think it’s one of my best pieces of recent writing.

4. in search of the wind | Good Omens | Crowley/Aziraphale | E, 27,112

After the World Doesn't End, Aziraphale is not returned to his body. Crowley tries to find a way to get to Heaven's fast-shut gates. Aziraphale tries to find his way back from the sky (and back in time).

I remember writing this almost immediately after the show aired, in that heady summer of 2019, when I feel head over sweaty heels for that charming demon and his delicious epicure of an angel. This is essentially how I saw canon going on, this is the headcanon of my soul. Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen season 2 yet? It was a pleasure to write, almost like knitting together different scenes, different pieces of history, like an extended version of the s1s3 cold open. It’s Aziraphale without a body, unmoored in time, turning up at different points along his and Crowley’s history, and realizing that his friend is in love with him. That his friend is heartrendingly in love with him. I love stories that play with structure, striking different chords each time.

I couldn’t write this kind of story again. This belongs to a very specific time.

3. White Light, White Heat | Harry Potter | Snape/Harry | E, 32,107

“In 1347, Benedictine monk and scholar Severus Snape goes to fetch a young man joining the abbey. In 1347, rumors come of a strange and unrelenting plague from the east.”

An AU set in a fourteenth-century Benedictine monastery in Britain during the period of the Black Death where the two men develop a bond through a special sort of crucible. Snape, as always, falls in love with all the grace of a cat being given a bath. As dark as the material is, this was a pleasure to write. I had so much fun describing the setting, peppering fun little facts like a Pop Up Video of Medieval History. I wrote this in a fever-fueled three weeks, absolutely obsessed with getting it down exactly as it was in my head. I loved writing the monster theme and using it as almost a leitmotif for Snape. There’s probably a literary term for that. Is there? Anyway.

2. the body as anagram | The Terror | Crozier/Fitzjames, Crozier/Ross] | E, 3090

“In the dark, it doesn't matter which James is in his bed. As long as Ross doesn't speak, the illusion holds true.”

I took the title from a passage on J.G. Ballard’s Crash by Baudrillard in Simulacra and Simulation: “Technology is never grasped except in the (automobile) accident, that is to say in the violence done to technology itself and in the violence done to the body. It is the same: any shock, any blow, any impact, all the metallurgy of the accident can be read in the semiurgy of the body — neither an anatomy nor a physiology, but a semiurgy of contusions, scars, mutilations, wounds that are so many new sexual organs opened on the body. In this way, gathering the body as labor in the order of production is opposed to the dispersion of the body as anagram in the order of mutilation.”

There’s something a bit haunting about the parallels of the two men who held the intimacy of Francis Crozier’s friendship. The name. The confidence. The bravery. The charming manner and handsome face. I love the idea of a Francis who sails out pining for one man and returns home loving another, switching between true love and placeholder. And I’m notoriously a slut for both proxyfucking and Gremlin!Francis, who just can’t stop pressing on the wound of his grief. It’s not the drink but it may as well be, for all this is good for either he or Ross, but Francis is a fool in love with a dead man and he does what he does to get by.

Something about this came together, from concept to finish, in a way I’m quite happy with. It was fun to play with concepts and free associate from them, focusing less on plot, but more on the vast empty grief in Francis’ chest. Everyone here knows this is a bad idea. No one is having a good time.

1. Revachol Calling | Disco Elysium | Karry/Kim | E, 35,321 [WIP]

“Somewhere in Jamrock, a church burns. A study in Kim Kitsuragi.”

Sometimes you just feel the next part of the story in your bones. When I first played Disco Elysium in 2021 it hit me in an incredibly familiar, emotional way. There’s something somber and hopeful about it. The writing is sardonic, dark and humorous. It’s nearly cynical but it’s cynical with a sad old smile, because cynicism is born through disappointment, and through not quite being ready to give up. I think we can all find ourselves in it, in one way or another and, like many, I’m hopelessly in love with Kim Kitsuragi, a wild creature who’s built himself within thousands of rules. I can’t play the game without craving his side of the story, his interiority, his history, so I grab at the little crystals of information, such as his secret love of Speedfreaks FM and his past with Eyes, and I try to imagine it might go. This is my sequel to the game and, more than anything, this is my love song to Revachol, a character of a city, and one that echoes vastly in all those of post-Communist country and family.

For some reason, this fic is extremely visual for me and usually in a Wong Kar-Wai sort of fashion. Think the saturated aquamarines of a neon diner sign. Think a studio apartment with cheap wallpaper and the yellow-orange flicker of sodium lights. It comes alive at night, when Kim is left alone with his thoughts, running out of rules to keep him safely in. I love that Disco Elysium has such a vast world to explore. It’s an endless playbox.

