#benedict cumberbatch rpf

[martinsharmony]

In defense of RP Shipping and RP Fiction

I don’t normally come out and give my opinion on things like this so plainly about such controversial things. I tend to shy away from confrontational writing such as this. However this idea has been brewing in my mind for some time now so I had to write it.

I am a Real Person Shipper.

I’m seeing people talk a lot more about RP shipping (and the hate towards it) since David Tennant and Michael Sheen appeared smiling at each other in a photo after David's appearance in Macbeth.

RP Shipping is not a choice.

When I caught the shipping bug, it hit me like lightning. It occurred to me one night as I lay in bed next to the husband with which I had a deteriorating relationship: “are there stories about Dave Gahan and Martin Gore…being together??”

Dave Gahan/Martin Gore (Gahore) are in Depeche Mode. They were my 1st ship as an adult. You can read about it here. Obviously Depeche Mode is a band so there is no fictional narrative anywhere to follow. I quickly learned that RP shipping was taboo. However in my shipping community we all shipped the band so I was more or less insulated from it.

I dove in headfirst. I literally couldn’t not do it. It was something my brain needed. Sure I could have forced myself to not go look for it because of some kind of moral (?) imperative which I wasn’t even aware of at the time, but even if I stopped myself, that would not stop my brain from wanting it. Making up stories and scenarios. Finding evidence in videos, songs, interviews, etc. I shipped these two people because of what I had observed between them.

I saw love. So did my shipping friends. We all saw it. I needed to experience it. My life lacked it.

My next RP ship was Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch (FreeBatch). First I fell in love with Sherlock and John, obviously. But then as I started to follow the fandom, I started noticing the same things that others noticed. My brain just went there. I literally had no choice. It’s not as if I could tell my brain “don’t do that”. It would not listen. You can’t tell a starving person to not think about food. In fact telling them that probably makes it worse.

In my personal life, I had been through a breakup with the man I dated after I got divorced, and then I began dating a woman for the 1st time. I really started to relate what I was seeing on the screen and reading on Tumblr and in fic to my own life. I was starting to process my own bisexuality. I started to notice things about Martin and Ben that other people were noticing too. Shipping them helped me navigate that time in my life because I saw myself in it. I related to it. But it wasn't a choice. My brain just went there. Maybe I was Baader-Meinhoffing but even if I was, that doesn’t mean it’s something I didn’t need to explore, work out in my mind, and discover.

Shennant (Michael Sheen and David Tennant) is my 3rd RP ship. Yes I fell in love with Aziraphale and Crowley of course, but again, as I started to follow the fandom and David’s and Michael’s careers specifically, watching interviews, watching Staged, etc, I started noticing the same thing that many others noticed. I literally couldn’t help it. My brain, again, just went there. Also in Staged of course, they play themselves. I have to say that my RP Shipping really took off after I watched them in that. They play themselves. Their actual partners are in it. If one were to write Staged fic, is that not RPF? Where is the line between what is supposed to be okay and what is not?

Again, with this ship, I had big things going on in my personal life. Dad passed away almost a year and a half ago, and now I'm taking care of my elderly mom long distance. It's a huge emotional burden. I'm not dating anyone right now mostly because of that but also because I was in a poly relationship with the male half of a het married couple (longtime friends of mine) that ended extraordinarily painfully (so this was V or chain-style poly not group-sex poly). Since then I've been alone for more than 2 years. I'm still getting over it.

The love I see between Michael and David feels unconditional. I see adoration. If they are indeed in a healthy poly relationship, my god, how on earth did they do that? Even while navigating fame? It’s certainly a lot more difficult than my own situation. I can explore it: What kind of person feels safe to me the way I believe David feels safe with Michael? What kind of relationship can withstand the kind of obstacles they (and I) might face? What would have had to actually happened for them to be as happy as they seem to be? What discussions were had? What agreements were reached? How does one do this the right way? What does that tell me about my own relationship and what went wrong? What should have happened?

This is, in its most academic sense, a tool for my brain to heal and to discover what kind of a relationship I want. And my brain knows it. That’s why it ships. My heart doesn’t know that. It just knows I love seeing them happy together. This is the magnet that drew me.

RP Shipping helps us to work shit out in our personal lives.

I bought Spark edited by Atlin Merrick recently. One of the essays by Angela Nauss, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) really stood out to me is titled Sympathy for the Devil: Attachment Theory and FanFiction.

The article is about fanfiction authors, however I would extrapolate this to include readers and RP Shippers as well. RP Shippers are authors of narratives in their own mind, even if they are not always written down.

From the book:

“Fanfiction authors process attachment wounds using fictional characters as proxies…to process and understand the origin of the problems encountered during adolescence.”

“Some authors write fanfiction to humanize uncomfortable aspects of their identity, grieve and repair damaged relationships, and process attachment wounds…by exploring how the character would behave in adaptive relationships.”

“Fanfiction authors project their unconscious trauma onto the characters.”

“The characters gain insight into their behavior and no longer feel responsible for their childhood attachment wounds. Through their writing, the author incorporates repressed trauma and attachment wounds into their conscious experience and achieves catharsis.”

“Writing fanfiction is a valid form of therapeutic self-exploration.”

I’ve been in therapy for several years, In fact the poly relationship I was in is why I seeked out therapy in the 1st place. I know that shipping these people, exploring aspects of that, is helping me to heal attachment wounds and the trauma caused by past relationships.

As part of my healing from this poly relationship I was in, I intend to write a meta and/or a fic about David and Michael. I know it will aid in my healing. I may or may not post it.

Also, even Shakespeare wrote RPF.

I’m seeing people say that we RP Shippers are terrible, immoral, disgusting, gross people and that we want David and Michael to leave their partners. That we want to break up their families. Let me be clear that I want nothing of the sort.

There are people out there that want to "protect" them from this “immorality” by shaming us, berating us, calling us names. Even sending certain blogs directly to Georgia and Anna! This is the exact opposite of what actions like this are actually doing. This does not protect them from harm. It creates it.

There is no such thing as thought crime.

Not only is it impossible for me to choose not to ship these people, but I also get the sense that even thinking about it is supposed to be wrong. That it makes me an immoral person.

Something I keep seeing is that people are so upset that we RP Shippers are doing this. Like, why don’t we just, stop. Just look at all the other appropriate characters that are out there to ship! Or just never start in the first place. As if this was a choice we are making to consciously ship real people.

When shippers ship a couple, do they choose that couple consciously? Do they say, hmm, I'm going to ship X person and Y person because it's...logical? Or for whatever consciously thought of reason? I'm going to go out on a limb and speak for mostly all shippers and say no. Shippers ship because we see something in those 2 characters that we are drawn to like magnets, for whatever reason. Real People included. If you're on Tumblr for a fandom and read fic, you know what I'm talking about.

Male/Male relationships is a fetish, or a kink, for me. And by extension, RPS/RPF as well. I do enjoy thinking about what might be the "reality" behind the curtain that we are shown as part of their public personas. This is part of the ingredients to this fetish, or kink, for me.

Kink is defined by Wikipedia as “the use of non-conventional sexual practices, concepts or fantasies. The term derives from the idea of a “bend” (a “kink”) in one’s sexual behaviour, to contrast such behaviour with “straight” or “vanilla” sexual mores and proclivities. It is thus a colloquial term for non-normative sexual behaviour.”

A fetish is defined by Wikipedia as referring “to any sexually arousing stimuli, not all of which meet the medical criteria for fetishism. This broader usage of fetish covers parts or features of the body (including obesity and body modifications), objects, situations and activities (such as smoking or BDSM).”

Generally, modern sexual health thinking seems to say “So long as your fetish doesn’t get in the way of your own well-being, the safety of others, and your partners participate enthusiastically, there is nothing wrong with it.”

It seems to be another taboo to claim gay (or bi/pansexual) men as a fetish, or a kink. There are some who claim that it’s objectifying the very real experiences of gay men. I struggle with this because I can't deny that I enjoy it but I also don't want to hurt anyone.

I am not a gay man. I will never be a gay man. I am a cis bisexual woman. I can never know what that experience is like. This is, in essence, the core of the fantasy. It can feel as good and perfect and romantic and loving as I want it to be because I don’t have the parts or experience to know it first hand. Therefore I've come to the conclusion that my thoughts in my head and anything I write down in a safe space does not hurt anyone. For me personally, it’s a way to disconnect from myself. People enjoy fic for all sorts of reasons. I shouldn’t have to prove that my reasons are "wholesome" to be allowed to enjoy it.

I don’t enjoy reading het fiction for reasons I won’t go into, however they are probably not individual to just me alone. Hoards of women like me also enjoy the same thing.

So yeah. To the surprise of absolutely no one, thinking about Michael and David, or Martin and Ben, or Dave and Martin, or men in general, kissing or having sex or a romance with each other – turns me on. That leads me to state the following:

Anti-RP Shipping and Anti-RP Fiction is kink shaming.

When I say "Anti", I'm referring to those who loudly object to it. Not those who (thankfully) say "that's not for me" and move on. Just like I would with say, Omegaverse.

Because my interpretation of these real people is in reality, “fiction” in my own head, then by definition all RP Shipping is RP Fiction. It cannot be reality because I don’t know them. Therefore any stories, speculation, comments, analysis, conclusions, art, etc, IS ALL FICTION.

Real people are characters to your brain.

Obviously I don’t know them personally, so anything that I were to believe or create in my head about them is by definition, fiction. My brain makes it up according to what I’ve seen, read, heard, observed and drew conclusions from. This creates a fictional reality for my brain to consume. It can’t be reality because I don’t know them.

Wikipedia says RPF writers are “building a fictional universe based on the supposed real-life histories of their idols. Information from interviews, documentaries, music videos, and other publicity sources are assimilated into the stories. It is also very popular to write fiction about celebrity couples. Communities of writers build collective archetypes based on the celebrities' public personas".

I would never, under any circumstances, present any RPS/RPF questions, stories, insinuations, or even mention it at all directly to the actors/musicians/personalities or their partners or even anyone associated with them. I would be beyond embarrassed to do so. Even though Michael himself seems to be accepting of it, I would never present it to him. Never. (I mean it’s not like I could really anyway but still).

I believe that 99.9% of RP Shippers would do the same. It’s the .01% that have done so (and unscrupulous “journalists” looking to shock by asking questions/showing them the RPF, and those people claiming to prevent harm by sending it directly to them “for legal action” or tattletale “look at what these terrible people are doing” and blaming the RP shippers for creating it – wow talk about projection) -that make a bad name for us all. Showing it to them and asking them about it IS a choice.

If RP Shipping is not a choice, a way to work out personal mental health issues, is fictional by definition, and a non-pathological aid to sexual excitement that hurts no one if it is contained within safe spaces such as fic sites and Tumblr, then what exactly is the harm?

Tumblr is a safe space.

Why is there such vitriol against RP Shipping and RPF? You claim to be protecting the actors or people in question, but by raising your voices so loudly in various ways, you are harming the very person you claim to be protecting. I think you have to ask what it is within yourself that makes you so aggressively hate this? Why can't we just say "that's not for me" and move on?

Don't we on Tumblr and on AO3 celebrate non-mainstream ideas such as this? Or if not celebrate, at least live and let live. The fact is that Tumblr is supposed to be a safe space. I should feel safe speaking my mind here. I know quite a few RP shippers follow me so I don't feel completely alone, but I don't feel entirely safe posting this.

My morality is not yours to police.

I strongly doubt I’ll be changing anyone’s mind with this. If you’re Anti RP shipping and Anti RPF you’re probably going to stay that way.

Don’t like, don’t read.

You can unfollow, block people, block tags, filter tags on AO3...any number of things. Think of it like a trigger. Just please don't spew hate.

