#bestie it's a ROM COM- that's the POINT

[mulderscully]

i really am hopeful that soon we get to a place with lgbtq media where we don't have to compare all mlm and wlw content to each other as a way to judge whether something is good or not. sometimes a piece of media is not bad, it's just not your cup of tea and that's okay! i personally love horror and romcoms, so i love what we do in the shadow and i love rwrb, but those two things really have nothing in common aside from the queer element so it's not fair to lump them together. the same goes for lumping wwdits in with ofmd and good omens, the same goes for lumping rwrb with heartstopper. they're different pieces of media and some people will like them all, others will like some and others might not like any of them and that's okay! in the last ten years we have made a lot of strides in terms of queer rep in television, film and literature that i think sometimes people get stuck in the idea that they HAVE to watch smth because it has gay people in it and they don't die etc and while to a degree that's true still, every year i see more and more art that is catered to different tastes within the MASSIVE AUDIENCE that is the lgbtq community and i think that's wonderful.

[wileys-russo]

like a dumb rom com (2) II kyra cooney-cross x catley!reader

final piece of writing from me in 2023 besties! have a safe and happy new years eve x like a dumb rom com (2) II kyra cooney-cross x catley!reader

"well good morning little mrs cooney-cross." you bumped into teyah who was leaving as you arrived, passing one another in the hall as you gave her a playful shove.

"shut up!" you rolled your eyes, chatting with her for a few minutes before parting ways as she headed down to the carpark and you off toward the apartment she shared with kyra.

"waiting for me are we, bit eager?" you teased seeing your girlfriend already leaning in the open doorframe as a grin broke out on her face and she pushed her phone back in her pocket.

"nah i'm actually waiting for my thursday girlfriend. you're friday through monday, remember?" kyra smirked as you punched her shoulder and she pulled you inside, lips on yours as the door was kicked closed behind her.

"kyra lillee!" you shouted forty five minutes later, the brunette yelling back from the kitchen as she filled up your water bottles for training. "come here!" you shouted again with a huff as she appeared in the doorway of the bathroom behind you with a raised eyebrow.

"look what you did!" you moved your hair out of the way and pointed accusingly to your neck, frown deepening at the amused smile which curled onto your girlfriends lips as her eyes roamed over the hickies littering the right side of your neck.

"oops?" the younger girl smiled innocently as you mumbled under your breath. "do you have concealer?" you questioned as she shook her head and bit her bottom lip. "not in your shade babe."

"kyra!" you groaned, hands gripping the sink as your head fell forward to press against the mirror. "in my defence you didn't exactly stop me." the midfielder pressed herself into your back as you shrugged her off. "not helping!"

"we could swing past yours sometime between coffee, breakfast and training? you have concealer right?" kyra stepped past and pulled herself to sit up on the sink. "well yeah but steph will be there, and there's no chance she doesn't notice these. she notices when i've got my shinpads on the wrong feet." you sighed, letting out another groan.

"mm i could distract her? let you dart inside, just say you forgot your boots or something." your girlfriend suggested, poking you with her foot as you swatted it away.

"i'm not you ky i don't forget things." you had to let out a smile as she kicked you again. "i'm sorry baby, really. forgive me?" she jumped down and grabbed your hips, pulling your body into hers with a pout.

"only because i can't stay mad at that stupidly cute face of yours."

~

"so we go in, you distract her, i go to my room and cover them and we leave asap." you recounted as you pulled up outside the house, parking on the curb as to not alert her to your presence right away.

"kyra!" you smacked her when she didn't respond, pulling her head out of the clouds. "right! yes sorry, good plan babe." your girlfriend zoned back in, the two of you getting out of the car and heading up the driveway.

the first hurdle came when you were too slow grabbing your keys out, hearing someone start to unlock the door from the other side as kyra quickly yanked your hood over your head and you hurried to fix your hair.

"hi?" you gave a small sigh of relief seeing it was dean who opened the door, pushing past him and making a beeline for your room. "hey what-" you heard steph as you zoomed past her, ducking under her arm and into your room, kicking the door closed.

"i thought you left already?" you heard your sister call out, kyra making quick work to engage her in conversation as you hunted around for your concealer.

"of course when i need it i can't fucking find it." you grumbled to yourself as you fussed about in your makeup bag, finally pulling it out from the bottom. "fucking kyra." you mumbled to yourself again as you tugged your hood off.

"little leech." you huffed, hearing her laughter ring out from the living room followed by stephs annoyed groans about something she'd likely said to wind your sister up, a skill that never seemed to be out of stock for your girlfriend.

making quick time to cover them up as best as you could you nodded at the job, grabbing one of your textbooks off your desk and opening the door. "ky lets go!" you called out, the brunette detaching herself from steph.

"you're such a pest! no wonder the two of you are thick as thieves, both just as irritating as one another." steph groaned shoving the girls head to the side who grinned. "why the rush back?" your sister questioned, grabbed your arm as you tried to duck past her again.

"forgot this. need to study today!" you smiled holding up your textbook and grabbing kyra. "didn't you already have your sociology exam?" steph questioned with a frown, crossing her arms as you struggled to think of a response.

"some chapters are relevant in her next exam, crossover stuff yanno!" kyra chirped slinging an arm over your shoulder and turning the two of you toward the door.

"well well look whose rubbing off on her little best mate, you gonna hit the books too ky?" steph teased, leaning in the doorway with a smirk as the two of you headed down the driveway.

"i may just surprise you yet stephanie!" kyra yelled over her shoulder with a grin, though your sister wasn't yet to know just how surprising kyra really could be.

~

"come with me please." you whined as caitlin grabbed your bicep, steering you away from the change rooms as everyone else headed for the cafeteria. "cait i'm starving!" you groaned as she tugged you into one of the recovery rooms.

"so you've told steph about you and kyra then?" the older girl questioned with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms as you gave her a strange look. "no. why do i look like i've been yelled at today?" you grinned but it quickly faded at her lack of joining in.

"well you might want to consider it because she is definitely going to notice those and have questions."

"shit!" you cursed as caitlin pointed to your neck and you grabbed out your phone camera which confirmed your worries. you'd admittedly forgotten all about the little marks from this morning and with a media session upcoming a lot of the girls had showered in between training and lunch, yourself included.

"its not funny!" you groaned as caitlin finally broke her stern facade and doubled over with a laugh. "foordy help!" you whined, wincing a little as you poked the angry marks and cursing your girlfriend under your breath.

"just put a hoodie on and sit far away from steph. then maybe say your prayers?" the older girl laughed, ruffling your hair and leaving the room as you trudged after her, darting into the change rooms again to grab a hoodie.

you let out a yell as someone grabbed you and shouted boo, the all too familiar laughter which followed having you roll your eyes and shove her away. "you're such a child." you shook your head grabbing your hoodie.

"weren't saying that this morning were we babe?" kyra grinned, glancing around before her hands settled on your cheeks and she pulled you in for a kiss, unable to stop the smile which formed as you did.

"oh well hello!" you jumped apart from each other with bright red faces, heads whipping around to meet the amused gazes of vic and alessia. "will you two be coming for lunch or just eating each others faces?" vic smirked as alessia chuckled beside her.

"don't tell steph." you warned the two older girls who waved it off, stating they'd 'known for ages' and pulling the two of you away with them, all four of you falling into conversation.

following caitlins advice you dragged your friends to sit with you as far away from your sister as you could who gratefully was too busy goofing off with jen and beth to notice you..

though that peace of course didn't last.

