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aliciameade · 11 months ago

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Darkness at Dawn - Ch. 8

Title: Darkness at Dawn Author: aliciameade Rating: M/E Pairing: Stephanie Smothers/Emily Nelson Summary: Even Bonnie & Clyde met their fate eventually.

Set five+ years after "Baby."

Also on AO3

“Can you please tell me what’s happening? I can keep whatever secrets you need me to.”

She and Emily are back in the kitchen cleaning up from the party. The boys have gone out with their friends to celebrate their graduation with strict instructions to call if anyone needs a ride home. Sean had departed with his parents without a word to anyone but Nicky. Stephanie’s mom was back at her hotel and the house and yard were empty save for the two of them.

Stephanie’s body is screaming for Emily’s touch, but she needs answers, at least one, first.

“I need to know if you’re here. If you’re really here. Or if a S.W.A.T. team is on its way to haul you back to prison.”

“I’m here, baby,” Emily says as she puts the serving trays back on the top cabinet shelf at Stephanie’s direction, where she would have to use a step stool to reach. “And I’m not going anywhere that you don’t want me to.”

“Explain. Please.”

Emily turns and leans against the counter, pulling Stephanie against her to gaze down at her in a way that makes Stephanie’s heart race. “I didn’t escape, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Stephanie laughs because the thought had crossed her mind. If anyone could orchestrate an elaborate prison escape, it would be Emily. “The possibility did occur to me.”

She shakes her head and brushes Stephanie’s hair back from her face. “I filed a motion to withdraw my confession. Said I did it under duress, that I was fearing for our sons’ safety if Sean were to retaliate against me and needed you to be freed to take care of them. They gave me a bench trial and I pleaded not guilty because I needed them to turn around and convict me. And then I appealed until my attorney was able to have a mistrial declared. Without my confession, they didn’t have enough evidence to uphold the murder charge and the rest of their case fell apart.”

“That’s it? Just like that?”

Emily chuckles. “That’s the quick version, but yeah, that’s it.”

“They’re not going to take you away? Or come for me, because you rescinded your confession? That’s what got them to dismiss most of the charges against me.”

“I’m not going anywhere. And they can’t charge you again; that’s double jeopardy. This is it, baby. We’re free.”

Stephanie tries not to think 15 steps—15 years—ahead when she starts imagining recapturing the future they were trying to have before this all began. “I still have two more years of probation.”

Emily's hand swats her ass playfully. “A cakewalk. I’ll keep you out of trouble.”

“Funny.” Stephanie shakes her head and her hands slide into Emily’s hair to start pulling her down. “I’m not dreaming?”

“You’re wide awake.”

“Then take me to bed.”

Emily captures her lips with the same fervor Stephanie feels. They’ve been apart for so long, unable to kiss, to touch. They haven’t felt each other since they’d been imprisoned in Greece nearly four years ago, and Stephanie tries to push away the thoughts of the possibilities that Emily’s been with others in their separation, whether out of desire or necessity.

Stephanie hasn’t been touched by anyone. At first, she didn’t have any desire in her heartbreak. Then, she didn’t have the time, even when she did have desire. Her desire was shallow, though, and she found release through the memories of all the ways Emily had made love to her, of the first thrilling time, of Emily showing up at her front door wearing a strap-on to fuck her on top of a washing machine, of licking Emily on a jet during a business call, of Emily sucking her own essence off the dildo Stephanie had used on her, of slow, lazy sex in the mornings and of their reunion in Greece and the waters off Portugal. She didn’t think about their rendezvous in prison; those memories weren’t happy ones.

“I don’t know where your bed is,” Emily finally says with a hum against her lips when they’ve made it a few steps to the middle of the kitchen.

Stephanie giggles against her mouth and grabs her hand. “Our bed. This way.”

She leads her down the hall and into her room, letting Emily make quick work of her dress and she of Emily’s blouse, working the buttons quickly until her body, as perfect as it’s always been even after the hardships it's been through, is beneath her hands once again. The long lines, strong muscles, the beauty marks and freckles and the tattoo around her wrist, her hair as it gets in the way and curtains them from the world, the feel of her heartbeat when she presses her lips to her chest, the sound of her breath in her ears and the perfume overwhelming her senses. She wants everything now, and she wants to delay it forever so it can’t end.

She’s fantasized about a reunion so many times but her imagination couldn’t have prepared her for what it would feel like now, after so long, to have Emily lay her back in bed and suck a mark into her neck and kiss her breasts and draw her underwear down her legs until her tongue licks through the wetness between her thighs that hasn’t been taken care of, really taken care of, for so long.

Her hands tangle in Emily’s blonde waves, heels pressing into her back as she arches her hips up in immediate desperation. She tries to curse but all she manages is a moan at the feeling of Emily’s warm, soft tongue against her. She remembers exactly how Stephanie likes it.

“Fuck, I’ve been dreaming about the way you taste,” Emily groans against her before one of her hands reaches up to cover Stephanie’s breast, gripping it possessively while the other keeps Stephanie spread for her tongue, lapping at her with as much need and hunger as Stephanie feels.

She comes hard and with little warning, her voice ringing as she cries out. She can hear Emily, too, moaning between the thighs that are pressed tightly against her ears, can feel her writhing against the bed with need and Stephanie pulls her up.

“Let me,” she says, kissing herself off Emily’s lips and chin before pushing her onto her back to move on top of her. Blonde hair splays across her pillow in a way she hasn’t seen in years. Emily’s chest heaves as Stephanie’s mouth moves over it, lips and tongue traveling across her breasts to suck at their peaks as naked hips rock against one another.

Emily’s fingernails scratch her back as she moves lower, kissing down her abdomen as legs part to make room for her.

Her tongue draws through Emily, her taste filling her memory. She’s missed it, too, but hasn’t forgotten it. She’s imagined it an infinite number of times as she brought herself to orgasm in the bed they’re now in, but it’s finally real again, Emily’s wetness is on her tongue and her voice fills her bedroom.

“Oh, fuck, baby,” Emily says with a stilted moan, her body shivering at the first touch. “Please,” she begs. “Please.”

She makes love to Emily with her tongue, circling and fluttering until she closes her lips to suck as she easily slides her fingers into her. She’s as soft and slick as she remembers, and moans when Emily tightens around them.

“Please, baby.”

Stephanie doesn’t know what Emily’s begging her for. She’s giving her exactly what she knows she needs until a shudder rolls through Emily’s body and fingers pull harshly at her hair and her voice hovers on a sharp edge of decision.

And then she realizes: she’s waiting.

She lifts her head just long enough to say, “Come for me, Em. I want you to come for me.”

She wraps an arm around Emily’s leg to hold onto her as her body rocks, her voice echoing in Stephanie’s ears like a song she can never forget.

It’s hard and fast like her own climax had been, hands flailing and grasping at anything, hips rocking and twisting, and once it passes, Stephanie knows they’re only getting started.

“Get up here,” Emily nearly growls, pulling Stephanie up until her tongue consumes her mouth, her fingers pressing into Stephanie without preamble. Stephanie’s never leave Emily.

She’s reminded of the first time they reunited in prison, it was in this same position. Though now they’re free. And alone.

“Fuck me,” Emily demands before kissing her so hard it almost hurts.

Stephanie can only moan at the request and work her hand harder, her hips riding Emily’s fast. “Come with me this time?” she asks against her mouth and Emily nods quickly, breaking off the kiss to moan.

There are no more words then, just a furious race to a mutual finish, sweat and heat and fingernails in Stephanie’s flesh and wetness between them as they both hover at the precipice until Stephanie falls first. Fingers press so deeply into her that she can barely breathe as Emily’s release draws her own in further, fingertips stroking inside her until Emily’s climax flows right into another, her thighs trembling beneath Stephanie as she goes silent, mouth open but no sounds escaping, body taut even as Stephanie feels it throb from within.

She watches with awe as it continues, Emily repeatedly falling apart with a few perfectly placed strokes of her fingertips. Again. And again.

It’s rendered Emily nearly lifeless, but Stephanie doesn’t need her to do anything. She grinds herself, fingers still inside, the years of pent-up need take her to another easy release as she looks at Emily’s form beneath her. A woman lost in ecstasy who’s unable to speak, a woman who’s gone to hell and back to be with her, who gave up her freedom to save her and give their kids a chance at a decent life, whose only movements are involuntary now as she’s a the mercy—and under the spell—of Stephanie.

She can barely breathe and she’s not sure Emily is still conscious, though the slight smile at the corners of her mouth gives her away.

“Holy shit, I missed you.” Emily’s voice is low and rough and her head lolls a bit on the pillow beneath her until her eyes find and focus on Stephanie’s. Her gaze is intense and it makes tears prick Stephanie’s eyes until she falls with a bit of a gasp against her, overcome with the need to be as close as possible.

Heavy arms wrap around her and hold her tightly, heat and sweat between them, legs intertwined and it’s almost suffocating, but if she could possibly get any closer, she would. Her face is buried in Emily’s neck, licking and mouthing at her skin until she feels her twist away, just enough to get Stephanie to lift her head to fill Emily’s mouth with her tongue.

Emily’s hands start to move everywhere again, strength returning by the second, though Stephanie can feel her thighs still trembling beneath her every time she shifts against the one between her own. She makes a few weak attempts to move, arms wrapped around Stephanie like she wants to roll them over but can’t.

She pulls back a little and smiles down at Emily. “You good?”

Something makes Emily bite her lip and moan, but nothing’s happening; they’re both still for a brief moment. It’s as if a thought’s crossed her mind and Stephanie sees it in her eyes and starts to sit up before she says it.

“I need to put my tongue inside you, baby.”

The words make Stephanie’s knees almost give out as she crawls over her, pulling the pillow out from under Emily to make room for herself. She has to hug the headboard; Emily’s positioned so high on the bed and isn’t sliding down—perhaps isn’t able to, she thinks with pride. Emily’s nails drag down her back and up her thighs until they’re digging into her hips to pull Stephanie down to her mouth.

She braces herself with one arm and reaches down with the other to part herself with her fingers; it’s all she can do as Emily holds her firmly and teases her with the tip of her tongue before it presses inside Stephanie.

“Em, fuck…” she moans before holding her breath. Emily’s tongue is firm but soft as it slips in and out of her, fucking her slowly to draw every sound of Stephanie she possibly can.

Her fingers slip in her arousal and bump her clit making her moan sharply.

Emily notices and pulls her tongue out of her to tilt her chin just enough to lick at Stephanie’s fingers where they rest against herself, finding her clit between them. “Do it, baby,” she says hotly before her tongue’s inside Stephanie again. She loosens her grip on her hips and encourages her to move.

She groans, brushing her fingers against her clit, knowing Emily is watching from just an inch or two away, riding her tongue slowly. She wants to be wild and reckless, but she might die if Emily’s tongue ever leaves her body. She needs to be measured and let Emily bring her to the peak.

This climax is different than the others have been tonight, building so slowly that it’s her thighs that tremble now as it starts inside her but travels out to her toes and up to her ears that are ringing with her pounding heart and her breath and Emily’s voice in a cacophony of white noise as cold heat rises until it spills through every inch of her body in endless waves that leave her gasping for air.

In the haze and confusion of ecstasy, she forgets for a moment that it’s real, that she’s not riding one of her toys and fantasizing about Emily.

She forgets until Emily’s voice cuts through the fog with words of praise and desire, words that sound like curses and prayers as her tongue licks through and over Stephanie’s fingers until she feels them being sucked.

She comes back to herself like a flipped switch and gives Emily her hand as she moves backward, a slow shuffle until she’s astride Emily’s waist, Emily’s hands around her wrist and forearm as her lips move over her fingers with as much sensuality as she might give to something else.

It’s a desperate act. They’re not thinking anymore, borderline animalistic with the need for each other and Stephanie watches in awe, her free hand playing with and pulling at the hardened peaks of Emily’s breasts until her own unbridled subconscious, stripped raw of shame now, of decorum, of guilt, makes her reach for her nightstand to find what she’s looking for.

Emily’s on another plane of existence. It’s a marvel to witness and Stephanie watches her face transform as she slips the silicone toy, one she had used on herself just a few days earlier, into Emily.

Teeth scrape Stephanie’s knuckles and Emily groans, legs spreading wider. She doesn’t even open her eyes, doesn’t even look at Stephanie as she starts getting fucked. It’s loud and lurid and Stephanie rides against Emily’s leg as she watches it play out beneath her, as Emily sucks on her fingers and silently begs Stephanie to keep going.

Emily comes so hard Stephanie can barely keep the toy buried inside her, her body first pulsing to push it out, and then to pull it in.

The longer it lasts, the more Stephanie starts to wonder if Emily had actually not been with anyone in prison at all, if she’d only used herself for pleasure, and how much—or little—of it she’d indulged in. She remembers the inherent lack of privacy in prison and how some women didn’t care; she saw more women pleasuring themselves than she ever thought possible. She was discreet, and did it rarely, in the middle of the night or when left alone in her cell.

The thought that Emily, a woman whose pleasure Stephanie considers to be a work of art, may have experienced so little of it for so long is almost heartbreaking. It’s a mix of relief and pride that perhaps Emily didn’t want anyone, even herself. That she only wanted it from Stephanie.

Stephanie can relate.

Her hand finally falls from Emily’s lips after a time and she can see Emily coming back to herself, first with a fluttering of eyelashes and then a soft smile on her lips as she finds Stephanie with her not-quite-focused gaze.

“You’re the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, baby,” she says through a heavy sigh, hands reaching for Stephanie. “Look at you. I don’t deserve you.”

“Shh, yes you do.” It’s not a competition, but she knows Emily would win the sexiest fucking thing competition, not Stephanie. She lets herself be captured and drawn in, blushing under the compliments as she fits into Emily’s familiar embrace. She’s still on the edge of orgasm, Emily’s having been so astounding that she’d temporarily forgotten about her own. But she wants it now; she’s so close and raw that she might come if she thinks about it for a few more seconds, but she wants to share it with Emily as they’ve done all night. She wants to pull the toy, still deep inside Emily, out and use it on herself.

Instead, she tries to relax and lets Emily kiss her. It’s slow and tired and when it’s evident that Emily’s spent and this is her wind-down, Stephanie nips her lip with her teeth. “Touch me, Em. I still need you, I’m so close.”

“Oh, my baby needs me,” Emily says with a pout that would be cute if it wasn’t so fucking sexy. Tired fingers appear between Stephanie’s thighs to touch her. She’s gentle. She knows it’s all Stephanie needs.

She watches Stephanie with the predatory smile that made Stephanie fall for her in the first place as she comes and she can’t look away, eyes locked on each other.

“I always need you,” she replies through her climax. It’s an intimate and disarming exchange as they’ve perhaps ever had, raw honesty, mutual vulnerability. Saying and doing things they’ve never done with anyone else, not with this intensity. Not even close.

It’s warm and slow and makes her shiver. It makes her wonder how she managed to survive so long without having Emily in her life this way. It makes her want her again immediately, but she’s too light-headed. It makes her want to consume Emily, to merge every bit of her into her own life, to fill all the gaps she left when she’d forced their separation.

“I love you so much,” she says, heart still racing. “I hope you know I never stopped.”

“I know, baby.” Emily’s free hand works to get Stephanie’s hair out of her face; it’s sticking to her and is a mess and Stephanie hadn’t noticed until then; not that she cares how her hair looks. “I felt it every day. It’s what kept me going. Why I did everything I did for you.”

“For us,” Stephanie corrects. She doesn’t realize she’s crying until she sees the teardrops that have landed on Emily’s chest.

Emily’s smile softens. “Us?”

Stephanie tilts her head quizzically.

“I didn’t want to be presumptuous.”

“Seriously?” Stephanie laughs. “After everything we’ve been through. Everything you did to help me get out. To get yourself out. After tonight…” she drifts for a moment. She’s lost track of how late it is but she doesn’t care what time it is so long as Miles didn’t come home in the middle of their frenzied lovemaking, her bedroom door having been left wide open. “Em.”

“Hmm?” She’s still playing with Stephanie’s hair, her demeanor turning increasingly gentle as the maddening lust between them has finally waned.

“Marry me, Emily. Again.”

A laugh escapes Emily and she sees the sparkle in her eyes she hasn’t seen in so long. “Are you being serious right now?”

“Yes, I’m being serious. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve been married this whole time. So let’s do it right this time. If you’re ready to, of course. If you have things you need to take care of, I understand. It’s been a long time. It took me months to feel normal again when I got out and I get it if you need to be independent for a while. I’ll still be here when you’re ready. If you’re ever ready.”

“Baby,” Emily says as she frames Stephanie’s face in her hands, thumbs brushing at the tears that are still on Stephanie’s cheeks.

“What?”

“Shut up.” She pulls Stephanie down to her and into a kiss, slow and passionate and deep but not one leading them somewhere. Not yet. “I’m taking your name this time.”

Stephanie squeals against their kiss and feels Emily’s arms wrap around her even though they’re both overheated by now. She has to struggle to get away from her kiss in a playful game until Emily lets her. “Is that a yes?”

“Of course, I’ll marry you, baby. I can’t wait to be Emily Smothers.” The tears falling now are Emily’s, though Stephanie’s not sure her own ever stopped.

“You really want to be Emily Smothers? I can take your name again, be a Nelson this time. Or we can hyphenate.”