[lokidokieokie]

Fic Recs

Hello my lovelies, it is Sunday again, and we all know what that means!

Below the cut are the fic recs for the week of 02/01 - 08/01!

Loki Laufeyson

Focus by @anonymousfiction211 

Beautiful by @acciotherapists 

Practice Makes Perfect by @simplyholl part 1 linked

As You Wish by @give-me-a-moose 

My Lilly by @fictive-sl0th 

Asgardian Yuletide Ball by @psychospore 

Drugs of Love, Love of Drugs by @pics-and-fanfics part 1 linked

Mischief Unleashed by @psychospore 

“Don’t Touch Me” by @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 

Man of the Month by @muddyorbsblr @mochie85 masterlist linked

The Beginning by @holdmytesseract 

A Horse’s Tale by @xorpsbane 

Mistletoe by @acciotherapists 

Highland Fling by @lokisgoodgirl 

​Across the Multiverse by @simplyholl​ part 1 linked

Painted as Friends; Fated as More by @fi-recs-fics​ 

Wardrobe Malfunction by @altrodent​ 

Fire & Ice by @fictive-sl0th​ 

Dancing with the Devil by @sarahscribbles​ part 1 linked

What’s the Occasion? by @tripleyeeet​ 

Tom Hiddleston

Con Love by @bowieandqueen11 

A Lot of Energy by @anonymousfiction211​ 

Doctor Stephen Strange + His Variants

Brave by @faithinhome 

My Heart is Yours by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

Something Exquisite by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

The First Course by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

Let’s Have a Picnic by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

In Good Care by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

Whisked Away by @sassenach-on-the-rocks 

Are You Satisfied by @vickie-mcmuffin​ 

Sherlock Holmes

Blurb by @feral-for-strange 

Playing Games by @worldofheroes​ 

Birthday Boy by @bakerstreethound​ 

Please show your support for these fabulous authors by commenting on and reblogging their posts!

See you all next week for your regularly scheduled programming!

[sabine-leo]

Added finished Story: Always been you to the list! More updates will follow :)

Masterlist

Multi Chapter fics TOM: 

A smile to remember :

This is a multiple chapter story about You and Tom. (46/?)

One manic monday at work you meet a handsome, tall man named Tom Hiddleston who happens to be the uncle of Dylan, a child in your care. The actor who is known worldwide soon pops up every now and then to pick up his nephew. Coincidence?

Special guests apear further along

Always been you: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6  (finished)

Since Toms´ sister Emma has been your friend since childhood, Tom was a part of your life for about 25 years now. Forming a deep and trusting friendship had been easy. You could count on each other no matter what. SO, when your flat got flooded Tom was the first to offer help and take you in.

Paradise Found: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5

Summer, sun, vacation on an Island. A summer romance. Who knows what will happen??!!  

Dreadful Silence : Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5  /  Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8/ Part 9 / Part10 /Part11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16/  (finished)

After an illness your brain experienced a trauma which caused it to lose the ability to speak out loud what you want to say. To get back on your feet after months in the hospital and secluding yourself from the world takes a big amount of courage and strength. Gladly there are helping hands… those of your friends…and handsome strangers (Epilouge may follow)

Moonlight Masquerade: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6

A mysterious masquerade ball calls for a enthralling encounter with a masked handsome stranger.

Multi Chapter fics LOKI :

Please me if you tease me: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 /Part 8 / Part 9  (finished)

There is something exhilarating about teasing your secret lover Loki. But are you ready to tangle with the God of Mischief? You are about to find out as the preperations for a grand festivity in Asgard kick in. 

(Sequel in work)

Solid Chaos : Part 1 / Part 2  / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part5 : (finished)

A requested fic with the Idea of @drakesfiance   5 parts are planned Oneshots belonging to this AU possible

Living in a world were The Avengers exist and save the world repeatedly you find yourself one morning with inhuman abilities of your own. How will your boyfriend Tom react when he get´s back from his audition?

                                                  Oneshots LOKI: 

Wake up Calls :  

Loki x Female reader Smut / Fluff

A simple statement leading to things you could not have imagined! 

You: *grumpy* I hate people who can go to sleep as soon as they close their eyes. It takes me 3 hours 700 position changes and a sacrifice to the gods!!!

Loki: *looking up from his tea with a smirk*

Loki: Darling…you have sacrificed yourself to the wrong gods then… *winking* Try me…

Lokis lure :

(Oneshot request) That she thinks that she´s not deserving of love and friendship makes Lokis blood boil. He can be patient but he also can be mischievous and quite loving in coming up with a plan to make her see the error of her ways. Other appearing / mentioned characters: Tony, Cap, Bucky, Nat, Bruce, Clint, Thor.

New Years Kisses:  

After he was not able to kiss you under the Mistletoe, Loki needs a new plan. 

Drunken Murmurs:

Drinking and talking to Loki is nothing that goes well together…or s it?

Hammered:

A Oneshot that originated out of this CHAT I wrote. Loki gets a book with bad Pick-up-lines from Tony and Clint who want to trick him. One night out in a club with them and Thor he wants to impress you with those lines.

Mischief Managed:

Loki is the new resident in the Stark Tower. He is hesitant at first, but mischief follows after you introduce him to the tradition of April Fools!  

Beautiful Menace :

A Oneshot about a Valkyrie (You) and Loki who need to work out their differences in order to stand to be in each other´s pressence without rilling each other up.

High Pitched :

A Oneshot full of fun.  Bored, you and Loki come up with another use for the helium gas tanks when Tony is throwing a party for the Avengers.

Drunken Murmurs:

You should not drink and talk to Loki if you want to keep your secret!

                                ONESHOTS TOM: 

Drunken Truth…Or..What Did I do?!

A Oneshot in which Tom had a little too much to drink and needs your help and maybe talks too much about stuff he held back for a while! 

Silver Lines:

Co-staring next to Tom Hiddleston in your first big role makes you nervous. But you are not the only one having trouble on set. 

Look Left:

A oneshot for a raffle winner. Reader gets hurt and Tom is her emergency contact. Fluff and sweetness ensues.

Wingman: 

Ben & Tom are having a fun night out. There is only one question Ben can´t get Tom to answer without drinks. WHY hasn´t he asked you out yet?

Bloody Valentine:

A Oneshot about You having the worst speed-dating expierence on Valentine´s day…until Tom comes along.

Dance with me tonight:

Fate has a thing for dancing in Londons tube… (Tom x You) 

Adaptation:

Your first novel became a bestseller and will be adapted to the big screen. Slightly out of your comfort zone you try to do your best as a 27 year old writer who is not accustomed to being the centre of attention.  (Tom x You)

Insecurities:

A Oneshot requestet from the lovely @theoneanna about You and Tom. There is an age-gap between you and …well…insecurities  

Getiing Loki :

A Oneshot of Smut about Tom and you getting into character in the make-up trailer.

The morning after:

The morning after a wild party you wake up in the wrong bedroom…

Pairing: Tom & You

Living The Dream &

Is this the real life is this just fantasy…

2 Oneshots based on the CENTRUM Commercial Tom filmed! I think I don´t need to say more than Living the Dream includes Smut and the other one is pure fluff!

Cry me a river

Your day got from bad to worse. Emotionaly drained you can´t keep it together any longer when you finally get home. How will the day end that has you crying in the shower?! Pairing: Tom & You

Coffee and Cake  & Kiss or Choke & Sparkly bets

3 Oneshots for a Prompt Challenge. Coffee and Cake is about Tom and Youwith Benedict as special guest. Kiss or Choke´s pairing is Loki and You with some other members of the avengers!  Sparkly bets is about Tom and You wanting something more than JUST friendship.

Wicked Tom :

Tom sees the musical WICKED with the reader staring as Elphaba. He is blown away by her voice and has to meet her/ you.  

I kisses Santa: 

A request Oneshot:  Regarding your post-I’m a fan of any Christmas fluff but I heard the song “I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” recently and think it would be great as a married reader x Tom fic with kids. Just an idea! Thank you for taking suggestions and sharing your writing! :)

Santa Baby :

Tom and Liv (his OFC neighbour ) meet while Liv tries to set up a tree. Not that easy when you are single and pregnant. How is their relationship 1 year later when little Ella is around?

I hope you have fun reading !!  Taglist and requests are open!

Reblogs are very appreciated!!

[diazsdimples]

Fic Writers Meme

Tagged by @inell

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

19

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

277,040

3. What fandoms do you write for?

9-1-1 but I did write a bunch of British Actor RPF back in high school lmao

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Buck's Baby (By Accident) (Buddie) How can this be wrong? (Bucktommy) For the rest of my life (for the rest of yours) (Buddie) Sweet child of mine (Bucktommy) The heat of the moment (Buddie)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do, even though it takes me a second sometimes. I always appreciate people putting in the time to tell me what they thought of my stuff!

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

None of them? All my fics have happy endings

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

Probably For the rest of my life (for the rest of yours) just for the hopeful Buckley-Diaz family feels but honestly any of them could work

8. Do you get hate on fics?

The occasional "this wouldn't happen in canon!!" and I'm like yeah! That's cause it's fiction!! But other than that, not really no.

9. Do you write smut?

9 of my 19 fics are smut and my smut fics are usually my longest. So, yep!

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope but I do write AUs based off premises from other things? Sort of?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Kind of? I deleted a fic once bc it wasn't a vibe for me (it was a request that I didn't love and didn't know how to say no) and the original requester of the fic, with whom I'd fallen out, messaged being like hey!! saw you deleted it!!! good news is I copied it into google docs before you could!!! Which I did not love

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

I am currently co-writing 2 fics with @hippolotamus and one with @theotherbuckley, when I remember they exist 🫣

14. What is your all time favorite ship?

Buddie will always be my go to for writing. I'm compelled a lot by Bucktommy and Buddietommy (and Eddietommy lbr) but for the most part if I come up with an AU, it'll be a Buddie one.

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

Single Dads AU or Frostpunk AU. They've just been around for so long that I feel like people have either forgotten or are sick of them and I just have No Beans for them

16. What are your writing strengths?

Oof I don't know, I think maybe coming up with plots/ compelling storylines

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I feel like I struggle most with describing things and emotions and if there's a scene that very emotion heavy it'll take me a long time to write it because I agonise over the correct words to use.