And this is also, in a way, a bit of an elegy to a belief I’d once held in a motherland, and do not anymore.

I’m almost done with Chapter 8, so hopefully it will be up soon <3

Tagging! @jaggededges123 @soft-october-night @wildcard47 @rcmclachlan @brawlite @zaxal @pearwaldorf @kiingbooooo @darcylindbergh @et-in-arkadia @itsevidentvery @iodhadh @iamwestiec @mia-ugly @laurashapiro-noreally @pinehutch and anyone else who wishes to!

[kindlingkeen]

Heyo Keen, I have come to pester you once again. Your post about the Jason amnesia thing got me thinking about young justice (I started watching it recently, it’s very good) and the whole red hooded ninja plot (rip)

I have no clue if you’ve seen the clips (if you haven’t then: spoilers below)

-

Particularly the bit where he’s fighting Nightwing and there’s this whole moment where he says “Gray…son” and he’s told “your memories are returning”.

Anywho. personally I really loved that whole scene/idea even though it was real small. (Also the red hooded ninja design is banger imo) Just the idea of brothers so close yet not even realizing it & the whole amnesia/catatonic thing where seeing Nightwing helps him remember. Also iirc in this he takes care of Damien? (I’m not that far in the show yet so not 100% on that) which is really sweet. Super looking forward to where it goes if anyone picks up the show again.

Do you prefer the whole amnesia/ninja plot or the pit/Red Hood one? I love both and don’t really have a favourite, but I know some people lean pretty strong towards one or the other.

Hey friend! Please pester away! If it takes me a while to answer your asks, it’s only because I’m giving them serious consideration.

I haven’t seen Young Justice, but I’m vaguely familiar with the red hooded ninja story line via art I’ve come across on tumblr and a few fanfics. There’s one in particular that comes to mind where Ra’s contracts Slade to take over the LoA, and Slade interacts with Jay (I can’t remember the title or author, so if anyone knows what I’m talking about, drop a link so I can tag it properly). The first time I read one of these (without noticing the YJ tag listed in the fandoms), I was like ‘what tf is going on here—ohh, Jay with sword, yeah, okay, let’s do this.’

I am deeply and unhealthily attached to the pit/Red Hood story arc for Jason. It’s the storyline I know best in both the comics, dc alt media, and fandom worlds, and it’s the clearest characterization I have of Jay in my head. Part of my process for writing is to set certain ground truths for myself/the story based on comics canon, and then I build outward from there.

That said, the red hooded ninja concept pushes so many of my buttons, namely Jason being under Talia’s wing, Jason and Damian meeting in the League, Jason as a ninja assassin, Jason with a sword (errghhh it’s all sooo good). I also like the younger Dami/older Jay dynamic. Although, technically one of the alt endings to the A Death in the Family movie was Talia giving Jason baby Damian, so I suppose you could wrap that into a Red Hood storyline.

I’m working my way through the 90s Batman: The Animated Series (it’s my fav ‘it’s 10 pm and I’m too tired to do anything productive so I’m just gonna watch comfort TV’ pick right now). Maybe once I get through that, I’ll move on to YJ. 🙂

Thanks so much for the ask! 💙

[epersonae]

Do you think you could fall in love again?

On the one hand, this is a wildly personal question, anon, and from the reaction of my knitting group, it would be totally appropriate for me to just abandon this in the depths of my unanswered asks.

On the other hand, if it is possible to know one thing about me as a person, just from my blog, it’s that I was deeply madly in love, and that that person died. And also: you have in fact activated my trap card.

Because I thought about this, almost as soon as they died, and not in a way where I was ready to fall in love immediately, but I think I said to @faintvox maybe the next day: can you be polyamorous with a ghost?

Because when I got divorced from my first spouse, I thought I wouldn’t find love for a long time. I expected to be single for years, because I had so much trauma from that, because I had loved him and it had broken me, because I thought it would be too hard to start over after more than 20 years with someone else.

And when I told Ryn that, after we started dating, they laughed at me. “There is no way you were going to be single for five years,” they said, which how long I said I’d expected. (For the record: I left my ex in August 2018; Ryn and I started dating in October 2019.)

Because Ryn and I were in a polyamorous relationship when we started out, and we were just trying to figure out how we wanted to do that again, more deliberately, and instead cancer-wedding-death. Our wedding vows deliberately included that space in our lives, in a way where it also was about our friendships, and was also something that would not be totally obvious to a couple of my older relatives.