“Stephanie,” Emily says with a tone of conviction she hasn’t heard from her often. And she doesn’t call her ‘baby.’ “I want to be your family. My last name doesn’t mean anything to me. Hell, I made it up; it doesn’t connect me to anyone or anything. I just want to be yours. I want to be us again.”

Stephanie’s heart is beating out of her chest. Just yesterday she was mentally preparing to have an empty nest, for Miles to leave for college in a couple of months, and for Nicholas to turn 18 so Stephanie would no longer need to negotiate with Sean to allow him to see the people in his life that he disapproves of, and for her life to become one of hobbies, work, and solitude. And now suddenly Emily is hers once more.

“Then let’s get remarried.”

Emily kisses her hard and grabs her ass firmly. Possessively. “Thank God today went well,” she says after a minute. “I didn’t have anywhere to sleep tonight.”

Stephanie scoffs at her. “I thought you said you didn’t want to be presumptuous?” She tosses damp hair over her shoulder and adopts a bit of a posh English accent. “I am a proper lady. I won’t be sharing my bed with any suitors prior to marriage.”

She can tell Emily wants to play along but her smile overtakes her and opts for a heavy cockney. “Ay, proper lady?”

“What?” Stephanie grins down at her.

“Can you kindly pull your dick out of me and fix us something to eat? I haven’t had suitable food in years and really fancy a bite.”

A bark of laughter escapes Stephanie; they’re delirious and she’d all but forgotten what they’d just finished doing. “Oopsy,” she says as she gently pulls the toy from Emily and kisses her before rolling off her and out of bed onto unsteady legs and drops the accent. “I’ll make you something but only if you change the sheets. The linen closet is down the hall.”

Emily groans and rolls over, spreading out her limbs like a starfish across the bed. “I’ve been making my bunk every day for five years and you’re going to make me make the bed? We’re just going to ruin it again.”

“That’s the deal.”

“Oh, that’s the deal?”

Stephanie pulls a T-shirt out of her dresser, something oversized from Miles’s high school, and slips it over her head. “That’s the deal.” She pauses in her doorway and turns around to look at Emily smiling at her from her bed. “What do you want to eat?”

“You.” She reaches out a hand in Stephanie’s direction. “Get back here.”

Stephanie tick-tocks her index finger at her and tsks. “You need food or you wouldn’t have asked for it. I’ll make you anything you want.”

Emily bites Stephanie’s pillow, eyes narrowing with a growl as she glares at her across the room. Stephanie wonders what she’s considering, if she really wants to have her again now, or if she’s just thinking back through all her favorite meals made by Stephanie.

“Spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. With that fresh bread I saw on the counter. Did you bake it?”

“I did,” Stephanie says with a laugh. “Is that all? Maybe tiramisu for dessert?”

Emily moans in a different way than she has all evening. “I wouldn’t say no to it.” Emily looks as happy as Stephanie remembers her being in their last, brief, life together as she starts to haul herself out of bed. “I accept your terms.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The spaghetti boils over when Emily insists on trying to make Stephanie come more quickly than it would take to cook the pasta, bent over the dining table with Emily on her knees behind her. She had succeeded until she decided to try for two.

Other than that [enthusiastically welcomed] interruption, Stephanie’s able to prepare a three-course Italian dinner at 2:00 AM: Caesar salads, spaghetti and meatballs, freshly baked garlic bread, red wine, and a pint of gelato she found in the freezer. She doesn’t have the ingredients on-hand that she needs to make tiramisu or she would have. Emily happily watches it all by her side, wearing Stephanie’s dusty pink satin bathrobe. It’s comically short on her.

She moans so much while eating that Stephanie struggles to keep her hands to herself and let the woman indulge in another kind of passion. She remembers her first days after freedom: long baths, long walks, favorite foods, lots of wine. Lots of sitting on a quiet park bench in the sun doing nothing. All of it felt new again, and Emily’s been deprived of it for twice as long as she had been.

Stephanie’s in Emily’s lap—in it, not straddling it—feeding her ex-wife and fiancée lemon gelato off her index and middle fingers (it has a bad habit of dripping onto Emily’s exposed chest) when she hears the front door open. She shushes Emily mid-groan.

“Miles, sweetie, is that you?” She tugs the sides of the robe together across Emily’s mostly exposed breasts and pulls her shirt lower over her thighs.

“Yeah,” he shouts across the house. “Why are you up so late?” His words are slurred slightly and she sees Emily’s eyebrows lift in surprise when he’s standing in the kitchen in front of them. “Oh. Uhh, hey Mom.” He’s addressing Emily and Stephanie loves that he still sees her as a mother.

“Hey, Miles. You had a good night?”

“Yeah, thanks. Sorry, Nick’s at his place.”

“That’s okay, I’ll see him tomorrow.”

He averts his eyes and Stephanie knows that he’s drunk. It’s not his first time, but they’ve talked a lot about being responsible about it, and he always gets a ride home or calls her for one. If he hadn’t been drunk, she knows he would have spun around and hurried off after finding his half-dressed mother sitting in someone’s lap.

Instead, he heads for a cabinet to grab a bowl and fills it with what’s left of the spaghetti sitting on the stove.

“You staying here?” he asks Emily through a bite of garlic bread, ready to shovel pasta in behind it. “Moving in, I mean.”

Stephanie meets her inquiring gaze and nods.

“Yeah, I am. Is that okay with you?”

He takes another bite. “Yeah, it’s cool. Mom really missed you.” Stephanie hides her smile; something about him knowing that—of course, he knows that—making her feel bashful. “I guess I did, too.”

That makes her need to look up at the ceiling to blink away tears.

Emily’s arms tighten where they’re resting around Stephanie’s waist. “I missed both of you, too. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Cool,” Miles says before grabbing the entire second loaf of garlic bread and taking his leave. “I’m going to bed. Thanks, Mom,” he adds, saluting Stephanie with the bread. “You’re a lifesaver.”

“Goodnight, Smooch. Drink a glass of water before you go to sleep.” She hears him grunt at the nickname.

“You let him drink?” Emily says incredulously as soon as he’s gone.

She hears his bedroom door slam a few seconds later. “I don’t let him. But he’s going to do it no matter what I say, so it’s better that he knows he can trust me instead of rebel against me.”

“Do you let Nicky drink?”

“You know that’s not up to me.”

“I know, and I’m not testing you.” One of Emily’s hands moves to rest under Stephanie’s shirt on her hip. “Does he though?”

Stephanie measures Emily’s question and finally nods. “He’s crashed here a few times after going out with Miles. Just high school parties. Sean grounds him if he catches him. He was on the football team; I don’t know what he expected. But he’s a good boy.”

Emily exhales at that. “Thank you for taking care of him.” She smiles and her eyes are wet. “I don’t just mean those nights. I mean this whole time, since we met. Especially while I was away.”

“Of course.” She can’t help but kiss Emily’s forehead, the reversal in height difference a rare treat. “I did my best.”

“Look at you, huh?” Emily says with a growing smile. “The woman who was afraid her son might hurt himself playing with action figures is teaching him how to avoid a hangover. You’re not the woman you were when we first met.”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m not.”

“Good,” Emily says approvingly. “Because this is the woman I want to be with.”

Stephanie feels Emily’s arms shifting and she squeaks when she’s suddenly being carried out of the kitchen. “Wait, wait, let me put this back in the freezer.” She still has the pint of gelato in her hand.

“It’s coming with us.” Emily hits the switch for the kitchen lights with her elbow before carrying her back to the bedroom.

“You’re going to have to change the sheets again.”

“Easiest time I’ll ever do.”

“After you make love to me again.”

“Oh no, please, C.O., don’t send me down to the hole,” Emily deadpans as she grabs the container from Stephanie’s hand so she can drop her into the freshly made bed, immediately moving to straddle her, the borrowed robe falling open on its own accord.

“Do not call it that ever again,” Stephanie interrupts, sitting up to make her point. It’s funny, but it’s a hard pass for her.

Emily laughs at her own joke and pushes Stephanie back down and pulls her shirt up until Stephanie removes it herself. “Don’t worry, baby. I want to be locked up in yours.”

She hisses as coldness drips across her breasts. The gelato is mostly melted by now. “We’re going to need to take a bath after this.”

She watches Emily lean down to trace her tongue along the path she’s drawn, licking the droplets off her skin. “Together?” She pauses above Stephanie’s hardened nipple to smile up at her. “That’s cruel and unusual punishment.” Her lips close around it.

Stephanie’s fingers slide through Emily’s hair to hold her there, back arching into the touch. “Guilty as charged.”

The End

~*~*~*~*~*~

#a simple favor #stephanie smothers #emily nelson #murder moms #fanfic #asf fic

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stereopticons · 4 months ago

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2024 Fic Year in Review

I know I did a bunch of these already and I wasn’t tagged but @kiwiana-writes did this and like him, I fuckin’ love stats, so I’m doing this one too.

AO3 Username: stereopticons

My Page: Link

Active Fandoms: Schitt’s Creek, Red, White & Royal Blue

New Fandoms this year: None

Total Number Of Completed Works/Word Count

This Year: 17 fics, 34,782 words

All Time: 101 fics, 373,443 words

Most Popular One Shot (by kudos):

This Year: you can call me, call me, anytime (RWRB; Alex/Henry; E; 502 words)

All Time: if i’m not beyond repair (SC; David/Patrick; M; 8.3k words)

Most Popular Completed Multi-Chapter (by kudos):

I didn’t finish any multichapter fics last year but here’s hoping for this year?

All Time: the lie between your teeth (SC; David/Patrick; M; 48k words)

Events/Challenges: I think just @scmdc-secret-santa-gift-exchange and Royally Big Bang (though not as a writer).

Additional Random AO3 Stats

2024 fics by rating: 76% E, 12% T and 6% each M and G which is a significant departure from my usual distribution (thanks to kinktober)

All time fics by rating: 47% T, 30% E, 15% M, 8% G, and 1% NR

2024 title sources: 88% song lyrics, 6% canon dialogue, 6% no specific source

All time title sources: 71% song lyrics, 13% pun/wordplay, 11% no specific source, 2% canon dialogue

2024 song lyric sources: 12% from musicals and 6% each from The Bens, Mariah Carey, Billy Joel, Regina Spektor, The Neighbourhood, MUNA, Chapterhouse, The Dixie Cups, Noah Reid, Matt Nathanson, Blondie, Julien Baker, and Sara Bareilles

All time song lyrics sources that have been used more than once: 8% musicals, 6% the Mountain Goats, 5% Noah Reid, 3% Julien Baker, 2% each the Wonder Years and Matt Nathanson. 63% of song lyrics sources have only been used once.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?

Less for sure. There were a lot of things that happened that I hadn’t expected that made it hard to write. Up until April of 2024, I had published at least one fic every month since October 2021, and ending that streak was really hard for me. And the stretch of not writing between April and August was ROUGH.

What’s your own favourite story of the year?

I cannot pick a favorite, so here’s my top three:

gather up the avenues (SC; David/Patrick; E; 10.3k words)

a long winter of indifference (SC; David/Patrick; T; 1.7k words)

the shape of things we cannot ignore (SC; David/Stevie; E; 610 words)

Did you complete your writing goals from last year?

lol I’m sure I didn’t. I didn’t finish indie band patrick (STILL). I don’t remember what the other goals were but I’m sure I didn’t complete them.

ETA: I looked up what I said my goals were last January and apparently I said this:

I would really love to say I’d start posting indie band Patrick in January but that just doesn’t seem realistic unless I suddenly discover a whole lot of motivation and time. So let’s say I hope to complete either the Manhattan exes to lovers fic or the threesome fic, whichever (vastly different) direction inspiration takes me.

And I did one of those things! I finally completed the Manhattan exes to lovers fic!

Do you have any writing goals for the New Year?

Keep writing.

Did you take any writing risks this year?

I feel like attempting kinktober was a risk for me. And I didn’t really manage to complete it but 11 fics/14.4k words is still pretty good considering.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion

The David/Stevie kinktober fic (even though it’s only a few days old). It’s a rare pair in a fandom that’s a lot less active than it used to be, so it’s to be expected but I think people should read it anyway.

Most fun story to write:

I think I had the most fun writing i feel dizzy, i feel sunny, i feel fuzzy and funny and fine.

Biggest disappointment:

Having to break my publishing streak. That sucked.

Biggest surprise:

Nothing comes to mind?

Coming soon/planned for 2025:

I have something planned for Frozen Over (maybe two things if i get my shit together). Beyond that, i have a bunch of things i want to finish but I’m not sure which it will be.

#2024 fic in review

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dadupbuck · 2 years ago

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🔒 locked for non-ao3 users but got permission from the author to share

Title: sunny skies & summer highs

Written by: prettyboybuckley

Rating: e

Catagories: m/m

Warnings: creator chose not to use

Relationships: Buck/Eddie, Buck & Sophia Diaz

Chapters: 9/9

Part 2 in High on You verse

Tags: Recreational Drug Use, Frottage, Alternate-Universe Different First Meeting, Underage Drug Use, Boys In Love, Dating, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Time, Bottom Evan Buckley, Top Eddie Diaz, Blow Jobs, Semi-public Sex, Public Sex, that one's only a handjob I swear, Fluff and Smut, Age Difference, Buck is 18 Eddie is 22, Best Friend's Brother, Secret Relationship, sex while high, driving under the influence, Sexting

Words: 43,888

Summary:

Well, I kind of want to kiss you right now but that's usually something that happens at the end of a first date, right?" Buck asks, doing a weird movement with his eyebrows in an attempt to be funny.

Eddie chuckles, wrinkling his nose a little.

"I guess, yeah," he mutters. "Think we're doing this a little backward already anyway, so are there any rules to follow?"

He's got a point there, and even then Buck has never really been the kind of guy who follows rules, so he ends up leaning over the center console as he uses one hand to pull Eddie's face towards him. It's a short kiss, a simple peck hello that Eddie chases after when Buck pulls away again.

OR: Buck and Eddie sneak around behind Eddie’s family’s back, spend the summer together, smoke a lot of weed, and fall in love along the way

My notes: Hello I'd like to present to you my FAVORITE Buddie AU!! *jazz hands*. I think it's funny how I thought this would be out of my comfort zone because of the drug use (normally not my thing) yet I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH and I think everyone (who reads e rated stuff) should give this series a try :)

#buddie #rated e #40-45k #smut #recreational drug use #secret relationship #alternative universe #different first meeting #age difference #different age #best friend's brother #dating #cuddling and snuggling #first time

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happilyeverafterzukka · 4 years ago

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underrated (kind of) zukka fics (part 3)

I feel like I have to change the title of this fic rec series a bit cause not everything is completely underrated but “underrated zukka fics” is a shorter title than “zukka fics I totally love and think more people should read and talk about”

anyways, I love Zukka fics and I love making fic rec lists - and you can see Part One and Part 2 if you’d like - so here are some more fics that have been getting me through this pandemic!

the Midwest Bi Disasters Zukka series by Onmyliteraturebullshitagain

okay okay okay stop what you’re doing right now and go read this entire series. I mean it. drop everything and go binge read this series because it is utterly fantastic. every time I get an email from Ao3 with an update to this series I literally stop whatever I’m doing to go and read it immediately because it is THAT good. this series has everything! it’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s romantic, you’ve got some good hurt/comfort and a nice dose of angst that always has a happy ending. basically it’s about Zuko and Sokka being, as the title suggests, bisexual disasters in the Midwest as they fall in love and become important parts in each other’s lives -- featuring Zuko as an EMT, Sokka with a dog named Boomerang, the cutest cuddling ever and the most perfectly written Azula I’ve ever seen! (Rated T - M)

A Bird in the Hand by hereforthefic_onlythefic

Sokka is a vet and has his meet cute moment when Zuko brings in his pet chicken Duckie and they both immediately get a crush on each other. this fic is seriously adorable and has a new sequel that is just as cute! features stressed out veterinarian Sokka, Zuko being referred to as “Hot Chicken Owner,” and equestrian doctor Jet setting them up in a bar (Rated T)

not to plan by agni_kai

this fic is the sequel to the excellent and amazing hired where Zuko and Sokka are gay porn stars and are also dating. listen, if Zukka fanfic was a college course then the hired-verse would have to be on the required reading list because these two fics are absolutely phenomenal in every single way. honestly and truly fantastic. this one features post pizza and ice cream couch cuddles, Chan being completely oblivious to the fact that Zuko and Sokka are dating, and Zuko adorably sleeping on Sokka’s shoulder while he’s facetiming Hakoda (Rated E)

to be only, to be every by ofherlionheart

after I finished reading this fic, I had to lay down and stare at the ceiling for a bit cause I was so emotional over this fic. Zuko and Sokka’s anniversary is coming up and while the fic is mostly about what Sokka wants to do for Zuko, Zuko’s gift to Sokka was an emotional suckerpunch in the absolute best way possible - features Sokka’s love language being “being emotionally destroyed,” some of the most emotional poetry I’ve ever read, and Zuko’s reason for liking tattoos so much ripping my heart right out of my chest (Rated T)

bend it like heck, man by aiyah

I absolutely love this author’s work and I am completely obsessed with this probending au where Sokka decides to get into probending out of spite towards Azula and gets really into it while Zuko is absolutely terrified his boyfriend will get hurt. (Rated E)

Nightmares and Reveries by HisMomoness

Zuko has nightmares and Sokka learns that the best way to stop them is to cuddle his best friend all night - features a “I literally cuddle you in your bed of course I like you romantically” moment, a trip to the South Pole, and everyone knowing Zuko and Sokka are in love except for Zuko and Sokka (Rated E)

the heartless and the gentle by daosword

if you want a soulmate au that will emotionally destroy you, then this is the fic for you! in this au, the worst things that have ever been said to you/you’ve ever thought about yourself appear on your soulmate’s skin, which means Zuko and Sokka are absolutely covered with words (Rated T)

I’ve Got a Good Feeling (doesn’t happen very often) by lesbianophelia

Zuko has a date with Sokka and gets so nervous that he eats almost the entirety of a pot brownie Ty Lee gave him and proceeds to get way too high at a party - features Zuko and Sokka playing Animal Crossing together while cuddled on Sokka’s bed

recreate a place that’s our own world by Muncaster

Storm chaser au!! Zuko and Sokka are assigned to chase storms around the country all summer and fall in love along the way!! A classic enemies to friends to lovers - featuring Zuko being absolutely obsessed with Madonna

#zukka #zuko #sokka #atla #fic rec

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harmonyandco · 4 years ago

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Harmony in the Workplace REVEALS!