"stop!" you whispered, ghost of a smile on your face as kyras hand wandered up your leg, teasingly pinching and poking at your skin as instead the two of you resorted to playing footsies.

"oi!" katie scowled turning around as kyra kicked the back of her chair, pointing to you as katie smacked your leg and you glared at your girlfriend who quickly kissed your cheek and gave you a grin, your elbow nudging into her side as jonas continued to talk.

"do you wanna hang out this arvo?" kyra murmured, grabbing your hand in hers and hiding it in her lap as you smiled. "i have to study, one more exam remember?" you whispered back as she pouted and you shook your head, turning back to the screen with a smile, the two of you still tapping and kicking one another as time went by.

it was at the end of the media session where things started to go a little pear shaped, the lights turning on and kyra quickly dropping your hand, but you failed to see your sisters narrowed eyes a few rows back.

dismissed for the day everyone wasted no time collecting their stuff and heading off, most in small groups or pairs as carpooling was a popular option among the team.

"steph!" you yelped as your sister grabbed you, pulling you back into the room by your hood as everyone else headed out. "what the hell is that on your neck?" you paled at her firm glare, warning you out of anything that wasn't the truth.

"nothing! i burnt myself with the straightener." you rolled your eyes and tried to leave but she held a firm grip on you which you couldn't break. "yeah bullshit. i wasn't born yesterday those are hickies, who gave them to you?" steph asked with a glare as you struggled to pull away.

"none of your business, get off!" you huffed, wrenching yourself free and storming off. "have you got a secret girlfriend or something?" your sister scoffed, grabbing the back of your hoodie as you pushed her away.

"just leave it steph! its nothing." you rolled your eyes, her questions following you into the change rooms as you ignored her. "oi! mum and dad made me promise to look after you, you're too young to be seeing someone." steph cornered you by your cubby as you rolled your eyes and a few of the girls looked over curiously.

"i'm twenty one fucking years old steph i'm not a baby and if i want to get a hickey off someone? i'll get a hickey." you grabbed your bag and shoved past her, ignoring the ooh's from beth who fell silent at a firm look from steph.

thankfully she didn't follow after you and with kyra grabbing a lift home with teyah you wasted no time driving off and heading home, determined to get there and lock yourself away before your sister returned home to no doubt continue the argument.

sure enough you weren't even ten minutes into studying, hauled up in your room with snacks and water that you heard her footsteps thump down the hall. you didn't even have dean as a buffer given he was at his own training this afternoon.

with a roll of your eyes you slipped your headphones on, purposefully pretending you didn't notice when your door swung open and calvin bounded in as you gave him a scratch and gently pushed him off your bed.

"what?" you huffed as your sister yanked your headphones off, holding them out of your reach as you tried to take them back. "who gave them to you?" steph asked, copping a filthy glare as she stretched taller and continued to hold your headphones away.

"none of your business and the more you ask me the more pissed off you're gonna get me stephanie." you warned seriously, snatching your headphones back as she lowered them slightly. "i need to study." you spoke bluntly, pulling them back on and sitting back down at your desk with your back turned.

steph watched on warily with words in the back of her throat before she decided it wasn't worth it, and when you glanced over your shoulder a few moments later the door was closed and she was nowhere to be seen.

with your sister not reappearing for a few hours you used the time to zone in on your studies, your phone sitting on do not disturb on your bed you missed the messages from both your girlfriend and your teammates checking in.

eventually you looked up from your textbook with tired eyes and realised it had gone dark outside. dropping your highlighter and closing your laptop you stretch your back over your chair and sigh in relief as it cracks a few times.

pulling your headphones down around your neck you roll your chair back toward your bed and grab your phone, sighing at the multitude of notifications, too tired to reply to anyone bar kyra.

you noticed two missed calls from your mum and frown checking the time in melbourne realising she'd likely have headed to bed now. sending her a few messages in apology explaining you were studying and would call her first thing tomorrow you slipped your phone into the pocket of your hoodie and stood.

again stretching out your cramped limbs your eyes scan over your planner, plucking off a few different sticky notes with a satisfied nod. your final exam isn't until monday and with the match on saturday you know you at least have tomorrow and sunday free to try and cram in the rest.

though this exam was your last it also happened to be the most content heavy, and though the reward of five weeks off loomed ever closer you knew you had one final push until you hit the finish line.

"done for tonight?" you jumped not having even heard your door open, glancing over to see your sister lingering in the entrance. "yeah. i've still got tomorrow and sunday, i think if i read another word its just going to go in one ear and out the other." you sighed running your finger down what you had left to revise.

"is that how it works when you read something?" you looked up to meet stephs amused smile, but seeing the look in her eyes you know it was as close to an olive branch as you were going to get.

"yeah wouldn't expect you to understand, its hard being the smart one." you quipped back with a smile seeing steph relax a little at your response. "come on, dinners done and calvin misses you." steph spoke with a nod down the hall.

"no dean?" you asked seeing as there was only two bowls of food dished up on the kitchen counter. "out with his team. which means we can watch big brother without his running commentary!" steph grinned handing you a fork as you grabbed the bowl of curry.

"this is so scripted, there is no way someones that dumb!" you mocked his voice. "nah why is she crying? shes doing it for the cameras!" steph joined in, the two of you taking a seat on the lounge with a laugh as steph flicked on big brother.

"hey." you looked over to her a couple of hours later, the two of you now watching a premier league match as calvin slept with his head in your lap, bowls of dinner long washed up and finished. "mm?" you hummed looking back to the tv and groaning as man city scored.

"i'm really proud of you."

"for what?" you frowned at her as she rolled her eyes at your defensive response. "juggling everything. uni, football, living in another country, media commitments, sponsors. it's a lot, but somehow you seem to be managing and thats very admirable!" your sister complimented with a soft smile as you pulled a face.

"you're so weird steph." you shook your head, scratching behind calvins ears as the older girl scoffed. "i'm being nice! that was a very nice thing to say!" she defended with a scowl. "well stop being nice its weird! makes me uncomfortable." you grumbled, never having been great at taking compliments.

"say thank you and tell me you love me." your sister demanded as now you scoffed, ignoring her request and focusing on the tv. "say it!" steph demanded, kicking you as you remained quiet.

"stephanie get off!" you yelled as suddenly her body crash tackled into yours, poor calvin diving off the lounge and moving toward his bed to avoid the squabble.

"you might be bigger now but i'm still older." steph grunted as you struggled to push her off, your arms eventually pinned under her knees as she sat on top of you.

"what are you twelve? get off!" you whined, squriming beneath her and trying to buck her taller frame off without any luck. "no. say thank you and tell me you love me!" your sister ordered, fingers digging into your ribs as you squealed.

"you've very comfortable and you're only making this harder for yourself." steph sighed pressing more of her weight down on top of you as you wheezed slightly. "fine! thank you, love you." you huffed with a roll of your eyes.

"like ya mean it!" steph scoffed in offence, crossing her arms and glaring down at you as you let out a heavy exhale. "thank you for your kind words stephanie, i love you."

"sorry couldn't hear you, bit louder?" "steph!"

