#beck is canonically touch starved

[firedragon1321]

I forgot I made this for some of my OCs.

[intrepidacious]

last updated: October 20th, 2024

a semi regular sunday event where i write a seven sentence drabble based on your prompt.

request guidelines | main masterlist | navigation | read on ao3

currently requests are: open ↳ in progress / in inbox: (0/3)

KEY: ♡ personal favourite | ✧ new additions

all fics are x reader unless indicated otherwise

☆ andy barber [defending jacob]

intertwined ↳ divorced!andy ; fluff

☆ bucky barnes [mcu]

masterlist

☆ chris beck [the martian]

whiteboard ↳ fluff ; pregnancy

☆ curtis everett [snowpiercer]

thawing ♡ ↳ sharing a blanket ; kinda hurt/comfort

the price of freedom ↳ angst ; canonical character death

small treats ↳ innkeeper!curtis ; fantasy au

let's hide from the world ✧ ↳ modern au ; established relationship ; just soft

☆ eddie munson [stranger things]

saving throws ↳ hurt/comfort

☆ frank adler [gifted]

not another stray ↳ meet cute with a dog

nostalgia ↳ frank and getting older

☆ jake jensen [the losers]

just in time ↳ blind dates

at long last ↳ first kiss ; implied steaminess

☆ james norrington [pirates of the caribbean]

all the stars above ♡ ↳ fluff ; stargazing and pining

illicit behaviours ↳ making out ; heavily implied smut

tempest ↳ james being a simp

☆ johnny storm [fantastic four]

stars ↳ planetarium dates

gifted ↳ johnny being touch-starved ; hurt/comfort

☆ ransom drysdale [knives out]

a little help ↳ sick!ransom

empty spaces ↳ hurt/comfort ; soft!ransom cuddles

cold as ice ↳ ransom being a cold little shit ; implied smut

this time ↳ fwb with feels ; implied smut

come what may ↳ beauty and the beast au ; pining

no fairy tale ↳ angst ; ransom feeling unloveable

by the sea ↳ sweeney todd!au (sort of) ; dark if you squint

☆ sam wilson [mcu]

driving ↳ established relationship ; late night drives

first rain ↳ sam's wings are a perfect umbrella

priorities ↳ louisiana holiday traditions

little accidents ↳ pancake disasters

☆ steve harrington [stranger things]

black and blue ↳ steve's bruised up and pining

drifting away ↳ break-up angst ; leaving town

dreaming ↳ steve's nightmares ; hurt/comfort

sunday morning ♡ ↳ established relationship fluff

wreck my plans ↳ childhood friends to lovers ; holding hands

like magnets ↳ enemies to lovers ; sharing a bed

thunderstorms and lightning ↳ estranged childhood friends to lovers

☆ steve rogers [mcu]

masterlist ✧

☆ stucky [mcu]

the three of us ↳ established bucky/reader ; everyone's in love with steve

call your boyfriends ↳ fake dating

a sunday kind of love ↳ no reader ; 40s stucky

what the heart knows ↳ no reader ; winter soldier angst

[ao3feed-geralt-jaskier]

by JaskiersWolf

Prompt: You know how Jaskier sleeps cradling his lute? Maybe Geralt notices, and he knows how much Jaskier cherish it? And maybe he doesn't want Jaskier to feel sad, so he makes the noble sacrifice of being held instead? And Jaskier's nose is at the beck of his neck, and their fingers tangle, and oh, ok, maybe there are some feelings involved

Words: 856, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 66 of Canon Era Geraskier Prompts

Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier | Dandelion

Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion

Additional Tags: Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Sharing a Bed, Touch-Starved Jaskier | Dandelion, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles

[statichvm]

5, 10, 15, 20 + becks and richie andddd 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 18 + max and tommy 💕

5.) Who is most likely to carry the other?

Beck makes a hell of a scene any time Richie picks her up, but he can and has (even after she chomped on his damn arm during the bear trap incident 😒) scooped her tiny ass up.

10.) Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Richie! Restaurants aren’t a thing anymore, but he’s good at observing and learning the things Beck picks out of her meals vs the things she saves for last because they’re her favorites.

15.) Who wakes up first?

Richie. It’s a slog to get Beck out of bed because she sleeps like the dead, and he’s learned that it’s best to let her sleep in as long as possible. Everyone suffers when she’s sleep deprived. :/

20.) What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Beck’s mom and dad would have adored Richie. Her mom passed before Beck started to date for real, and her dad was always a bit strict about it. He would have given him the Tough Dad Act, but cracked super quickly.

Beck tries very hard to get Richie’s parents to like her. Her parents hammered respect for her elders into her, so she absolutely tries to keep the swearing and general fuckery to a minimum around them. They’re absolutely a little wary at first, but she grows on them fast, like a mouthy little fungus.

•

2.) Big spoon/Little spoon?

Max is a legally assigned little spoon. She more or less stopped growing when she was twelve so she never had a chance.