Because I realized, after they died, that we together had written me a way through it — the fic we wrote together, one of the central characters is a widower, and the guy who created him always said “Magnus never loves again,” and we said “Fuck that,” and we said (altho this is I think @nekosd43's formulation originally), “Magnus is made for love,” and we shipped him in stories set before his marriage and we shipped him in stories set after. And Magnus’s grief and love for Julia is woven through the love that we gave him in the stories we wrote with him and Taako and him and Lucretia, and the love and the grief are both important. (JFC I WROTE A PIECE ABOUT LUCRETIA ASKING HIM ABOUT A TATTOO HE GOT FOR JULIA.)

Because among many other things, for the benefit of all the broken hearts is in part about what it means to have love that isn’t The Love, what it means to find love in the aftermath of tragedy, to find love in places you didn’t expect.

Because people in my family live a really fucking long time, and the idea of living another 30, 40, 50 years without romantic love, without being in love, is kind of horrifying to me. (No offense to my aromantic pals, but could not be me.) Especially given that I am already of a mindset that it is possible to have romantic love for more than one person at a time — to say that I couldn’t have it again at all is just not realistic for who I am.

No one is ever going to have the exact place that Ryn did and does. No one will ever be them, no other relationship will be the one that we had from when they first messaged me in 2017 until I lay next to their corpse in a hospital bed in 2021. Even in death they are literally my safe space.

And yet.

So the scene in OFMD 1x10, where Stede asks Mary what love feels like. I have always associated that with Ryn, and with my own little montage, because that is what our love felt like. (There are so many things about s1 Ed and Stede that are ridiculously us.) If we’d been married a year later, I bet some of that would have been in our wedding ceremony.

And yet.

I haven’t posted about it on Tumblr, but there is a somebody, and I am quite in love with them, and one time last summer I was watching Our Flag Means Death, as you do. And I got to that scene, and my mind was doing the montage overlay thing with moments of Ryn…and also moments with this other person. And I knew that I loved them, that I was in love with them, but to have that connection happen? I burst into tears.

Because I had known intellectually, but I felt it in a different way, deeply and truly, the simultaneousness of that love, the way it overlaps, and neither makes the other less, and there was love, and there is love, and whatever happens next there will be love.

[aeneaans]

that fated day

synopsis: after a tiring day, you and diluc decide to watch a meteor shower together

word count: 1,323

c/w: none !!!

note: hi !! this is my first time posting on tumblr >_< please enjoy !! i dont post super often but yeah :3

There wasn’t a single cloud in sight that night, the stars littered the vast ocean in its reflection. “Hey, do you believe in wishing upon a star?” You asked as the two of you returned to Mondstadt after taking down a few Fatui camps together in the evening. Diluc lowers his head slightly and ponders his response. His steps across the ground are soft, yet they still hold a sense of authority to them. It’s quiet. Crickets chirp in the warm summer breeze, the sky turning dark at last. Mondstadt has mostly fallen asleep by now–the city that’s filled to the brim at the brink of dawn has not a flicker of light in sight. The windmills continue to spin, as does the wind blow, and the summer dew trickles from the petals of the Cecilias.

“I’ve never thought about things like that. I suppose I don’t.” Diluc responds after a few seconds of thought. “Why the sudden question?”

Right before you set out on your adventure with Diluc, Mona happened to be at the main gate. As it turns out, she briefly informs you that there’s a meteor shower tonight. It was Mona you’re talking about, so of course you’d trust her words.

“I heard there’s a meteor shower tonight,” You explain. “It reminded me of when my parents gave me mora to toss in the fountain in exchange for a wish, I guess.” And to that statement, Diluc’s lips faintly tugged upwards. You reminisce back to when you were just a small child, when Mondstadt seemed so much more peaceful compared to now. The idea seemed rather childish now.

“Do you want to check it out?” He says, head facing the sky to look up to the stars. When he says that, your eyes light up accompanied by a bright smile.

“Well…it’s true that I haven’t seen one in a while. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.” You say, trying not to sound overly-excited. You clutch your bag tightly, fiddling with the strap.

“We’re not too far from Cape Oath.” Diluc mentions so quickly that if you hadn’t been paying attention, you would have missed it. Nobody is out this late anyway, so it’d be a nice break from all the battling the two of you have been facing.

“Then let’s go to Cape Oath!” Suddenly, you realize the implications of the two of you going to Cape Oath—‘The Lovers’ Oath’—together.

After a few seconds, it hit you. “Ah,” You mumble under your breath. “Maybe we should just stay here to watch?” You turn back to him, desperately trying to avoid any misunderstandings and awkwardness. He looks at you and tilts his head innocently, seemingly confused as to why you’d change your mind so fast. He stares at you as you try to explain yourself without making it obvious you were a flustered mess. It doesn’t work very well, as your hands begin to fiddle with the strap of your bag once again. Your eyes dart around as words just seem to pour from your mouth, neverending.