"i love you too peanut." your sister cooed getting off of you though not before tightly squeezing your cheeks and shaking your head side to side. "i wish i was adopted." you mumbled with a huff, both of settling back into your previous positions.

"i already told you, we can arrange that if you like?"

~

"ky!" you grunted as she launched herself onto your back, arms locking around your neck and subtly kissing your cheek as you shifted her, continuing about with your lap. "people are going to take videos of this." you sighed knowingly.

"when do they not?" your girlfriend challenged though she slid off of you anyway, falling into step as katie and caitlin appeared on your other side. the four of you conversing about the game you watched with an amused smile as kyra yanked caitlins hair out of its bun and sprinted off, the older girl racing after her.

"so." katies arm slipped over your shoulder and you sighed giving her a look. "you gonna tell your sister about the two of ya then?" katie asked with a smile as you groaned. "not you too! your girlfriends already onto me about it and you saw how she reacted to the hickies." you huffed defensively, turning away so no one could possibly read your lips.

"which is exactly why ya gotta tell her! the longer ya leave it the worse it'll be because you didn't tell her." katie lectured and you sighed knowing there was some truth to her words. "its not that easy! she's insanely overbearing and overprotective, she won't take it well."

"you're twenty one years old catley, whats she gonna do? ground ya?" katie teased as you shoved her playfully. "i do still live with her." you reminded as katie shrugged. "so move out then!"

"let me guess, you can't?" the irishwoman smiled knowingly as you struggled to come up with a response and you looked up as kyra called you over. "seriously though, tell her!" katie squeezed you before heading off for the change rooms as you caught up with kyra and teyah.

"you coming over for dinner? teyahs cooking!" your girlfriend grinned as your friend rolled her eyes. "you're welcome to. we're ordering in!" teyah corrected smacking kyra as the two of them pushed and shoved one another making you chuckle.

"as much as i do enjoy free front row seats to your roomie wrestling matches, i have to study." you reminded as kyra groaned going limp in teyahs arms. "i'm losing to a stack of paper, some pens and sticky notes, unbelievable!" your girlfriend complained as teyah shoved her off and wandered into the change rooms.

"come on. just for dinner? then i'll drive you home. or i can help you study?" she offered eagerly with a smile, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as you smiled and moved a strand of hair out of her face.

"no you can't." you shook your head as kyra groaned again, slumping into the wall with a pout. "that won't work. my final exam is on monday ky and i have so much content to cover before then." you sighed apologetically, tugging her bottom lip out from her teeth.

"tomorrow?" "studying." "you can take a break! i'll take you out for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, just a drive, anything!" "as sweet as you are, i can't ky."

"can you hear that?" kyra questioned as you frowned, shaking your head. "thats my heart slowly cracking." your girlfriend sighed deeply tapping her chest as you punched her in the arm. "you're supposed to be supportive!" you shook your head with a laugh.

"i am! i'm supporting your health and well being by encouraging you don't burn yourself out and you take breaks in between your studies!" "mmm a likely story cooney-cross. come on!"

with that you linked arms with her and dragged her into the change rooms.

~

"here she is! the scholar herself!"

you laughed as you exited the building, feeling about a tonne lighter now you knew your exam was over and you had five weeks off from your studies.

you still had a whole host of commitments including international break so it was hardly 'time off' but it meant your list of things to juggle grew just that little bit shorter for the time being.

"you didn't need to do this you know?" you grinned as your sister handed you a bouquet of flowers, having requested she get the day off training to chauffeur you to your final exam which jonas was fine with.

"course we did. this is a victory for us too you know? no more sticky notes all over the house to pick up, no more stress head by the minute schedule to navigate, no more late nights helping you revise-" dean tugged you into a hug and ruffled your hair having come along in support.

"excuse me you didn't do any of that mate, that was all me!" steph scoffed punching him in the arm and pulling you into a hug as dean grabbed your flowers for you so they wouldn't be squished. "so so so proud of you peanut." you couldn't help but smile despite the nickname you detested.

"i appreciate all the support, really." you mumbled into her shoulder before you broke apart, starting the walk back to the car. "i don't know how you do it, just reading your planner gives me a headache." dean whistled as he fished out the keys.

"breathing and walking at the same time gives you a headache." you grinned, ducking behind your sister as he swung at you playfully and slipped into the drivers seat.

"oh yes!" you exhaled happily seeing the bagged up food waiting for you on the backseat as you closed your door. "all your favourites." steph chuckled as you eagerly pulled out the first box and a fork, the three of you chattering as dean drove out of camden and back toward st albans.

"does this mean we can have a celebratory bonfire and burn all your books?" dean grinned wolfishly as you parked in the driveway. "no you meat head i still have a year of study left to do after this." you laughed as steph rolled her eyes.

"and we don't burn books!" she shoved her fiance who held his hands up in defence. "and when exactly was the last time you even opened let alone read a book, stephanie?" dean challenged, sprinting off toward the front door as steph raced after him and you shook your head with a smile.

balancing your bag, flowers and leftover food in hand you made your way up after them, almost stacking it up the stairs as you caught your footing and exhaled, stepping inside.

rounding the corner you were met with an almighty cheer and this time you did fall to the floor, landing on your ass with a wince as your face burnt bright red and lia hurried to help you up.

"what the hell?" you grinned in surprise seeing nearly the entire team packed into the living room, half sitting on top of one another as streamers and balloons decorated the walls.

"we all wanted to celebrate you and your achievements." steph smiled, taking your food and flowers for you. "i haven't graduated yet!" you laughed as music switched on and you made your way around the room greeting all the girls.

"i'm just gonna chuck my stuff in my room." you notified steph who nodded and fell back into conversation with some of the others. no sooner had you shut your door did a foot kick it back open as a body slid in behind you and it closed with a soft click.

"hello lover!" the midfielder grinned wofishly and you laughed as she tackled you down onto your bed, attacking every inch of your face with soft kisses. "ky!" you managed to get out, your stomach starting to hurt from laughing as she hovered over you.

"did anyone see you come in here?" "nah i was super stealthy, im like a spy babe."

"i am also very very very proud of you, and now you're free!" your girlfriend cheered and you jolted as she pulled a party popper from her back pocket and let it off with a bang, streamers raining down on top of the pair of you.

"well for five weeks." "hey don't spoil this for me!" "oh for you? so sorry baby, how selfish of me." "exactly! horridly mean girl you are, very hot though so it balances out i guess."

"shut up and let someone else have the last word for once would you?" you smiled grabbing her shirt in your hand and tugging her mouth down to properly meet with yours.

"i missed you so much." kyra mumbled out as your hands tangled in her hair and she shifted, laying down beside you as her hands moved to the small of your back pulling your body flush into hers.

"its been three days!" you chuckled in between kisses. "i know! nearly killed me." she retorted, sending you a cheeky grin before pressing her lips back to your own, the two of you making up for lost time.

"we should really get ba-" but your words fell short as your girlfriend took your bottom lip between her teeth, dragging it down teasingly before pressing your mouths together again in a feverish kiss.

in reflection, kyra really really wished she let you finish your sentence.

"hey peanut we're ordering pizza what do you-" your door swung open as you pushed yourself away from kyra but it was much to late as stephs eyes widened and caitlin peeked over her shoulder with a grimace.

"steffy-" you started as you and kyra sat up, caitlin motioning to your shirt from behind your sisters back as your eyes glanced down and you hurriedly pulled it back down where it had ridden up, kyra doing her best to smooth out her hair from where your hands had been tangled through it.