[Note: If you still want to write for this fest and didn’t originally sign up / still want to submit if you couldn’t make the deadline, please send us a DM! Lots of awesome prompts still to be written and we’d love for more to be added to the collection.]

Thank you to all the incredible writers who participated — be sure to give their stories some love with kudos and comments!

Title: Charitable

Author: WinglessQuill

Prompt: Philanthropist Harry / Orphanage Owner Hermione

Rating: T

Summary: Hermione Granger was content with her life, until Harry Potter appeared on the doorstep of her orphanage.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32208631

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Title: The factor liberatis

Author: Eolith

Prompt: Lawyer Hermione / Wizengamot Legislator Harry

Rating: T

Summary: Hermione Granger lawyer trained in the old laws is the fautor libertatis or promoter of freedom stablisshed in the Lex Petronia an old Roman law that protects slaves and she is in England reclaiming the debts of the owners of house elfs.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32189842

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Title: Full Bloom Captured

Author: VanderlustWords

Prompt: Photographer Harry / Model Harry

Rating: M

Summary: The famous McKinnons have dropped a new line of perfume: Amortentia's First Bloom No. 5. A strain of the popular but frowned-upon love potion. It's meant to boost the most attractive qualities of the wearer, a customized harmless pheromone. In pursuit of finding their perfect model to represent the brand, they've opened up a competition for models and photographers to pair up and submit an outstanding photoshoot collection.

This was an amazing opportunity for a model like Hermione Granger. It would've been—if not for the fact she's been publicly humiliated by her long-time photographer boyfriend, Ronald Weasley, leaving her for an A-List model. Hermione Granger is resigned to defeat when no photographer wants to work with her. That is—until the famous photographer Harry Potter wants her.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32187298

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Title: Lightning Lesson

Author: LadyBlack3

Prompt: [+Draco] Quidditch Player Draco / Quidditch Player Harry / Team Mediwitch Hermione

Rating: E

Summary: Hermione wasn't sure how her life came to this but dealing with the English National Quidditch team on a nearly daily basis was becoming a routine. What would never become routine to her was the feelings she was all to aware of when it came to her best friend, and the feelings she wasn't really sure what to do with for a certain blond. Fate has a funny way of forcing one's hand though, and just this once perhaps she may not have to choose.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32177770

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Title: When Fate Knocks

Author: HappyCatTaxi

Prompt: Healer Hermione / Healer Harry

Rating: M

Summary: 1796 Miss Hermione Granger is a healer, but since women aren’t allowed to be healers, she’s had to hide her gender and don a disguise. To the world, she’s Healer Herman Watson, talented and highly respected, but when she sees something she shouldn’t have, she has to flee London immediately. Luckily, her mentor knows just the right place for her to hide: Potter Manor in Wales, a hospital for Muggles and Wizards alike.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32160580

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Title: Riding the Lightning

Author: JohnBurtonLee

Prompt: [+Tonks] Punk Rocker Tonks / Punk Rocker Harry / Band Manager Hermione

Rating: M

Summary: Much has been written about England's most inadvertently hard core punk band Riding the Lightning, most of it absurdly wrong. Despite the sheer volume of gossip written about the members, very few people have picked up on the love triangle that formed the bedrock of the band's history.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32145199

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Title: The Shoot

Author: green__eyes

Prompt: Photographer Hermione / Model Harry

Rating: E

Summary: Hermione Granger has received an assignment: a photographic study of the human form. In other words, a boudoir photoshoot... and she needs to find a model. The only person she feels comfortable asking is her best friend and long-time housemate, Harry Potter. Yet she's been hesitating, for fear that it might reawaken feelings for him that she thought she'd long since buried...

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32001724

Again, thank you to @arishatistic who has allowed Harmony & Co. the use of her art for this fest. We have received artist permission to add the fest name and have not altered the original artwork in any way. Please do not repost or use for your own purposes

Link to entire collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/HarmonyInTheWorkplace/works

#Harmony #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter x hermione granger #harmony plus #harmony in the workplace

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wistfulcynic · 4 years ago

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Self-promo Sunday: Ficlets

It's hard sometimes to remember the titles and authors of fics we've read, and even harder when those fics are part of a collection. So for Self-promo Sunday I've put together a table of contents for my Ficlets collection. All the ficlets have titles, but those don't always give much of a clue to what they're about. All of these are shortish, 700-1500 words, so if you're looking for something quick to read before bed or whilst waiting in a vaccine queue, say, there may be something here for you.

Chapter links are all to the Tumblr posts. AO3 link is here.

1: This time, pancakes

IN WHICH Snow interrupts the pancake scene a few minutes earlier than she did in canon, late enough for things to have got well underway. There is a hint of voyeurism here but nothing salacious, it's mostly Snow's internal monologue. Sweet and just faintly smutty. Rated M. 800 words.

2: Captain Duckling Abduction

IN WHICH Princess Emma is abducted by pirates. Or is she? This eventually became the (sadly still unfinished, yes I know) Drink the Wild Air, so you can see how that got started. 800+ words. Rated T.

3: She and Mr Jones

IN WHICH we have "whoops I accidentally slept with my son's teacher," a little-used trope that I actually really like. Smut with feelings, a dash of Captain Cobra. 1200+ words. Rated M.

4: RELEASE THE KRAKEN

IN WHICH Emma and Killian have a rescue dog with an interesting personality quirk. Based vaguely post-S6 in a world with no S7 (and no S6 either if we're honest, it is The Season That Shall Not Be Named). Pregnant Emma, sweet Killian, adorable dog. Rated G. 900+ words.

5: A Soulmate Thing

IN WHICH Emma attempts a bar hookup and meets her soulmate. Based on this prompt:

anonymous asked:

Smutty prompt! A friend of mine (not on Tumblr) had a Soulmate AU idea where your soulmate's "naughty bits" fit perfectly with yours, like puzzle pieces lmao. Not a smutty writer myself, so I'm not sure how to even begin, but I thought I'd see if any CS fans wanted to give it a go!

1k+ words, Rated M/E

6: Five Times

IN WHICH Emma sees Killian five times, and what happened next. Bailbonds Emma, bartender Killian (sort of). Neighbours. 1200+ words, rated T.

7: Coitus Interruptus, Part One

IN WHICH Emma just wants to have sex with her husband, but the fates have other plans. I really do intend for there to be a part two of this, if the muse would ever see fit to cooperate. Anyway, it's a smutty little 1k, rated E. Canon compliant, more or less. Married CS.

8: A Midnight Clear

IN WHICH we revisit Emma and Killian from To Keep It All the Year, ten years later. It's not strictly necessary to read that first, just know this is modern AU E&K, married ten years, with a 12-year age gap between them. Christmas Eve smut in front of the fire. 1.3k, rated M.

9&10: Instagram Official, parts one and two

IN WHICH TV star Emma and musician Killian are quarantined together and trying to keep their fans from finding out about it. Based on this prompt:

celebrities who are quarantined together trying to maintain their online presence while not letting it slip that they’re together until one accidentally gets the other’s distinctive possession in the back of a photo and their cover is blown

~2k total. Rated G

11: melancholy

IN WHICH it's August and Killian is struggling with depression. Inspired by a post I saw somewhere in the depths of Tumblr, something to the effect of a person who had been suffering through a bout of depression one day started to sing while they were cooking. Their roommate immediately rushed in, overwhelmed with relief because they knew that singing meant the person was feeling better. 1.4k words, rated G. Content warning for depression.

12: biblio - philia

IN WHICH Killian is a reader and Emma isn't, but they share a love of stories nonetheless. Stories and each other. Inspired by this post. Also possibly my favourite fic title. Discussion of rough childhoods and sappy emotions. 1.5k rated G.

13: relationship goals

IN WHICH Emma and Killian battle at Granny's drive-thru, and Ruby gets caught in the crossfire. Based on this post. One of my favourites, honestly. Sweet and funny and told from Ruby's POV. 1.2k rated G.

14: The Christmas Card

IN WHICH a card she receives from an old friend on Christmas Eve changes Emma's life forever. Based on the holiday prompt "receiving a message from old friends." 700+ words, rated G

15: light on the darkest night

IN WHICH it's Midwinter's Eve and Killian is walking the streets of the city. Set in the Portable Magic 'verse. Absolutely no plot, just a little gentle midwinter magic. Witch!Emma and fae!Killian. 1.3k, rated G

16: bound by sand and salt and sea

IN WHICH Emma is a selkie and Killian returns her pelt. The only problem is she doesn't want to leave him. Turns out, that's not actually a problem. Based on this post. Creature AU, selkies, merpeople. 1.4k, rated T.

And that's all for now!

@thisonesatellite @kmomof4 @stahlop @mariakov81 @snowbellewells @courtorderedcake @optomisticgirl @ohmightydevviepuu @spartanguard @katie-dub @captain-emmajones @killianjones-twopointoh @shireness-says

#self-promo sunday #self-promo #ficlets #ficlet collection #table of contents #profdanglaisstuff

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callmeelle22 · 4 years ago

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Blue Dream, V

Pairing: Iris West x Barry Alen

Rating: E

Chapter Word Count:7, 733

Summary: A series of sporadic dates between Iris and Barry turn into something more, a story in its own making.

Chapter I: Primetime

Chapter II: It's Cool

Chapter III: Anything

Chapter IV: Comfortable

Chapter V: The Way; He doesn’t fumble the chance to touch her, and so he presses a hand to the small of her back and follows her as she sways, humming the song that’s playing, is it the way you love me, baby? is it the way you love me, baby?, ignoring the obvious implication as they move. She puts her face in to the crook of his neck, inhales the clean scent of him. His sweater is soft and he’s hard against her, humming along too. They shouldn’t be like this, here, but Iris is starting to get caught up in it, their story. (Read below or on the AO3 link on the chapter title.)

Chapter VI: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You

Chapter VII: I'm in Love with You

Chapter VIII: Blue Dream

The Way

Woke up this morning

With a smile on my face

Barry: I had to look for crime clues at the bottom of a snake pit today. Hope your day was better than mine.

Iris: Well, I had to go off on a freshman student for coming at me about her shitty article, so not likely.

Barry: Yeah? Did it get physical?

Iris: Don’t be a cliche.

Barry: :)

Barry: Watched an episode of this Bridgerton show you like. I don’t get the hype.

Iris: Two words: Simon Bassett

Barry: Hmm.

Barry: I’m certain I look better.

Iris: Don’t lie to yourself like that.

Barry: Damn. Burn.

Iris: How will you ever recover?

Barry: I’m sure if I get you spread out over my face, I could.

Barry: And get you to forget about Simon Bassett too.

Iris:

Barry: Iris?

Iris: Sorry; I spilled my coffee.

Iris: I’ve thought of my next question.

Barry: Yeah?

Iris: What would be an ideal date for you?

Barry: Any one that you’re on with me.

Iris: That’s a cop out answer, Bear.

Barry: Bear?

Iris: I’m trying it out.

Barry: I can get behind that. Bears are polite dicks, right?

Iris: I hate you.

Barry: I’ve got a couple of scratches on my neck that prove you don’t.

Iris:

Barry: Baby?

Iris: Be serious. Ideal date.

Barry: I am.

Barry: You make me smile, Iris. You’re pretty and kind, even if you get a little grumpy sometimes. I’ve had a great time with you, when we’re walking around or having dinner or eating sandwiches by the lake. When we’re getting high or having sex.

Barry: And I want to keep getting to know you. So I am being serious. My ideal date is any one that you’re on with me.

Iris: How am I supposed to even respond to that.

Iris: Be ready on Tuesday at 6. Can you swing it?

Barry: I can.

Iris: Dress a little dressier than casual.

Barry: Did you get them?

Iris: Yes, Barry, they’re beautiful. What are they?

Barry: They’re called camellias.

Iris: I was very surprised to see them on my porch when I got home. And I love the vase too.

Iris: Really. Thank you. I don’t think anyone has ever gotten me flowers before.

Barry: Just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. I can’t wait to see you on Tuesday, baby.

Iris: Me either, Bear.

Iris: I think I still smell you on my couch, and I cleaned it. That’s ridiculous, right?

Barry: Only if me being able to still smell you on my fingers is.

Iris: What are you doing to me, Barry?

Barry: Nothing you aren’t already doing to me.

Barry: I was grinning down at my phone earlier and Chester and Cisco started giving me shit about you.

Barry: They told me I’m whipped.

Iris: Better than your boss announcing in her office that she’s glad you’re apparently getting good sex.

Barry: You are.

Iris: 🙄

Iris: Not lately.

Barry: Soon, baby.

Barry: And Iris?

Iris: Yeah?

Barry: I am.

Barry: Whipped.

“Who’s on the phone?”

It’s another Sunday night, a week after she’s last seen Barry. Mid-term prep and a triple homicide case have kept them both busy. They’ve exchanged a few text messages throughout the week and have tried to meet up for coffee once, though their schedules didn’t align.

She’s done her usual Sunday cleaning routine since she didn’t get a chance the week before and she’s even taken the time to condition and twist out her hair instead of flat ironing it as she normally would. Now, she sits back in one corner of her sofa, Law & Order: SVU playing in the background on the television and Linda and Wally sitting on the other side of the couch and in the armchair, respectively. Her laptop is in her lap and she’s cleaning up her “Loving” post before she officially posts it. Linda is writing, likely working on her new manuscript, and Wally is doing homework, books laid out on the arm of the chair and on the floor too.

She doesn’t answer right away because she’s unsure if she’s ready to tell yet. They’ve been texting all week and Iris feels even more like a teenager with a crush. She’s been going to bed with images of him in her head, of his kiss and his touch and the fact that he really did make her come all over his face on a blanket outside by the lake. And she can’t ignore the fact that she likes him. He’s funny and the likable kind of asshole and he says these sweet things that catch her off guard every. single. time. The flowers he’d dropped off when she was still at work on Friday are sitting on the counter, a mix of red and white flowers with open petals, short stems, and big green leaves.

“Iris?”

“Hmm?” She looks up from the last messages, I am. Whipped., and it’s to stare at her brother and best friend, who are watching her back. “What?”

“Who’re you texting?”

“I’m not texting anyone.”

“For a storyteller,” Linda says, “you are a horrible liar.”

“Take the phone, Linda,” Wally says, and Iris looks over at him, appalled. Wally is a handsome kid, 20 going on 37, with skin the same dusky shade as Iris’s and dark brown eyes, his hair tapered on the sides and higher, curlier on the top.

“What do you mean take my phone?”

Linda carefully sets her laptop to the side, and before Iris can ask another question, Linda jumps over to the side of the couch, reaching for Iris’s phone.

“Get away from me, you idiot,” Iris screams, and with Wally’s encouragement, Linda climbs onto Iris’s lap and snatches the phone from her hand. Wally hops up from his own seat to hold Iris down so that Iris can’t get up. She tries to struggle against him, but it’s no use. For a limber thing, Wally is strong.

“Who is it?”

As Iris makes note of the fact that she should definitely change her phone passcode, she settles under her brother’s hold as Linda looks through her phone.

“We’re gonna have to talk about privacy,” she grumbles.

Luckily, the text messages don’t go back as far as she’s known Barry, but unfortunately, there’s no hiding their budding relationship.

“Who is Barry?” Linda says, eyebrows raised high as she slides through. “And where can I get one?”

“You already have one,” Iris replies dryly.

“I guess,” Linda says, “But Dan’s not telling me he wants me to spread out on his face in a text message.”

“Iris!” Wally shouts.

“Wally is too young to hear all of this,” Iris tries.

“Oh please,” Linda says. “Let’s not forget that I caught him and that Johnathan guy hooking up in a closet at your dad’s house. Your little brother was on his knees.” That she adds with a saucy little grin.

“Can we actually not talk about me or the apparent fact that my sister’s getting tongued down by someone named Barry?”

“I’m okay with that.”

Linda bounces back to her side of the sofa, still holding on to Iris’s phone. “Well, I’m not. I mean, Wally I am 100% fine with never seeing you deepthroat a dick again. But I do want to know why my best friend is apparently out here pussy whipping white men named Barry and I don’t know about it.”

“How do you know he’s white?”

She gets the eye from both Linda and Wally.

“Okay, fine. He’s white. But he’s really nice.”