After some more sputtering from your side, Diluc lets out a soft laugh. He clearly put two and two together in the time you tried, and failed, to explain yourself, understanding why you’d want to stay put instead.

“It’s okay,” He smiles at you and begins to walk towards Cape Oath, gesturing for you to follow. You quickly catch up to him, the grass crunching quietly beneath your feet. After several minutes of walking in silence, Diluc points out a light in the sky.

He seemed to frown, “It started already.” Diluc purses his lips, looking back at you. Though, it’s hard to tell when he’s actually frowning since his resting face always seems to be so…somber.

“Isn’t it good that it started so early?” You ask, curiously. You looked up at the sky, shards of space rock shooting down into Teyvat.

He stops in his tracks and turns to you. “You were quite excited to see this meteor shower.” He glances back to the sky, admiring it for a few seconds before looking toward Cape Oath. He seems to be lost in thought, brows somewhat furrowed and squinting toward your destination.

“We’re still seeing it, aren’t we?” You were never a believer in ‘special locations’ that much. Superstitions didn’t make sense to you. After all, is fate really real? What matters is that you live the life the way you want, right?

He stopped in his tracks, finally turning back to you. “You wanted to see it at Cape Oath, no?”

But he was right. Cape Oath was a scenic area, and it would definitely be a better view than in the middle of nowhere. Just imagine: The meteor shower filling the sky with dozens of warm tones as the color is reflected into the large body of water below the cliff as you’re surrounded by greenery.

“Well, yes. But it’s not much of a difference. Besides, you’re here with me and that’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Diluc’s eyes widen for a second and look away from you.

“We can still make it if we run.” He mutters to himself. It was just the beginning of the show, it definitely hasn’t gotten to the best part yet. As the shower continues, you grab his arm out of sheer impulse.

“Then…let’s go.” You weren’t exactly sure why you did what you did, but you did it. You dashed across the grassy plains, feeling the grass crunch beneath your feet. You felt Diluc being pulled along with you before he finally managed to balance himself again, running with you. You felt the wind brushing past your face with each step you took, covering a large distance in a short time. You felt your breath getting irregular and your throat felt dry, but you didn’t stop.

Your eyes weren’t focused on the meteor shower anymore, just on your destination—Cape Oath. You looked back at Diluc occasionally, the two of you rushing toward the cliff with no words exchanged. Perhaps it was to save some breath, or perhaps it was the fact that there were no words left that needed to be said.

Luckily, the two of you weren’t that far from the cliff. It was only a few minutes of nonstop, high-speed running. But before the two of you know it, you've arrived at the cape. Panting from all the running, you immediately fall onto your knees, your legs were provided a somewhat soft yet rough landing by the vast field. A few dandelions surrounded your being, a few crushed under your leg. The broken stems left a trail of water dripping down your lower leg down to your ankle.

Still catching your breath, you finally speak. “You were right, Cape Oath really is a good spot for this stuff.” You lean back, your palms flat on the ground. Diluc gives a quick nod before sitting down again. His breathing is quiet, but he’s definitely panting. You find it a little silly as to how he would try to hide the simple fact that he’s tired. After all, anyone would be.

“Did you make a wish?” You break the silence again, catching Diluc off guard. Your gaze is stuck to the sky, the bursts of colors before your very eyes.

“Yeah,” As you were about to ask what it was, you remember your parents saying that the wish won’t come true if you say it out loud.

“Did you?” He asks, finally turning to look at you.

“I did, but I’m not telling you.” You turn to him as well, giving him a cheeky smile.

“Of course,” He closes his eyes for a split second before they flutter open once again just to take in the view. Together, just near the edge of the cape admiring the spectacle that nature staged for Mondstadt, there’s a comfortable silence that can't be broken between your pair.

[chrysothronos]

i gotta be so real.

i have autism + adhd, and have had an interest in the outsiders since i was 12 (i’m 25 now. the autism is autism-ing) and there was a really long time where i outright wouldn’t let myself interact with the fandom because i was so incredibly frustrated on people’s takes regarding dally, johnny, and pony (and darry, but you don’t post about him a ton—i love him dearly, and also i think the way he treats ponyboy is sort of abusive but so much of the fandom loves him in such a way that they seem to struggle to acknowledge his faults, i think)

and then i found some of your fics on ao3 because i was like “WHO is this and HOW did they take this interpretation of these characters directly from my brain???” because your writing is SO GOOD. i devoured everything you had published on ao3 as soon as i realized you existed bc i was just so excited to find someone who’s characterization i vibed with so well.

and then i found out you had tumblr and you post about the characters sometimes and got even more excited because i actually really like the things you say about the characters (i love dalpony, i think they’re dynamic is so interesting and i am STOKED to see someone who can write johnny as being more complicated than “uwu soft abused little boy”—i was abused similarly to johnny so i get really particular about how people depict that. most of the time it’s like... whatever. it’s just a fic. but sometimes it reads as really fucking rude to survivors lmao).