"kyra go to the living room please." her words were deathly calm and that almost made it worse, your girlfriend looking at you then back to your sister whose eyes burned a hole in your head.

"go, its fine." you whispered, squeezing her hand as she nodded, still looking unsure as she stood. kyra hesitated as she tried to move past steph who adjusted her stance to block the doorway, looking the younger girl up and down wordlessly before moving out of the way as kyra scurried off.

"steph look i can-" you started quietly, stopping in your tracks at the look sent your direction. "hey maybe leave it for now, the whole teams here steph." caitlin stepped in, grabbing your sisters wrist who glanced between the two of you.

"you knew already, didn't you." she directed the words toward caitlin though never broke her hard stare toward you as caitlin sighed, the lack of answer the only answer steph needed.

"we'll talk about this once everyones left, get out of your room." and with that she was gone, striding off back down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

part 3?

[onegayastronaut]

Rekindling the Flame

Requested by anon: Hi could I maybe request a Melinda May & female reader fic where May and reader were best friends at the academy but went on different paths and are now reuniting again. Bonus points if Daisy is convinced they are a couple and is shipping them hard.

Words: 1104

Melinda May wasn’t one for nostalgia. The past was a place she avoided revisiting—its weight far too heavy for her liking. But when Director Coulson assigned her to oversee a new mission briefing, she couldn’t suppress the flicker of emotion that broke through her usually steely demeanor.

The specialist called in to consult wasn’t just anyone.

It was you.

Her best friend from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy days. The one person who knew her before the “Cavalry,” before Bahrain, before the years of stoic silence and walls built too high for anyone to climb.

May stood near the head of the conference room, arms crossed, her gaze locked on the door. When you walked in, it felt like the years apart melted away, even if the faint lines at the corners of your eyes spoke of your own battles.

You scanned the room, stopping short when you saw her. A smile broke across your face—bright and familiar, just like she remembered.

“Agent May,” you greeted, your voice betraying a flicker of nervousness. You hadn’t seen her in over a decade.

“(Y/N),” May said, her tone unusually soft.

The room fell quiet as the two of you locked eyes. There was so much to say, but no words to fill the void years had left. Finally, you grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

“Still as intimidating as ever, I see.”

May’s lips twitched. “And you’re still as reckless.”

The old rhythm between you two came flooding back, and for a moment, the years and the pain didn’t matter. The rest of the room might as well have disappeared.

From across the room, Daisy nudged Mack with her elbow. “Okay, what is going on there?”

“What do you mean?” Mack asked, glancing at you and May. You were seated close together, heads tilted toward one another as you talked in hushed tones. It was the most animated anyone had seen May in months.

Daisy gestured wildly. “Look at them! The shared smiles, the intense eye contact. That’s not just a friend reunion. That’s chemistry.”

Mack snorted. “You’re reading too much into it.”

“Am I?” Daisy countered, crossing her arms. “They’re giving serious power couple vibes. Like, ‘grumpy mentor meets sunshine bestie’ kind of energy. I’m just saying—I’m here for it.”

Mack shook his head. “You’ve been watching too many rom-coms.”

Later that evening, you found May in the lounge, sitting with a cup of tea in hand. The dim lighting softened her sharp features, making her look less like the hardened warrior the world knew and more like the young woman you’d shared late-night study sessions with at the Academy.

“Couldn’t sleep?” you asked, taking a seat beside her.

“Never do,” she replied, her voice low.

You leaned back, letting the silence stretch. It was comfortable, just like it used to be. Words weren’t always necessary with May; she appreciated quiet company over hollow chatter.

“I missed you,” you said finally, breaking the stillness.

May’s gaze shifted to you, her expression unreadable. After a long pause, she admitted, “I missed you too.”

Your lips curved into a smile. “You could’ve reached out, you know. I’m not that hard to find.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me,” she said, her voice softer than you’d ever heard it.

You frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”

She hesitated, then looked away. “A lot’s changed since the Academy.”

“Not everything,” you said gently. “You’re still my best friend, May. That’ll never change.”

Her shoulders relaxed, just a fraction, and she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. For the first time in years, she felt something close to peace.

The next morning, Daisy cornered you in the gym. “Okay, spill it,” she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

You blinked at her, mid-punch on the bag. “Spill what?”

“You and May,” Daisy said, grinning. “What’s the deal? Are you secretly dating? Have you been together since the Academy? Because if not, I’m officially shipping this.”

You laughed, a sound that startled even you. “Daisy, we’re just friends. Always have been.”

Daisy raised an eyebrow. “Sure, Jan. Tell that to literally everyone else who’s seen you two together.”

You shook your head, still smiling. “I think you’ve been spending too much time on fan forums.”

“Maybe,” Daisy admitted, “but mark my words: there’s something there.”

The briefing had gone smoothly, and the mission was executed with precision. You and May fell into an effortless rhythm, working together as though no time had passed since your last joint operation. Your movements were in sync, your strategies perfectly aligned. The rest of the team couldn’t help but notice.

“They’re like a well-oiled machine,” Mack said, watching as you and May coordinated an infiltration with little more than nods and hand signals.

“Told you,” Daisy whispered back. “Couple energy.”

By the time the mission was over, the team returned to the Quinjet in high spirits. You sat beside May in the corner, both of you quietly decompressing. The silence between you wasn’t heavy this time; it was companionable, filled with unspoken understanding.

As the Quinjet soared back toward the Playground, May turned to you. “So...are you staying this time?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with hope.

You smiled, your eyes warm. “If you’ll have me.”

May didn’t reply right away, but the faint curve of her lips said more than words ever could. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to hope.

From the cockpit, Daisy leaned over to Mack and whispered, “Called it.”

Mack sighed. “You’re impossible.”

A week later, the team gathered for a rare evening off. Daisy’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she watched you and May quietly chatting on the other side of the room. Finally, she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“So, when’s the wedding?” she called out, grinning.

The room fell silent. You choked on your drink, and May shot Daisy a glare that could’ve frozen lava.

“Daisy,” May said in a warning tone.

“What?” Daisy said innocently. “I’m just saying, you two are perfect together. The world’s been waiting.”

You looked at May, a mixture of amusement and embarrassment on your face. “She’s relentless.”

May sighed. “You have no idea.”

As the others laughed and the conversation shifted, May leaned closer to you, her voice low enough that only you could hear. “Ignore her.”

“She might be onto something,” you teased, your eyes twinkling.

May gave you a look, but the corners of her mouth betrayed the faintest of smiles. For the first time in years, she felt something she thought she’d lost forever.

Happiness.

[thechaoticplayer]

BONJOUR MY EXAMS STILL AREN’T FINISHED YET BUT I AM BACK WITH ANOTHER REQUEST BEFORE I FORGET

Ike, Vox, Mama and Fufu-Chan together in one of their house watching a movie but it turned into an intense make out session for psyborg and Ike/Vox (idk the ship name lmao) buttttt the intense make out session turn into them just fucking their bottoms in the living room (why do I always have these ideas)

Author's note: why DO you have these ideas you nasty BL enjoyer (me too tho bestie 😞) and SHEEEESH these four? in one room? Fucking? Damn getting to work bro.... feed me after please.... (help Ike's cover Aspirin started screaming in my ear)

Summary: Ah, a night together watching a movie! How nice and calming. Until they start getting a bit too frisky (remember to use protection kids) super short bc I rlly need to get this request out and life is being a bitch

Contains: gay men kissing and smashing on couches, smut nasty smut, BL, Power Bottom! Ike x Sub! Vox (that one time Ike called Vox cute and the demon practically melted into mush... brainrot) , Dommy Fulgar x Subby Uki, theres plot and fluff teehee

"Yo, welcome in," Fulgar greets Ike and Vox, who stand at the door. They enter inside, Vox having to slightly duck his head under the doorway and Ike quickly taking of his shoes as to not trek snow inside the house.