“Alright.” Linda catches her gaze and holds it, her brown eyes curious and, if Iris isn’t mistaken, a little sad. She glances over at the still beautiful bouquet of camellia flowers. “So he’s white and nice and he’s apparently buying you flowers too. Tell me more.”

Maybe this is what she needs, some girl-talk. There’s no real reason that she hasn’t told Linda about Barry, other than they haven’t really had real time to talk since their brunch a couple of weeks back. Well, and maybe it’s more than that. Maybe it’s the reality that she doesn’t know what’s happening with her and Barry, not really, and (in her head) there’s a sort of taboo about speaking on it, about making it real when it isn’t.

“He’s…” she starts, and then she pauses. “I need wine for this.”

“Me too!” Wally says as she disappears into the kitchen. She hears Linda tell Wally that he’s still not 21, even though his birthday is only a couple of weeks away, and so he can’t drink, but Iris pours up three glasses of the red wine on her counter anyway. There’s no telling what the conversation will bring.

She carefully takes the glasses back to the living room. The other two have fully abandoned their work and are sitting on the sofa waiting for her. They both make grabby hands for the wine and she passes the glasses over before plopping down in the middle of them.

“Okay, first things first,” Wally starts. “How’d you meet him?”

“I went out dancing,” she answers. “I guess a few weeks ago at this point. And…”

“A few weeks?” Linda interrupts.

Iris sips from her glass to avoid making eye contact after the bit of ire in Linda’s tone.

“Yeah,” she continues after a pause. “I went out and we came back here. He was gone the next morning and I thought that was it. But then he showed up a week later and we hung out again. I saw him at the Fall Fest after our brunch, Linda, and we had dinner. Last Sunday, he took me on a picnic.”

“Okay,” Linda says, “but tell me about him.”

“I don’t know; he’s…” she searches for what to say, to put words to the ways she’s been seeing him in her head, to the way she’s been feeling him in her heart. “Maybe nice is too easy a word because he’s not really nice. He’s polite; like he pays for meals and he walks me to my car and he says please. But he’s also got a little oomph to him, ya know. Like he doesn’t look like it, but he’s a little bit, a little commanding, and…”

“Wait, what do you mean commanding? Like is he trying to tell you what to do? Because…”

“No, Wally. I mean like...”

“In the bedroom?” Linda guesses and Iris nods. “Nice.”

“Good for you,” Wally says.

She waits until they’re done laughing at her irritated expression.

“Sorry,” Linda says. “He’s a freak. What else?”

“I don’t know. He’s kinda funny. Like, he doesn’t tell jokes but he’ll say something to try to push my buttons and it makes me laugh. Or he’ll laugh at himself and that makes me laugh too. And even though you can tell he’s pretty confident in himself, there are still these instances where he’s a little awkward and he blushes and it’s...sweet.” And he makes me feel a little less lonely, she doesn’t add, and like he could be someone that I could come to count on.

Her brother and best friend are both quiet after this and when Iris looks from one to the other, she frowns.

“What?”

“Iris, you like him.” This from Linda.

“It’s only been a couple of dates,” she deflects.

“Yeah,” Wally agrees, “and he’s already calling you baby.”

Linda hums. “That might have a little to do with the pussy whipping.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

“In any case,” Linda says, before Iris can respond. “If he’s all of this, why are you keeping it a secret?”

“Because I don’t know what we’re doing. I thought it was just sex. I mean he came back over after the first time for sex. But now, it’s, it’s…”

“More?” Linda tries.

“Right.”

“And you’re afraid that it’s gonna end before it even starts.”

Iris doesn’t know how Linda does it. She’s always been able to see right through Iris, in a way that would be scary if she didn’t appreciate it so much. Because that’s the truth, isn’t it? Iris is scared because it’s only been weeks and she likes this guy so much already. Even after their first night, when Iris was sure she’d never see him again, she’d felt a stirring of something in her gut, something strong and big and, and important. And it doesn’t make any sense, because all they’ve really done is have sex, albeit phenomenal sex, and talk about their hobbies a little. But she’s feeling feelings she’s never felt before and it’s all a bit...much. Feelings like this don’t last. They falter or they change, turning into things undefinable, charged, angry.

“It’s too soon, though, right?” She tries. “Like, we still don’t even really know each other and…”

“Don’t do that, Iris,” Wally interrupts, his voice a warning.

“Do what?”

“Think about ending it,” Linda says. “Ride it out. I know you have this need to try to figure out how things will end. And I can understand that. But, Iris, this man likes you. He’s telling you his feelings. And you obviously like him. So let that be okay for now. Trust that.”

Iris is not expecting the cute one-story modern farmhouse she pulls up to. It’s made of gray brick and white shiplap and there’s a flower garden on either side of the walkway that leads to the porch. A swinging chair hangs on one side of the porch and a couple of rocking chairs sit on the other and if Barry wasn’t already walking out of the house when she stopped her car in front, she might think she was at the wrong place.

The weather has gotten cooler in the evenings and so he’s dressed in a pair of dark plaid slacks that fit to the long length of him and a sift black sweater. She stifles a hysterical giggle at how it matches her own white cashmere sweater tucked into a black pleated skirt that hems just under her knees. She watches him stroll to her car and climb in.

“I was gonna come to the door and get you,” Iris says. “Like on a proper date.”

He shoots her a grin, cheeks pink. “I, uh, I was excited to see you.”

She hears Linda in her head saying, ‘you obviously like him; let that be okay for now,’ and so she smiles at Barry.

“You’re so sweet, it’s irritating.”

He gives her a wider dorky grin and she can’t help but smile back, wider than before.

“And this house is really nice.”

His smile turns softer, sadder. “Yeah. It was my parents’. Just want to keep it nice for them.”

“Well I don’t know if you’ve turned the inside into a dungeon, but you’re certainly keeping it nice outside.”

“Thanks, Iris. I’ve learned that I’ve got quite the green thumb trying to keep it up.” He wiggles his hands at her as she’s putting the car into drive and pulling off.

“Wait, so you tend to garden yourself?”

He nods. “Yeah. Both of my parents were into gardening. Well, my mom really liked flowers but she couldn’t really make anything grow. So she got my dad into it and he could, which annoyed her to no end.”

Iris shoots him a soft grin. “Is that what the tattoo is about? I’ve been wondering.”

“Yeah. I get two new flowers every year, one on my mom’s birthday and the other on the anniversary of her death.”

“That’s really sweet, Barry.”

She turns her attention back to the road. A man who, in addition to what she’s seen so far, is committed to keeping his mother’s memory alive? Yeah, she’s fucked.

Greenwood Art Gallery has only been open for a few months. A nod to the name of the neighborhood down in Tulsa that was once the home of a Black cultural and economic mecca, the art gallery features art by Black artists across the diaspora. Tonight is the opening night of a new artist showing, a young woman named Lauryn Morgan who’s a Central City native. Iris and Wally had gone together to their first showing, a curated collection of art focusing on Black American culture through the centuries. The showing tonight is called “The Way,” and is a series of art, canvas paintings and mixed-media prints, that focus on love in all of their forms.

The gallery is in a beautiful space in a reconstructed warehouse. There are a few exposed brick walls, but the place is largely filled with white walls and great lighting, art taking up every corner of the room. There is a large crowd there, when Iris walks through the front door with Barry at her side. Her black pumps have a silver ankle chain and a tall stiletto heel that puts her to his shoulder, and would make it easier to reach out and grab his hand. She doesn’t. Not yet, at least.

They stop first by a bar set up in one corner of the room. It’s a pretty wooden structure manned by two women in black dresses, both of their hair in locs and falling down their backs. The song for which the artist’s collection is named is playing from a speaker, Jill Scott’s sultry, smiling voice making the words jumped out of bed, took a shower, dressed; cleaned up my place; made me some breakfast, toast; two scrambled eggs, grits; grabbed my keys, grabbed my purse; grabbed my jacket, off to work; beaming all the way down third sound like some sort of ode to life and love. Iris insists on paying for their first glass of wine since it is her date, and they bicker good-naturedly about it as they wait for one of the bartenders to pour over full glasses of the chilled white wine.

“I’m paying for the next one,” Barry tells her, and she just shakes her head, mumbling “we’ll see” as she takes the glass from the brown-skinned woman with a smile.

“I’ve been wanting to come here,” Barry says as he presses a hand to her lower back as they move further into the room. It’s packed; the crowd seems like the normal art crowd around Central City, twenty- and thirty-somethings dressed in everything from tulle skirts to ripped jeans and boots to full on suits. The sea of faces run the line in skin color, from darker than chocolate and paler than vanilla and then all of the flavors in between. It’s one of the things she finds fascinating about Central City, an idea that is pushed every time she writes a new story about the power of people coming together, pushing stereotypes, making targeted efforts to understand.

“My brother and I came when it first opened,” she answers. “But I’ve been reading up on this artist and I’m really excited to see her work.”

Barry nods. “Thanks for wanting to share it with me.”

“Art is just another way that people tell stories,” she gives a little shrug. “And Black stories are extremely important to me.”

He gives her that look that he does, that wondering, curious sort of look, as if he’s always trying to understand what lies beyond the surface to what she isn’t actually saying. Maybe that is what he’s doing. Because then he nods again and smiles before pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I hear you,” he says seriously. “And I want to learn about that, to celebrate that.”

And well, okay then.

“What’s the story behind this one, do you think?”

It’s the first time Barry has really engaged with her. He’s been content to follow her from painting to painting, making small comments about how he likes this one or that one, but otherwise just following, watching. They started at one end of the exhibit, where it had been a little crowded and they moved along the lines of the walls, stopping at the ones placed haphazardly in the middle of the room too.

The art has been phenomenal, some platonic or familial, others romantic or erotic. She’s seen some featuring groups of Black women of various shades at a wine night or reading in a library; Black men playing pickup basketball or talking smack at the barbershop. She’s smiled at the ones that remind her of when she and Wally would sit on the couch watching movies or when her dad would try to comb her hair before he decided to just shell out money to get her hair professionally done.

The romantic canvas paintings have been her favorite: the one of a man and a woman dancing, their faces out of the frame, their bodies aligned and in shadows, the viewer understanding that this is not only a dance; another of two women lying in bed, one woman’s dark breasts bared, the other with a sheet covering the curve of her hip, the love evident in their pleased expressions; yet another of two men, standing in an embrace in the light of a window, towels tucked into their waists, the one with waist-length locs tucked into the neck of one with a high fade. It goes like this, with the mixed media prints of individuals celebrating their femininity, their masculinity, their androgyny.

The one Barry asks about is tucked away in the farther end of the exhibit. They’re alone back here for the most part, with people still largely at the front of the gallery, the occasional guest walking through to take a quick look before leaving. The painting is beautiful, another man and woman, in 20s era clothing, a sultry blue dress pushed up high on her thigh and a pair of suspenders falling off of his shoulders. He’s holding a saxophone and a microphone cord is wrapped around her bangled wrist, but there’s no mistaking that they aren’t playing for a crowd at the moment.

“It looks like the 20s era which, outside of the rampant racism, seems like a time I would have actually like to visit as a Black person. The art, the music, the literature. Everything was so, I don’t know, intimate, I think. People weren’t afraid to lay it all out in their art.” She turns to find him watching her, his expression thoughtful and a touch sensuous, like he’s think of laying it out, laying her out right now. She licks her lips, slowly, and continues, “They’re taking a break from making music; or rather, they’re making another kind. It’s why I love music, especially blues and R & B. Music is a story too, heightened senses and heated bodies and it’s feeling.”

On an impulse, she takes his hand and pulls him close, her other hand resting on his shoulders. They’d finished their wine and placed the glasses in one of the discreet bins placed around the gallery a couple of prints ago and they’re empty-handed. He doesn’t fumble the chance to touch her, and so he presses a hand to the small of her back and follows her as she sways, humming the song that’s playing, is it the way you love me, baby? is it the way you love me, baby?, ignoring the obvious implication as they move. She puts her face in to the crook of his neck, inhales the clean scent of him. His sweater is soft and he’s hard against her, humming along too. They shouldn’t be like this, here, but Iris is starting to get caught up in it, their story. It’s hard to hold on to fear, when he’s like this with her. They’re doing nothing but dancing in a crowded art gallery; they’ve done nothing but stare and laugh and fuck. But it’s been more, hasn’t it? A story she’s been writing since the moment he asked her to dance.

“You can feel it, right?” she asks, a little quietly. The sounds around them are stark, the low murmurs of the other guests, the laughs they emit. She can feel his heavy breathing and hers is no lesser, mixing with the tap of her heels on the wood floors, the thick tapping of her heart she wouldn’t be surprised he could actually hear. But they still seem to be in some sort of bubble, one where she can only focus on his humming, a baritone that hints at a nice singing voice, and the feel of him holding her.

“Yes,” he responds, just as quietly, and Iris doesn’t know the question she’s really asking the answer to. Or, maybe she does. Maybe it was written before she understood that it had been for her, and all she’s done ‘til now, and all she’s been ‘til now, has led her here. Maybe all of the stories she has written have prepared her to live in her own, to cling to this feeling, even if society would have her think it’s too soon or too much or far too scary. But she won’t voice it, not for real, not until those vestiges of fear are all gone.

They move, only for moments more, wrapped up in one another, his hand on her waist and hers on his shoulder, until they hear the sound of shoes on the floor and the muffled sound of laughter, pulling them away from each other.

They leave the gallery soon after that, and Iris is starving. She, likely against her better judgment, makes the decision to take Barry to Golden’s. She knows that Linda is tending bar tonight and the food is amazing, and she thinks that maybe it’ll go a little way in mending the bend between her and her friend. She can understand her sentiment; rarely do Iris and Linda keep secrets from each other. Iris knows that it’s been her own shit that’s kept her quiet, the feeling like she’s floating out on a piece of string and it would take only a snap for her to break away. Maybe keeping Barry quiet had been her way of holding on to him for as long as she could before he floated away too.

She parallel parks in an empty spot about a block away from the restaurant. She gives in to the urge to take his hand and they walk up the street. Central City is bustling for a Thursday night, the start of a weekend for many. She hears the music from a band playing from somewhere down the street and sees other couples walking hand in hand, smiling off to their destinations. Golden’s is just as packed when she walks in, but the host notices her immediately.

“Hey Iris,” Kamilla grins, the short perky woman waving as they walk up to the booth. She’s got skin a touch darker than tan and big brown eyes that always seem to be smiling as much as she does.

“Hey Kamilla,” Iris greets. Y’all are packed tonight.”

The other woman nods, her dark hair waving against her shoulders as she looks at the group of people waiting for tables along the side of the wall. “Yeah. I don’t know what’s up but we’ve been slammed since we opened for the dinner hour.”

“How long’s the wait?”

“Well, for you, not long. There are a couple of seats open at the bar or you two can go in the alcove. Xuan and Theo had some friends sitting back there, but they should be finishing up soon. I can put you at the bar until the table’s ready.”

Iris smiles widely. “You’re a saint. Thanks.”

“Anything for you, you know that.”

Kamilla leads them through the throng of people to the bar. Iris’s hand is still clasped in Barry’s and he squeezes once to indicate that he’s following. There are only two seats at the bar available, at the far end, away from where Linda is currently pouring drinks. It’s a long U-shaped bar, about ten seats along the longer side, two of either side of the U. The other bartender is down on their end, a slim woman named Allegra with light-honey colored skin and long dark brown hair. She sees Iris and waves, and then raises an eyebrow at Barry sitting beside her.

“Who’s this?” she asks when she walks over, noticing the way Barry is sitting sideways with his legs open, splayed out so that Iris is surrounded by him.

She and Allegra are not so much friends as they are acquaintances, stopping and chatting whenever Iris comes to hang out.

“This is Barry. Barry, this is Allegra.”

“Oh, so this is Barry.”

The sound of her best friend’s voice in sing-song comes from behind Allegra, thick hair swinging against her neck. She’s got a cryptic expression on her face, as she looks from Barry to Iris back to Barry again, also taking in his posture, their body language explaining what they haven’t said yet.

“He’s cute,” Linda says, winking at Barry, who blushes a little.

“Yes. Barry, this is my best friend Linda; Linda this is Barry.”

Barry gives up an easy smile and puts a hand out for Linda to shake. “It’s good to meet you. Iris has told me a lot.”

“Hmm, I hope more than I’ve heard about you.”

Snickering at her tone, Allegra leaves them to go handle another order.

“Don’t be rude because you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad,” Linda grumbles. She turns back to Barry. “But she’s right. I’m sorry for being rude. I really am glad to meet you.”

“This is your parents’ place, right?” he asks, looking around, obviously impressed. “Iris told me about it. I’m excited that she brought me here.”

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. You came on a good night. We just started our new menu.” She pulls a plastic-covered menu from below the bar for him to look at. “Kamilla told me she’ll get the table in the alcove ready for you. I’ll whip y’all up something to drink while you wait.”

Linda gives her a pointed look and then she’s gone, cute navy blouse billowing behind her. Iris faces Barry, who’s watching her, one hand on the back of her chair, the other sitting on the sliver of skin from where her skirt has ridden up her thigh.

“You okay?” he asks.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“That seemed like a lot.” He gestures towards Linda.

Iris sighs heavily. “Yeah. I’m sort of in my head about some stuff and Linda is taking it a little personally that I haven’t told her about it.”

“You mean me?”