(also. the idea that soc johnny would be just like bob. genius. a galaxy brain thought. absolutely fantastic.)

and i’m not trying to be rude to other people in the fandom (i mean, some of the other people who interact with your stuff seem really cool too and i’m planning on following a couple of them so i can more firmly see the parts of the fandom that i want to), i just haven’t been able to interact with this fandom in SO LONG without other people’s interpretations of the characters making me second guess my own, especially bc a lot of the fandom gets VERY…heated about that sort of thing, sometimes?

i’m just really glad i found your writing (your style is fucking phenomenal, and it’s one of the handful of things that have inspired me to want to write again) and your blog (your takes are exquisite and the gif sets have been making me wanna watch old movies i haven’t seen yet) and just wanted to tell you that.

sorry for all the parenthesis, i have a hard time controlling the thoughts that are essentially just Extra Content. i hope you have a good day/night.

oh nonny, don't ever apologize! thank you so much for this. i'm gonna bullet point out thoughts:

also autistic and i also had to take a long break from fandom as a teenager. the misogyny going on was way worse in the 00s and coming back in 2019 was kind of wild for me to see how much fandom has changed.

i'm so, so glad you found my fics and enjoyed them! 🩷🩷🩷🩷 it makes me so, so happy whenever someone connects with my fanworks, and feel that they're seen/understood by others in their interpretations of the characters and dalpony. dalpony is so underrated to me, and i wish there was more, always. call me greedy, lmfao. i'm always down to talk about almost anyone, so askbox is open! 📬

soc au is a joint idea! @monstrology put it forth in a convo we had one night in 2021 and things simply snowballed from there between us for the actual foundation of ideas, but the og brainwave splash came from them. (esp bc i kept saying "what if he's evil plato crawford?" and kept getting corrected by the good doctor friend that technically, plato already is evil) all the fic written is mine, but the germ of it is theirs, always and i love 'em.

i understand the frustration a lot. i do think darry's actions towards pony are abusive — maybe not the same way as steve's parents are but certainly they are not commendable and fandom attempting to sweep it under the carpet is frustrating. i think he has the ability to change and regretted his actions, but you're absolutely right with the way fandom behaves. same for how people talk about johnny and i also was abused similarly to him and yeah that's where much of the criticism comes from with me too. i think a lot of conversation around johnny is insulting, and is infantalizing. his faults are rarely cared about and rarely acknowledged which honestly sucks. he can have more but... fandom doesn't wanna do it most of the time.

honestly, i don't read you as "rude" about the fandom; the fandom does have a lot of deep schisms (esp due to the musical, god) going on, and a lot of behavior fandom thinks of as "rude" is usually "people have an opinion that doesn't line up with the popular opinion, and people try to collectively punish you for it." you're perfectly polite to me, so don't worry about it. a lot of fandom is an unfair popularity contest, and you gotta ignore it.

yes yes come to dalpony tumblr! i think a lot of fandom is scattered, but the dalpony people are real nice, fun, and have room to just be yourself. i find a lot of fandom is extremely restrictive in how they're allowed to think and do, vs. dalpony contingent where you can do whatever and we'll have fun with it.

i'm very glad you're here! and so so glad you enjoy my fanworks, and just very, very happy you're having a good time.

[funfactbuck]

okay i wasn’t planning on making a post, but i’m caught up in the spirit of it all and just got really reflective on my drive home so some vulnerability for a moment: this year has marked what’s probably the biggest accomplishment of my life thus far, in that i’m finally living on my own, something that for a long time didn’t seem would ever be in the cards for me. but in the time since i moved, i’ve had to face how isolated i am in my daily life and i thought i was prepared for that, but it’s still taken me aback a bit to realize just how small the circle of people i have around me is. fortunately, mid-summer at the time i was setting things into motion, i also decided to look into who buck and eddie were and why i kept seeing their names so much when i’d look in the tags for other fic on ao3. and that quickly led to returning to tumblr after four years away. it had been even longer than that since i was actively involved in a fandom and though i’d still had shows/pairings i was invested in, not having anyone to share in them with made for a really lonely experience - which makes me all the more grateful for finding this corner of eddiebuddieblr