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

I wouldn't unless I had someone who spoke the language who was able to help guide me, mostly because I don't want to make mistakes

19. First fandom you wrote for?

British Actor RPF (specifically Tom Hiddleston/Benedict Cumberbatch

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Play me like a fiddle is my baby, will always be my baby, and it is my most beloved. 34k of Music Nerd James with a whole load of Buddie feels and closet sex. Idk, I peaked there tbh

NP tagging @theotherbuckley @hippolotamus @daffi-990 @buckera @watchyourbuck

@spotsandsocks @bidisasterevankinard @bigfootsmom @wikiangela @jesuisici33

@rainbow-nerdss @steadfastsaturnsrings and anyone else who wants to share their stuff! (And if I forgot anyone, I apologise)

[larakb117]

LONDON ADVENTURE

Joseph Quinn & female y/n

Summary: Eating with Joseph Quinn at Covent Garden! (Slow burn)

Warnings: 18+ (soon), but fluffy, rpf…

Part 3

It was a relaxing evening at Covent Garden. Joe and you ordered vegan Burrito Wraps at Seven Dials Market and took a seat downstairs in the seating area. It was really crowded, but you got a nice place in one of the corners. You both couldn´t stop talking about anything possible. You told Joseph about your job and what it was like to work in a kindergarten as an early child educator in London. He seemed to be really interested in your work with children, he would probably be a good dad. Joe just turned 30 years old about 4 months ago, maybe he already considered to be a dad very soon. The thought made you hesitate again for a second. You weren´t ready for something like that, you didn´t even had sex before. Another thought that made you shakingly nervous. “Sounds amazing, love. I guess working with kids can bring a lot of laughter into your life.” “Yes, that’s for sure.”, you were enjoying your chat. “Do you like your job? Acting, is it something you always wanted to do?” “Oh, it was the only thing I was good at.”, he jokingly answered. “I went to LAMDA for my education, it´s a…” “I heard about it, Benedict Cumberbatch went there too. “He observed you obviously surprised. “Yeah, I am a huge fan of him.” Joe chuckled: “He´s a nice guy, I can totally understand… What else are you doing?” You really had to think hard for that question to get answered: “Well, here in London I love to just explore the city. I love to travel in general.” “Where do you want to travel?”, it felt like he inspected your face really closely. “New York City.” “Really?” “Yes, I´m a city traveller, I grew up on the countryside but never felt really comfortable there. I love to spent my time in big cities.” “I´m travelling there next week.” “You need to tell me everything when you come back!” Joe smirked and his eyes sparkled: “That means you want to meet me again?” “Of course.”, you said softly and you felt the need to take his hand. So you did. Your burrito wraps were already eaten 2 hours ago, and the market had become pretty empty. Both of your arms kind of rested on dirty old food waste, but that didn´t matter at all. You looked down at your hands and noticed Joe´s watch on his wrist. It was late. “I´m so sorry, but I think we have to leave now. I have to get up early tomorrow. I need to prepare a lot of stuff for my week off next week.” “That´s okay darling, still makes me sad though.”, he frowned his forehead in kind of a funny way and his face shifted into a cute smirk again. “Let´s go love.” He grabbed your hand and you went outside, it was a warm evening. “Which underground do you have to take?”, he asked. “Northern.” “Me, too.”

You started your walk back to Leicester Square station.” When you arrived, you did not have any idea how to say goodbye to him. Before you could even decide, Joe went in for a tight hug. It felt really overwhelming but soft and gentle at the same time. Something you never wanted to miss again in your life. Once he let go of the hug, you felt like a big hole in your chest. “You want to meet again tomorrow?” “Yes, Joseph. I´d love to.” “Same time, same place?” “Yes.”, you widely smiled. “Bye Joe.” “Bye, y/n.” Your paths separated, you had to go to the platform connecting you to Edware, he left for Morden. There was a last intense stare into each other’s eyes, but you could not fight the fear of being rejected, so you did not kiss him. And then, he walked around the corner and you had to wait about twenty hours till you would see him again. The digital display showed that you had to wait 7 minutes for the next train to arrive. Suddenly you felt a hand on your shoulder, just like at the beginning of your evening. You turned around and Joe had already smashed his lips against yours. It was passionate, soft and way to short. Joe left, you were too stunned to react.

To be continued…

Let me know what you think!! I have 13 parts ready to be posted!Just enjoy writing to much, but couldn’t post for a long time!

[percervall]

For the fic recs ask 🔁 😂 💞 👍

🔁 A fic you’ve re-read several times

The number of times I've revisited this is embarrassing: Helping Her Heal (ofc x James McAvoy / ofc x Micheal Fassbender / ofc x Tom Hiddleston / ofc x Benedict Cumberbatch)

A close second is Sector Seven (football rpf dystopian AU)

😂 A fic that made you laugh out loud

Oh, Falling, without a doubt

💞 A fic that led to you making friends with the author

I'll be honest, I don't know when exactly or which fic specifically was the turning points, but I became very good friends with @kostasstsimikass and @footballffbarbiex through their fanfics

👍🏽 A fic you bookmarked recently

A Carlando fic I haven't read yet: how good it feels to be needed

thank you anon! 🥰

x

[ao3feed-sheriarty]

Co-stars That Sleep Together Stay Together. Or Bendict And Andrew Get Down And Dirty In A Closet.

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

by Bunnybunkins

You are working the coat closet at an event for the cast of Sherlock. When you stumble upon Benedict and Andrew in a rather suspicious manner, or is that Sherlock and Moriarty?

(Reader can be read gender blind)

Words: 870, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Sherlock (TV) RPF, British Actor RPF, Irish Actor RPF, Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott (Actor), Reader

Relationships: Benedict Cumberbatch/Andrew Scott, Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty

Additional Tags: Closet Sex, Roleplay, Sneaking Around, Accidental Voyeurism, Blow Jobs, Love Bites, Minor Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty, Fantasizing, Caught, Sexual Tension, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Submissive Benedict Cumberbatch, Bisexual Male Character, Love/Hate, Peeping, Rough Oral Sex, Hair-pulling, Voice Kink, Verbal Humiliation, Teasing, Light Dom/sub, Everyone Is Gay, Dirty Talk, Co-workers, Workplace Sex, Reader-Insert, RPF, Banter, Semi-Public Sex

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

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

My thing is this: I've been on tumblr for a decade (*screams*) and I have seen so many terminally Online, abnormal, "parasocial" takes about celebrities on the internet over the years by people who think rpf is the height of immorality, that I can't take the outrage over rpf being Satan's anus seriously.

Like, for example, the people who were absolutely convinced that Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss changed the plot of their BAFTA- and Emmy-award-winning, internationally successful BBC show to spite a few thousand tumblr bloggers after season 4 were far more delusional and unhealthy than rpf authors I've encountered like, "Yeah, I know it's all fiction, I'm just having fun." Idk like, I think the latter have a much firmer grasp on reality than the former lol. Or like, I remember seeing someone on here saying they weren't surprised Benedict Cumberbatch played a predator in the movie Atonement, and it is absolutely more terminally Online yet more acceptable on this hellsite to lowkey accuse an actor of being a predator because he was Cringe than to read a fic about an actor.

So yeah idk, I've been on the internet too long and see behavior that is far more unhealthy than rpf yet more normalized to give a shit about shit on AO3

[portraitofalonelydyke]

I’m going to be so rude right now, you need to get a new hobby. I don’t respect your opinion on this.

Your argument about people in your real life only works if you are quietly and behind the scenes speculating on their life which is a normal thing people do. It’s a normal thing to gossip about people who you actually know. It’s even totally fine to gossip about celebrities behind closed doors and with your friends! I still do it!

What’s not normal is going online and calling Georgia and Anna baby trapping, attention seeking abusers. That’s literally not normal. It’s gross, it’s misogynistic, it’s frankly pathetic.

I don’t know you, I don’t know your blog, I am not accusing you of personally saying those things. But it is being said by people who ship Michael and David and I repeat, that is not normal

You proved it yourself with your friends analogy, you literally cannot tell what’s going on behind closed doors or how healthy a relationship is through photos. You CANNOT. So instead of writing out paragraphs defending yourself for your “right” to do that with celebrities idk how about you go write fanfic! go write poetry, go for a walk, read a book, behold a tree, do literally anything else to be a productive member of society. It’s invasive, it’s rude. Are you not learning anything from Chappell Roan and the other celebrities discussing how invasive fans are becoming?

Because you are being invasive. I mean consider it, would you be proud of yourself if David and Michael saw those posts? Do you think they would feel safe around you? No. You’re treating them like your own personal dolls. They’re real actual people not your puppets to play pretend with. They and their spouses are allowed to post whatever kinds of photos they want and they should be able to do that without strangers dissecting every expression. You say they won’t see it, they don’t care what random people online say or they should expect it, how does that make this behavior okay? I don’t even care if it is expected, it’s not right. it’s not okay.

Like seriously are you really saying, “Well, if she didn’t want people to speculate that she’s abusing her husband she really shouldn’t be posting anything at all. Because we all have a right to speculate” Is your argument really to blame her and say she deserves it? So when someone finally does invade their privacy in real life, when someone takes it upon themselves to save David and Michael, are you really going to say, “Well if she hadn’t posted on instagram!”

Yall need to stop with this. It’s one thing to write fic or draw art of a rpf. But point to ONE TIME that rpf didn’t go into scary and invasive territory. Because it worked so well for the Larries, and Gaylors, Dan & Phil, BTS, hell in my Sherlock days even Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman had to deal with this shit. Has it ever been okay? Has it ever not turned into invasive parasocial behavior?

Again, I don’t know you, I’m not accusing you personally of all this. But Michael and David shippers on the whole, in my experience, are incredibly misogynistic and invasive and I’m really sick of it.

david tennant explaining why he's never addressed the stupid rumour that georgia forced him to do rivals

[lokidokieokie]

The “L” Word

Summary: You and Benedict had only been dating for three months when he had to leave to film for Sherlock. Three months later and he still hadn’t come home; you missed him like crazy. The nightly calls were the only thing that got you through the day. And, after one particularly draining day, you accidentally let the “L” word slip...

Pairing: Benedict Cumberbatch x Reader

Warning(s): fluff overload (I didn’t know I was capable of writing this much fluff), Benedict being all cute, adoring pet names, some naughty words 🫢 (whose really surprised at this point?)

Walking through your front door to a cold and empty house was sadly the new norm for you. Ever since Ben had left to film the latest season of Sherlock, everything was just...off. Your home didn't feel the same without him.

Entering your home felt weird without the welcome home kiss that Ben would give you; sleep was hard to come by without his loving arms draped around your waist; and how were you meant to get through the day without his little cheeky messages?

Nothing was normal anymore, and God you missed Ben. You longed for the day he would come home, so you could sleep in his arms again--for the day that everything would become normal again.

The only thing getting you through this was the nightly phone calls; at least you could hear his voice before you fell asleep. But trying to occupy your mind until then was always a challenge.

Today's method: cleaning and decluttering the house. Hopefully that can occupy you long enough.

At exactly 8 o'clock, your phone began blasting the Sherlock theme tune causing you to drop your broom as you bolted towards it; narrowly missing tripping over the ottoman to get to it.

"Ben!" You excitedly exclaimed.

You could practically hear him smile through the phone, "Hello, Love."

"How's my favourite high-functioning sociopath doing today?"

Ben laughed, "He's doing alright, but he wants to know how his favourite girl's big presentation at work went today."

Conversations with Ben were pretty much the highlight of your day. You got to hear what shenanigans that cast of Sherlock got up to, he got to hear about the weird guy at work who sat at a table across from his tie and talked to it during lunch. It was pretty much just pure and utter nonsense that made you miss him that much more.

"I miss you so much, Darling."

You sighed softly, "I miss you too, Ben."

“How is it already eleven o’clock? It feels like I only began talking to you ten minutes ago.”

"Time flies when you're having fun, Benny." You giggled at his groan, he did not like that nickname.

"One day I'll give you a stern talking to about that nickname."

You rolled your eyes, "Sure you will, Benny, sure you will."

He sighed, "In all seriousness though, I've got to get to bed. Can't have Sherlock being even grumpier than he already is tomorrow. Good night, Love."

"Good night, Ben. I love you-" You quickly cut yourself off.

Shit. You just said the "L" word didn't you? This was not a conversation meant to be had over the phone. It wasn't something that should've been brought up at all.

Curse your tired self!

"Darling? Did you just-"

"I said nothing, good night!"

And with that, you quickly ended the call and practically threw your phone across the room.

That was not how the conversation was meant to go.

Grumbling to yourself, "This calls for some wine."

The sound of the doorbell continuously ringing roused you out of your somewhat peaceful sleep.

Who in the world would be ringing your doorbell at 3 in the morning?

Slowly clambering your way out of bed, the noise didn't cease.

"Cool your tits, I'm coming!"

Grumpily trudging down the stairs, you swore to all Gods out there that you would kill whoever was on the other side of that door.