"Hello Vox and Ike," Uki softly says, peeking his head out of the kitchen area. "I'll be there in just a moment."

Fulgar guides them to the living room, which has a cozy atmosphere. A fire crackles inside the TV. The four of them decided to get together to hang out, the two couples having lots of fun and discovering new things in their relationships. Ike suggested watching a movie together, so they wouldn't have to be forced to talk the whole time, and the others agreed that it was a good idea.

Vox and Fulgar, the LAM brothers they are, were in the middle of an arm wrestling match when Uki returns with small tray of mugs. He shooes the men off the small table and places it down. "I made some hot chocolate for all of us to enjoy, along with some cookies too."

"You're the best, Uki darling," Fulgar praises, making Uki blush slightly. He holds the cup between his hands, the heat not bothering him as much.

"Thank you Uki," Ike replies with a small smile, bowing his head slightly.

"Thank you so much, I was freezing my balls off," Vox laughs, holding the cup by the handle and nearly burning his tongue.

"I just made them," Uki says quickly, waving his hand over his own mug. "It's still pretty hot, so I'll get the movie on now."

Vox and Ike sit on one sofa on the left, and Fulgar and Uki sit on the other on the right. The two couples sit a good distance apart, but not far enough where they couldn't hear each other if they whispered. Uki flips through movies to watch, the rest commenting on what to watch.

"How about a rom-com?" Uki suggests.

"That doesn't sound bad," Ike responds, glancing over at Fulgar and Vox, who nod affirmatively.

"Alright," Uki says, pressing the button before setting the remote down. "Let's get nice and cozy."

He hands the other couple a blanket. Vox helps drape it over him and Ike, who rests his head against his shoulder affectionately. As Uki sits down, Fulgar takes the other blanket and tucks Uki and him in it. He casually slides his arm across the Psychic's shoulders and Uki leans into his warmth, quietly nomming a cookie he had baked.

As the movie started slowly, Vox and Fulgar talk to each other about something weird. Ike and Uki exchange glances, rolling their eyes at their partners with a smile. At the sight, both Vox and Fulgar smirk devilishly, and began to scatter kisses all over their lovers.

"H-hey! Stop that!" Ike chides, batting Vox away as the demon pouts.

Uki, however, just giggles and lets Fulgar do as he wishes.

"See? Why can't I give you kisses?" Vox points out, sad puppy eyes initiated. "I want to show you love and affection."

Ike stares for a beat, then sighs. He tilts his head up, presses his lips against Vox's porcelain skin and looks back at the screen. Vox, on the other hand, is not all that calm and stutters, cheeks flushed.

"Look at how red you are!" Fulgar teases, pointing and laughing.

"Oh, fuck off," Vox grumbles, flipping the Cyborg off.

"Shut the fuck up you two," Uki mutters.

The movie is about half-way through when Fulgar feels a hand sliding up his thigh. He casts a small glance at his lover, but returns his gaze back to the screen. A small smirk on his lips. But then he grunts, cheeks reddening as Uki palms his crotch, hand hidden from the blanket.

"Ukiki," Fulgar whispers in Uki's ear, the tips of his ears bright red. "What are you...?"

Uki hushes him, continuing to rub him slowly. Fulgar stifles his noises, chewing the side of his cheek as he watched the movie.

Vox, on the other side of the couch, interweaves his fingers with Ike's and kisses the novelist's knuckles. Ike smiles softly, turning over the demon's hand to kiss him back. Vox kisses Ike's head and jaw, Ike's skin taking on a pinker tone but allows the onslaught of affection. For some odd reason, Ike (embarrassingly so), started to get hard from the actions, and it was getting difficult to keep a straight face.

Like a clock... tick... tock... tick...

Enough.

Fulgar and Ike explode nearly at once, Fulgar crawling on top of Uki and Ike straddling Vox's lap. Uki squawks in surprise. Vox looks up at the novelist, startled, as Ike stares him down, breath heavy and glasses lop-sided.

"Looks like Uki isn't the only one misbehaving, huh?" Fulgar chuckles, glancing over at the other couple.

Ike doesn't reply, his dark eyes narrowing at the voice demon, who audibly gulps. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Kissing... you?" He says, almost as if it were a question.

"During a movie? With other people around us?"

"Says the one sitting in my lap. isn't that a bit extreme, mmm?"

As Ike and Vox debate with one another, Fulgar shifts his attention to the Psychic, a coy smile on his lips. "The hell you smirking about?"

Uki traces the Cyborg's jawline. "Everyone is kinda horny at the moment." He looks down to see Fulgar's hard erection and his own. "Maybe we should fix that."

"Shameless whore," Fulgar remarks.

"Says the horny bitch," Uki retorts.

Fulgar smashes his mouth against Uki's devouring him whole with a low growl. His tongue explore the entirety of Uki's mouth, enjoying the taste of chocolate inside. So sweet, like always. Uki nips at Fulgar's bottom lip, spurring him on further.

Ike and Vox are still bickering with each other, oblivious to the couple passionately making out on the other side of the couch. Vox decides to make a cocky response, and Ike can't help but be absolutely flabbergasted by this man's audacity.

Ike yanks him by the collar of his shirt, grumbling, "You need to be taught a lesson."

"Oh?" The voice demon smiles. "How so-?"

Ike interrupts his words with a rough kiss, which Vox groans into unexpectedly. His pale skin is tinged with a deep red. Ike keeps him close, legs wrapped around Vox's waist as Ike grinds against the demon. A quiet moan escapes Vox, much to his dismay.

Next thing you know, clothes are strewn across the living room floor, sounds of skin slapping against skin, lewd sex, and moans mixed with whimpers flood the room.

"Fu-fucha-" A moan cuts his sentence, Uki a whimpering and flushed mess underneath Fulgar, who repeatedly penetrates him.

A shaky laugh from the Cyborg. "What's wrong? isn't this what you wanted?"

Uki's arms wrapped around Fulgar's neck, holding him close as he whines in his ear. They were both close, they could feel it.

Ike, however, has been riding Vox silly, as obvious to Vox's quaking moans. His big hands encompass Ike's waist. He was big and taller than Ike, but here was, being used for Ike's entertainment. Embarrassment and shame were thrown out the window a long time ago.

"S-slow down," Vox gasps, surprised by Ike's stamina.

"Shut up," Ike mutters with a soft mewl, bouncing on Vox's cock. "You deserve it."

The next hour, both couples had the blankets across their naked bodies. Slowly regaining their breath, avoiding gazes.

"Well. At least we can say we've seen each other's dicks and not have to be shy about it anymore."

"Vox, what the hell man."