entering a new space and talking with new people has never been something i’m great at, and i overthink every interaction incessantly for fear that i come on too strong or annoying, but everyone i have reached out to and spoken with has been so lovely and kind and please know that’s meant so much. and even though there are so many people i haven’t had a chance to connect with (at least yet!), just having my dash be what it is has been a really welcome respite from my day to day and has genuinely kept my depression from taking hold of me too strongly for once. i follow so many creative, funny, intelligent people who are always making me laugh and opening my eyes to new ways of thinking and things feel a lot less lonely. i know at the end of the day we’re all just obsessing over a couple of characters we really love who happen to really love each other and idk, maybe this rambling is overdramatic, but i just really appreciate you all. i do wish i’d gotten here sooner, but i’m so looking forward to everything that’s to come in the year of canon buddie 🥂🥳🫶

[lavender-long-stories]

I DOOO I HAVE QUESTIONSS, but before everything, congratulations lav!!! Wow 1 million words in a year—that's such an impressive achievement! not that i'm anyone but i'm so proud of you!! I kinda found you somewhere during the first quarter of this year, when reading stories was quite literally what kept me going, and yours were one of them. I've read most of your stories more than 10 times already, and i'm pretty sure lavender sand is closer to 20-something. I really, really want to say what you're doing is so good and probably kept alot of people going. Thank you so much!! also i started opening my tumblr acc bcs of u lol. I don't quite understand this app but still open it every monday to keep up with your posts (i'm pretty much in the trees lol).

Enough about that—onto the questions! I have a lot, so please bear with me (i'm so sorry 😭). If i'm not wrong, your original goal was to reach 500k this year, which then changed to 800k, and now you've reached 1m, which is twice your original goal. Sooo 1. do you expect this at all when you were setting the goal back then? maybe a hunch? 2. how did you feel when you first realized you were surpassing the goal way earlier than you might have expected? 3. is there a pairing you wrote about this year that you didn’t think you would write at the start? 4. do you have a pairing you're thinking about writing but haven’t gotten to yet or haven’t released? 5. i know you wrote a lot of sasuhina, but do you have a personal favorite ship of the year, or is it sasuhina? 6. lastly, do you have goals and hopes for 2025?

I guess that’s all because that’s already a lot... And too long.. I love yapping I'm sorry🤧. Well, i’m so sorry in advance if any of my words or questions were rude or crossed the line. Best wishes to you, love you xoxo

Thank you so much for your sweet words and your lovely questions, I answered them in this Q&A here.

I am glad to hear that my stories have brought joy to your life and I hope I make many more for you in the future.

Also I am not at all offended, and I hope to hear from you again in the future, lovely annon.

[heliopauseentertainments]

It's A Good Color

Based on this Tumblr post from @0ptiimus

Continuity: IDW1

Rating: Teen

Relationship: Rodimus/Megatron

Characters: Megatron, Drift, & Rodimus

Warnings: Crack

Summary: In which Drift is witness to a disaster.

Crossposting: AO3 | DreamWidth

Fic under cut. See AO3 for complete notes.

“Drift.”

Drift suppressed the urge to jump at Megatron’s voice behind him on the bridge.

While not normally in charge of navigation, Drift had been asked to fill in as the shift’s usual navigator had come down with a fungal infection. Some of the crew played fast and loose with First Aid’s decontamination protocols after excursions to organic planets, with inevitable consequences. Luckily, it was easy to treat, but it required an extended period of time in a tank of heated sterilization solution… leading to the empty seat Drift now needed to fill.

“Yes, sir—“ He stopped himself as he turned to look back over his shoulder. “Yes.”

The time had long since passed when he would address Megatron as “sir.”

Especially since Rodimus would make fun of him for it.

Megatron, standing only an arm’s length away, stared at him with patient disapproval, like he was waiting for Drift to sort himself out.

“Yes?” He tried again, making his answer a question, as would have been discursively appropriate.

“I have a question for you,” Megatron continued.

“Yes?” Drift automatically repeated.

“Rodimus has changed his paintwork again.” That wasn’t a question. Then again, Megatron often worded questions as statements, expecting the listener to pick out what was under scrutiny.  “I assume you’ve already seen him this morning.”

Drift opened his mouth, but apparently Megatron wasn’t finished.

“It seems he’s set on revenge again given his choice of palette. Whatever for?”

So he had learned how to form direct questions.

Growth.

“I—“

Actually, Drift hadn’t seen Rodimus yet today. The paintwork was likely sloppy—temporary—if he had done it without Drift.