4.) Favorite non-sexual activity?

Cuddling. 🙄 They are such a touchy couple, and would spend all day curled around each other if they had the chance.

6.) What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?

Max thinks his smile is cute, and Tommy gets a little flustered whenever Max wears anything sleeveless. :/

8.) Nicknames? & if so, how did they originate?

Tommy is the only one who has ever been able to get away with calling her “Maxie”, and that tradition stands. It didn’t really come from anywhere in particular; just slipped out of his mouth one day and stuck.

10.) Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Max. Tommy canonically can’t remember his own birthday without his wife telling him.

12.) Who initiates kisses?

Both. They’re insufferable, touch starved human beings that are disgustingly into each other.

14.) Who kisses the hardest?

Max. Tommy is infinitely softer than she is, and doesn’t put nearly as much force behind his affections.

16.) Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

Tommy. :/ Trying to get him out of bed in the morning is an Olympic sport that only gets harder when it’s cold outside.

18.) Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)

Tommy has tried! He wrote the note out and everything! He just... forgot... to put it... with her lunch...

[yadds]

Tony Reappears - Pt 2

The follow-up to my previous post looking at what would happen if Tony appeared out of nowhere to be found by Peter, who’s still haunted by Beck’s reality bending.

In which Tony is in bad shape and Peter helps, Strange snarks, and Pepper gives him the kick in the pants he needs.

This is now Part 2 of what is looking to be turning into a slow-burn starker, y’all. Just a heads up, it’s still Pepperony for now since it’s pretty much canon compliant through Endgame.

__________________________________________

Peter was at his side before he could blink, hands hovering, unsure, before cradling Tony’s face briefly, eyes darting across his features as he catalogued every detail. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I-is it really you?”

Tony just nodded wearily, letting out a soft huff as Peter’s hands slid back through Tony’s hair, touching the gray at his temples reverently. Seriously, if he wasn’t already about to pass out he’d probably be reeling from the emotional whiplash of seeing Peter transform back into the gentle, wholesome boy he remembered.

When Peter seemed to be content to simply stare, followed by flitting, fleeting touches, Tony cleared his throat before croaking, “Hands?”

Peter’s brow scrunched in confusion before realization dawned, cheeks flushing. “Oh! Oh, oh, oh my gosh. Of course. Um, here, one second,” he muttered, fumbling with something on his web shooters before producing a vial of clear liquid that he poured carefully over the webbing on Tony’s hands.

“This is normally something I use in aerosol form from my web shooters, but it can make a mess and it makes everything ironically sticky, so I figure you might not appreciate a potential full-body spray. I’m still working out the kinks - It’s surprisingly rare that I ever need to prematurely dissolve my webbing,” Peter explained, voice high and quick like he was nervous.

“I seem to remember designing a solution for that specific problem - in fact, I think it was the first thing I did when I got back to my lab with remnants of your spider juice still stuck to my hands after our first meeting,” Tony said. Or at least he tried to, but his mouth just wouldn’t cooperate. It came out more like; “I...solution already...lab...spider juice,” with incoherent mumbling in between.

But Peter, bright, wonderful Peter, got the gist and grinned, small and guarded but genuine. “Yeah, of course you did Mr. Stark,” he assured as he pulled Tony’s hands away from the wall and set them gently on the floor next to him. “You thought of everything for my suits! But I’m always tinkering with the web fluid design so I’m also having to change the dissolving solution.”

How long has it been? Tony finally thought to wonder.

Peter sat back on his haunches, still staring wonderingly at Tony. Tony couldn’t blame him - if he had the energy, he’d probably be doing the same thing. He had invented time travel, primarily to bring back one Peter Parker, to remedy his worst failure. Of course, saving the rest of the world was motivation as well, but that was mostly an afterthought. And other than a quick, heartfelt hug on a battlefield at the end of the world, he never got the chance to acknowledge that he had actually succeeded.

But now that his life wasn’t in immediate danger, his pounding headache and burning throat were clamoring for attention again. Right. A glass of damn water, that’s how this started.

Tony’s head listed to the side, staring forlornly at the fridge. It was only about two feet away, but it might as well have been two thousand miles.

Peter followed his gaze and, noticing the shattered glass on the floor, quickly realized what Tony was wanting. “You want some water, Mr. Stark?”

Tony nodded gratefully. When Peter returned a minute later, he tried to lift his hands to grab the cup, but couldn’t get them to do more than twitch. After hovering awkwardly for about thirty seconds, Peter hesitantly lifted the glass to Tony’s mouth, tilting it carefully so that the water trickled slowly past his lips.

When that first drop of cool, clean water touched his tongue, Tony’s breath hitched and his eyes stung, overwhelmed by the relief of it. But after only three swallows, he felt the liquid fall heavily into his completely empty stomach and he clamped his lips shut tight. Peter’s intent, watchful gaze and quick reflexes ensured that he noticed almost immediately and righted the glass, pulling it away. Now that Tony could feel the moisture on his face from the slight dribble that escaped his mouth, he realized how agonizingly dry his skin felt, stretched taut and paper thin. His heart was racing, chest heaving, the thirty seconds of interrupted breathing it took to have his precious drink apparently too much after everything else.