[frvnkcastles]

hi bestie i have a fic request if you’re taking them :) one where frank and reader have been seriously dating for a while and they’ve both started to think about marriage but haven’t discussed it together. so i’m thinking frank asks out of the blue after being nervous and acting weird for a couple days, he says something like “i ain’t asking yet, but if i asked you to marry me, would you say yes?”

but if you’re not taking requests or if this doesn’t inspire you, please disregard and have a super nice day!! 🥰🌷🌟

NEVER BE ALONE AGAIN ➵ F. CASTLE

Summary: When your friend’s wedding comes up, Frank is convinced he wants one with you.

Warnings: Mentions of loss, mostly just fluff, feminine nicknames

Word count: 2k

Author’s note: This was actually a half-finished fic I had written a few years ago and this request inspired me to adapt it a little bit and finish it :) I hope you like it <3 I would marry this man in a heartbeat.

Ever since your and Frank’s two friends had announced they were getting married, he had been rewinding back to how it had felt for him. The domesticity, the joy of calling his wife, well, his wife; the relief of having someone by his side through thick and thin. That last part still rang true for him — you were his rock as he was yours, and it was for that reason that he reflected upon his first marriage with fondness and nostalgia, instead of the usual misery and regret. It still hurt, but as he watched you fill out the RSVP card and giddily talk about getting to take part in your dear friend’s wedding… yeah, that softened the blow.

In fact, it made him think of something he had long ago given up on. Revived some old dream he had buried, brought back feelings he hadn’t expected to ever feel again. Because of you. And as he watched you sit on the floor in front of him, rambling on about the kind of dress you’d be wearing, he couldn’t help but suppress a smile — not just at the idea of you in that dress, but the fact that you were all his. Awkward rambles and all.

And my God, was he all yours.

The more he thought about gathering up the courage to ask you to marry him, the more nervous he became. He was usually so unwavering and confident, but it was no news that next to the women he loved, he was just a puppy dog. He was far from scary or menacing — he was just a man in love, hoping the woman of his dreams wanted to spend the rest of her days with him the way he did, too.

Still, he had hoped you wouldn’t notice. But apparently, he wasn’t as good at hiding it as he thought.

You first picked up on something on his mind when he was watching you try on your dress for the wedding. You were rambling about the details on the dress when you realized that even for someone quiet, Frank was being exceptionally silent. You looked at him through the mirror, only to find him smiling at you from across the room, dark eyes focused on you yet his attention not quite there.

”Baby?” you spoke up, ”you okay there?”

Clearing his throat, Frank nodded and wiped the lovestruck smile off of his face. ”Just fine, sweetheart. You look really pretty, y’know that? Could stare at you all day”, he noted, making you blush and forget all about the worry embering in your heart.

He was good at deflecting, making you flustered with genuine but calculated compliments, and changing the subject when you tried to poke. But as endearing as his longing gazes could be, you noticed he got quiet when you showed him pictures of your friend’s wedding ring, and again when you decided to get in the right mood by watching your favorite rom-com.

Finally, when you were listening to the playlist your friend had sent over, and Frank seemed to grow uncomfortable yet again, you decided to be brave and approach the subject head-on.

”Hey, you know you don’t have to come with me, right?” you pointed out, and with his eyebrows drawn together, Frank looked over to you from across the couch where you were both seated.

”You don’t want me to?” he questioned, seeming a little dejected, so you rushed to grab his hand.

”I want you there. But I can tell this might be a little much for you, and it’s no wonder. It’s okay to be sad, my love. Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” you pleaded, and with an affectionate smile breaking on his face, Frank pulled you in so he could kiss your temple.

”It ain’t that, I promise. Sure, it’s, uh… a reminder, I s’pose. But right now, ’m just feelin’ real lucky to be here with you, aight?” he reassured you, and even though you seemed hesitant to believe him, you nodded.

”I want to be there with you”, Frank added.

And indeed, when the day of the wedding arrived, you were the only thing in his sights. You looked breathtaking in the lilac dress and he made sure you knew — and when you returned the compliment at his suit with a cheeky joke, his heart made a somersault in his chest. You were radiating with joy and love all day long, yet at the same time you had taken on so much responsibility to ensure your friend would have a smooth celebration, and that all the guests would feel at home. You were a natural and it warmed Frank’s heart even when you rejected his help with a kiss and told him to get a drink.

That was what he did, his gaze still stuck on you as you danced with one of your mutual friends’ kids across the venue. A soft smile tugged on his lips as he watched you shed the jacket he had given you so you could move easier, your laugh easy to pick out even through the music and chatter. You were his whole focus, always.

Chuckling, Frank then finished his beer before striding across the floor and over to you. He’d have to wait until later to make his plan come true, but until then, he was desperate to hold you close to him.

”Mind if I cut in, buddy?” Frank rasped at the little boy you had been twirling around, and although he seemed reluctant, above all he was intimidated by the burly man by your side suddenly. Quick as that, the kids vanished from around you and you couldn’t help but giggle while turning to Frank who instinctively slid his hands across your hips to reel you into his chest.

”It’s mean to scare kids”, you pointed out teasingly, well-aware that children adored him — he was a dad through and through, but there was no doubt that for the sake of stealing you all to himself, he had put a little extra meanness into his stare.

”What can I say, sweetheart”, he whispered into your ear, his smile touching your cheek as he leaned into you, ”I get jealous easily.”

You laughed at that, and it only widened Frank’s grin as he dropped his forehead to yours and swayed side to side with you. You were shorter but you were managing to hold onto his neck, nearly on your tiptoes as he took the lead and moved you across the floor in gentle, tender movements. His firm chest felt like a safe place and his arms around you put a smile on your face — almost as big as the love in your eyes as you shyly beamed up at him.

You couldn’t help but notice him glancing around while you kept dancing, his hands just the slightest bit shaky instead of their steady selves, and a frown deepened your forehead. ”Are you okay, baby? You seem… nervous, again”, you pointed out, and quickly looking back at you, he nodded.

”I’m okay, sweetheart”, he insisted before leaning foreard to kiss your forehead. ”Hey, I love you. With my whole damn heart, you know that? Ain’t no one I’d rather be dancin’ with right now”, he went on, and feeling you tense up in his arms, he emphasized his own words, ”no one.”

You nearly shed a tear at that, and even though they didn’t hold as much meaning coming from you, you returned the sentiment. ”Me either”, you hummed into his chest, ”I love you so much, Frank.”

More than one song passed with him just holding you, thinking of how lucky he was, the occasional careful kiss pressed into your hair while you clung onto him. It was warm and safe and you wouldn’t have changed a thing for the world.

Only when the midnight hours were rolling in, the crowd was beginning to dismantle and the happily new-weds were officially sent off to their honeymoon. As you watched their car drive away with all their loved ones waving them off, you couldn’t help but tear up — in response, Frank took your hand and held it as tight as you needed.

Not much later, people were turning to you to thank for a job well done before leaving in their own rides. Frank could have sworn you were an angel, smiling at each and every one of them and wishing them a safe journey home. Eventually, there was no one left but you and him and the clean-up crew, and just as you faced Frank to tell him your feet were killing you, he interjected by simply standing there.

He was holding a big bouquet of different colored roses in his hands, looking absolutely gorgeous with his dark eyes and white shirt and shy smile as he eyed you up and down. It wasn’t until he was handing over the flowers that you realized it wasn’t a dream, and upon recognizing the bouquet, you gasped.