Angrily opening the door you began scolding whoever it was, "Do you have any idea what time it-"

You were cut short by a pair of familiar lips dancing with your own. That was not something you were expecting when you opened your door at 3am.

"Ben? What are you doing here? It's 3 in the bloody morning."

"I don't like the way our conversation ended."

You anxiously began playing with your fingers. "It ended how every conversation does, with a good night."

He tsked, "You were never a good liar, Love."

You sighed, "I didn't mean to announce it like that. It kind of slipped-"

He smiled, "I love you, too."

You jerked your eyes up to meet his. "You do?"

He cupped your face in his hands, "You have no idea how long I've waited to tell you those three words. I wanted to make it all special, going out to a fancy dinner, maybe a walk around Hyde Park? Just something special where I could declare my undying love for you, Y/n."

A tear slipped down your cheek and you lightly chuckled, "I'm sorry I ruined that plan."

He shook his head and wiped your tear away, "You didn't. I couldn't have imagined a better way for me to tell you that I love you, Y/n. I practically did the whole running through the airport cliché. As soon as you ended the phone call, I kind of just stood there with a goofy smile on my face; Martin had to knock me out of my daze. As soon as he did, I bolted towards my car and drove the three and a half hours to get here. I needed you to know I love you."

You gave him a soft kiss, "I need you to know that I love you, Ben."

He gave you the goofiest smile possible. "Say it again, please."

You giggled, "I love you, Benedict Cumberbatch."

He pecked you on the lips, "I love you too, Y/n L/n."

That night, you finally got to fall asleep with Ben's loving arms wrapped around you; and you had never slept better.

Don’t know how I feel about this...but oh well :)

Find my masterlist here!

[mariwhether]

Daughter-in-Law Wanted - Chapter 216 is up!

Hi Everyone!  I just posted Chapter 216 of DILW.  Here is the link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/895834/chapters/49262579

[daydreamtofiction]

The Feature XIII // Benedict Cumberbatch x Reader

Series Overview | Previous Part | Next Part

Chapter Summary: When you finally get to see Ben after two long weeks, you once again find yourself unable to just keep your mouth shut. 

Chapter Word Count: 5K

Chapter Warnings: Morally-grey reader, strong language, adult/sexual discussions, alcohol consumption, explicit sexual descriptions, smut: dominance, rough/angry sex, oral sex (receiving), digital penetration, spanking, choking, biting/hickeys. Readers must be 18+

Join the Tag List Here*

You never liked when people said they had nothing to wear. It was stupid, you thought, how someone could stand in front of an overflowing wardrobe and yet somehow see nothing there. But as you stood in the middle of your bedroom, wearing nothing but your underwear, your floor and bed buried beneath heaps of discarded clothes, you finally understood.

You'd showered in your expensive body wash, shaved without cutting yourself or getting any rashes, your hair had cooperated perfectly, your makeup had gone just right, and the new lingerie you were wearing made your boobs look incredible. All that was left to do was get dressed, and you hated everything.

It didn't help that you had no idea where you were going. You'd spent the entire day waiting to hear from Ben, yet now at almost 7pm, he still hadn't called. You were starting to think he wasn't going to call at all; that your inability to choose an outfit was some kind of bad omen, that everything had gone so perfectly just to make it hurt more when he snubbed you.

You crouched down and grabbed a pair of well-worn jeans, pulling them on before fishing through the pile on your bed for an old t-shirt. If he was going to stand you up, you thought, then he could stand you up in your scruffiest, comfiest clothes. But just as you picked up your phone to leave the room, it buzzed in your hand. You looked down to see his name on the screen, a text with nothing but an address and time.

You rolled your eyes, unbuttoning your jeans and whipping the t-shirt over your head as you returned to wade through the sea of clothes.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You’d settled on a silk button-up shirt and a pair of matching trousers, the bottoms of them grazing the wet pavement, even in your heels, as you stood outside the restaurant. You glanced up at the sign above the door and back down to the text in your hand one more time. This was definitely the right place.

You were greeted with a rush of warm air as you pushed through the door, the delicious smell of food and the sound of glasses clinking, hums of conversation. The place was fancy; dimly lit, understated, classical music playing softly in the background as straight-backed waiters weaved effortless between tables. You wandered in slowly, silently congratulating yourself on your choice of outfit as you looked around at all the impeccably-dressed guests.

"May I help you, madam?"

You turned to see the maître d' standing in front of you, a polite smile on his face.

"Yes, I'm here to meet someone," you replied, unsure if he would even believe you when you said Ben's name. "Er, Benedict Cumberbatch? He's expecting me."

He took a moment to regard you, his eyes assessing you from head to toe, like he was deciding whether or not you seemed the type to meet celebrities for dinner. "Of course," he said. "If you could wait here one moment."

You watched as he wandered off, meandering between the tables with the same grace as his waiters. You bit your lip as you waited, occupying yourself by eyeing people's food and trying to guess how much it cost.

"This way, Madam," the maître d' said as he appeared in front of you again, gesturing for you to follow him.

He led you to a booth near the back, with tall leather seats that curved slightly around the table, like a wall separating it from the rest of the room. You approached tentatively, a strange, unwelcome nervousness in your stomach as you waited for him to walk away before daring to look inside.

"Quinn."

And there was that voice. Warm enough to make your cheeks flush.

"Hi," you replied.

Ben shuffled out from his seat and stood up, allowing you to see him properly, closely. His facial hair was gone, his charming smile now fully visible despite the stubble starting to form. His dark hair had grown slightly too, just long enough for it to begin curling at the ends, his fingers creating a wave as he ran a hand through it. He was dressed neatly, navy blue trousers and a well-fitting jumper, a pair of glasses hooked into the neck.

"Your beard's gone," you said, almost involuntarily.

"Oh, yeah." He smiled, rubbing his slightly stubbled jaw.

He lay a hand on your back, leaning in and placing a formal, polite kiss on your cheek, like you were a valued colleague or an old friend. He smelled incredible; citrus and sandalwood, clean yet rich, the scent taking you back to the first time you met him, how he'd captivated you before he'd even taken your coat.

He sat back down, gesturing for you to sit opposite. You obliged, taking off your jacket and slipping into your seat, your eyes never leaving him, not even for a moment.

"What?" he asked sceptically. "You don't like it?"

"Hm? Oh, no." You shook your head with a slight smile. "You look good. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I must be here for a reason..."

He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head curiously. "I said before I left that I wanted to see you when I got back, didn't I."

"You did. Though when I got the invitation to a restaurant, I was certain it'd be in the company of your legal team. Y'know, while they made me sign some pretty hefty non disclosure agreements."

He pressed his lips together to subdue a laugh, making the sound resonate in his throat, deep and warm like the whiskey he'd been drinking.

"No lawyers," he said. "Just me."

"Wow, so you really must've missed me then."

"Pfft."

You gave a smirk, glancing over your shoulder before speaking again. "Enough to steal my bracelet, at least..."

He paused before releasing a quiet sigh. "Yeah that was pretty stupid of me."

"Really fucking stupid."

"I don't even know why I did it," he said, lowering his voice and leaning in slightly. "It was on the side as I was leaving for the airport and I just... grabbed it."

"And wore it around Los Angeles."

"In my defence, it was tucked away under my sleeve. I only realised it'd slipped down after I had hundreds of photographs taken."

"Well you're lucky I'm such a fantastic writer," you teased, resting your elbow on the table, chin on your fist. "Managed to shut down all those cheating rumours with a single magazine feature. Though I think it's only a matter of time before someone questions if Quinn Armitage, writer at Draft, is the same Quinn from Benedict Cumberbatch's bracelet."

"Er, I believe it was 'Qui'," he replied sarcastically.

"Piss off."

He laughed, the smile creating lines around his mouth, creases in the corners of his eyes. It made you want to smile too, but you didn't. Instead you tried your best to remain serious, softening your voice as you looked straight at him.

"I could lose my job, Ben."

"I won't let that happen."

"How? Are you going to pull some more strings with Ellen Ford?" you replied sarcastically.

"If I need to."

You breathed out a laugh, shaking your head at him. "You can't keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Bailing me out."

"Well if you behaved, I wouldn't have to."

You bit your lip, pausing to keep your composure. "Actually, I've been on my best behaviour, Mr Cumberbatch. I think you'll find that this one's all your fault."

"My fault?"

"Mhm. Think about it; you get me into bed and wear my name like a trophy afterwards. Then you go and invite me to dinner, in a restaurant, where people can see us."

"In fairness, you did just write a huge feature on me; who's to say we're not here for work? Doing a follow up? Discussing my thoughts?"

"Did you actually read it?"

"Of course I did."

"Okay prove it. What did you think? Any critiques?"

He narrowed his eyes at you, a slight smile forming. "Something tells me you don't take too kindly to feedback."

"Not true. I'm great with feedback... If it's positive."

He laughed and took a sip of his drink. "Well I liked it. Really liked it."

"Good."

You noticed his eyes flitting over you, lingering on your chest before returning back to your face.

"Subtle, Ben," you said.

He chuckled, as if he hadn't realised he'd done it. "Sorry. You do look nice though. Beautiful."

"Thank you."

You were interrupted by the sound of a throat being cleared, glancing up to see a waiter standing awkwardly at the edge of your table. He was young, licking his lips as if preparing himself to speak, and you could tell immediately that he was nervous.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked, chin raised, feigning confidence.

"Not quite yet, sorry," Ben replied kindly.

You could tell he'd sensed the nerves too, like he was used to dealing with fans and knew exactly how to put them at ease.

"But could I get another?" He held up his whiskey glass. "And Quinn?"

"Oh, erm, I'll have... An old fashioned, please."

You noticed a smirk on Ben's face from the corner of your eye, ignoring him as you thanked the waiter and watched him walk away, remaining quiet until you were completely alone again.

"Let's see if it's as good as yours," you said.

"Not a chance."

You giggled, falling quiet again as you looked at him, preparing yourself to speak.

"So, have you had a chance to speak to Faye?" you asked, clearing your throat awkwardly. "Y'know, since... what happened..."

"Not personally, but I will," he replied. "Her team did get in touch with mine though."

"Oh?"

"Mm, after the interview went out. Apparently she's not best pleased with 'how our relationship was portrayed'." He raised his fingers, air-quoting sarcastically.

"Is that a dig at your interview answers? Or my writing?"

"Probably a bit of both."

You scoffed in disbelief. "Well now I know she's full of shit because there was nothing wrong with my writing."

He dropped his head, breathing out a laugh.

"What? You don't think I'm a good journalist?"

"No, no. I think you're an excellent journalist," he replied. "I, for one, had a...  wonderful experience working with you."

You noticed the way his voice darkened, the suggestive glint in his eyes. It made you stop for a moment, shaking away the memories of that night, the things he'd done to you.

"And you had the audacity to tell me to behave?"

"What?" he laughed. "I did have a wonderful experience."

"Well it obviously wasn't that great since you ran off for two weeks straight after."

"Come on, that's not fair. I had prior commitments I couldn't get out of. And trust me, I paid the price for it." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I couldn't stop thinking about you the whole time. It was torture."

You remained quiet for a moment, basking in the knowledge that he'd been just as miserable as you, before finally giving in and letting out a gentle sigh.

"I thought about you too."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mhm. Thought about you a lot, actually. Mostly in bed, with my hand between my legs..."

He choked slightly on his drink, clearing his throat and steadying his breath before glancing out of your booth to the busy restaurant. You smirked as you watched him push his tongue to the inside of his cheek, trying as hard as he could to remain composed.

"Can we at least try to get through the date part of this evening first?" he whispered.

"Date?" You furrowed your brow. "Is that what this is?"

"What else would it be?"