He glanced back up at Peter to see his face creased with concern, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. He could definitely make out the ‘Are you okay?’ forming on Peter’s lips.

He tried to respond. To reassure him that he was fine, he just needed to rest, but spots were blooming behind his eyes, slowly taking up his field of vision as his heart rate continued to increase. Uh oh. He was pretty familiar with the way an overstressed heart felt and this was suspiciously similar. He felt Peter’s hands press firmly on his chest and saw his name frantically falling from his mouth before his eyes rolled back and everything faded away.

.

When he awoke, he blinked blearily, eyes sluggishly tracking around the room he was in. Off-puttingly white, machines beeping quietly in the background, and people in scrubs off to the side. A hospital. Which was probably apt, considering he felt like he’d been starved to death only to be thrown in front of a train and lit on fire. He also took note of the comfortable mattress and tastefully low lighting. So he was probably in one of his own facilities.

“Mr. Stark! You’re awake!” Tony startled at the exclamation to his right, not aware that anyone was there. He turned his head to see Peter, the wizard standing aloofly behind him.

“What happened?” Tony asked scratchily, hand coming up to rub absently at his throat. Peter leapt to his side to bring a cup of water with a straw to him, only letting him take a few sips this time before pulling it away. Tony gave him a quick smile in thanks.

“Well I was hoping you’d be able to tell us,” Strange said dryly.

“I meant my health at the moment, which I thought you might have a better idea of than I since you’re actually a doctor, as you’re so fond of reminding me,” Tony responded, finding the remote and levering his bed up to sit up slightly, feeling much more human than the last time he’d been awake.

Strange stared at him impassively for a long moment before replying. “Of course. Well your vitals are stable now. Your main ailments are malnutrition and dehydration extreme enough to bring you to the brink of organ failure, which has been aided by the IV fluids and nutrients you’ve been receiving for the three days you’ve been unconscious. You’ll be on a strict diet for a while before you’re ready to eat normally.”

“Spectacular,” Tony sniped. At least he’d regained enough energy to maintain his flippant attitude. Priorities. “Don’t worry Doc, I know the drill. Been there, done that. Would have gotten the t-shirt, but they were fresh out. You know the saying. Whatever. Point is, that’s a pretty standard medical issue. A little above your pay grade these days isn’t it?”

“I was simply answering your question, Stark. That’s not why I’m here.”

When silence followed that statement, Tony gestured in his direction. “Do you need an engraved invitation to finish that thought? A drumroll? Some dramatic mood lighting?”

The smothered laugh from Peter’s direction was a pleasant counterpoint to the irritated pursing of lips from Dr. Strange.

“I would have thought it would be pretty clear. You reappeared unexpectedly after being dead for 3 years. I’m here to figure out what’s going on and make sure you haven’t completely torn a hole in the fabric of the universe, as I’m sure you would at the first possible opportunity.”

“And to make sure you’re really okay, you know, mind, body, soul and all that,” Peter chimed in.

“Yes. You do appear to actually be alive, by the way, considering near organ failure affected you as it would anyone else. Further tests will need to be done to determine if everything else is ‘normal’,” Strange explained.

“Mmhmm,” Tony hummed with a dismissive nod. He was choosing to work very hard at not thinking about the fact that he’d pulled some kind of resurrection act. He didn’t know how he was back, if he was still himself, how long he would be here or anything. And he was choosing to live in blissful ignorance at this point. That was a problem for future Tony. If there would be one. Who knows? He could disappear tomorrow.

“So you really don’t remember anything?” Strange pushed.

Tony glared at him. “Whoops, you caught me, Merlin. I’m purposely keeping a whole host of information all to myself so that I can remain under constant surveillance and suspicion. Because that’s how I get my jollies. No. I remember dying - which, not super fun, let me tell you - then nothing, until I suddenly showed up here. Or there. Am I still at the Compound? Where am I?”

“Yeah, you’re at the Avengers medbay on the Compound campus,” Peter answered helpfully.

“Well there you go. Consider me interrogated,” Tony intoned.

Strange was opening his mouth, probably to continue his inane, insulting questioning, but Tony cut him off as he saw the door to his room open. “Pepper, Honey, light of my life!” he called, holding his arms out in her direction.

Pepper stopped right inside the doorway, hand falling heavily on the wall beside her as she stared at Tony with wide eyes that were quickly filling with tears, chin quivering. “Tony,” she whispered.

“The one and only. Come on Doll, don’t leave me hanging here,” he joked, hoping the desperation that was creeping into his chest wasn’t apparent in his voice.