”Oh no, did she forget—”, you started, wondering if the bride would have loved to have her flowers with her, but cutting you off, Frank shook his head while urging you to take them.

”Nah. It’s for you, sweetheart”, he stated simply, and when you gave him a curious smile, he chuckled. ”She, uh, she let me have it. She was gonna do the whole throwin’ thing, y’know?” he went on, and again, you gasped.

”Oh, I knew we forgot something!” you huffed, and chuckling, Frank scratched the back of his neck.

”No, no, uh… I asked her if I could have it. See, uh, she’d throw the bouquet to see who gets married next, yeah?” he tried explaining, and when you nodded, he broke into a flustered smile. ”Guess I just didn’t wanna take the chance you’d miss”, he finished, and at that, your smile dropped and you glanced between the bridal bouquet and him with disbelief.

”I ain’t askin’ yet… but if I did, would ya say yes?” he continued, fiddling with his hands nervously while waiting to see any reaction on your face. For a second, he wondered if it had been a terrible idea, but then your eyes started welling up and your hand flew to your mouth as you fidgeted and looked at the flowers and then back at Frank whose eyes lit up with excitement and relief.

”You’d really… you’d have me?” you whispered, your voice fragile as you reveled in the fantasy of standing like this with him some day — face to face, you in a dress, him in a suit with flowers in your hands and the moonlight above you.

”Hell yeah, sweetheart. If you’d have me. ’Cause I fuckin�� adore you. More than words can say, but you, uh, you… you make me feel alive. And happy to be alive. I can’t imagine a single day without you”, he sighed, and with a vigorous nod, you leaped forward to wrap your arms around him.

”Yes”, you cried out before pulling back just to kiss him, ”yes now and every day after this one. Whenever you want to do it… my answer will be the same.”

Grinning, Frank hugged you tight and closed his eyes while squeezing you. The two of you rocked back and forth in one another’s arms, silent apart from your sniffles, until you spoke up. ”This explains why you’ve been acting so weird lately. You’d really think the big bad Punisher would be better at staying calm under pressure”, you joked, earning a snort from Frank.

”Hey, this was really fuckin’ important. I wasn’t sure, y’know?” he shrugged while letting go of you enough to cradle your hands in his own and look into your eyes.

”Awww, Frankie”, you smiled up at him, ”you had no reason to be nervous. I’m completely and entirely in love with you.” With love twinkling in his eyes, he leaned into seal the distance between your lips, kissing you deeply. He stole your breath away, as he always did.

”Thank you for always bein’ patient with me. I know it ain’t always easy to be with me… but I hope it’s worth it. I’mma make it my mission to make sure of that”, he swore while resting his forehead against yours, and with another smile, you nodded.

”You’re always worth it, Frank.”

[luvhu9hes]

Everywhere, Everything (Analisa Au!)

ANALISA AUGILARS PROFILE

Basics-

NAME: Analisa Aguilar 

BIRTHDAY: March 7th 2003 '21'

BIRTHPLACE: El Centro, California 

HEIGHT: 5’5

PIERCINGS: 2 lobe piercings, bellybutton piercing, eyebrow piercing

HEALTH: Low Iron

MAJOR: Sports Management, she's always loved sports and has a scholarship for her lacrosse skills

FACECLAIM:  Darianka Sanchez (or others from pinterest)

LOVE INTEREST: Luke Hughes

Fun Facts-

She is the middle child, her older sister Lillia is 24, and her younger brother Silas is 16

Her older sister is her biggest role model, she used to copy everything she would do and it would drive Lillia insane

Her younger brothers friends always had crushes on her growing up (she thought it was sweet, but Silas hated it and threatened to fight his friends if they even looked at her funny)

She lived in California until she was 11

When her family lived in California, they didn't have a lot of money, so she spent a lot of time with the community center youth programs, where she found her love of art and learned how to play lacrosse

Her favorite things are; art, lacrosse, baking, Dominic Fike, her camera, raspberries, rom coms,  and soccer

Loves and I mean LOVES swimming, and the beach

Secretly made out with Mark Estapa in the bathroom at a frat party her first week of college, before her and Luke ever admitted their feelings for each other. The only people who know are Lillia, Ethan, Rosie (Ana's best friend) and Luke (He looked so betrayed when he found out about it)

She met Rosie her freshman year and they've been best friends since.

She met Luke her first day of 8th grade in michigan, they bonded over being nervous, Luke was always nervous because he thought people would realize he wasn't like his brothers and wouldn't like him because of it, and Ana was nervous because it was her first day at her new school.

The minute the Hughes family met her, the immediately fell in love with her.

She became a big part of the Hughes’ lives after they met her, always going to games, and having family dinners together, they were practically her second family 

She was there for Quinn and Jacks draft days (the internet went crazy)

The boys try to keep her out of the spotlight and away from the hate that comes with it, but she still always finds herself blowing up on social media 

She spends every summer at the lake house with the Hughes’ and their friends (they let her invite Rosie and her siblings so she's not alone with a bunch of hockey guys all summer)

Due to her summers at the lake house she's gotten very close with Trevor and Cole (her and Trevor are absolute menaces)

She is a certified party girl she loves how they give her an opportunity to just let loose, they also give her an extra sense of confidence 

Her love languages are physical touch and acts of service, she's never been the best at putting her feeling to words, so she uses the two to show how she feels

Ana loves reading, it's hard for her to sit down long enough to enjoy books sometimes, but when she can it's like heaven.

Considering her camera is one of her favorite things she is CONSTANTLY taking photos on it, she actually has 2, she has a camcorder, and a polaroid camera

She has a box of polaroids in her dorm room that she likes to go through at the end of the year to look back at her memories

Luke introduced her to the UMich hockey team, and they're all besties at this point (things were awkward between her and Mark at first, but they're so close now)

Ana shares a dorm with Rosie, but spends most of her time at the hockey house 

Because of her friendship with Luke, Silas always credits Ana for him getting into hockey

Ana can sleep anywhere, like she could be at a party and fall asleep standing up (Luke has a collection of pictures in his camera roll just of all of the weird places and positions she's fallen asleep)

Ana loves board games/video games, and has forced all of her friends to have game nights every Wednesday (everyone pretends to hate it, but she knows they all love it)

Ana is the most competitive person ever, whether it's from lacrosse or her love of games, she's always been so competitive.

She honestly has a shopping addiction (she'll never admit that though)

She loves coffee and tea, iced in the summer and hot during the winter

She is an avid poster on social media, mainly tiktok and instagram, but she's certainly considered starting a youtube channel a time or two

Ana takes after her sister and if very protective of those around her and can easily stick up for herself

She's a passenger princess, driving scares her if she's being completely honest 

Only gets called Analisa when she's in trouble

She has two instagram accounts @/anamaguilar is her main account that everyone follows, and @/anabannana is her private account with only her friends and family

She's 100% the type of person to just randomly get at tattoo on impulse

Notes:

ahhh okay I'm glad to finally get this out, im not sure what took me so long to put this together, but everything for this series will be found under the tag "Everywhere, Everything Au!" Analisa has some similarities to me but otherwise she is my fictional baby and i have so much love for her, and i hope everyone else will love her as much as i do. I would also like to address that in certain pieces I will be writing about Ana and Lukes past because i just have so many thoughts floating through my head about baby Ana and Luke!