“Partly,” she answers truthfully. “I, I didn’t always know how to talk about you. But it’s not just that; I’ve been dealing with some feelings of…listlessness. And I’m just trying to figure it out.”

“Iris, I…” He licks his lips, slowly, and leans in, close enough that she can smell the mint and wine on his breath. “If I’m moving too fast, I get that and I can pull back if you want. But I’m in this, to see where we can go.” His stare is insistent. “And you can tell me, if you want, about whatever else is bothering you. I’m always willing to listen.”

Before she can respond, Linda walks back over with two long-stemmed martini glasses, pale orange liquor filled to the brim.

“Ginger martinis,” Linda announces. “Something I just put on the menu.”

“In addition to being a badass writer, Linda’s a bomb bartender too.”

“Oh, you’re a writer too?” Barry wonders.

Linda smiles at Barry. “Yeah. Mostly fiction, though I dabble in personal essays. Nothing like our girl over here who can take someone else’s thoughts and make them come to life.”

“She is good, isn’t she?” Barry punctuates the question with a hand rub up her thigh. That makes Iris look up, startled, because they’ve never talked about her work before.

“You’ve read my work?”

“Of course,” he says, as if it should be obvious. “I’m working my way through your blog. I have been since you told me about it at the Fall Fest.”

Iris exchanges glances with a satisfied Linda.

“You hear that, Iris? Barry has been reading your blog since you mentioned it weeks ago. It’s almost as if…”

“Alright!” Iris interrupts. “Thanks, Linda. Goodbye.”

Linda laughs, throwing another wink at Barry before she blows a kiss at Iris. “I love you and have fun. Call me later.”

She’s done eating when he throws his napkin on top and slides over to her side of the booth. She blinks at him in confusion, but he just shrugs and says, “I wanted to be next to you.”

She scoots over to let him in, though it’s a tight fit, as she takes a sip from her water glass. They’re waiting on dessert, a decadent ginger créeme brûlée that Xuan created. It’s her favorite thing on the menu.

Iris thinks back on the course of their dinner. It’d been about as perfect as their picnic date, how conversation just seemed to flow. He tells her a bit about working as a forensic scientist and how he likes to use his love of science and problem-solving to help catch the bad guys. That leads into a conversation about her dad, a police captain for CCPD, and Barry is delighted to find out that he actually knows her father, a man he says he can tell wants nothing more than to do the right thing.

Iris talks a little about What a Life You’ve Lived , still a bit surprised that he’s reading through it. He asks deeper questions about a couple of the stories that really caught his attention. He likes that they read like short stories instead of interviews because they make the stories more fascinating. He wants to know how she chooses stories, what’s her writing process, if she does interviews or if they just send in and she cleans it up.

“A little of both,” she answers. “They send the story and then we set up an interview and we go from there. Sometimes they’re in person or on a video call. Some people prefer just emailed conversations because it keeps some of their anonymity.”

They laugh while they eat as they talk more about some of his more interesting cases, her funnier stories. Iris never really orders any food; Linda or her parents usually just tell the chef she’s there and the cooks do their thing, bringing out courses as they see fit. So they up her portions and Barry and Iris eat from the same plates, fighting over some of the items, like the garlic bok choy Iris always falls all over herself for and the shrimp and pork shumai that Barry attempts to eat more of.

Linda brings them another martini and on top of the glass of wine, she’s in a hazy sort of place. She isn’t drunk, but she does feel a little lighter, enchanted by the food and the drink and the company. Golden’s becomes a little more seductive at night, with lowered lighting and soft music, and the smiling, muted conversations that come with a date night. And so even though they eat and they laugh and they play, they do more. They make eyes at each other over the time of their glasses, watch a little too long as the other runs the teeth of a fork across the tongue. They caress one another’s hand when one goes for a bite of food. They tangle their legs, the feel of Barry’s hard, fabric-covered calves on her softer, bare legs far too arousing for how innocuous the movement. It’s teasing and it’s provoking and Iris feels it all down to the core of her.

So when he slides into the seat beside her, she brazenly throws her legs over his thighs under the guise of giving him more room. She’s thankful it’s darker where they are, that’s it’s more hidden where they are. Barry doesn’t miss a beat, placing a hand on her thighs and rubbing lightly. Their dessert arrives shortly thereafter and the waiter takes note of their changed positions with a smirk.

“You’ve got to try this,” Iris says, picking up one of the small spoons to scoop up a bit. “It’ll literally be the best thing you’ve ever put in your mouth.”

“I don’t know,” Barry hums, sliding his hand higher up her thigh under her skirt. His palm is warm and a bit soft, an interesting contrast to the slightly calloused tips of his fingers. “I’ve had you in my mouth.”

He takes a bite like he hadn’t just said that, tongue licking around the spoon. “But it’s a nice second.”

“You’ve gotta stop,” Iris says, staring down at the spoon, momentarily wishing it was her. “You really just gotta stop.”

His answering grin is lopsided. “I don’t really think you want me to. Why else would you put your legs up on me like this?”

She gasps in mock shock. “What are you trying to say, Bear?”

His grin turns dirty. “I want you to say that name a little differently in a minute.”

He moves his hand up, taking the fabric of her skirt with him, tapping at her thighs to part them. She does it easily, dropping one of her feet back to the floor so that she’s spread for him. The skirt is pliant enough that she can spread as wide as she wants and it still covers her.

“Eat the brûlée,” he suggests. “Give your mouth something to do.”

He tips those long fingers up the middle of her thighs, up one side and down the other, up one side and down the other. It’s slow, like he always is, and for someone who’s claimed to enjoy running, he’s always taking his time.

And every time he goes up one side and down the other, he makes his way higher and higher, higher and higher, until his fingers are skimming her panties, lightly tracing the edges of the silk material. She jumps, a little gasp escaping her parted lips.

“Eat,” he orders. It’s crazy, how turned on how she gets because of him. Every time he murmurs some increasingly dirty thing, every time he uses those far too skillful fingers to touch her, she feels herself soaking her panties with no shame. She’s been just on the verge of wet since she picked him up and saw him standing there in all that all black that had made his pale skin and pretty eyes stand out in stark contrast. Now, though, she knows that were she to look, she’d see a darker green right in the middle of the crotch of her panties. It shouldn’t be so easy, not the way they are together, not the way they’ve always been together. It should sometimes be awkward and fumbling and…and...

“Fuck,” the curse startles her out of her own musings when slides his finger under the fabric of her panties.

“I told you to eat, Iris,” Barry reminds her, and she picks up the spoon with no further delay, scooping up a portion of the dessert and putting it in her mouth. At the same time, he slides a gentle finger along her slit. She’s imbued with, with awareness: the sweet taste of sugar on her tongue, the sweet feel of his digit sliding into her; the shock of the lemon-ginger filling her mouth, the shock of him pushing another finger in and to the knuckle. She lets out a silent moan against the spoon, taking his advice and eating so that she doesn’t fall back on the chair with her mouth wide open in ecstasy.

It’s a lesson in restraint, the next several minutes. He massages her as she eats, his fingers sliding in and out of her, in and out her, scissoring, and sliding, and rubbing, and then repeating the process. Her hips start to rock against his hand, undulating as she tries to get closer, as she takes his fingers and clenches around them. Her hand tightens on the spoon she’s using, and it’s a struggle to keep her eyes facing forward and not rolled in the back of her head. Because still with the two fingers fucking into her, he thumbs at her clit, rubbing in slow circles. She wishes that she could look down at them, to see what those long, pale fingers look like disappearing inside of her wet, pink flesh; but she can’t and even still, she can recall the look of it from their time on the couch. It feels like that did, when he was playing in her, but different and maybe better.

Because now he knows a little bit about what gets her off quicker, about the fact that although it’s torture when he’s fucking her at a snail’s pace, she likes the be fingered like that. She likes when he crooks his fingers, just a little, and when it feels like a gentle stroking instead of an all-out assault. She likes when he waits ‘til her clit is hard and peeking from its hood before he touches it, and then keeps at it, rubbing in small, slow circles. And “god, Bear,” does the creme brulee make this something else, make it more rousing, make it sexier, make it sound like go 'head, really get your groove on; cause tonight my man's coming through...i got another, nasty, freaky, just right way in mind; tonight, I'm gonna beat the high score. He slides in and out, he rubs slow circles, she rocks her hips like she would if she could be impaled on him right now.

And he leans closer to her, watching her face as he fingers her, mumbling as he does, “yes, baby, ride my hand, soak my hand, baby,” his voice barely above a whisper. It makes Iris jerk hard against the table. Barry attempts to slow down, but Iris all but gives up the idea of eating and grabs at his wrist. “No, don’t stop, Bear.”

He lets out an easy chuckle, twisting his wrist so that he can push deeper, his palm now rubbing against her clit, his fingers curved in her pussy.

“You’re gonna get us caught,” he whispers into her ear, and Iris whimpers at the dark timbre of his voice washing over her. “Hmm, you seem like you’d like that. Huh, Iris? Does the thought of all these people seeing you bite those sexy lips as you try not to scream get you off? Do you want them to hear how you sound right now? How you’re so wet I can almost hear you over them talking right now?”

“Bear,” she moans and it’s louder than she intends and Barry reaches out to tuck her into his neck. And she can’t answer, doesn’t know if she is getting off on them like this, but she feels her orgasm coming, hard and fast but smooth, gliding through her like it’s the easiest thing her body has ever done.

When she comes around his hand, clamping her thighs around his wrist, she stays tucked in Barry’s neck and bites down, because the creme brulee is all gone, and fuck if this doesn’t feel good. She makes a strangled sound in her throat and hopes that she bites down hard enough to muffle it, even if it marks him. She hears his own low groan, rumbling near silently in his chest, and Iris thinks that makes her come even harder, eyes shut tight as she savors it. She rides it out, clenching and unclenching like a vise over his fingers, and tasting the sweetness of his skin, feeling his hardness under her thigh.

“They’re never gonna let me back in here, Barry,” Iris whispers in a labored breath, after.

“It’s fine,” he says as he pulls his hand out of her. He looks at it for a moment, at her slick glistening on his skin, and then he puts the two middle fingers in his mouth, groaning at the taste of her. Iris thinks she almost comes again.

“They don’t even know what’s going on,” he continues, oblivious to Iris who’s watching him with blown eyes. At least she thinks he’s oblivious until he wipes the rest of her off on a cloth napkin and then shoots her a salacious wink.

She shakes her head, partly in amusement, and she smoothes her hands down her thighs above her skirt. Her one leg is still thrown across him. “How do you even get me to do shit like this? I’m so embarrassed. I was such a good girl before I met you.”

His chuckle is a rumble against her. “You are good, baby. So fucking good.”

She lifts her head, because something about that last part seems like more than just teasing. He curls a hand around the back of her neck, making her hold his gaze.

“You smell good,” he says. “You taste good. But more than that,” he pauses as places a hand on her chest, just above her heart. “You are good.”

“You don’t even…”

“Don’t,” he stops her. “Don’t say I don’t know you. I mean sure, I still haven’t figured out all the things that anger you or what you’re like when you’re stressed. But I’ve watched you talk about your family and I’ve seen the compassion you have for the people you write about and… and when I tell you you’re good, I mean that.”

She tucks herself back into his neck after that, wrapping her arms around him to acknowledge his comment, to try to tell him what she doesn’t know how to say yet. It would make sense that she move away from him, that she set herself back to rights. It would make sense that she step back, to clear the haze he’s got her in, to make sure she’s reading this story correctly. But something else tells her that she might be, that she might even be reading it a tad too slowly, so she stays right where she is, his hand rubbing up and down her back. And she closes her eyes, hoping that the story doesn’t end too soon.

Is it the way you love me, baby?

#westallen fanfiction #iris west #barry x iris #barry allen #strangers to lovers

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ashistrashhh · 4 years ago

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here are some fic recs!! including sakuatsu, bokuaka, kuroken and matsuhana bc i couldnt help myself

if you want, ask me about a certain ship and ill give you some recs!

-sakuatsu-

Marble and Sandstone by red_camellia

rating: G words: 12,937 chapters: 2/2

author summary: Miya Atsumu only cares about volleyball and nothing else. That is, until he develops a strange obsession with the marble statue of a young man that seems vaguely familiar in his university's arts department. One day that statue comes alive as the very real Sakusa Kiyoomi, and they are left with the mystery of why Sakusa Kiyoomi was turned into a statue and only came back to life when Atsumu touched him. Their new-found connection and the strange mystery turns Atsumu's life upside down, not least because of his growing feelings for Sakusa.

my notes: this was a rlly cute fic!!! 11/10 would read again!!

let it go (paint my body gold) by lunarism

rating: T words: 3,272 chapters: 1/1

author summary: It becomes a routine for them. Sometimes they go grocery shopping and make dinner together, other times they end up talking until Sakusa feels like his own shower and bed is calling him. Every single time Sakusa gets home, shrugs his coat off, balls it up, and proceeds to scream profusely into the fabric for a few minutes.

my notes: pining!!! sakusa!!! also casual painter!atsumu!!! and they paint together!!!

craft a miracle with these hands, lips, (silence) by chrysanthe (sonderesque)

rating: T words: 4,252 chapters: 1/1

author summary: ‘Someone is here to ruin your night,’ his door tells him. ‘You should let them in.’ “I’M HOMELESS OMI-OMI. HOMELESS,” yells the one here to ruin his night. “LET ME IN.”

(What does Kiyoomi sell his sanctuary for?)

my notes: hnnn rlly fuckin cute,, and domestic,,,,

Clipped To You by littleboat

rating: T words: 8,174 chapters: 1/1

author summary: It starts with Hinata Natsu, of all people.

Well, if Atsumu’s being honest with himself, it started way before that, but he’s not, so that’s besides the point. And thankfully, he’s just petty enough to blame all of his problems on a thirteen year old girl.

or Sakusa starts wearing hair clips and Atsumu is more than a little obsessed

my notes: minor kagehina, bokuaka // god these fics rlly make me simp for fictional characters even more than i should. but!! sakusa!!! in hairclips!!! and a pining atsumu!!!

learn how to lay me down in something other than danger, other than fury by rosevtea

words: 34,211 chapters: 1/1

author summary: All of the ways fellow college TA Miya Atsumu reinvents Kiyoomi's definition of normal.

my notes: god i loved this. it’s a fake dating au and like,, even though they’re “dating” sakusa keeps letting his guard down little by little around atsumu and it surprises everyone. komori and akaashi just know that they’re were genuinely pining for eachother

among probabilities and a thousand fates by aalphard

rating: T words: 15,675 chapters: 1/1

author summary: prompt fill for “in a world where the red string of fate exists, person a’s finger always twitches when person b, who can see the string, tugs on their string” | or sakusa thought he had a tic and atsumu liked to see his confused expression when it started to happen exclusively when he was around.

my notes: i! loved! it!! so basically atsumu and osamu have the rare gift of seeing the red string of fate, so they know its real but sakusa, like most other people dont believe it exists. so atsumu gives sakusa a (kinda) hard time. rlly cute!! i love soulmate aus!

-bokuaka-

love in the time of wifi by dalyeau

rating: G words: 4,177 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Akaashi is coming to terms with the fact that he might be romantically interested in his volleyball captain. Hence, doing what any sixteen year old with a problem should do. He asks about it online.

my notes: really cute fic about akaashi asking what he should do about his crush on a site similar to reddit. its kinda a “i didnt know it was you” kind of fic and it made me happy

steam by orphan_account

rating: E words: 8,474 chapters: 1/1

author summary:

bokuto: why is he so hot bokuto: why am i so gay kuroo: LMAO you mean your vice captain right bokuto: yeah

The coach blew the whistle for practice to begin, and Bokuto drummed his fingers against the bleachers, awaiting Kuroo’s reply. He was about to walk away, when his phone buzzed in his hand.kuroo: i got this bro bokuto: what bokuto: wtf does that mean

Bokuto started to panic.

my notes: explicit!!! but really wholesome. kuroo is honestly the best wingman. i also think this is my favourite bokuaka smutfic??

just to miss the sun by rosevtea

rating: T words: 15,126 chapters:1/1

author summary: Everything begins to implode when MSBY Jackals outside hitter Bokuto Koutarou crashes Akaashi's livestream.

my notes: akaashi is a booktuber and bokuto crashes one of his streams. fans begin to speculate. rlly fluffy and can u tell i like bokuaka

brain fish by iceblinks

rating: T words: 12,026 chapters: 6/6

author summary: Akaashi wakes up to a string of texts from an unknown number.

my notes: i love text fics and i love wrong number aus so u can tell how much i loved this. really fluffy and i come back to it time to time

-kuroken-

us three by honey_s

rating: T words: 5,137 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Kuroo’s gaze flits over to the utensil. His eyes bulge out of his skull. “Wh—is that a meat hammer? Put it back!” Akaashi’s head recoils back in confusion. “I don’t understand the problem here.” “Why on Earth have you got a fucking meat hammer? We aren’t going to kill somebody!” “Well,” Akaashi begins, clearly taken aback, “I apologise for assuming. I had heard Kenma-san had been hurt in school and after getting a message from both of you to meet late at night, I merely filled in the blanks and assumed we were going to beat someone up, for lack of a better term.” “Not literally! I meant metaphorically, or figuratively, or something!” “Idiomically?” “That isn’t a word, Bokuto-san.” “Jesus Christ,” Kuroo groans, dropping his head into his hands. “We're going to jail."

my notes: bokuaka and kuroo are ready to beat someone up for kenma!! and we stan!!