Pepper finally moved, stumbling to a stop at Tony’s bedside and collapsing to the side of the bed to gather him in her arms. Tony let out a heavy, ragged sigh. Yes. This is what he’d needed, her warmth seeping into his skin like a toasty towel fresh out of the dryer.

After a moment, he looked around and frowned. “Where’s the munchkin?”

Pepper pulled back, looking uncomfortable but not averting her gaze. “Tony. We don’t know yet what’s going on - are you really back? For how long? Are you completely stable? It didn’t seem right to bring Morgan into this until we knew for sure.”

“Right, yes, of course,” he murmured, heart seizing in his chest again. It all made sense and objectively, he agreed. She was still so young - to involve her now when he could possibly be gone in another five minutes would just be devastating.

But subjectively, it was fucking ripping him to shreds. His daughter, his baby girl. Even if he was only here for five seconds, he’d want to spend them holding her tight. But that was selfish. She’d probably moved on by now, made some kind of peace with his death. He didn’t want to ruin her world all over again. And what if he wasn’t safe? What if he suddenly went berserk? What if he was some radioactive mutant or some crazy shit like that? No, this was the right decision. Didn’t mean it wasn’t low key killing him all over again though.

Suddenly he was a lot more motivated to face everything and get it all figured out. Guess he’d have to actually cooperate with fucking Dumbledore. Wonderful.

__________________________________________

Part 3 - Tony comes back with more than he bargained for

[ensignantonyelchin]

Chapters: 14/? Fandom: The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir, The Martian (2015) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Chris Beck/Beth Johanssen, Mark Watney & Ares IV Crew Characters: Ares III Crew, Ares IV Crew - Character, Mark Watney, Melissa Lewis (The Martian), Rick Martinez (The Martian), Chris Beck, Beth Johanssen, Theodore "Teddy" Sanders, Venkat Kapoor, Vincent Kapoor, Alex Vogel, Annie Montrose Additional Tags: Tags May Change, Tags Contain Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Hallucinations, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Esteem Issues, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self Confidence Issues, Depression, Touch-Starved, Insomnia, My First Work in This Fandom, Mars, si-fi, Not Canon Compliant, Bad 80's Music, 80's Music, Potatoes, Sobbing, Panic Attacks, Panic, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Isolation, Rescue, 4 Years Alone Is Hard, Trauma, Serious Injuries, Minor Injuries, Sick Character, Mental Health Issues, Mental Breakdown, Author Is Sleep Deprived Summary:

On sol 2,004 Ares IV comes. That's a long ass time to be alone.

 (AU where Mark was never noticed by NASA and he's currently waiting for Ares IV to come.)

[firedragon1321]

Just some OC babbles.

Soren is really soft and squishy between being chubby and having really long hair. But he only allows people he trusts to touch him beyond a handshake. He's a good cuddle buddy to the chosen few.

Beck is touch starved af and would let a stranger hug him. He likes blankets supposedly because they remind him of home, but they actually simulate human touch. He's 6 foot tall and built like a noodle, but his hugs are strong and warm.

[aquaquadrant]

Chapter 16 of "It Wears a Mask" had me almost scream at my screen: PETER DON'T REVEAL ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR POWERS TO BECK!! It was weird seeing Beck being genuinely friendly with Peter, and him knowing Peter is touched starved and craves approval once again shows how every interaction Beck has with Peter serves Beck's own agenda. And Electro's intro was very clever. He was intimidating, yet reserved. He doesn't want to reveal his full potential yet, making Beck believe he still has control.

aaaaaa thank you so much!! your thoughts about the situation are spot on; even when he’s being nice, beck is always working some kind of angle. and i’m SO happy to hear you liked electro’s part, it’s always a little intimidating to reimagine a canon character so hearing that is a huge relief!

[ao3feed-themartian]

Homebound

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2KVRnoO

by FoxyEgg

On sol 2,004 Ares IV comes. That's a long ass time to be alone.

 (AU where Mark was never noticed by NASA and he's currently waiting for Ares IV to come.)

Words: 714, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir, The Martian (2015)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Gen

Characters: Ares III Crew, Ares IV Crew - Character, Mark Watney, Melissa Lewis (The Martian), Rick Martinez (The Martian), Chris Beck, Beth Johanssen, Theodore "Teddy" Sanders, Venkat Kapoor, Vincent Kapoor, Alex Vogel, Rich Purnell, Annie Montrose

Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s), Chris Beck/Beth Johanssen, Mark Watney & Ares IV Crew

Additional Tags: Tags May Change, Tags Contain Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Hallucinations, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Esteem Issues, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Self Confidence Issues, Depression, Touch-Starved, Insomnia, My First Work in This Fandom, Mars, si-fi, Not Canon Compliant, Bad 80's Music, 80's Music, Potatoes, Sobbing, Panic Attacks, Panic, Anxiety, Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Isolation, Rescue, 4 Years Alone Is Hard, Trauma, Serious Injuries, Minor Injuries

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2KVRnoO

[littleyappydog]

Chocolate Box: Round 2

Dear writer,

Yay! Fanfic exchanges! I love these so much! I also love chocolate, and exploring ‘ships (and genships) among some of my favourite fictional people through the work of fellow fans. You’re all so awesome, and you bring me great joy.