"I don't know. A meeting? A catchup? A briefing- or, maybe a debriefing, depending on how you look at it-"

"Quinn," he laughed softly. "I haven't seen you for two weeks. Of course I wanted to take you on a date when I got back."

You stared at him for a moment; the smile, the eyes, the hand on the whiskey glass, nothing but a subtle pale line where his wedding ring used to be. You didn't know why your chest was suddenly fizzing; it didn't feel like fear, but it wasn't excitement either. It was the siren, the one that would ring whenever it sensed a connection beginning to form.

You shifted slightly in your seat, lowering your voice. "You know what we did- I mean, you know it was just sex... Right?"

"Just sex..." he repeated slowly.

"Yes," you replied, unsure if you were even convincing yourself.

"Then why did you wait for me?"

"Hm?"

"You say you get bored easily, yet you waited a fortnight for me to come back, even agreed to meet me here. Why would you do that if it was just sex?"

You paused, eyes flitting across his face as you searched for a response.

"Because the sex was good," you said bluntly. “And I wanted to do it again.”

"Ah, I see."

"Ben," you sighed. "You just came back from rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elite, smiling and waving at adoring fans while some poor sod stood there holding an umbrella over you so you didn't get your $20,000 watch and custom designer suit wet."

"What's that got to do with- Wait, do you think I'm a snob or something?"

"No, I just think you're somewhat disconnected from how... disconnected you are. I think because you still feel so normal on the inside, you forget your life is anything but." You cleared your throat, folding your arms on the table in front of you. "Think about it; Do you really see yourself falling for the woman who offered to shag her boss for a leg-up at work? Who snuck around your house and violated your privacy? Am I the type of person you'd want on your arm at galas and movie premieres and award ceremonies? Would you sit in a restaurant with me if they didn't have super private booths to keep us hidden?"

His lips were parted but no words left them. Instead he just stared at you, brows knitted in confusion, a crease across the bridge of his nose.

"Exactly," you said. "Because you're the smiling, waving celebrity, and I'm the sod with the umbrella."

He breathed out a laugh, like he was too stunned to say anything else. You watched him quietly as he picked up his drink and gulped down the last of it; how his throat moved as he swallowed, how he leaned back in his seat, drew his thumb across his bottom lip to catch a stray drop of whiskey.

"You're awfully self-deprecating, you know," he said.

"It wasn't meant to be self-deprecating. I was just being honest."

The waiter reappeared with your drinks on a tray, placing them in front of you carefully. "Should I give you a few more minutes to look at the menu?"

"Please," Ben replied, his eyes remaining on you as the waiter took his empty glass and hurried away. "So," he said once you were alone. "You're just interested in sex..."

"Well I mean, it really was very good sex."

He glared at you, the same stern expression on his face as the first night you met. "So you're saying I could take you home right now, fuck you, and then just... Tell you to get out afterwards, and you'd be okay with that?"

You paused, pressing your mouth into a straight line. "See, I know that's supposed to sound unappealing, but you're sort of turning me on."

He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying I don't like you or enjoy being around you, because I do. I just don't want to waste your time, that's all." You sighed, taking sip of your cocktail. "Mm, that's actually not bad. Not as sweet as yours, though."

"Well I doubt they make it with real sugar here-" he stopped himself, shaking his head and letting out a huff. "Quinn, why would you be wasting my time?"

"Because you are a successful and charming and desperately desired man who just broke free from a two-year-long sexless PR nightmare. And I'm the sod with the umbrella."

It was all too familiar; the compulsion to appear apathetic, aloof, uninterested, the need to make him think you didn't care. You almost wished you could call it a defence mechanism, a way of stopping yourself from being hurt. But it wasn't. You just didn't know how to be anything other than cold.

He was staring at you, his gaze so intense it was like he could see through you.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" you asked.

"I just don't think I've ever met a more infuriating person."

"infuriating because I'm not jumping at the chance to be wined and dined by you?"

"Infuriating because you are and you just won't admit it."

"See, there's that big, celebrity ego." You leaned back, mirroring his posture.

"I think you're mistaking my supposed ego for your own insecurities."

"I'm not insecure."

"You think my status makes me too good for you. That's insecurity."

"I never said you were too good for me, I said we're too different."

He gave a hum in the back of his throat, like was thinking over your words, considering them quietly.

"What?"

"You have this way," he began. "Of distancing yourself, trying to act like you don't care."

"Less than a month ago, you didn't even know I existed and now you're psychoanalysing me?"

"It's not because you're scared of getting too close," he continued, ignoring your interjection. "It's because you like to have the upper hand, to be the one with the power."

You pursed your lips, taking another sip of your drink as he leaned forward, lowering his voice to a deep, gravelly murmur.

"Do I make you feel powerless, Quinn?"

Your breath quivered, his words burrowing right through you to the place they resonated most. But you couldn't let him know that. Even if you wanted to, your lips refused to let the words leave them. So instead you cleared your throat and leaned in, just like he had.

"Don't flatter yourself," you whispered. "You weren't that good."

The corner of his mouth curled, his jaw clenching like he was trying to hold back a smirk. He found you amusing, you knew that already, even when you were throwing insults or picking fights, he never backed down. You hadn't been with anyone like him before; someone who's ego you couldn't bruise, who saw right through the uninterested veneer you armoured yourself with.

You threw back the rest of your drink, welcoming the gentle burn in the back of your throat, before grabbing your jacket and shuffling out from the booth.

"How many times have you stormed off on me now?" he asked sarcastically, remaining put in his seat. "I think this would be the third- no, fourth, wouldn't it."

You rolled your eyes and looked down at him. "I'm not storming off. I just think we had very different understandings of what this was."  

"If you're walking away because you think I'll chase you, so can have that upper hand you so desperately want-"

You planted both hands on the table in front of him. "The only thing I wanted from you tonight was an orgasm. And since I'm clearly not going to get it, I'm leaving."

You turned on your heels and began to walk away, passing by your waiter as he was making his way back towards your table.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Your trousers were too long when you didn't wear your shoes, catching under your bare feet as you walked through your flat. You went into the kitchen, taking your phone out of your jacket pocket and placing it on the counter as you searched the fridge for something to eat, silently cursing yourself for not at least sticking around for a starter.

You closed the fridge with a sigh, glancing at your phone like you were waiting for it to light up, for something, anything to happen. This couldn't have been it, you thought, surely tonight wasn't going to end with you alone, hungry, watching tv on the couch in your brand new underwear. You knew you had no right to be upset; you'd done it to yourself. As always, your mouth was your biggest saboteur, your stubbornness its greatest accomplice. You slid off your jacket and hung it over the edge of the door, untucking your shirt and unbuttoning it as you made your way back down the hall towards your bedroom.

You startled at the sound of a knock at the front door, almost convincing yourself you'd imagined it until a second one came. You pulled your shirt closed around you as you hurried towards it, rising on your tiptoes to look through the peephole, your heart beginning to thud when you saw Ben standing on the other side.

He was wearing his coat zipped up to the collar, hood pulled up to hide his face. You thought about leaving him there for a while longer, letting him stew in the risk of being spotted, recognised by one of your neighbours. But when he knocked again, you quickly relented, unable to resist your need to know why he was there, what he was going to say to you.

You opened the door wide, standing there holding your shirt closed, staring up at him as he threw back his hood and rested a hand on the doorframe.

"You're not the sod with the umbrella," he said.

You didn't reply, continuing to stand there, eyes fixed on him as he clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply through his nose.

"You're the whole fucking storm."

Your heart skipped, breath catching in your throat.

"I hate the rain," he whispered through gritted teeth.

"I don't blame you," you replied softly. "It's a nightmare."

He moved quickly, stepping over the threshold into your flat and taking your face in his hands. His lips were on yours in an instant, an eruption of heavy breaths and eager kisses as he kicked the door shut with his foot, pushing you back against the wall with a firmness that made it clear he was still annoyed, and he was intending to take his anger out on you.

His hands moved to your neck, thumbs pressing into the soft tissue of your throat, forcing you to tilt your head back, gasping into his mouth as he continued to kiss you. You fumbled for the zip of his jacket, dragging it down impatiently and taking fistfuls of the material in your hands. He let go of you for a moment, long enough for you to remove his jacket and tug his jumper off over his head, the only courtesy he was planning to afford you.

His hands returned to your body quickly, pushing your shirt off your shoulders and unhooking your bra as his lips traipsed hungrily down your neck and over your collarbone, replacing the bites and bruises that you'd only just got rid of with fresh blooms. You ran your palms down his bare torso, fingers working to undo his fly until he gripped your wrists suddenly. You gasped softly as he pushed your hands away from him, making it clear that this encounter wasn't for you. None of this was for you.

He pulled roughly on the waistband of your trousers, breaking the clasp and creating a tear in the delicate silk. You felt a jolt of electricity in your core; ashamed for liking it, too overwhelmed with want to protest. He returned his mouth to yours, swallowing you in another kiss as he pushed his hand into your trousers and beneath the material of your underwear, growling softly as his fingers made contact with your hot, yearning centre.

Your body had betrayed you; his fingers sliding effortlessly through the undeniable desire between your legs, the soaking wet mess he'd created before he'd even reached down to touch you there. He pressed his fingertips to your clit, watching your face closely as he rubbed in heavy circles, adjusting his movements until he drew a moan from your parted lips. He brought his other hand up to your face, tilting your head back to look at him as he pushed two fingers inside you.

Your eyes rolled, knees buckling slightly as you felt him filling you, stroking your sensitive walls at an intense, relentless pace.

"F-fuck." The word barely left you, escaping in a shaking breath.

There was a part of you that feared this was it; that he was going to make you come right there in the hallway, give you the orgasm you said you wanted and then leave again without another word. But when you saw him close his eyes, gathering himself just for a moment, you knew he wasn't going to be able to stop.

"Ben-"

"Where's the bedroom?" he interrupted, his restraint wavering at the sound of you whimpering his name.

You nodded further up the hall, letting out a small cry as he took his hands away from you, the loss of pleasure leaving you aching with need.

You led him to the door, turning the handle before stopping suddenly, remembering the mess you'd left your room in, the floor and bed hidden beneath the blanket of clothes. You glanced up at him over your shoulder as you pulled the door shut again.

"I wasn't expecting company…"

He rolled his eyes and let out a huff, stooping his head to bring his mouth to your ear. "Open the door. Now."

His voice made you shiver; the sensation rolling down the back of your neck and turning your legs weak. You did as you were told, pushing into the room and rushing ahead of him to swipe the heaps of clothes off your bed onto the floor. He came up behind you and gripped your waist, lips and teeth on the back of your shoulder as he dragged your trousers and underwear down over your hips, letting them fall to the ground. He moved you forward onto the bed, pushing you onto your stomach where you lay panting, waiting, every graze of his fingers over your bare skin like a searing burn, every shuffle and sound behind you completely agonising.

You felt his breath on the backs of your thighs as he pushed them apart, followed by a sudden, all-encompassing pleasure as he pressed his mouth to your centre, flattening his tongue and dragging it over every inch of you. You moaned into the mattress, clutching the unmade bedding as he pushed his mouth deeper into you, lapping and sucking at your clit, making your hips writhe beneath him. But as quickly as he started, he pulled away again, leaving you breathless, looking over your shoulder in search of him.

He was standing behind you, trousers already off as he pulled his underwear down, allowing his thick, hard erection to spring free from their tight confines. You watched as he approached you, palming himself as he aligned at your entrance, hesitating.

"Ben," you whispered.

He shushed you, spitting into his hand and covering his cock before sinking it into you without a second thought, right down to the root, grunting quietly. There was an intense flutter deep in your stomach, the sensation of being filled to your limit so satisfying it was almost too much to bear. You buried your face back into the bed, letting the mattress absorb your moans, taking the weight of each heavy thrust.