Cherry Pits and Cat Tattoos by strawberryriver

rating: G words: 6,141 chapters: 1/1

author summary:

Kuroo has been in communication with his soulmate ever since they were kids. They've known each other for so long that he never really worried about when or how he would meet them. At least, not until he meets the roommate of Bokuto's soulmate.Soulmate AU in which things written on your skin show up on your soulmate. Companion piece/same AU as Serendipty

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

Kuroo Tetsurou liked to write on his arms. Despite his mother's half-serious warnings about “ink poisoning” or staining his skin, he insisted on marking his arms and legs wherever he could. Not like his best-friend-since-always Bokuto Koutaro, who had to write on his arms or he’d forget to breathe, but artfully. He’d draw designs, animals, the occasional chemical compound. The whole idea behind soulmates fascinated him: how one person could mark their arm and someone potentially thousands of miles away, would have that same mark appear. The amount of articles, studies, and books he’d read about the topic, even at a young age, could put an undergrad researcher to shame.

my notes: again with the soulmate au bc i cannot help myself. but really cute!!! probably gonna read this again later!

Boom, Toasted by protostar (hearthope)

rated: T words: 6,782 chapters: 1/1

author summary:

FROM: yuuji any bets on who hes texting??

FROM: eita He's smiling at his phone. Kuroo, probably

FROM: kentarou Kuroo

TO: fake family Have any of you ever once considered not prying

FROM: eita You deserve it

FROM: yuuji how can we not when ur in love!!

Kenma gets a text from an unknown number. He'd be lying if he said the guy behind it wasn't kind of endearing.

my notes: again, i love wrong number texts. it focuses more on kenma’s friendship, but kenma’s pov with texting kuroo is more than him realizing feelings and stuff. really cute, ive read it multiple times.

Japan's most subscribed by NeverNothing

rating: T words: 3,631 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Kuroo Tetsurou @blacktetsurou changed his bio : volleyball player, co-owner of Bouncing Ball Corp. and so much more ;)

my notes: i! love! social media! fics!!! really cute and basically people wondering who the mysterious kuroo is to applepi.

MATSUHANA!!! the underrated gem

texting (with a capital S) by parenthetic

rating: M words: 2,119 chapters: 1/1

author summary: Hanamaki breaks his No Texting In Class rule, and it's all downhill from there.

my notes: honestly more funny than it suggests, but its matsuhana, they’re meme lords.

rated m for by orphan_account

rated: T words: 10,692 chapters: 1/1

author summary: He should have known that there was a Specific Reason™ why it was so absolutely vital that he and Matsukawa specifically meet for a reading of the script. He should have known that there had to be some evil catch beyond sitting in a tiny, cramped studio with his newly sworn enemy.

Hanamaki stares at the title of the script he’d so gracefully neglected the night before.

FORBIDDEN PARADISE

“Excuse me,” Hanamaki starts, raising a pen in the air while staring blankly at the packet in his free hand. “Just to clarify, you want me to record a boy's love CD with Matsukawa?”

my notes: a very good voice actor au. there is some misunderstanding on hanamaki’s part bc he didnt finish listening to matsukawa, and this is really cute and i love matsuhana.

In A Quiet Night, All Sounds Carry by levyovochka

rating: E words: 4,794 chapters: 1/1

authors summary: “Ah, ah, Too—!”

Hanamaki hates his university dorm.

“—ru, let me cum, please!”

Hold up. That’s a fucking understatement. Let him rephrase it: Hanamaki loathes his university dorm with passion. Detest the damned abomination, abhors it—

“—ru! Coming, coming—”

It has only been a month and Hanamaki already wants to die.

my notes: as u can guess minor iwaoi // rlly well written and bottom hanamaki rights and maybe my favourite matsuhana smutfic??? and hooh boy i simp for matsukawa

call me maybe by totooru

rating: T words: 33,689 chapters: 14/14

author summary: Hanamaki texts the wrong number when trying to extort tips out of Oikawa in order to defeat Iwaizumi in arm wrestling, and then continues to text the witty stranger who had answered.

my notes: minor iwaoi, daisuga, bokuaka // god i think this is my favourite matsuhana fic overall, maybe in general, but my god is it great. this is probably a common rec, but its understandable as to why it is. basically au where makki texts matsun (who goes to karasuno) instead of oikawa for tips to beat iwaizumi at an arm wrestling match. but they keep messaging. and holy shit i love their conversations. please read this, it is 256/10

there we go!! i might go a part two with more ships (kagehina, tsukkiyama and iwaoi) but this took up way to much time lol. i have an essay due in a couple hours. but hope u like these fics as much as i do!!

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astranne · 4 years ago

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FanFiction.net MASTERLIST

Here are the FanFiction I’ve read on FanFiction.net. Hope you’ll enjoy!

For each recommendation I’ve linked the story to the title and wrote/copied a little summary. Please remember that many stories are rated M or E, if not stronger. Read on your own risk!

justhugefangirl’s masterlist

fanfiction recommendation masterlist

Love’s Labour Found by Peanutbuttertoast1

The War may be over, but Hermione Granger's life is just starting as her true heritage is revealed. Being the Heir to the Throne of England and a real life Princess is just the beginning of Hermione's story...but how will the Wizarding World react when they learn the Golden Girl and Gryffindor Princess is really a real life Royal?

This fanfic os one of my favourites, read it already three times- I can’t. It’s perfect, okay? For me it’s perfect.

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A Witch in Gotham by Peanutbuttertoast1

After the Second Wizarding War, a curse rips through the Magical World, leaving devastation in its wake. Hermione Granger is tasked to find the reason, and the cure before more lives are lost. Retreating into the Muggle World to start over, Hermione finds her way to Gotham City as Mia Black, Head of the Black Foundation. Her decision to help the Batman changes her life forever.

A perfect crossover- honestly, this author is perfect. As well this story. I don’t link more of the authors work but there are some other ones which are just ... perfect.

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Mischief Managed by fringeperson

A man with black hair, green eyes and pale skin watched over a child with black hair, green eyes, pale skin, and a variant of the Elder Futhark rune Sowilo etched upon his brow.

Mischief Mastered (part of story)

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Green Eyes and Red Hair by fringeperson

He was a practical joker with messy black hair. She was a talented woman with bright red hair. It turned out that they both had green eyes. Their daughter, when she came, was untouchable for more reasons than one. Loki-is-James, Natasha-is-Lily, Rogue-is-Fem!Harry.

I love the relationship between Loki and Natasha :)

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Love on Her Arm by Eye Greater Than Three

During a trip to Gringotts, Hyacinthe Potter discovered she met her soulmate, William Weasley. Bill/Hyacinthe. female!Harry.

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The Winter Witch by Kneazle

Hermione realized it began with a sense of Impending Doom and finished with a battle outside her tent. The deciding line between staying and helping Robb Stark, or returning to her universe, is getting harder to see the longer she's in Westeros. But it's a decision that she has to make, or it's one that will be made for her. Part 1 & Part 2 complete! Part 3 now ongoing.

This... is one of my favourites crossovers,,, the slowburn between Hermione and Robb,,, and it’s so fluff,,, I’m such a sucker for dark stories but this is just pureness and ugh-

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Moratorium by Darkpetal16

Harry Potter could never be the hero. But, she might make a great villain. Satire. Parody. -COMPLETE- F!Harry Fem!Harry Gray!Harry.

Uhm- this is one of the darker fics I love. It’s very good written, cause of this I really don’t mind the ship fem!Harry x Tom Riddle

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A Life Twice Lifed by Nemesis13

Draco Malfoy died at the venerable age of 107, and who awaited him at the crossroads? His mother? His wife? No, it had to be his eccentric former rival, eventual best friend, and far too often partner in chaos Harry Potter. Oh, and of course he had a deal to offer Draco to live his life anew, and obviously there was a caveat to it all that he wasn't privy to, damn Potters.Fem!Draco

Ahh, Drarry. How I love this ship

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Persephone by dulce.de.leche.go

Better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path. Better still to be the consort of Hades than a part of his collection of souls. Ten years after Voldemort has won the war, Hermione reaches a breaking point and shreds the flow of time to change her future. If she can't change the world, she will change her place in it. Extremely dark Tomione/Volmione. Warnings inside.

As already written in the summary, this fic is hella dark. So if you don’t like dark fics (especially with all the warnings mentioned in the first chapters) don’t read. I still love it tho-

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The Muddy Princess by Colubrina

Just another Pureblood!Hermione story. A hidden adoption revealed, a brother found, a new world to figure out: "What are you hoping for?" he asked as they stood ready to do the spell. "I don't know," Hermione admitted. "You?" His knuckles were white on his wand. "A sister," he said, his voice very low, "I'm hoping for a sister."

There are more stories from this author which are just- awesome and absolutly perfect, like the next ones. Since they have over 60, I won’t link every work here.

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Lady of the Lake by Colubrina

Hermione and Draco team up after the war to overthrow the Order and take over wizarding Britain. They have plans and they'll get power, but the cost of victory may be higher than they expected and more than they can bear. Dark Dramione. COMPLETE

This is perfection. Nothing more to say.

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Dark Cherry Chapstick by Colubrina

Hermione returns for an optional 8th year after the war and Draco Malfoy, also back at Hogwarts at his mother's request, notices she's changed. A brief dip into the 'makeover' trope AND the 'goth' trope in one fic. ONE SHOT. Dramione.

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The Green Girl by Colubrina

Hermione is sorted into Slytherin; how will things play out differently when the brains of the Golden Trio has different friends? AU. Darkish Dramione. COMPLETE

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The Last Peverell by animerocker 646

Being the Master of Death made life difficult, especially when you need to save all of magical Europe from inbreeding its way to extinction. At least Death was enjoying watching his Master attempt this over and over again. Harry didn't find it nearly as entertaining. Well, tenth times the charm right? (FemHarry)

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Soft, Low, English Accent by Tsume Yuki

'God, you've got a beautiful voice.' Hariel always found it funny, that of all the things her soulmate could take note of -the messy hair, the bright green eyes, the scar- it's her voice he points out first. FemHarryxMatt

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Bless the Broken Road by Tempestas D. Uzu

Her resolve crumbled in the face of Pietro Maximoff's scruffy good looks and warm blue eyes, and she found herself falling for another person who would be doomed to die for her selfishness. (One Shot)(fem!HarryXPietro)(cannon-divergent)(full warnings inside)

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The Death of Natasha Romanoff by Philosophize

While helping to stop Stane, Natasha encounters a face she never thought she'd see again. Forced to deal with memories, decisions, and a life she thought she'd long left behind, will she survive the emotional upheaval, not to mention the rampaging, homicidal Stane? Or will she have to face her fears & transform herself, becoming once again what she once was? AU; fem!Harry; femslash

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Code Of Conduct by tlyxor1

A year after the war, Gwen Potter joins SHIELD. It's a life in the shadows, and a perpetual dance with death, but for the Witch Who Won, SHIELD - and Clint Barton - is exactly what she needs. She just doesn't know it yet. AU. Clint/Gwen. Fem!Harry. Pre-MCU. Post-Hogwarts, Post OOTP. Discontinued.

It already says it’s not finished,,, but oh well- I still liked it.

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The Almost Forgotten Marriage Contract of 1763 by worldtravellingfly

What would you do when suddenly confronted with a 200+ years old marriage contract by a teen and her lawyer? Run for the hills? Call the nice guys with the white jackets? Certainly not - agree? Well, Tony Stark always was a bit unique.

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Some Hearts by sakurademonalchemist

Robin Black was a bound witch. However, as the new Mistress of Death she was able to break free to Asgard and prepare to reap her vengeance. What she didn't count on was falling for a certain green-eyed, silver-tongued God of Mischief or being hit by Time Sand before the war restarted. Can she make her way back to Loki, or will she be stuck on Earth? FEM HARRY! YOU WERE WARNED!

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A Man of Honor by bloomsburry-dhazel

One day, Lyanna Stark discovers an unconscious man in the Wolfswood. Not knowing who he is, she takes him back to Winterfell where he is nurse back to health... Steve Rogers can't remember what happened to him, or how he ends up there, but he does remember who he is. He is Captain America, and somehow he has become Lyanna Stark's sworn shield.

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The Origin of The Black Widow by The Black Shadowx

The story of how the Black Widow became to be. detailed description of her life in the Red Room and what happened when she defected. this is my own creation so if things appear that is not in the comics thats the reason. i don't things can ever be too far stretched so excuse me if it gets weird. DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING TO DO WITH MARVEL . WRITTEN FOR ENTERTAINMENT ONLY

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will be updated...

#masterlist #fanfiction #fanfiction.net #harry potter #marvel #dc #crossovers #got #game of thrones #honestly #why do i even put tags here #justhugefangirl recommends {📑}#fanfiction recommendation {📚}#justhugefangirl creates {🌹}

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radramblog · 4 years ago

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Rating the letters of the alphabet

I feel like part of my style of comedy is just rambling about shit and making loose connections between things as part of an overall bit. I think. I’m no expert on myself, unfortunately.

The inspiration for the following absolute load of shite is trying to search Tiermaker for nothing. Like, no characters in the search bar. Didn’t come up with anything. Did a search for just a space. No dice. What about just a? Surely that’ll bring up everything with an A in the title. But it didn’t, and I was somewhat disappointed.

Then my head started writing bits about letters and that’s how we got here. This is probably really stupid, but maybe it’ll at least be fun. Wordplay is cool, though maybe not my strong suit? Anyway.

A: A is one of the two letters that’s also just a word, as you’ve just seen, giving it a necessary promotion in rank. Not a lot of things get to double up like that, though with the “an” ligature maybe it’s actually a double or nothing. But because of the confusing common connection crossing contexts for the character, it gets somewhat awkward to talk about the letter in conversation. An A, in my opinion, A does not get. 4/5.

B: B is also just a word letter but unlike A when you write it out you have to stick a few extra letters on to make it work, making it not as good. But B’s association with bees isn’t enough, because in the year of our lord, like, 2019 or something, it would become inextrixably linked with shite memes as the B emoji became king. And I just don’t respect that. It’s otherwise a fine letter, dragged down by its company. 2/5.

C: Oh come on now, the word doesn’t even have a C in it anymore! You can sea the see without any of our tertiary letter’s involvement whatsoever. Not to mention how its two main sounds are just copies from other letters wholesale. C must be confusing to non-english speakers, I’d imagine. C as a grade gets what C as a grade typically entails for many a schoolchild. 3/5.

D: It would be remiss of me not to give a sterling grade to the D. Why, none of us would be here without it. While many a youth may find the D to be quite a humourous subject, I assure you I’m taking it with the gravest of sincerity when I say the D has got to be one of the best letters of all.

And by D I mean deity, of course. Wait, what did you think I meant? 5/5.

E: The absolute absurdity that is the E meme elevates E efficiently enough to excel beyond many another vowel. However, it is also the single most common letter in the English language, going so far as to open the damn name. It’s to the point where someone made a point of writing an entire book without using it, and I think Gadsby is cool but mayhaps avoiding fifth uncial was a bit showy. I can’t help but mark it down for the sake of hipster cred. 3/5.

F: F is for Fuck. I like the word Fuck. F is for paying respects. I think the military-industrial complex has poisoned our cultural landscape to the point that a reference to one of its most prized productions’ awkward moments has become one of the most colloquially used meme letters in existence, And That’s Terrible. 3/5, I’m conflicted.

G: Man literally who the fuck cares about G. What is it even good for. Just an absolute waste of a letter, total shithouse. It’s NATO equivalent is Golf, the Worst Sport, too. Who asked for any of this? Just use a J instead, it’s cooler. 1/5.

H: I’ve seen “Hhh” used enough times in written forms of pornography to not consider it a Horny Letter. That and it, being short for Hentai, is often used to denote adult material in Japan. Basically what im saying is, I think this gets worse the less sex-positive you are. 6/9.

I: I think I’ve said enough about letter words already, but I is another high-tier one because like A I is just it’s own thing. It can also, however, be a bit confusing, looking just like an l a lot of the time, and having to constantly capitalise it is a pain in the ass. I also don’t have a particularly high opinion of myself, so a high opinion of I seems disingenuous. 3/5.

J: Clearly the best letter, hands down. I’m definitely not biased. There are so few letters as underappreciated by J- a fact many a person who’s had to do that “assign yourself an alliterative adjective” icebreaker game has had to reckon with. Because it appears to be a lot more popular with names than with words, and that just kind of sucks. 6/5.

K: K has in some circles managed to bump off its partner to become yet another letter word, though in a very informal abbreviated sense. However, when you’re looking into scientific fields, eventually said partner returns, having lost some weight on the trip down to absolute zero. This all makes complete sense in my head, and I’m sure is a lot less funny to anyone who doesn’t live there. 4/5.

L: I’d argue that L doesn’t cop its namesake. It’s a really useful letter, loads of words use it, especially in pairs, and my ADHD-brain thought it was fun to just say LLLLLLLLLLL for a bit while I was thinking about this so I guess that’s staying in now. Put me down as an L Lobbyist. 4/5.

M: Mmmmmm. M&Ms. But also it’s kind of a pain to write. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. 3/5.