Thank you so much for writing a gift fic for me! I hope you have as much fun as I know I will. If you have already landed on some ideas, please feel free to pick them up and run with them! I have included some guidelines/prompts below for my requests, as well as some Do Not Wants (DNWs). But in terms of the prompts/ideas, please feel free to ignore them completely, or to just use them as a rough guideline. These may also spark some even more awesome ideas of your own!

I like to think I’m a pretty easy recipient to please, and apart from a few Do Not Wants (DNWs) I think I am. I honestly love fanfics and fanworks in all shapes and forms. I love the community of it all, and the love that goes into fanworks. So I honestly will enjoy and be thrilled to receive anything at all in these fandoms!

My DNWs are: A/B/O; BDSM; D/s; non/dub-con; adultery (I will happily accept spouses/families being handwaved away to avoid this); incest; characters being presented as poly/ace/demisexual/trans/etc when they are not in canon, emotional/sexual/financial abuse; unequal relationships featuring a serious imbalance of power due to position/age/financial position (eg: a teacher abusing their student; a boss creeping on their colleague that they directly supervise at work. This may be relevant to my Back to the Future request below).

Onto the fandoms!

Request 1: Back to the Future (film series)

Ship: Emmett “Doc” Brown/Marty McFly

I've loved this movie franchise since I was little. Oh, Marty! What are you up to as an adult? And I admit it, I'd love to see him reunite with Doc. And I do slash them, although I do have serious issues with Doc and Marty being a couple before Marty is of age. So please don’t do that. I also don’t think Doc would be the one to make the first move: I think that would very firmly lie in Marty’s hands, and that it fits his character that he would make the first move anyhow.

Does Marty travel back in time again and meet Doc as a young man, perhaps with Doc and Marty being the same age? Does the series end differently, with Doc ending up with Marty instead? (Perhaps Doc travels forward in the future to be with Marty, or ends up with Marty when Marty is an adult?) Does Doc travel forward in time to visit Marty as an old man, and then realise he needs to travel back because Marty needs his help, or because Marty always loved him? 

Flashbacks to Marty’s childhood or earlier teenage years, or any glimpse into the future would be great, too! How did Marty first meet Doc? How did Doc feel when he first saw Marty in the 1970s or 80s, knowing (in the Lone Pine Mall timeline, at least, Doc knew) that he and Marty were destined to be friends? How did the 1950s Doc feel about Marty? 

Does Marty live in the 2016 of our timeline? Or, where he lives, is Jaws 19 a thing? Is Marty a rockstar? A musician? An accountant? A time traveller with Doc? Did he marry Jennifer? Are they divorced? What has happened to Clara, Jules and Verne? Do they even exist in this fic, or is it set in an alternate timeline?

I'm happy with Doc and Marty being presented as friends/found family, but would prefer to see them written as a couple, or that they are at least heading in that direction. I love happy (or at least hopeful) endings to stories, and I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort and loving, caring touches (both during sex and just in general, everyday life). If you'd like to write porn, or not write porn, I'm happy with both. I do prefer emotional sex over anything rough, please, and if the sex is fun and light with an emotional foundation, I'm a happy camper.

Request 2: Zootopia

Ship: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde

These two are just wonderful! I love their relationship: it's deep and emotional and based on a solid foundation of friendship. 

And I ship them. Am I concerned this movie might have turned me into a furry? Eh, I've been in fandom too long to care about that! 

I'd love to find out what these two are up to after the movie, or between them cracking the big case and Nick's graduation into the police. Would I like to see romance between these two? Yep! But I’d love to see their strong friendship as that relationship’s foundation. 

How do they get together? Who admits their feelings to who? Do they both spend time stressing when they realise how they feel about the other person? Are they terrified to admit it in case it ruins the friendship and work partnership? How does the other one find out about how they feel? 

I love happy (or at least hopeful) endings to stories, and I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort and loving, caring touches (both during sex and just in general, everyday life).

If you'd like to write porn, or not write porn, I'm happy with both. I do prefer emotional sex over anything rough, please, and (particularly in het sex scenes) I like to read about a man who knows how to show a lady a good time, and who uses his whole body (especially his tongue, both with words and the physical use of it). Winkwink! Basically, if sex is fun and light with an emotional foundation, I'm a happy camper.

Request 3: The Martian - All Media Types (preference for the 2015 film)

Ship: Mark Watney & the Ares III crew

I was really surprised by how much I loved this movie. The book had been recommended to me, and I still need to read it, but I just loved Mark and how important his relationships are to him and his story, despite the fact he is alone on Mars for about 98% of the film’s running time.