Their paths just hadn’t crossed, not even in the communal shower like usual. Just the other day, Rodimus had complained to him about having seen Megatron and Ratchet drink their morning warm fuel in the shower for “efficiency.” Honestly, Drift had been surprised it had taken Rodimus so long to notice.

“No, to tell the truth, I haven’t seen him today, but it sounds like he’s gone with the purple.”

Megatron nodded.

Nothing immediately came to mind, but—No. Yesterday, in the midst of another of Rodimus’s shower gripes, he had bemoaned that Megatron hadn’t been as “touchy” as he had been before they had gotten separated in the Functionist Universe.

A bit of a strange complaint, Drift had thought at the time. Rodimus didn’t need shoulder pats that badly.

Or… oh.

It wasn’t shoulder pats Rodimus was after.

That was what was different back then. Rodimus’s paint. He had thought—Well, Megatron did always seem rather drawn to the color purple.

No wonder Rodimus had been asking Drift how he lived with Ratchet being someone who would drink a warm beverage in the damn shower. Drift had thought it was just exasperation and disgust, not a request for genuine advice.

However, that said something about Rodimus that Drift did not want to know. He did not want this information and the odds of successfully bribing Chromedome to surgically remove it were discouragingly low.

Best to simply let it go; move on.

If Rodimus wanted Megatron’s attention, then that would be Rodimus’s problem.

“He’s upset at you, I think.”

“Why?”

An understandable question, as it would seem that Megatron was blissfully free of the awful realization Drift had just had.

That question would remain, however, incomplete.

“Unfortunately, neither of you pay me nearly enough to ever answer that.”

Not that he needed the money.

 The least Drift could do for Megatron, in honor of past loyalty if nothing else, was to let him live in blessed ignorance for a while longer.

Megatron’s face scrunched in a way that Drift had only rarely seen before: befuddlement.

Before the captain could form a follow up question to Drift’s sidestepping answer, the door to the bridge was slammed back into the wall.

Rodimus burst in, tires squealing in his alt-mode.

His paintwork was an utter wreck: purple and black streaked unevenly over his usual palette, still sealed with top coat even. Rodimus hadn’t even bothered to remove the old paint, put on primer, or seal in the new.

An absolute mess on wheels.

This would take hours to fix.

Drift had no time to say anything. Megatron was already approaching the rolling disaster.

“What have you done to yourself? Did you just splash yourself with the paint?”

Rodimus flipped back into root-mode, just in time to give Drift a thumbs up, as Megatron grabbed him to haul him into the office. Presumably to clean him up.

Hopefully to clean him up.

Megatron muttered something about “completely inappropriate.”

Drift begged the powers that be that it was just to clean Rodimus up.

[lalalian]

LITERALLY every single DR I have

I have not completed the scripts for most of them 😭😭

KEYS: 💭 = Non-Media / Not from a book, movie, or show DR

Sorry if the grammar is bad, I’m too lazy to look over this post 😭😭

Magical Girl DR 💭

heavily inspired by Precure bcccc it’s cute. Who doesn’t want to fight enemies with frilly dresses?

Regular School DR 💭

School but like filled with drama, I have some things written out 😭😭 it’s super 2015 Wattpad-y so idk if I’m gonna talk abt it

Fantasy Minecraft YouTuber DR 💭

I KNOW WHAT YOURE THINKING… I DO NOTTTT LIKE ANY MINECRAFT YOUTUBER OTHER THAN LDSHADOWLADY AND SNIFFERFISH. I MEAN THAT LITERALLY. don’t misunderstand, please and thank you 🫶

Dreamscape Station DR 💭

I had a vision, but I’ve yet to work on this script enough for me to post a lot about it 😞 I did post about it tho on my TikTok account! Essentially it’s like the backrooms but cute, ethereal, not dangerous (kinda), and full of shifters from other realities. You take a train to different parts of ‘Dreamscape’ and explore! I made tickets for this DR too 😭😭

K-Pop Stan Life DR 💭

Self explanatory. I’m gonna be a fansite, buy as many albums as I could possibly buy, and trade cards with ppl online + provide lots of freebies!

J-Pop Idol DR (💭 kinda)

This was a requested script from someone on my request form (I’ve just realized I didn’t link my request form here on tumblr… it should be up before anyone’s read this). I ended actually using this script for my love live DR cuz my old love live scripts were the ugliest thing on the planet

Obsidian Bride DR

Obsidian Bride is a manhwa that’s literally Singles Inferno but in an isekai otome manhwa world + everyone’s based off a gem, your gem is chosen based on your life and personality!