N: I’d like to fight whoever decided we should have two letters that sound so similar right bloody next to each other in the alphabet. Actually, who the fuck even decided the alphabet’s order to begin with? Maybe it should go M to N, that’ll bloody show you. 2/5.

O: Our fourth vowel, and perhaps one of the underappreciated ones. O is similarly a letter word, but a much more common one considering its use as an interjection. It’s also one half of a very powerful letter combo, as we’ll see. 4/5.

P: There’s the other half. Many a joke involves OP as a phrase, whether it mean overpowered or original poster, and the letters’ adjacency is a lovely bit of serendipity. Whenever I say P out loud, on its own, I have to resist the urge to do some incredibly shitty beatboxing, which may or may not be a good sign. 4/5.

Q: I was going to write some very harsh words about Q, and its dependency on U, but then I realised that that is probably hate speech against the disabled. It still sucks, though. 0/5.

R: R is the one I am most struggling to think of things to say about. R is another letter that’s just kinda there. I’m sure the Roberts and Rachels of the world would disagree with me, though. It’s also the name of a program that I know has traumatised a lot of young biologist wannabes, slapping us with a whole pile of maths and statistics when we just wanted to look at cool plants and shit. Or in my case, cool cells and shit. 2/5.

S: The most overrated consonant, but also the thing that makes plurals not a pain in the ass. However I’m going to lean towards giving S a positive rating, if only because it’s associated with snakesssss (and serpentine characters who can talk) and I like those. 3/5.

T: I don’t think T gets enough credit as one of the pillars of the English language. A lot of very common words feature it, and yet it feels like it never gets the same level of credit as big shots like S or half of the vowels. T is like the character actor of the alphabet, is basically what I’m saying. 4/5.

U: Ah, the letter Americans hate for some reason. I think this is actually commentary on the history of American politics. Because throughout history, America has been extremely selfish and self-centered, while attempting to present a positive image that people are finally seeing past. They only entered WWI and WWII when it was convenient for them, they started wars and initiated coups in even their allies for petty ideological reasons, and they’ve gone to war with several countries and funded wars with several others seeming just for shits and giggles. Because apparently if you’re not an American, then you’re not one of them, and that means they hate U. 4/5.

V: I actually think V is underrated. It’s a fun sound. That’s it, no joke here. It’s neat, I like it. 4/5.

W: This may come as a shock to you, but double-u over here is actually two Vs! unless you’re writing in cursive, but fuck cursive. The French actually have it right on this one, naming it double-v (pronounced doobleh-vay). Add in the fact that it’s literally just M upside down, and you’ve got a pretty shite letter. 1/5.

X: There’s a reason literally every “A is for Apple” thing you see made for kids uses Xylophone for X, and that’s because there are no commonly used words that start with it. Seriously, it’s all just scientific terms- I’d argue X-Ray is more common than Xylophone in common parlance, but also, who wants to explain imaging to a kid. It doesn’t even get a second page of words on Dictionary.com. X also has implications as a letter word, that I’d rather avoid at the moment. 2/5.

Y: Ah, Ygreck, everyone’s favourite “what the fuck, France?” moment. Between that and being sorta kinda not really a vowel, Y prompts its own question more often than I’d care to admit. 2/5.

Z: As a (technical) member of the generation associated with this letter- on the one hand, I’m sorry, on the other, y’all have it coming. The final letter of the alphabet, one of the other ones worth 10 in scrabble (and yet X isn’t???), and one we probably got pretty sick of in the early 00s when it was everywhere- ironically, when most of the generation was getting born. 2/5.

And that’s the lot of them. I hope this didn’t alienate any non-English speakers too hard. It’s probably fine.

Join me for more bullshit next time I have another stupid idea. I mean, tomorrow.

#ramble #nonce shit tbh #remember when I made good content? yeah me neither

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thewillowbends · 5 years ago

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Lucifer Fanfiction Recs

It's about time I did one of these for this fandom! This is by no means comprehensive or even everything I've read that's saved in my bookmarks. You can see more of them here if you want to see a fuller listing here. Instead, I've just randomly selected a few of my favorites that I'd like to boost for now, and I'll likely do another eventually with more.

Multi-Chapter Fics:

A Refraction of Light Author: Matchstick_Dolly Rating: M Genre: Adventure/Romance/Drama (Pick one, there are many!) Characters: Whole Cast, OCs Status: Complete Summary:The Sinnerman's legacy lives on in the LAPD as a new street drug is tied to a string of heinous murders. While Lucifer and Chloe struggle to solve the mystery plaguing Los Angeles, they discover they're stronger together than apart. In Hell, Cain climbs his way to the top. Why I Loved It: There's a lot of really good longfics in this fandom, but this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites. Elegantly structured with a complex, provocative, and excellently woven plot, it's an AU that takes off where season 3 ended and goes on a winding journey exploring Deckerstar, the meaning of miracles, and the nature of Heaven and Hell. This story is a monster - it's literally second place for highest word count on Ao3's Lucifer section - but it's worth the time it takes to watch it unfold. It's one of the few that I've seen really tackle the moral question of damnation and what the existence of Hell tells us about God in a thoughtful way. I started following this back when it was only at nineteen chapters and enjoyed it every step of there way. There's not one event or character that winds up wasted. I'd love to see it get more love.

Title: A Bloodless Cut Author: Moan Diary Rating: G Genre: Gen Characters: Chloe Decker Status: Complete Summary: She’s not the first woman to find herself alone in front of her bathroom mirror, scissors in hand, martyred hair littering the sink, suddenly face-to-face with the cold certainty that she’s made a terrible mistake. Why I Loved It: Post-S4 was ripe for a lot of Chloe character pieces, and this one stood out for me in terms of how it engaged her mistakes and flaws frankly while still giving her space to grow and excel without Lucifer.

Title: A More Gradual Descent Author: Liannabob Rating: M Genre: Gen Characters: Amenadiel, Lucifer Morningstar Status: Complete Summary: Amenadiel brings Samael back to Hell. Again. And again. And again. Why I Loved It: The relationship between the brothers has a lot of space for exploration, but few fics have done it to the extent and complexity as this one. It tracks the relationship between the two of them through history, from shortly after the fall right up to the start of the second season, and also their differing relationship to humanity as the world changes over and over with human industrial revolution. This is something I wish the show had thought about doing, even on a lesser scale, so it was satisfying to see a talented author take this on.

Title: A Divine Spark Author: umbrafix Rating: T Genre: Gen Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, Linda Martin, related cast Status: Complete Summary: There have been no new angels created in the time since Lucifer was cast down from heaven. What if God wanted something different in the deal that Lucifer made with him? AU from S1 Ep13. Why I Loved It: This was such an unexpected pleasure. I clicked on it out of curiosity and wound up devouring it in one night. This is a notable divergence post-S1 - there's no Goddess, for instance - and it definitely has some flavor of the comics to it, but what's so compelling about it is how provocatively it examines Lucifer's character, particularly in relation to Linda. Very creatively done with such a unique concept.

One-Shots:

Title: Devil Wind Author: mishasan7 Rating: M Genre: Comedy Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, Mazikeen, OCs Summary: Two cops are called to a disturbance down on the beachfront... a 911 call reported cannon fire, random screaming, and... tornadoes? It's just another day at the office for Long Beach PD at this time of year... or is it? Why I Loved It: It's funny as hell. It's the sequel to her previous fic, "Devil's Haircut," which is a spec fic about how Lucifer and Maze decided to head to Los Angeles prior to the reveal in "City of Angels." Just lots of fun and cleverly done from the perspective of two original characters who just...absolutely do not know how to deal with two infernal idiots.

Title: Perspective Author: Ithil Rating: T Genre: Drama, Character Piece Characters: Lucifer Morningstar, God Summary: The king was back, and order would be restored. Lucifer returns to rule hell, only to hear a very familiar voice offer HIM a deal. Why I Loved It: I've known this author since Underworld fandom, and I've always enjoyed the sharp, biting humor of her style. It's a great character piece and a caustic look at the troubled relationship between Lucifer and Hell and God.

Title: Let Me Down Slowly Author: Verbyna Rating: M Genre: Drama, Character Piece Characters: Chloe Decker, Daniel Espinoza Summary: A tear-out poster of Chloe in a bikini was tacked up in the break room for a whole day until Dan Espinoza tore it down. Why I Loved It: One of the few attempts I've seen tackle the tumultuous relationship between Chloe and Dan, tracking their relationship back to when it started all the way through to when it fell apart. Very sharply written character examination.

Title: The Long Reign Author: Baby Spinach Rating: G Genre: Angst Characters: Lucifer Morningstar Summary: Now returned to Hell for good, Lucifer seeks diversion among familiar faces. Why I Loved It: A very bittersweet look at Lucifer following S4. It just hits that perfect sense of melancholy in examining what a sacrifice entails while being a great character piece. The companion fic examines the story from Chloe's perspective and is, of course, worth reading, too.

Title: Loopholes Author: SpinnerDolphin Rating: T Genre: Dramedy Characters: Chloe Decker, Overworked Demons Summary: It wasn’t a perfect system, or even a very good one, but it was something, anyway. Season 4 spoilers. (Lucifer finds a way to contact Chloe. Kind of.) Why I Loved It: Told with humor and affection, it's a great post-S4 speculative piece that plays around with the concept of demon possession and how it may be utilized. It's sweet and romantic and perfectly bittersweet.

Title: Nothing Mortal Author: Erinyes_kiss Rating: E Genre: Drama, Romance Characters: Chloe Decker, Mazikeen Summary: Mazikeen finds the small joys of incarnation Why I Loved It: Gorgeously written Chlaze fic, a pairing that is sadly underutilized by the fandom. It was written during S1 and has that darker, biting tone of the story at that point. Just beautifully done all around.

Title: my piano sits against the wall Author: Cloudnine101 Rating: T Genre: Character Piece Characters: Lucifer Morningstar Summary: When Lucifer falls, all he can think is bloody finally. Why I Loved It: Excellent S1 character piece looking at Lucifer as both fallen angel to a man falling unexpectedly in love with a mortal.

#lucifer #lucifer netflix #lucifer morningstar #chloe decker #fanfiction recs

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kingstoken · 5 years ago

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Sastiel (Sam/Castiel) Rec List

So, because I've fallen down a Sastiel hole the last couple of months, which I have no intention of climbing my way out of, and I've been reading a lot of fic, I figured it might be time to compile a good old fashioned rec list. This list is by no means comprehensive, these are just some stories I liked and I think others might enjoy as well. Title: Locks of Love Author: Hils Rating: T Warnings: There is one scene near the beginning that is wincesty, where Dean gets handsy with Sam, nothing happens, Dean is under a spell and feels disgusted with himself afterwards. Also, Lucifer, he's basically his own warning Summary: (The author doesn't provide a summary) Sam is cursed by a spell where anyone who sees his hair falls madly in lust with him My notes: This explores what in theory should be a funny concept and takes it seriously, poor Sam has to isolate himself from people, but don't worry there is also plenty of fluff. I like the slow build up of Cas and Sam's relationship. Also, Sam looking after a sick/injured Cas, which there s not enough in Sastiel fanfiction in my opinion. Title: Between the Shadow and the Soul Author: Vera Rating: T Warnings: Some purgatory level violence, but nothing extremely graphic. References to Sam dying multiple times. Summary: What if Sam was the one that went to Purgatory with Castiel? My Notes: Do you like a some angst? Then this might be the fic for you! After I read this my only comment was "painfully beautiful". This explores how one partner can hurt another, even if they had good intentions. The author's concept of Purgatory is slightly different than canon, but it really adds a depth and an anguish, that the show didn't provide. Title: Naked Below These Words Author: Ebyru Rating: E Warnings: Temporary Character Death, Sam and Dean being very angry with Cas, some suicidal thoughts from Cas, dark themes Summary: After Castiel's death, Sam tries to forget about him, but he feels like he's still around--somewhere. Sam starts writing him letters. My Notes: Do you like a lot of angst? This is an alternative season 7, that deals with the aftermath of Godstiel. The first half of the fic is Sam writing letters to Cas, while he tries to deal with his feelings of anger and betrayal over Cas' actions, while also trying to reconcile these feelings with the friend he still loves. And, when Cas does come back he is screwed up (no Emanuel or crazy Cas here). Plus Sam and Cas begin a sexual relationship under circumstances that are probably not ideal. I think what I like about this story is that it really explores Sam's feelings about canon events, that the show tends to skate over. Title: Catalog of Non-Definitive Acts Author: Ebyru Rating: M Warnings: Dream sex, Purgatory, Mild gore Summary: Sam finds Castiel in his dreams. Dean told him about that, but he never expected to experience it firsthand. It’s not at all like he imagined. My Notes: An alternative season 8, where Cas visits Sam's dreams while him and Dean are stuck in Purgatory. This author's dream imagery is very well written. I love the idea of Cas contacting Sam in his dreams scenario, letting him know that Dean and him are alive, it gets around the whole "Sam didn't know if they were alive" issue and pulls Sam into the Purgatory storyline. Also, Sam looking after and protecting an injured and weak Cas. Title: Lovely, Dark, and Deep Author: rospeaks Rating: T Warnings: Insomnia Summary: Cas had thought that getting his memories back would make things easier, but the silence that plagued him as an amnesiac drives him to insomnia even after he's rejoined with the Winchesters. Sam helps him sleep. My Notes: Amnesiac Cas getting his memories back, and not being able to sleep because of it. This is just Sam being sweet, trying to comfort Cas, and they end up cuddling in bed together Title: and oh, my dreams Author: remy Rating: G Warnings: Sam under Djinn spell Summary: When Sam loses consciousness on a hunt after being attacked with djinn venom, it's up to Cas to venture into his subconscious and try to find him there. My Notes: One of the first Sastiel fics I think I ever read, and it really turned me on to the pairing. Sam is put under a Djinn's spell, and Cas goes into his dreams, when he's there he realizes that in Sam's dreamworld Sam and him are a couple. The dreamworld is really bittersweet, especially once Cas clues Sam in to what's going on, but don't worry it has a happy ending. Title: Everyone Needs Something Author: AnOddSock Rating: M Warnings: None Summary: Sam is a little touched starved. Cas is a little touched starved. Maybe between them they can figure out a better way to live. My Notes: Sam needs more physical intimacy, hugging, holding hands, touching and he seeks to get it from Cas, and over time they accidentally fall into a romantic relationship. This fic is really sweet, just Sam and Cas finding comfort and closeness with each other Title: A Gift Of Mistletoe Author: flawedamythyst Rating: G Warnings: None Summary: After Sam gets his soul back, Castiel starts bringing him presents. My Notes: Christmas fic! Cas keeps bringing Sam gifts of branches, thinking this an appropriate human convention, but Sam just isn't getting what Cas is trying to say. Humorous. Title: How to Date an Angel in 140 Characters or Less Author: 13chapters Rating: G Warnings: None Summary: Castiel has found a new use for his phone. Unfortunately for Sam, he isn't too clear on the concept of "privacy". My Notes: This one is a sequel to another fic, but you can read it as a stand alone. Cas gets a twitter account, and amasses a following, but he doesn't understand the concept of oversharing. Very funny. Title: Closer to Heaven and Closer to You Author: Epiphanyx7 Rating: T Warnings: Sam has minor jealously of the Dean & Cas relationship in the beginning Summary: Castiel is an angel. And angels don't have emotions. My Notes: Sam notices how Cas looks and acts around Dean is different from how Cas looks at him. Basically its about Sam trying to get Cas to like him, and develops into them having a relationship. Its sweet and funny Title: At the End of This Day Author: killabeez Rating: T Warnings: Episode tag 11x06 Summary: A tag to 11x06, in which Sam finds unexpected comfort close to home. My Notes: Sam reassuring Cas, Netflix in Sam's bedroom, first kiss, what's not to love? Title: Kiss Me Quick Author: sixtysevenlmpala Rating: T Warnings: None Summary: Sam knew letting Cas tag along on an undercover job was kind of asking for something out of the ordinary to happen. But he never would have expected this. My Notes: I think I like this fic because Cas is the one initiating things and being well aware that he is doing it too, which is kind of rare in Sastiel fic it seems Title: One Night Author: story_monger Rating: T Warnings: Sex work, discussions of drug addiction, some discussion of past child abuse, Non-Supernatural AU, some self hatred by Cas, but he is ultimately accepting of his own and Sam's sexuality Summary: Castiel has already gone through the rigmarole of coming out as asexual and aromantic. That somehow doesn't stop a few unruly cousins from setting Castiel up with a stupidly tall sex worker named Sam. Castiel is mortified and ready to put the whole thing behind him, except he and Sam inexplicably bump into each other again a few weeks later. It marks the beginning of a friendship that ushers them into new territories, both with each other and the people around them. My Notes: Asexual Cas. I haven't read a lot of asexual Cas, but I think this fic handles it really well. It's a Non-Supernatural AU, Cas works at a museum, and Sam is a law student who pays for school via sex work. I think Sam's profession is also handled well, it showcases that it is okay for Sam to be a sex worker, while also not shying away from some of the dangers inherit in that type of work. It is such a great fic that shows Cas and Sam forming an unlikely friendship, and the two them trying to figure out what type of relationship they can have while dealing with a variety of issues. This is also where I confess that in AU fics I love when all the angels are part of a large extended, dysfunctional family, and this fic delivers. This fic is chocked full of side characters, and not just the angels, Meg, Charlie, Benny, Mrs Tran, Ellen, Jo, Ash and of course Dean. It deals with some tough issues while also managing to be sweet. I can't tell you how much I love this fic, I was sad to see it end, I just wanted to read more about their lives together Title: 0930 Hours Author: thistidalwave Rating: T Warnings: Non-Supernatural AU Summary: or, how to woo the guy who saved your life in less than ten days. My Notes: Cas is having trouble talking to Sam, and everyone and their brother has advice, whether Cas wants it or not. This one has a small town feel, and it's charm is its use of the side characters, including several angels, plus Dean, Ellen and Jo. Humorous.