Mark is obviously incredibly intelligent, and obviously loves his crew. It’s clear they had a close, loving bond with each other, and that the crew all love and care about Mark, too. The crew are devastated when they think he has died, and blame themselves, and vote unanimously to go back for him, despite the time and resources it takes (and that they’re technically going against orders, and do so more than once in order to ensure he gets back to them safely). 

I’d love to know what happens once he’s back on the ship with them. He hasn’t seen another living being in 18 months, and hearing their voices for the first time (the first voices he’s heard in 18 months, too) reduced him to understandable tears of joy while he was waiting in the lander. He’s emotionally damaged, touch-deprived, incredibly stressed, and slowly starving to death. How do the crew react to the state he’s in? How do they help him? How do they help him to adjust, to eat normally again, to be able to talk to others again, to be able to touch others again? 

These guys are very much a found family, and I’m happy for it to be genfic, or for Mark to be paired with either Melissa Lewis or Chris Beck. Please no OT3s. But sex isn’t necessary: I’d love to look into their emotions, and for the focus to be on connection. I don’t think Mark’s system would respond well to the entire crew touching his bare skin all at once for hours on end after he’s been alone for a year and a half, after all.

Request 4: Backstreet Boys

Ships: Kevin Richardson/Nick Carter; Kevin Richardson & Nick Carter; AJ McLean & Kevin Richardson;  AJ McLean & Kevin Richardson & Brian Littrell & Nick Carter & Howie Dorough

Ah, the boyband mania of the 1990s and early 2000s! BSB was always my favourite, and as lot of that came from two things: firstly, they could actually sing, and secondly that the relationships between the boys were real and genuine. 

Unlike basically all the other bands of the era (and even newer ones, such as One Direction and the Jonas Brothers), these guys are still together after more than 20 years, still making new music, and still touring as a band. Kevin did leave for several years in 2006, but he came back to the band in 2012, and still kept in touch with (and even performed on stage with) the other four guys during that break. 

There was some fallout among the group around 2001, when AJ hit his lowest point with his alcohol and substance abuse and depression, and when Nick produced his first solo album. Nick felt the guys weren’t supporting his solo efforts, which hurt and confused him; the other guys felt they hadn’t been told that Nick would be away and unable to work with them as a group for so long. The fact that the record label, Jive, was not communicating things properly to anyone was not realised until later, of course. But the fact that much of the fault here (which was mostly just confusion and hurt caused by misinformation from Jive and general miscommunication) lay with Jive did not come out until later, and the damage was done for the time being. Later, they did sort it out, and all the boys have worked on solo stuff as well as group stuff since.

Relations were strained among the band members for a while: Kevin literally broke down AJ’s hotel room door to stage an intervention in the middle of one of the band’s tours, and infamously told AJ “you are DEAD to me!” if he didn’t get himself cleaned up. AJ credits Kevin with pretty much saving his life, and his ‘brothers’ (the BSB guys) for helping him put his life back together. This was also all in the midst of the exhausting round-the-clock touring for Millennium and Black and Blue, which left everyone exhausted.

When the boys appeared on Oprah to talk about AJ being out of rehab in 2003, the strain between them is clear: Nick had just flown in from London where he was working on his solo album, and barely makes eye contact with the other guys the entire time. AJ is clearly awkward and uncomfortable with this very public reunion when they hadn’t had time to sit down together and talk it out properly. Obviously, they did sort it all out. Jive screwed Nick over rather infamously (Jive focused their publicity machine and money on Justin Timberlake’s first solo effort over Nick’s album, basically throwing Nick to the dogs and placing the blame on him when his album didn’t perform as hoped, especially in comparison to Timberlake’s), and Nick returned to the boys and they all talked it out.

So while BSB were a “manufactured” band to a degree, those relationships that didn’t exist before the band was formed (remember, Kevin and Brian are first cousins) were forged in fire in their early days of endless rehearsals and touring. So I love the dynamic between all five band members. As Howie D says, they love each other like brothers...and often fight as blood brothers do. But they always resolve their differences and end up a stronger unit for it.

So anything about the relationship between all five of the boys would be great, as well as any genfic about Kevin and AJ or Kevin and Nick would be great. I also do ship Kevin and Nick, but of course, only after Nick is an adult. 

Kevin has always been my favourite Backstreet Boy, followed by Everyone’s Favourite, Nick. Kevin is the protector and big brother in the band, according to the other members. He ensured AJ went to rehab, stayed there, and got back together. He gave Nick a book many years ago to help him through a dark period, with a handwritten note inside. Nick still has the book, and treasures it. Kevin gave it as a peace offering when he realised that Jive were mostly to blame for the issues with Nick’s workload during the recording of his solo album and was immediately supportive. 

There are blood families who aren’t as functional as these guys! And I’d just love to see anything about their bond.

Request 5: Futurama

Ship: Philip J. Fry/Turanga Leela

I love these two way more than I probably should. Fry is immature, irresponsible, and sometimes unforgivably stupid. Yet he loves Leela, and he does so unselfishly. He doesn’t whine and stamp his foot and yell, “but I’m such a nice guy! Why won’t she go out with me?!”