MHA DR

I was influenced to shift here bc of Priicklleshifts on TikTok 😭😭😭. I don’t really like the actual anime that much, but it seems like a really fun place to shift to! The script for this DR is 100% complete (I haven’t added anything to it for months now)

Wind Breaker DR

Wind Breaker’s a bike racing manhwa that you can read for free on Webtoon. Idk who I’m gonna date, but I literally CANNOT date Jay bc he reminds me of my brother 😭😭

Made of Stardust DR

I’m so mad that nobody’s shifting here 😭 if you like fantasy romance books, stars, enemies to lovers, magical forests, angst, etherealism, I bet your ass would want to shift here. I plan to be Kalisa, and so far I don’t want to change the plot

Futuristic K-Pop DR 💭

Also self explanatory. I do have a filled version of this DR up if anyone wants to use it (It’s not in my current format tho cuz the script is old asf😭). I scripted in a contestant show where the contestants would come from different planets (Mars, Earth, and Kepler smth… I don’t remember the numbers)

Better CR DR 💭

The place I’ll probably be permashifting to

Hallows Ball DR 💭

Okay so I started this script like 2 years ago or smth and I was supposed to finish it before Halloween (it’s a masquerade ball DR but with a twist) and I just haven’t finished it yet 😭 let’s hope I finish it this year

How to Get my Husband on my Side DR

Another manhwa DR!

TGCF DR

I bought the first book to read bc I absolutely loved the anime 😭😭 I haven’t read more than like 30 pgs… I just really don’t like it when books are in third person 😭😭

Fantasy Kpop DR 💭

I completely forgot about this DR until I went through my TikTok account to see how ugly my themes were 😭😭 Basically this DR is set in a fantasy world, each of the kpop groups I scripted in are of different species (fae, vampires, elves, etc…) and I’ve gotta gather certain groups to help me find artifacts in every single kingdom so that magic doesn’t disappear (so corny omfggg…)

Hogwarts DR

I only wanted to shift here bc everyone else wanted to 😭😭

Old Kpop DR 💭

Not gonna shift here anymore, but the script is complete 😭😭 I remade it for my Kpop contestant DR

Kpop Contestant DR 💭

Self explanatory, there’s filled and non filled versions on my linktree

My Own Kpop Group DR 💭

This script happens in the same reality as my Kpop contestant one, this is this group I’ll be in once my contestant group disbands. My own Kpop group is time and mythology themed!

Laurier Academy DR 💭

An actual idol school DR, you learn how to be a Kpop idol + a bunch of other stuff. I made a whole school website for this DR and there’s a four versions of this script:

Filled Co-Ed

Empty Co-Ed

Filled Girls Only

Empty Girls Only

(Co-ed is all genders in one school)

Elite School DR 💭

Idk why anyone uses this script bc not only is it ugly but the formatting is 😨😨 this was my first script that I posted to TikTok, and it has all the characters from my other DRs as students. Idk why, but I made everyone has an animal form. Mines a cat (kinda boring but I wanna be able to sneak around 😭)

Dragon Rider Academy (Aethergarde Academy DR) 💭

There’s also a filled version of this script in my linktree, don’t recommend it tho cuz it’s also poorly formatted and ugly. I think this was the second script I posted on my TikTok account

Shifting Library DR (Realmwalker Library) 💭

It’s a shifting library but better! All the books here are written by shifters. There’s different sections for world building, storytimes, quizzes, fanfics (of other ppls DRs), tips & methods, nsfw storytimes (adults only plz), philosophy related to shifting, and discussions about shifting (idk why I didn’t just merge discussions with philosophy..). Don’t be surprised if some or most of the shifters here aren’t human! I scripted that all non malevont beings that shift can come here; this does also mean that the books are automatically translated into the language you understand best. Oh and the authors aren’t always going to be human.

Love and Deepspace DR

My script for this one is pretty much complete, but I really want to know more about MC’s evol before shifting here 😭

Mental Health DR

I won’t talk about this DR at all on TikTok or on here (sorry) bc it’s super personal and I don’t want to seem like a damn baby 😭😭. I’m actually kind of scared of men irl, plus I didn’t have the best high school experience in my DR. My goal with this DR is to practice talking to people and get over my fear of men. This DR is my first ever DR; my original intent with shifting is to help get over my fear of men + people in general, especially taller people

Waiting Room

My waiting room is essentially an isekai manhwa mansion 😭😭 I scripted that there’s a serving cart with one of those 3 tiered afternoon snack things + milk tea, the milk tea has special properties that calm me down immediately when I drink it. My goal is to use the smell of the tea to know that I’ve shifted, and to drink the tea so I don’t fuck myself over and shift back to my OR 😭😭