#sastiel #sassy #sam x castiel #fic rec #supernatural fic rec #rec list

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mxupdate · 5 years ago

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[ARTICLE] Monsta X Pushes Against Boundaries in ALL ABOUT LUV, K-Pop's First All-English Album in a Decade

The members of K-pop group Monsta X entered the interview room as though it were the set of a music video: fully hair-and-makeup-ready, some wearing clothes identical to the attire they wore in the video for one of their latest releases, “Middle of the Night.” Kihyun donned a checkered coat with bright yellow stripes and a green collar, Minhyuk a light brown coat with a dark tiger print. The group had just completed a Q&A on Facebook Live, after more than a week of non-stop interviews and meet-and-greets on both coasts of the U.S. The frenetic pace was par for the course for a K-pop act promoting a new album, though in this case, the group from South Korea had just released something a bit different: its first all-English album, ALL ABOUT LUV.

See full article here or read below.

ALL ABOUT LUV is the first all-English album released by a K-pop group in more than a decade — the last one was from trio JYJ in 2010. The new album quickly accomplished an impressive feat, ranking fifth on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making Monsta X only the third K-pop group, after BTS and SuperM, to break the top 10. Members Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Joohoney, I.M and Wonho — who left the group near the end of last year — participated in the recording of the album, whose 11 tracks are uncharacteristically sensual and seductive for a K-pop act. A few days after the release, five of the six members of Monsta X sat down with TIME to discuss, at times via a translator, ALL ABOUT LUV, and the experience of both singing in English and speaking more frankly about what happens in the bedroom. (Rapper Joohoney is on a break, taking time to focus on his mental health due to anxiety, but will return for the group’s North American tour beginning in June.)

In the nearly five years since the group was formed in the reality competition show No.Mercy in 2015, Monsta X has carved a space in K-pop with EDM- and hip hop-heavy tracks paired with aggressive choreography. In 2019, the act began to shift gears in its sound. While continuing to release Korean albums with the same explosive energy, Monsta X dropped a number of tracks recorded in English, with a sleeker, smoother vibe. The rollout of these English-language songs led up to the release of ALL ABOUT LUV, which dropped on Valentine’s Day to the warm embrace of “Monbebes” — the name for the group’s fans, derived from the French term for “my baby.”

A new language introduces a new mode of expression

The group began working on ALL ABOUT LUV back in 2018, when they recorded “Besides U” featuring Pitbull, though “Who Do U Love?,” a collaboration with French Montana, would be the album’s first single. “At that time it was really difficult to record,” Kihyun, the main vocalist whose honeyed falsetto is a standout in the new album, tells TIME of working in English. “But it’s really comfortable now, every song.” A combination of speaking more English during stateside events, covering American pop songs — such as Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor,” performed on a Korean television show in 2018 — and receiving help from youngest member I.M, who has lived in Boston and is fluent, has gradually increased the artists’ comfort working in the language.

Releasing an English album doesn’t just mean the words sound different. Vocalist Minhyuk describes a more technical difference in singing the two languages, which can lead to increased expressiveness. “When you speak Korean, there are lots of words that if you pronounce that word, your mouth is closed and it’s not really that smooth — it can sound a bit intense,” he says. “But when you are speaking English words, it goes with the flow. Word and word connects.” Minhyuk says the more flexible pronunciation helps him “give more emotions” to the English words. This can be heard, for instance, as he tenderly delivers the line, “I only feel alive when I don’t feel safe” from the new track “Misbehave.”

A laid-back, gentler approach to choreography

The emotions expressed in the new album, and the dances that accompany the songs, also mark a change from those of Monsta X’s past tracks. The group’s Korean music is known for its intensity — the latest title tracks “Follow” and “Alligator” are EDM-infused anthems whose choreography features fast-paced stomps, kicks and punches. In contrast, the numbers on ALL ABOUT LUV, as the album’s name suggests, share a laid-back mood expressed by soft and fluid dance moves. The performance for the new song “Middle of the Night” is filled with hip swaying, finger snapping and caressing of the microphone stand.

“In ALL ABOUT LUV, the whole album vibe is very moody and chill,” says leader Shownu, who is also the main dancer and has participated heavily in the group’s choreography. “We just wanted to match the dance moves with the songs.” The members contributed to shaping the routines of the new tracks. Shownu points to “Middle of the Night”: at the line, “we’re kissing in the car underneath of the night,” the idols tilt their microphone stands sideways and lean down as if to kiss them.

“Our Korean album performance and our ‘Middle of the Night’ performance are different types of sexy,” Minhyuk explains. “Korean album is…” he pauses as rapper I.M jumps in — “strong sexy.” “Yeah, strong and powerful,” Minhyuk agrees. Meanwhile, “Middle of the Night” has a “gentle” type of sexiness, Kihyun says.

‘Honest things happen on the bed’

But the sex appeal doesn’t only stem from the choreography. Throughout the album, lyrics making sexual references carry Monsta X into a beyond-PG-13, but not-quite-R-rated realm to which few K-pop acts have ventured.

In the track “Misbehave,” the chorus goes, “Love it when we mess this up, every time we argue, straight into the bedroom.” When asked about these lyrics, I.M says, “When you are loving somebody you need to be honest, and honest things happen on the bed.”

“What?!” Kihyun exclaims. “B-E-D? B-E-D?” Minhyuk asks, spelling out the word. “It’s about your imagination,” I.M responds, offering a laundry list of chaste activities. “We can just sleep, or just yawn…”

“Watch Netflix on bed,” vocalist Hyungwon, who has been mostly quiet up until now, chimes in. “Yeah, everyone has their own time on their bed,” I.M says. Kihyun fans himself. “Whew, I’m sweating!”

“Using the straightforward words, I thought it was very erotic,” Shownu says, using the Korean word yahada, which is also sometimes translated as “sexual.” “I felt shy,” Minhyuk shares about his recording experience.

Minhyuk reflected on the lyrics of “Love U,” a cheery electro-pop track suggestive of something more physical. The members sing, “I really, really wanna love you / But I can’t say the word I want to / ‘Cause they won’t play it on the radio / But I know you know / What I mean, what I mean.” It’s not hard to guess the word the lyrics suggest.

“When we were recording ‘Love U,’ I thought it was just a song about love,” Minhyuk explains. “But it went in a different direction.”

To be clear, the lyrics in All ABOUT LUV never explicitly mention sex. But compared to previous tracks in Monsta X’s discography — and, on a broader scale, most love songs across K-pop — the words are significantly more sexual. “It’s fine, we’re all adults.” Kihyun says, “and this is an American album.” If it were a Korean album, there would “maybe” be fewer of these references, he says. “The Korean society is more strict to lyrics.”

Pioneering a new sound

While the majority of K-pop tracks have a balanced distribution between singing and rapping — as most idol groups are formed with a mix of singers and rappers — ALL ABOUT LUV has significantly fewer rap verses. I.M and the group’s main rapper Joohoney, who boast some of the most dynamic rap delivery in the industry, tabled that specialty to record vocal-heavy sections. “I think I forgot how to rap by now,” I.M jokes.

“It was so funny,” Kihyun shares about Joohoney’s time in the studio. “Joohoney yelled at me, ‘Hyung, help me! I can’t do this,’” Kihyun says, referencing the Korean term for “older brother.” “The notes were so high to Joohoney, but he did it.” Indeed, Joohoney and I.M displayed their versatility across the album’s melodies, from the ad-libs in “Who Do U Love?” to the sultry introduction in “Middle of the Night.” In blurring the rap-vocal divide, the group is pioneering a new sound for Korean groups releasing music in the U.S.

“The Korean fans liked it because they saw a feeling they had never seen,” Hyungwon says. “The American fans liked it because it was fully in English.” Music from the album is already making its way into spaces where K-pop is rarely heard. On a recent episode of Riverdale, “Who Do U Love?” plays in the background. Elsewhere, fans have recorded hearing ALL ABOUT LUV tracks in stores from an H&M in Turkey to a Hollister in the U.K. When the group announced its North American tour taking place this summer, it became clear that Monsta X is returning to cities in venues much larger than the ones they performed in just a year ago, a testament to their rapid growth.

A few days before the Billboard 200 list was announced, TIME asked Monsta X how they will measure the success of ALL ABOUT LUV. Leader Shownu says he does not want to “get stuck inside of ‘success,’” and his teammate Kihyun offers a simple but emphatic response: “If we and our fans are satisfied with this album, that is good.”

#monsta x #200228 #t: interview #e: aal promo

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avoutput · 5 years ago

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Gaps Between Worlds || Live, Love, Link

Nothing keeps a story going like a love interest. In almost every adventure story, at some point, the hero flirts with love, falls into it, is blinded by it, or is even betrayed by it. Love is the strongest emotional connection we share as humans, a double edged sword that can drive us, but also hinder us. Even when a story lacks a love interest, the listeners might begin to imagine one just to keep themselves interested. One adventure series has lacked cannon love for such a long time, it's hard to imagine how it’s been kept alive in our collective consciousness for as long as it has. The Legend of Zelda has jump-cut to Link saving Zelda so many times, but remains nebulous on what kind of relationship blossoms from their journey. As a longtime fan, I have been starving for more from the world of Hyrule, and I think fans across the world agree with me. The official Nintendo Hyrule Timeline wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for pressure from the fans. Before that release, it had been locked inside the mind of Miyamoto, creator of the series. But it didn’t really whet my appetite, because what I wanted is to know of Link and Zelda. Today, we are going to explore the facets of Link and Zelda’s many re-incarnated relationships, which could have turned into love, and where they must have gone after Gannon was sealed and their adventure came to an end.

Before we go any further, the usual caveats to my writing, just so you can get where my head is at. First, I am not going to be super concerned with minute details of the timeline in its purest sense. It has a tenuous linear connection from one game to the next, but it still can provide a little fun for us to speculate on. Second, I have completed every mainline adventure with two exceptions. I have made it to the end of Link’s Adventure and Twilight Princess, but I just never walked up those steps to beat Gannon. I can’t really put my finger on why, but usually I just lost interest by the time I made it to the end of the game. Everything else, including the GB, GBA, and DS releases, I have completed.

In the beginning, one of the most bizarre parts of the overall Zelda lore is how little we actually discuss Link’s obligation to do anything for Zelda. As the games mature, they motivate Link in more realistic ways, but I felt that they mostly lacked a real punch. Lets imagine you DID NOT read the manual for the NES titles, the original LoZ, it just starts by breaking the 4th wall. I always thought it was funny that it just drops you into the mountains with absolutely no direction, as if to say, “You bought the game, dummy, do something! Press a button… ooo… check out that cave!” However, what actually happens is Link saves Zelda’s handmaid, Impa, from an attack by some of Gannon’s henchmen. She then begs him to find the 8 fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, which Zelda has hidden in 8 dungeons, and he just resolves to do it. In the next game though, she’s just struck with Sleepy Disney Princess disease. Classic. But have you ever noticed that true love’s kiss wasn’t an option here? That’s because Link is not her true love in this incarnation, so he has to kill the curse maker. LoZ and Link’s Adventure are directly related, so we know that in between the two games, they never became lovers. And I don’t know if you need any more proof about these games, but if you ever watched the 80’s Zelda cartoon… you’d know she’s better off.

Climbing up this timeline, we end up at the incredible Link To The Past, a story that’s titular description kind of defies its storyline unless you are really paying attention. Either way, the game has Link, a descendant of Hyrule Knights, being woken up by a psychic message from Zelda. As usual, Link has no real discernible parentage, but he does start off with an uncle. As I grew up, I often wondered if this was his real uncle or the Asian kind of uncle, just an older man with the same familial distance as an actual uncle, just not actually related. (It goes without saying that the west has this kind of uncle as well, but rarely does it rear its head as ubiquitously as in the east) Who knows what happened to his parents, the game never really goes into it. Either way, he runs into his possibly real uncle after following Zelda’s request, only, he is mortally wounded, and with his final breath, he begs Link to take up his blade and his responsibility. Again, he is motivated simply by some sense of obligation, but there is never a moment's glance of flirtation or love. By the end of the game, he revives his Uncle, the Priest, and the King, only to get on a boat and end up ship wrecked on Koholint island, where he dreams up a girl who is much more likely to become someone he could have a life with rather than Zelda.

Let’s take a quick moment to recognize Link has about 5 or 6 games that have nothing to do with his relationship to Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Oracle of Seasons/Ages, Majora’s Mask, and Minish Cap to name a few. In these games, it rarely meditates on his relationship to his previous adventure or the girl he left behind. Link is a very forward thinking… little boy? Adolescent? Teenager? It depends on the game. The more I think about this, maybe the more obvious it really is supposed to be. Zelda, Link, and Gannon are reborn into conflict over and over again. It’s possible that the stories that we play through are the only time they are born into a point of conflict. Basically, Link and Zelda might be born into a world without each other. Maybe the world only falls into chaos when all 3 of them are born. Maybe only when a certain amount of power accumulates on the dark side. The story just makes room for whatever it finds appropriate.

Climbing up the timeline, we get to the only game that implied young romance, Ocarina Of Time. Granted, it kind of dashes this with Majora’s Mask, but it's possible he could return to Hyrule for love. He is only 10. Still, in OoT, Link is the only character that keeps his memory of both the young timeline and the teen timeline. When you think about it, Link is pretty mature for a 10 year old, but waking up in the body of a 17 year old would throw you a bit. People in the future might have found him odd… if they weren’t scattered to the winds and mostly worried about famine, death, and Gannon. In both his young and teen timeline, the Zora princess is very interested in him, and yet, the game still ends with a longing look between Zelda and Link, Link remembering everything, Zelda new to the whole thing. Now, I am willing to admit that as a kid, I probably misread this as a longing look, as an adult, it's really just the culmination of Link’s struggle to finally right all the wrongs, but I was a young shipper, and I wanted everyone to fall in love. (You are reading the thoughts of a boy who was super upset that Ash wasn’t awakened by a kiss from Misty (or Pikachu), and instead the tears of all the Pokemon. I almost walked out of the theater. I was a fresh-faced 13.) Given everything we know about both games, and that we know the timeline splits here, it would stand to reason that since in either case, triumphant or not, Link doesn’t end up making baby Link and Linkles with Zelda. In the Triumphant Timeline Child Era, none of the games end with Link in love, including Twilight Princess. In the Adult Era, the Wind Waker series of games always finds Link closely aligned with Zelda, but the whole cell-shaded, PG universe basically ensures that all the people of Hyrule are grown out of the ground, like palm trees on the beach. In the end, Link always makes for the nearest boat or horse and follows the sun, trying to escape the PTSD that haunts him.

Finally, at the very beginning of the timeline is the largely maligned Skyward Sword. As of this writing, SS is the supposed beginning to the entire legend. It is also one of the few games where there does seem to be an infatuation between Zelda and Link. Throughout the game, they share what looks to be a mild flirtation. When I thought about this budding romance, I began to think it only appears that way because of some cultural filters. First, Nintendo likes to make games for kids, so they aim to get an E rating by the ESRB. So if we ratchet that up to M, the standard for modern day games if you want people to take them seriously, we can adjust the love meter on scale with E = Sesame Street and M = Breaking Bad. They might as well be engaging in some hard sexting, maybe a couple of low-cut Link bathroom mirror selfies. Don’t worry, he has his famous hat over the goods. Why do you think its shaped like that? Secondly, mild flirting in Japan is the equivalent of hardcore furry S&M in America. In actuality, what you are really seeing is the courtship of Link in a Wolf costume and Zelda dressed as a Fire Keese batting eyes at each other. Truly, in this world, Link and Zelda are destined for each other. They are the only freaks in the sky! With this assumption, I can conclude that the legend only continues because once, at the very beginning of their timeline, the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom banged it out. This could mean there is a whole series of games we have never played where the timeline is split at the top. One in which they have children and one where they don’t. Personally, I look forward to their kids journey in The Legend of Steve, the new holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. Let a girl save the boy for once!

There is always hope for our legendary heroes. You may not want them to be joined in glorious, child-making coitus, but I always have. I have always found it odd that it doesn’t end like most JRPG’s with a very obvious death of the “mains” so that love can’t blossom, or with a lavish royal wedding. The worst part is that often, Link has many love interests, but none of them are Zelda. There is some hope for them in the new Breath of the Wild timeline, which is supposedly the furthest in the future of the “official” timeline, so much so that there is no connective tissue left, so it might as well be a “new beginning”. I would actually hate for them to finally, really, fall in love in the BotW universe, mostly because it's my least favorite Zelda game of all time, squeaking past Skyward Sword and Wind Waker. All 3 of which I dislike for a combination of gameplay-style and story, though honestly, the best part of BotW is the story. It's just a game I never want to play again. Rambling aside, I look forward to the fate of love between Zelda and Link in their next chapter. Maybe we’ll finally play as their love child some day.

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