You felt him lift you by the hips, bringing you up onto your knees as he continued to drive into you with such force it was like he was punishing you. He flattened a palm on your back, keeping your chest pressed to the bed to create a deep curve in your spine, the new angle so intense it knocked the air from your lungs.

"Fuck!" you cried out, followed by a desperate string of moans, so loud not even the bed could muffle them.

He brought a hand down on your backside in response, his palm cracking like a whip against your skin and sending a shockwave through you, the pain only sweetening the pleasure. He spanked you twice more in quick succession, the sting making you whimper, while the ache that followed only made you crave more.

He reached forward and tangled a fist in your hair, pulling you up until your back was pressed against his chest, his hot breath on the side of your neck. He let go of your hair, wrapping his fingers around your throat instead, holding you in place as he continued to fuck you, his other hand slipping down to work your clit.

"You wanted your orgasm," he groaned into your ear. "Take it."

Your eyes rolled, the unmistakeable knot in your core growing tighter and tighter as he quickened his pace, squeezing slightly around your throat.

"Take it," he repeated.

You brought your hands up, wrapping them around his wrist as he pinned you back against him, holding onto him desperately as he continued to draw the climax out of you, and you couldn't help but wonder how anyone could make someone feel this good when they were so angry with them.  

Your legs began to shake, your vision blurring as the knot in your core finally broke, flooding you with a beautiful, overwhelming heat that set every last inch of you alight. You fell limp in his grasp, whimpers and moans spilling from your open mouth as he continued to thrust into you, riding out your climax, making it linger.

He let you go, allowing you to flop forward on the bed and roll onto your back. You lay there panting, mewling beneath him as he knelt between your legs and slid himself back into you. You were spent, sore, completely sated, your inner walls so sensitive that every stroke of his cock sent a shiver rippling through you. But the sound of him moaning, the grunts and the groans as he used your body to chase his own release was too delicious to care.

You reached up and took his face in your hands, pulling him down to press your lips to his. He yielded to you, laying his chest on top of yours and letting you kiss him, tongue sweeping into his mouth, tasting yourself on him.

"You don't hate me," you whispered.

"No," he replied breathlessly. "You just really get on my nerves."

"I can tell."

His cock grazed your g spot, making you gasp and bite your lip. He dropped his head at the sight of you, closing his eyes like it was too much to bear. You dug your nails into his back, urging him to keep going. He steadied his pace in response, his hands planted either side of your head as he snapped his hips so hard it ignited another quick, unexpected orgasm deep in your belly. It was enough to push him over the edge, his rhythm faltering until he could no longer hold on, finishing inside you as he bit down on your shoulder to suppress a groan.

He waited to catch his breath before pulling out of you, collapsing next to you and staring up at the ceiling in a state of awe. You rolled onto your side, draping an arm over his stomach and closing your eyes, almost beginning to drift off to sleep when you suddenly felt him shift, disappearing from your side.

"What are you doing?" you asked.

"I can't stay," he replied, fumbling for his underwear on the floor and pulling them on.

"Why not?"

"I have a meeting tomorrow, followed by a script read through, then a-"

"And that means you can't stay why?" you asked, propping yourself up on your elbows, lip curled in dissatisfaction.

"Because the director I'm meeting with is back in LA, and he'll be calling me over zoom at about 6am."

"So stay here and just get up early."

"There's no point," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting on his trousers. "I'd get about three hours sleep."

You glared at him, but he simply laughed, crawling up towards you and leaning in for a kiss.

You pulled back before your lips could touch. "I still stand by the 'just sex' thing."

"Mhm," he replied, completely unconvinced. "That's why you're trying to get me to spend the night with you, and why you're pissed off that I'm saying no."

You glared at him again, unamused.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"

You waited a moment before giving in, tilting your chin and making him come to you. He obliged, leaning in and pressing his lips to yours in a heady, passionate kiss, the kind of kiss that made your skin tingle, the hairs on your arms stand on end.

He broke away, resting his forehead against yours as he assessed your dazed, wanton expression.

"Just sex, hm?"

"Just sex," you replied.

A smirk began tug at the corner of his mouth, a soft laugh escaping his throat. "We'll see."

*Reader Tag List: @blondekel77 @evelynrosestuff @bakerstreethound @annesthaeticc @aephereal @sharp-cheekbones-locked @sherlux @veryladyqueen @graciebear47 @allurenia @jamerlynn​ @cottagecore-cat @aysamuka @thegardenerofeden @cumbercatchmebaby @inspirationalandrandom @turkisherlockian @swds @weepingdreamerpanda  @elzabethann  @childofgod215​ @lonadane @briecantopme @lovecleastrange @jaspearl31 @paola-carter @greatburger @azu21​ @xourownsidee @hunterofshadows04​ @asgardianprincess1050​ @teddycrimson​ @sherlocksgirl91 @oliveoilthoughts @hai-kbai @shjl15​ @bloodyxsaint @charleighsblog @stephenstrangeaddictions​ @omgstarks @sleutherclaw​ @bisciwri @theevilsupreme @druggedbyfiction​ @gwoods123

[nostxlgia18]

Déjà vu

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston × Ex now Friend! Reader

Summary: News about Tom being engaged hits some serious deja vu

Warning: angst, fluff, Andrew G being adorable, long ig

Featuring: Zawe Ashton, Andrew Garfield, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sophie Hunter and Sebastian Stan.

This year's BAFTAs were a lot of fun. Meeting all your long-lost actor friends after the pandemic, wearing Versace, and winning best actress in a leading part on top of that! You were patiently waiting for the team to do their make-up and hair for the after-party, all while pre-gaming a little bit, hehe. You arrived at the after-party, and while posing for the paparazzi, you heard some mayhem near the gate and saw Tom and Zawe enter hand in hand.

Except for you and Tom, no one knew about your affair while filming Avengers and Kong. You both deserve a pat on the back for keeping it so well hidden from everyone. Not many people can hide their relationships and affairs from the media these days, but you did. You walked out of there after waving at them. Yes, you and Tom were in a good space. The relationship had a significant impact on your life, and getting over it was difficult, but you succeeded. Let's face it, you were a little jealous when he initially started dating Zawe, but you soon got over it.

You were standing with a group of actors, joking and teasing Sebastian about becoming the new James Bond and discussing other topics when someone called your name from afar, and as you turned around, you saw Benedict, Sophie, Tom, Zawe, and Andrew all standing together, motioning for you to come up to them. You excused yourself from the others and approached them with a glass of champagne. "All right, all right, keep it down," you heard Sophie say as you reached over. "Keep what down?" you ask, taking a sip from your glass and standing next to Andrew. "Nothing, we just found out that Benny here is up for an Oscar this year!" Sophie responded with pride. "What! Oh, Benny, congrats! "You say this while hugging him.

"Wait, aren't you also nominated?" You inquire of Andrew. "Ha, You remember? my heart" he responded completely flirtatiously, making everyone giggle and wrapping his arm around your waist. You roll your eyes and lean onto him.

"Andrew, who is your date for the event?" Zawe mischievously questions Well, as of right now, no one. Unless someone here wants to volunteer, I'd be pleased to propose" He responds by tightening his grip on you. "Hmm, seriously? Then make a proposal!" You make fun of him, but you don't realize that he gets down on his knees immediately. A few heads turn your way, and you pull him up by his coat, causing both of you to stumble and grab onto each other, locking eyes with each other. You forget about your surroundings for a time, till someone clears his throat and you guys snap out of it, embarrassed, to look at the source, Tom.

"Aww, you two are so cute! Oh, and speaking of proposals, a particular someone is off the market "Sophie makes a joke. "Who?" you enquire, your brow furrowed. "Oh, no one knows, but Tom and Zawe here got engaged!" Sophie exclaims, raising Zawe's hand up and flashing the ring. Hearing those words, you get numb and look up at Tom, who was already facing you. "Wow," you exclaim in surprise, realising you were wrong. Quickly covering up, you clear your throat, and hug Zawe, congratulating her with a bright smile. Turning to face Tom, you give him a brief hug and congratulate him without looking him in the eyes. 

Before anyone else can say anything else, the host tells everyone to partner up and get on the dance floor. Benedict and Sophie begin to go towards the floor, followed by Andrew grasping your hand and dragging you to the floor for a dance. As the two of you begin to dance, Andrew begins to stare at you intensely, moving closer and closer until his hands are firmly planted on your hips and your foreheads are touching. You swayed for a bit with your eyes closed, then placed your head on his shoulders. At this moment, you are confused about your feelings towards Andrew. You like his company a lot. He is a funny and, not to forget, handsome guy. But, the news of Tom being engaged has saddened you a bit. Without knowing it, you snuggle closer to Andrew for warmth, making him confused and worried about you. He leaned down to your ear and whispered, "Are you okay, love?" You looked up and smiled, gesturing that you were fine. He smiled before kissing your forehead. You excused yourself from using the loo and touching up after the song got over. After freshening up, you come across a balcony overlooking a beautiful looking garden. It was quiet, probably too cold for anyone to be out, but you didn't care.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" You hear a voice speaking, and someone is standing beside you. Immediately recognizing him, you reply, "it is" and exhale loudly. He stares at you in fascination, as if he had never seen a person that wasn't absolutely perfect on the face. "Stop," you suddenly speak, "don't look at me that way."

"You look very beautiful today, as always" he whispers. You simply smile and reply, "Thank you" "So, you and Andrew, huh?" Tom starts. "Ah, it's nothing," you reply.

"Why? He certainly likes you a lot. All of us can see it. " Tom defends. You reply, "Umm, i haven't really thought about it, you know, still processing." The two of you just stand there in comfortable silence, staring at the night sky, when Tom continues, "You seemed sad, after hearing the news?"

"Well, not sad. Just a bit shocked that's it" you smile lightly.

Tom hummed, "Do you think I made a hasty decision?" he asks, staring at you. "Do you love her?" you ask, smiling. "Yes," he says, smirking. "Do you enjoy every moment with her?" ..."Yeas". "Does she make you shiver every time she stares you in the eyes?" "Haha, yes," Tom exclaims. You close your fast questions with, "Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" "Yes," he responds immediately. "Well, there you have it," you exclaim smiling.

"Thank you very much, Y/n!" Tom says shortly. "What for?" you wonder, "for teaching me how to love," he confesses, taking your hand in his. You stare at your linked hands and then at him, your eyes welling up with tears. His eyes are on yours, his voice unwavering and soft "You will always be my first genuine love, and no one else can take your place of that love and friendship in my heart," he continues. Overwhelmed, you draw him in for a hug while a tear falls down your cheeks. He pulls back and wipes your tears away with his thumb. "Your make-up will get stained! We don't want to be on the news tomorrow, do we?" He says earning a chuckle from you. "You're such a moron" you say and the both of you make your way back to the hall.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, and everyone enjoyed the music and food. You had a good laugh with Zawe over Tom's pranks on her, agreed to go to the Oscars with Andrew, and also accepted to go on a date with him tomorrow...hopefully it goes well! Eventually you all decided to call it a night, and return to your home's.

Masterlist

Taglist: @shyconversationalbookworm @justreadingthatsit

Reblogs are appreciated 💎

[supraveng]

Marvelous Friends - part 2

part 1             series masterlist

Summary: Your best friend introduces you to the man of your dreams

Characters: Reader, Benedict Cumberbatch x Sophie Hunter, RDJ x Susan Downey, Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Lisa Evans

The rest of the day was filled with meeting more beautiful people and lots of laughter, you realized that they had created a large family through working together for years and you almost missed being in that type of atmosphere. It was getting late and a few people had started to dwindle out, you were chatting with Robert & Chris when Benedict came up and gave you a defeated look.