When Leela refuses to date him, he accepts it. He always does ask her again, of course, at a later time, but doesn’t believe that he is entitled to Leela’s affection and love purely because he’s nice to her. Which is really refreshing. Yes, he wants her. But he wants her to be happy more.

I do think the writers of DVD movies or the second run of Futurama didn’t handle Fry and Leela’s relationship once they started dating as well as they either could or should have. What brought Fry to his final realisation that he still loved Leela aboce everyone else in Into the Wild Green Yonder, after their relationship was completely ignored in Bender’s Game? And, more importantly, why did Leela have her realisation in Into the Wild Green Yonder that she did love Fry? 

The first episode of the Comedy Central run of the show, Rebirth, was great and really handled their relationship well, but it was pretty patchy after that. some episodes handled it well (The Late Philip J Fry is a standout), others didn’t (In-A-Gadda-Da-Leela, I’m looking at you!), and it just seemed like the writers couldn’t decided what to do when the relationship was portrayed as so on-and-off. Although Meanwhile, the (current) series finale, was nicely done. 

But the writers, likely through executive meddling, just said, “fuck it!” during the last season, and put Leela and Fry together as a couple without showing any of the growth that Fry and Leela both should have had to go through in order for a relationship between them to work at all. Basically, Fry would have to mature at least a bit, and Leela would probably have to learn to relax at least a bit. Remember, Leela has said point-blank that she loves Fry’s “boyish charm” but finds his childishness a major turn-off. Leela did, however, fall for Lars, who was simply an older (and importantly, more emotionally mature) Fry in Bender’s Big Score (which is, hands down, one of my favourite bits of Futurama ever and my favourite of the DVD films).

So basically, I’d love to see these two have some more time together. I don’t mind when. Earlier in the series, before they’re a couple: why and when did Fry first figure out he was in love with Leela, and not just in lust? What happens after Meanwhile? Do they still get married? When and why and how during the series does Leela realise she’s in love with Fry? What makes her willing to take the leap and the risk? Where are they in ten years’ time? What would have happened had Lars not died, and he and Leela got married? Would Leela and/or Fry ever have found out who Lars really was?

Go nuts!

Request 6: Mulan

Ship: Fa Mulan/Li Shang

Request 7: Beauty and the Beast

Ship: Belle/Prince Adam

I love strong, well-rounded, well-written characters who just happen to be female. They move through life without needing to be married or to have a boyfriend just because they’re meant to. They have their own dreams and ideas. They’re educated and well-read. And they’re awesome.

Mulan and Belle are two such characters, and it’s no coincidence that I loved them both when I was growing up. Mulan’s relationship with Shang, in particular, was very much the result of the events of the film, wherein Mulan takes control of her own destiny and does not spend the film mooning over Shang or trying to get his attention. She certainly thinks he’s attractive, but it’s not “love at first sight”. She wants Shang to be impressed and proud of her abilities as a soldier whom he fights alongside, not for him to fall in love with her. Which he does anyway. (And probably after a period of thinking, “holy crap! Am I gay?!). 

But that’s not the point. 

Marriage and romance are not her main goals in the film. The only time she even thinks about marriage is when she’s sent to the matchmaker, and that’s only because she has to go, not because she wants to. Mulan’s main goal in the film is to fight in her father’s place, because she believes he is too ill to fight having been injured in previous wars he fought for his country. Her only other real goals in the film is to fight well and defend her country, and then to get home in one piece. 

Belle is the same: she has no interest in marriage, refusing Gaston’s proposal both when he shows up at her door with the whole village in tow, and when he threatens to have her father, Maurice, falsely imprisoned in an asylum unless she marries Gaston. 

The Beast (originally a human prince named Adam) is cursed by an Enchantress to spend all time as a Beast unless he can learn to love, and earn someone’s love in return, before the enchanted rose loses all its petals. Adam must find love during the film. But all Belle wants to do is save her father, and then to get home to him. She has bigger fish to fry than marriage. 

The film is problematic, to say the least, when it comes to the whole Adam-imprisoning-Belle-in-his-castle, Stockholm-Syndrome thing. But he does let her go, even when it is against his best interests to do so. Adam does save her from the wolves when she leaves the castle (although it is creepy to think he ran out after her if he didn’t already know she was in danger, which he may have thanks to the magic mirror). Belle takes Adam back to the castle to tend his wounds after he saves her from the wolves, even though she could have left him for dead. And she does come back to save him when she realises he is in danger when the villagers are storming the castle. So they get bonus points for that.

But how do they navigate marriage? How long was their engagement? I doubt Belle is the type to get married straight away, and that wedding must have taken some planning. How does Adam adjust to being human again? As a prince, does he actually rule over the kingdom Belle lives in? Where are his parents? How do the staff adjust to being human again?