Robert looked taken back by the glare you were being given “what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m trying to get my children to listen to me, but I think Y/N broke them, I have no control over them at all” Ben sighed which only prompted you to laugh.

“Oh Benny, you’ve never had control of them”

“Haha, very funny. I’m trying to get them to clean up so we can head home”

“Ok” you shrug trying to figure out what the issue is.

“But both Kit and Hal said they don’t need to because I didn’t play the song” he sighs trying to make you feel guilt or something, but he knew better. "So, I started singing the clean up song”

You couldn’t help but giggle at him “that’s lame, and that song sucks” you mumbled between laughter.

“That’s what Kit said” shaking his head at you “just tell me how to get them to clean up”

Scrunching up your face, you had just enough alcohol in your system to tease Ben much more than you normally would “what’s in it for me?” causing Chris and Robert to begin laughing at Ben’s defeated expression. “Ok, I’m sorry, hand me your phone” you held out your hand.

“Why do you need my phone?” he skeptically eyed you while pulling it out of his pocket.

“Because I don’t think you will be able to sing the song in its entirety and the boys need ample time to clean up” you are searching YouTube and find the song, handing him back his phone. “Start the song when you get in the room, when the song is over, they will be done” you state matter of factly.

“This better work” he mumbled as he walked away. Shaking your head at his attitude towards your methods of child rearing, you got back to your conversation with Chris, as Robert had disappeared. Chris was funny and smart and made you feel completely welcomed in this group of mostly strangers.

Within 10 minutes, Kit was crawling back in your lap with Hal following behind. Looking at Benedict, you raised an eyebrow “yes, ok, it worked. I’m not sure how, but it worked”

“Benny I have a dozen nieces and nephews, I know what I’m doing” you winked at him and turned back to Chris

“Alright, I gotta know, what song could possibly get these boys to behave so well” his Boston accent coming out more and it did things to you that you hadn’t expected.

“Well, I suppose I could tell you, but do you have anyone to use it on? I’ve worked hard to properly gain the trust of my favorite kids, so it has to be worth it for me to reveal my secrets” you respond with a smirk and a small kiss to Kit’s head.

He smiles at you and the way you and Kit are cuddled up together “I have a few nephews and a niece that could benefit from your wisdom, yea” he smirks.

“Ok, it’s Europe’s The Final Countdown. It is incredibly simple and it works like a charm. Once the song starts they know it's time to clean up or finish what they are doing, it’s about 5 minutes long and when it’s over they know they have to be done” you shrug as Kit and Hal start singing, rather loudly.

Chris and you start laughing at the boys knowing most of the words to a random song from an 80s hair band. “That’s brilliant, how did you come up with that?” he asks with a smirk that you could not get enough of.

“I told you, I have a dozen nieces and nephews”

“Seriously? I thought you were exaggerating” he started laughing harder.

“No, and I’ll be visiting all of them in a few weeks and wouldn’t be surprised if there were more on the way” you told him shaking your head.

Kit perked up “are you going to FL without me?” he asked with a sad face like you were abandoning him.

“Well, I am going to visit my mom, dad and brothers, but I promise I won’t go to Disney until you get to join me, does that work?” you asked hoping to avoid any unnecessary tears.

He huffed and mumbled an ok in return before running off with his brother. You and Chris chatted a bit more before Ben returned. “Sophie is changing Finn then we will be heading out, if you are ready” he smirked looking between you two.

“Of course, I didn’t realize how late it was” turning to Chris and extending your hand “it was nice meeting you, thanks for the chat”

“Oh come on, we’re passed hand shakes” Chris laughed as he pulled you into a hug. “And good luck with the book tour”

Chris watched as you made your way through the house with Kit talking rather animated on whatever it is that 5 year olds find so interesting. There was something about you that he hadn’t expected, you were smart, funny but down to earth and confident.

“So, did you get her number?” Seb asked as he walked up to Chris and handed him a fresh beer.

“What? No, she’s nice, but you know, it’s not like that, I’m not looking for anything right now, and she’s nice but that’s it” Chris shrugged.

“Who are you trying to convince, me or you?” he questioned laughing at how his friend was a bit too defensive.

“What? I can’t be friends with someone just because she’s beautiful?”

“I didn’t say that man, but friends exchange numbers too you know” Seb shrugged and patted Chris’ back as he walked away.

“Shit, you’re right. But I can’t run after her now and ask for it, that would seem needy….maybe I can ask Benedict?”

“Yea, that wouldn’t look needy at all!” he laughed at Chris’ pained expression before stepping away.

You were settled in the car next to Kit and Hal when Ben looked at you with a lopsided grin. “Why are you looking at me like that?” you asked not sure where his mind was at the moment.

“No reason, you just seemed to have a good time today, got along well with Chris'' he shrugged as if he wasn’t pushing some agenda.

"We chatted, he's a nice guy, not sure what else you are expecting" you looked at him skeptically.

"Well, did you give him your number?" Sophie asked, trying to push things along knowing Benedict didn't want to make you uncomfortable.

You laughed as you shook your head "no, because he didn't ask for it. It was a fun get together and the Downey's are delightful people, seeing Sebastian again after so long was unexpected and great. Your friends are very nice but they are your friends, but let's not put something there that doesn't exist"

By the time you made it back to their house you were sober and gathering your things to head home.

"Please don't be mad at Ben, he just wants to see you happy" Sophie whispered as she hugged you goodbye.

"I'm not mad at all, not even disappointed or anything. I went with no expectations and had a lot of fun, I would call that a successful"

You knew the week ahead would be busy and you could prioritize and get things done quickly, however a last minute lunch with the Cumberbatch crew was top priority come Monday morning.

Convincing Sophie to let you take Kit for the afternoon was much easier than expected, but the look in Hal’s eyes when he found out he didn’t get to go was almost heartbreaking, so you really had no other choice than to take them both with you. The day was so much fun and you kept in touch with their parents so they would stay calm.

The rest of the week was a blur of last minute meetings and packing and changes to your schedule. Once you left LA, you were bound and determined to have an amazing experience since it had been ages since you had one of your novels published and felt like an eternity since you were out on a book tour.

It was nearly dinner time when your second book signing for the day was finishing up, it was an amazing turn out and you were excited to be back in the city. You were just finishing off your coffee, trying your best to stay alert when the bookstore team tells you that this was the last person in line for the signing.

You put on your most sincere smile when a woman approached “hi, I’m Y/N, I’m so glad you could come by today”

“Oh dear, the pleasure is all mine, I’m Lisa” she told you as she extended her hand to shake yours.

“Well, I always love meeting a fan, but let me warn you, this book is not as fluffy as my last, that is if you’ve read them” you tell her as you are signing the inside cover and adding a personal message.

“I have, but I didn’t realize you had another book coming out until my son told me about the signing here today. He was nice enough to bring me” she mentioned as you finished signing her book.

Looking up as you were handing it back you saw a familiar face behind Lisa and couldn’t help but smile. Lisa immediately noticed you looking past her and turned to find Chris watching the two of you.

“There you are, I was just telling Y/N here that I wouldn’t have known about her new book if it wasn’t for you” Lisa beams at Chris.

"Well, I truly appreciate the support, today had a really good turn out" you tell them when the team comes over to let you know you are done for the day, allowing you to chat with the Evans' a bit longer.

"So, is this day 1 or 2?" Chris asked as you were packing up your belongings.

"This is day one, tomorrow is a bit different than my normal tour”

“Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get going for dinner, Y/N, why don’t you join us? Seems that you and my son have some catching up to do” Lisa smiled at the two of you.

“Thank you for the offer, but I couldn't intrude on you” you try to decline as politely as possible.

“Nonsense, I insist” she told you as she began to usher you all out of the store.

You were about to protest again, but Chris put his hand on your arm grabbing your attention before leaning in to whisper “it will be easier to just do as she says”

“What was that Chris?” you both looked to see Lisa waiting for a response.

“Ma, I was just letting her know that you won’t take no for an answer” he smirked at his mother then you before opening the door for you but his mom hopped in the car first and called for you to sit with her in the back.

“I guess I’m driving” he mumbled to himself before getting in and starting the engine. Once at the restaurant you were seated immediately, and Lisa began her interrogation.

“So, how do you and my son know each other?” she looked calm and poised but you’ve seen the same tactics with your own mother and knew what you needed to do.

“Well, we met last week through some mutual friends, so honestly we don’t really know that much about each other” you are trying to be as honest as possible while answering not sure what Lisa’s angle is here, but you have a pretty good idea.

“Really, you two seem so comfortable around each other, I assume you’ve known each other for a while now and he's just keeping you a secret” Lisa comments and you see her wink at Chris, who just shakes his head. “How long are you in town?”

“I’m here tomorrow, then on to the next stop on the book tour” you tell her as the waiter begins to pass around drinks.

“You mentioned tomorrow is different, what is on the agenda?” Chris asks as you all look at the menu.

“Well, I actually agreed to doing a few guest lectures at Boston College, and to be completely honest, I’m pretty sure I’m over my head” you tell them.

“Oh, that sounds exciting, what made you agree to that?” Lisa asks you with an enormous smile on her face.

You try to remember why you agreed, you loved going to school there, but you were not one for public speaking. The thought is now terrifying to you to provide information to the next round of collegiate masterminds.

“Um, well, it’s my alma mater. And I actually have stayed in contact with my favorite professor after I graduated, he’s been kind of a mentor to me throughout my career. He’s been asking for years for me to come and pop into his classes, and somehow I finally agreed.” you take a deep breath, hoping your anxiety doesn’t get you all worked up and preventing you from sleeping tonight, that would truly only make the session tomorrow more difficult.

The conversation between the three of you flowed easily throughout the rest of the dinner, the wine helps you relax and get to know both Lisa and Chris better.

As your meal was wrapping up you leaned over to Lisa, “thank you so much for inviting me tonight, you remind me so much of my mom, making me feel a bit guilty I haven’t talked to her today" you grimace.

"It sounds like you are close with your family, that's good, a strong support system makes life easier" she reminds you as you all begin to exit the restaurant.

"We are pretty close, I'm the one living furthest away, but I'll see them in 2 weeks, and enjoy a little downtime. Thanks again for the great company" you tell her and hug both her and Chris goodbye.

"Where are you staying? Let me at least drop you at your hotel" Chris states as you begin to pull away.

As tempting as the offer was, you knew you needed some time to work on your presentation for tomorrow and do your best to not become a giant stress ball. You shake your head, "I appreciate the offer but its literally a block from here. I can text you when I get there, so you know I'm safe" you offer.

You usually aren't this bold, but you liked Chris, even if it was just a new friend but since he wasn't making any move towards more than random run ins, you decided to be brave and go for it. But since you knew he was way out of your league the sneakier approach was your safer bet.

"Absolutely" he responded quicker than you expected, reaching for your phone to add himself to your contacts. "Holy crap! You weren't kidding about all the nieces and nephews" he chuckles while he comments on your phone screen pic of you goofing off with the kids at Christmas.

“Hey, I wouldn’t lie about my loves, they are awesome kids….thanks to me” you laugh as you take your phone back. “Thanks for dinner, and drive safe” you wave and head down the street.

Chris climbed back into the car, and headed towards his mother’s house. Lisa kept an eye on him but didn’t say a word.

“Alright, I can feel you staring at me, what is it?” Chris asked with mock agitation.

“Nothing, I’m just wondering if you are ignoring your feelings or you haven’t realized them yet” she responded with a smirk.

“Ma, it’s not like that” he shook his head “she’s a friend. We just met like a week ago, and honestly, I don’t want to be in a relationship right now.”

She hummed in response before turning to him again “just remember, sometimes we are given what we need, even if it’s not something we want”. Chris was turning into his mothers driveway and about to respond when his phone chimed.

Y/N: thanks again for dinner, your mom is awesome, have a great night 😉

Part 3

[pastelbooper]

Why did I react differently on reading Sophie is Benedict and Martin's kids' surrogate mother on two of these sites 😳

[just-the-hiddles]

Forever Hold Your Peace | Chapter 1 The Break-up | Tom Hiddleston x Cumberbatch!Reader

A/N: This came from an anon request: So, Ben finds out Tom had a fling with his little sister (reader) in the past, the one guy that she just cried herself on him for hours because of a break up, and they have a little fight about it. Time slip, they are friends again, BUT the reader is about to marry a guy that Ben doesn't trust. Ben finds out that the groom is an cheater, and he sees no other option but to make Tom, the love the reader has never forgotten, stop the ceremony and declare himself to the reader.

Story Masterlist

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Cumberbatch!Reader (eventually) 

Summary: see above.  There are five chapters planned

This Chapter: Reader has met a new guy and can’t wait for big brother, Benedict, to meet him.  Unfortunately Tom breaks up with Reader on the eve of his graduating from Cambridge.  Fast forward to 2009, Benedict and Tom meet at an industry event and Benedict has not forgotten what Tom did.present day 

Warnings:  Language, Fighting, Tom is a bit of an ass, Tom gets hit (this will be a reoccurring theme)

Word Count: 1734

Whole Enchilada Tag List: @winterisakiller @hopelessromanticspoonie @yespolkadotkitty @nonsensicalobsessions @jessiejunebug @pinkzz123 @cherrygeek86 @littleredstarfish @rjohnson1280 @the-minus-four @wiczer @lotus-eyedindiangoddess @catsladen @coppercorn-and-cauldron @gerli49 @lovesmesomehiddles @devilbat @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @tinchentitri @theheartofpenelope @noplacelikehome77 @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @snoopy3000 @voila-tout @kitkatd7 @wolfsmom1 @queenoftheunderdark  @xxloki81xx @thewaithfuckingannoyme @kcd15 @amirra88 @tomhiddles2 @malkaviangirl

Hiddles Tag List: @hiddlesbitch1 @drakesfiance @obtain-this-grain @unfortunatelyymuggle @theoneanna @too-cold-for-youhere @brucestephenbucky @vodka-and-some-sass @ladyblablabla @lokixme @mishaandthebrits @blackcherry26-blog @jade10077 @snoopy3000 @disconnectedswift @myraiswack @bluefrenchfries604 @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @jeffreydohmerthehumannommer @rosierossette

Story Tag List:  @imthebad-guyduhh​ @sleep-i-ness​ @sassybouqetrunaway-universe 

Untaggables: @jumpxjess @bitchcraft-at-its-finest @hrtsgetbrkn @sterwild 

TAGLISTS ARE OPEN, JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED TO A LIST!!

-

Benedict glanced at the name of his cell phone screen and rolled his eyes.

“Hello?” he said in a flat tone.

“Hello, Benny boo.” the giddy voice bubbled up on the other side of the line.

“What can you want at…” He glanced at a nearby clock. “five in the morning? Shouldn’t you be off somewhere sleeping off a hangover?”

“Can’t a sister want to talk to her older, wiser brother?” you commented on the other side.

“No.” Benedict deadpanned. “Not at 5 a.m. on a Saturday. You want something. Or rather, you need something. So why don’t you save us both some time and just tell what it is.”

His tone grew more and more irritable. You knew your brother was not a morning person, but this news was too big to wait any longer.

“So I met a guy…” you started.

“Another one? Honestly, I don’t need to hear about all your conquests at Cambridge. We’re close but your sex life—”

“It’s not like that! And ew…” you interrupted. “And this guy is not just a conquest. It’s serious.”

“Just like you thought with James, and Charles, and Stephen…” Benedict rattled off names of ex-boyfriends like a grocery list.

“I get the point, so stop. Now if you would listen for a minute, I can tell about Tom.”

He slumped into his chair, knowing he wasn’t getting out of the conversation soon. “Go on.” he gestured in the air not that you could see it.

“So he is studying the Classics.”

“Dead languages, that’s a useful life skill.”

You scowled at your phone. “Who is talking here?”

“He went to Eton.”

“Stuffy and pretentious.”

“Says the man who attend Harrow.”

“And he is an actor.”

“WHAT?!” Benedict yelled into the phone. “You of all people should know better than to date an actor. They are insufferable.”

“Says the actor.”

“I’m your brother I don’t count. So how did we meet this actor, which means unemployed student?”

“At a play.”

“Naturally.”

“He is charming and polite and handsome. And I want you to meet him.”

“Absolutely not.”

“At graduation. He’s graduating this year. It would mean a lot to me.”

“Nope.”

“Please…” you whined and Benedict swore he heard the pout through the phone. “… you can pick the restaurant for dinner.” You attempted to appeal to your brother’s voracious appetite.

“Even that curry place you hate?” he asked with hope in his voice.

“Even the curry place I hate.” you parroted back in defeat.

“Then it is a date.”

“Thank you. And Ben… be nice.”

“I make no promises. I hate him already.”

“Under different circumstances, the two of you could be friends.”

“I doubt that.”

“Just keep an open mind.”

“Fine.” he huffed into the phone. “Send me the date and I will be there.”

“Thanks, bro. I will talk to you soon.”

“Bye.”

Benedict ended the call and slumped even further in the chair, covering his face with his hands. He loved you more than anything in the world as his baby sister but he sometimes wondered in your taste in men. He hoped this time he was wrong.

Three Days Before Graduation

“This isn’t working out between us.” Tom started as he took a bite of the burger.

“I beg your pardon?” you asked as your jaw dropped open. “Are you… are you breaking up with me?”

Tom ran his hands through his messy blond curls. His blue eyes darted around the pub. “Well…” his lips pulled into a thin line as he chooses his next words. “… yes. I’m going off to RADA and you will be abroad for your third year. Long distance never works. I need focus on my acting on my career, I don’t have time for a girlfriend. I mean did you expect this would last past graduation?”

“Yes!” you screeched, not caring if you made a scene.

“Keep your voice down.” Tom hissed as he leaned across the table.

“Is that why you brought here, so I wouldn’t make a scene!?” you lowered your voice only slightly.

Tom reached for your hand but you pulled away. “Come on, that’s not why. I thought we could enjoy a nice dinner out… as friends.”

Tom gave you one of his killer smiles. The smile that until thirty seconds ago would have made you melt in your seat. But all you saw was a smug grin and white hot flames of anger.

CRACK! You reared back and slapped Tom hard on the cheek. He sat stunned holding his face in silence.

“WE ARE NOT FUCKING FRIENDS, YOU BASTARD!” you threw your napkin on the table and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Tom there with the rest of the patrons glaring at him.

You dialed your brother once you got home.

“Dinner is off!” you sobbed into the phone.

“What? How?” Ben tried to decipher what happened between your sobbing and sniffling.

“He… broke… up… me…!” you managed squeak out between gulps of air. You collapsed into sobs once again.

“He who?”

“Tom!” you snapped.

“What? But everything was going so well.” He resisted the urge to say “I told you so” but only because you sobbed so loud into the phone.

“Apparently not. He said something about wanting to be a serious actor and needing to focus when he goes to RADA.”

“He clearly has poor taste and is ill educated. Everyone knows LAMDA is better.” He joked trying to get you to laugh.

“Not helping.” you gave a halfhearted chuckle through stifled sobs. “I thought he was the one. Is it me? Why do I always pick the wrong guys?”

“It’s not you, these guys do not realize what they are missing out on. As for picking the wrong guys, if you just listened to your big brother…” his voice trailed off.

“And here is the ‘I told you so’.” you snorted, your tears drying and sobs subsiding.

“Did I say those words?” Benedict feigned mock hurt. "Those words came out of your mouth, not mine.”

“Hahaha.” You gave a joyless laugh.

“See? You are already laughing. The healing process has begun.”

“Hardly.” you wiped your nose with your sleeve.

“How about I speed that process along with coming up a day early and taking you to that diner place like?”

“You would do that for me?” your voice perked up.

“I would do anything for you. You’re family. That includes beating up the rat bastard that broke your heart. You never told me his last name. How else am I supposed to exact revenge?”

“It’s a ridiculous last name.”

“More ridiculous than Cumberbatch?”

“Hiddleston. His name is Tom Hiddleston.”

That name seared upon Benedict's brain for the next eight years.

-

2009

Even after several years in the industry, Benedict wasn’t sure if he loved or hated these kind events. A bunch of young actors grouped together like they were all friends. His agent and publicist insisted he needed to attend. This event was no exception, a gathering of upcoming British actors. He tugged at his jacket out of nerves.

“Is this seat taken?” a deep baritone asked. Benedict turned to catch a tall man with messy blond hair looking at him with questioning blue eyes.

“Please.” Ben pulled the seat away from the table and the man took a seat. “Better to grab one now than have to stand all night.”

“Right.” the blond man commented. Ben studied the gentleman next to him with narrowed eyes. “I don’t believe we’ve met before, name’s Benedict.” He extended his hand.

“Tom.” he took Ben’s hand and gripped it with enthusiasm. “I don’t think we have. I haven’t gone to many of these events yet.”

“A few tips, drink slowly, find a seat early, and use hand sanitizer.” Ben leaned in as he took a long sip of his drink.

Tom laughed. “I will remember that. Now that I look at you, there is something familiar, did we go to school together?”

“Harrow?” Ben offered.

“Eton. Cambridge?” Tom offered.

“Manchester. How about drama school?”

“RADA.”

“LAMDA.”

Tom smiled. “You must just have one of those faces.”

“Must be.”

Before long, they were laughing and chatting like they were old friends. Tom raised his glass.

“To new friends.” He offered in a toast.

“To future costars.” Ben countered.

They clinked their glasses and drank. A young woman came up and tapped Tom on his shoulder.

“Mr. Hiddleston…” Ben stiffened in his chair. “… you are need outside for a moment.”

“Of course.” Tom stood and gave Benedict a nod before walking off. “Save my seat.”

“I’ll do my best.” Benedict choked out.

Benedict’s eyes narrowed as Tom’s lean frame walked. This is the man who broke his sister’s heart. After about ten minutes, Ben downed the rest of his watered down cocktail and stood from the table to find Tom.

He entered the empty lobby and moved along to see if Tom had ducked into a side room. Benedict rationalized he just wanted to talk to Tom. But Benedict’s hands fisted at his side told another story.

A door opened at the end of the hall, Tom stepped out. In several long strides, Benedict caught up with Tom. In a single motion, he pushed the taller man against the wall.

“What the hell?” Tom exclaimed as he pushed back against Ben’s grip.

Although Tom outmatched Benedict in weight and height, he could not overcome Ben’s anger fueled strength.

“Does the name Cumberbatch mean anything to you?”

Tom tilted his head down, searching. “No… oh… “ His face grew in recognition. "Are you related to her somehow?”

Ben pushed him against the wall, digging his forearm against Tom’s throat. “She is my sister.”

Tom threw his arms up in defeat. “I didn’t know, I swear, mate. Listen, I acted like a jerk back then, I could have handled things better.”

Benedict stared down Tom. Tom gave a smile to Ben to diffuse the situation. “Bygones?” Tom offered.

Benedict contemplated letting him go. But the image of his sister absolutely crushed flashed in his brain. Before he knew what he was doing, he punched Tom square on the nose. Not enough to break any bones but Tom saw stars.

“Bygones.” Benedict muttered as he walked away.

Tom stood still, regaining his bearings. He left the event thinking the Cumberbatch family had a mean right hook.