Request 8: Aladdin

Ships: Aladdin & Genie; Aladdin/Genie; Jasmine & Rajah; Jasmine & Sultan of Agrabah; Abu & Rajah & Carpet & Iago; Genie & Iago

Jasmine was another of my favourite Strong Ladies when I was a little girl, although marriage was a goal she was required (by law, no less) to meet during the story. But her main goal was actually to live life on her own terms, rather than to be married. She tells her father, “if I do marry, I want it to be for love”. Which distresses her father, who clearly loves her, and clearly thinks what he’s doing is best for her: if she is married, he believe she will always be taken care of and provided for, even if something happens to him. Their world is hardly welcoming to women, after all. (As if ours is!)

However, in the end, the Sultan realises his error and changes the law: Jasmine may now marry “whomever she deems worthy”. She may she she chooses Aladdin as soon as the words leave her father’s mouth, but the two do not marry for some time, and in the sequel films and TV series, Jasmine joins Aladdin on his adventures, and is (rarely) the damsel in distress, which is refreshing.

I’d love to see any genfic between Jasmine and her father, or between Jasmine and Rajah, her devoted friend and companion. How did Jasmine come to have Rajah, anyway?

The bond between Abu, Rajah, Iago and Carpet (particularly in the sequel films and TV series) is interesting, as is the relationship between Genie and Iago, so any genfic exploring their hijinks or chill time would be great.

But the relationship that carries this series is certainly that between the Genie and Aladdin. The Genie is the first person who believes in Aladdin. Jafar may know Aladdin is the Diamond in the Rough, but doesn’t care about what that means beyond the Cave of Wonders allowing Aladdin to enter it. But the Genie (and, later, Jasmine) see Aladdin for who he truly is: a good-hearted person who has been dealt some tough cards via accident of birth.

I’m be happy for genfic between the Genie and Aladdin at any point - before, during or after the film and series - or for slash between the two but only after the Genie has been freed of his servitude by Aladdin. These two clearly love each other, after all.

Request 9: Star Trek: TNG

Ships: Jean-Luc Picard/Q; Jean-Luc Picard/William Riker; William Riker & Thomas Riker; Jean-Luc Picard & William Riker; Data & Jean-Luc Picard; Data/Geordi La Forge

This was the very first Star Trek series I ever watched, and I discovered it purely by accident. To say I was thrilled when I discovered there was a whole franchise of TV series and films is putting it mildly. My parents are not sci-fi orientated at all, which is just weird, considering how much I love it.

I love these characters, and how they are very much a family. It’s far more of an ensemble show that TOS was, which focused on thew triad of Kirk, Spock and Bones more than anything else.

I love Picard, even when he’s being a moody grump, and how he relates to Q, Riker and Data are some of my favourite moments in the series. I slash Picard and Q, and Picard and Will Riker, as well as Geordi and Data (who are also adorable as besties). I love how Geordi helps Data to understand things and is patient with him (espeically when it comes to that damn emotion chip). I love that Data recognises that Geordi is important to him, and is one of the most important and treasured people in his life. Any fic featuring any of these relationships would be great. Although if focus on the power Q has over Picard as an all-powerful entity, and the power Picard has over Riker as the captain could be avoided, that would be great, please.

One minor character I find fascinating is Thomas Riker, Will Riker’s transporter-malfunction created duplicate. I was furious he was only in one episode of TNG and would love to know what happens next to him, including how he goes forward in his relationship with Will and also with Deanna Troi. What would have happened had Thomas stayed on the Enterprise for longer? What happened to him when he was stranded alone for eight years?

Request 10: Star Trek: TOS

Ships: James T. Kirk (TOS)/Spock; James T. Kirk/Spock & Leonard McCoy

What can I say? I am a Trekkie stereotype: I love Star Trek, I love my ‘ships, I love my slash, and I very much grok Spock (paired with Kirk). Ahem.

I love these two characters. I love the depth of their friendship. I love that they are th’y’’la and that Gene Roddenberry (Trek’s creator, for any newbies) created this word and defined it the way he did. I love that Kirk accepts Spock wholly and completely (even when Spock is being so very Vulcan), and that Spock does the same in return, despite his Vulcan training to feel no emotions. In Devil in the Dark, Spock infamously spouts comments about treating the rampaging Horta with care and to not harm it...until the Horta turns her attentions to Kirk, and almost mamims and kills him. Then Spock blows his top and screeches for the Horta to be blown apart before it can hurt Jim Kirk. And do we even need to go into Amok Time, or the hand-holding in The Motion Picture? I think not.

I love the Shat. I love Leonard Nimoy. I love DeForrest Kelley, who is so underappreciated. And damn if Shat weren’t hot when he was a pup. So yep, anything slashy between Kirk and Spock would be great. Before the series, during the series, between the series and the films, during the films, after them. Don’t mind. Go nuts! How do they become a couple? What do other members of the crew think? What does Bones think? (I am a sucker for outsider POVs regarding my favourite characters and couples).

In closing: thank you so much!