All love - Chaela

[sexlovelitpodcast]

Sex Love Lit girlies! I watched Crash Landing On You (my first k-drama) and now I have a conundrum: A) I want to watch more k-dramas, and B) No k-drama can seem to measure up to CLOY 😭 Could you put together a playlist of entry-level k-dramas for new fans that capture the CLOY magic? Bonus points if they’re on Netflix

@sliceoflifegirl thanks for the ask!

(Corinne here) First of all, welcome to KDrama land! Crash Landing on You was my second ever KDrama, and the one that really got me hooked. I’m gonna be honest, it’s a hard one to top when you’re mid emotional hangover! That said, I love this ask and recommending KDramas to people, so I’m more than happy to recommend some. My strategy here, rather than recommend something that exactly mimics CLoY (because imo, there’s nothing exactly like it), is to recommend dramas that I think are some of the best of their genre—with some aspect that might help scratch that CLOY itch ;) So, without further ado, here is your KDrama Starter Pack: 

Goblin aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God—This fantasy romance is a classic for a reason. The set-up: 900+ year old goblin Kim Shin is on a quest to find the goblin bride to pull the sword out of his chest and finally let him die. The catch: when he finds goblin bride Eun-tak and starts to fall in love with her, he wonders if there might be something to this whole “life” thing after all. Also featured: a glum Grim Reaper, with whom Kim Shin has a top tier bromance, who has a doomed romance of his own. Goblin gave me one of the biggest emotional hangovers post-CLOY in my early KDrama days. One caveat: Kim Shin meets Eun Tak when she’s in high school, so if huge age gaps in fantasy romances give you the ick, maybe give this one a pass (in which case the fantasy romances I recommend checking out instead are Alchemy of Souls and Doom at Your Service, both on Netflix atm). (On Viki)

Mr. Sunshine—My pick for one of the best historical (aka sageuk) KDramas out there. Set in early 1900’s Joseon, just before/in the early days of Japanese occupation, this drama follows the lives of five equally compelling characters as they navigate the political turmoil of the time. At the center are Lady Ae-sin, an aristocratic lady with a tendency for dressing up as a man and sneaking around at night on missions for the rebels, and Eugene Choi, an American Marine now stationed in Joseon who escaped enslavement there as a child and has mixed feelings about the land of his birth. This one resonates with the forbidden/doomed love of people from different classes and cultures from CLOY. (On Netflix)

Reply 1988—This slice of live drama set in Seoul in 1988 follows five families who live in the same neighborhood, and especially five of their high school aged children as they grow up during a particularly vibrant time in South Korea’s recent history. Like the other installments in the Reply series, the series uses two of the main characters in the present day (or present to when it was released, anyway) looking back—which means that viewers know the Deok-sun ends up married to one of her four besties, but which one?? Still, while the love triangle mystery is fun, at its heart, this story is about community. It’ll scratch the CLoY itch for the North Korean market lady shenanigans, and a few others as well (especially if you like intense yearning in your dramas). (On Netflix)

Business Proposal—If you’d like romance of a completely different genre than CLOY, look no further than Business Proposal! In this KDrama, Shin Ha-ri goes on a blind date in place of her friend as a favor only find out that the date is with her boss. This tightly plotted romantic comedy plays with more rom com tropes than you can shake a stick at, but never sits with one so long that it gets old. The B couple is also fire, and helps move things along whenever the A couple gets into a rut. This drama also features some chaebol (rich business family) shenanigans a la CLOY.  (On Netflix)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo–If you’re in the mood for a workplace comedy/drama, look no further than Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Featuring the incandescent Park Eun Bin as rookie attorney Woo Young Woo, this legal drama features about a case per episode as Attorney Woo finds her way in the world alongside a delightful main cast of characters. (On Netflix)

Little Women—My choice for the makjang to include on this list (a genre in which extreme storylines are treated very seriously), this drama focuses on the three Oh sisters as the oldest finds that her friend who died under mysterious circumstances has left her 70 billion that a powerful political family will stop at nothing to get their hands on. Will the story always make complete sense? No. But will the stellar performances, fast-paced, genre-mixing drama, and wild cliffhangers keep you on the edge of your seat as you binge the whole thing? Absolutely. (On Netflix)

Extraordinary You—Youth dramas may or may not be your thing, but if you have the patience for the shenanigans of high schools, Extraordinary You is my top pick. In this fantasy romance, Eun Dan-Oh discovers that she is actually a character in a comic–and she’s not even the main one! While still high school appropriate, Eun Dan-oh’s literally doomed-by-the-narrative and impossible circumstances romance with Haru, another side character, is another one from my early KDrama days to stick with me just as much as Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeokk’s. (On Viki)

Search: WWW—Ayanni’s particular contribution to this list, this modern romantic drama focuses on intersecting lives of three women working in the fast-paced tech industry at the top two competing web portal companies. Just as interesting as each woman’s various romantic entanglement are their entanglements with each other as they put their careers ahead of just about everything else. Ayanni says she especially appreciates this one because it focuses specifically on three women (also in this genre are Be Melodramatic and Because this is My First Life). 

Happy watching--and do let us know if you pick any of these up!

[vldkeith]

character bios for my fanfic! 🎥🪩

y'all know how i'm writing a lengthier au fanfic right now right? well i have character bios/intros for it! these basically lay out who everyone is in this au. i just think it's neat and hopefully gets ppl excited 👀

--

takashi shirogane - extremely talented actor with a lot of social capital, despite the fact that he is an out gay man. played the adorable, lovable leading man in rom-coms and sitcoms for a while and has recently graduated to more dramatic roles, which he excels in. everyone seems to love and respect him for the most part. picked up keith when he tried to steal his car at a younger age (10?) and hasn’t stopped looking out for him since; they’re like brothers. 

keith kogane - guy who hates celebrity culture but got foisted into it due to his association with shiro. has a reputation for being handsome goodboy shiro’s naughtier younger brother who flips off the camera, punches paparazzi, and has no filter. hates every moment he’s forced to endure hollywood life, but does so to protect and be there for shiro. has been smeared by the tabloids extensively, both for being a delinquent and for being gay. keith did not choose to come out, like shiro had before him, but instead was outed by a member of a gay forum he frequented who figured out his identity (he was 17 at this point). hates society and has a chip on his shoulder.

lance mcclain - starry-eyed hopeful fresh off of his first non-extra role and new darling of the press. gunning for lead man roles in romcoms; knows he’s bisexual but doesn’t want to come out for fear of his family’s reaction and because he believes it will smear his reputation and thus chances to get the roles he wants. this view is understandable and pretty accurate, but it means that he is actively hiding himself and presents intense complications when he and keith start being “a thing.” has a reputation for being charming (if a little sleazy) and flirty with women, which is both natural to him and carefully cultivated so he has the best chance at getting romcom roles. he idolizes shiro–in part because he’s an out gay man, though he’d never admit that–and wants to be mentored by him so badly he’ll make himself a nuisance in shiro (and keith’s) life until he can. 

(more under the cut)

allura altea - orphaned daughter of famous actress mother and professor father who died in a hit-and-run when she was 16. keith’s best friend; they’ve affectionately dubbed themselves the “dead parent’s society,” but the press likes to call them “?????.” allura was being brought up as a future actress by her parents, having starred in many dcom-esque roles as a child, but when they died she quit all of that and kind of just does her own thing now. currently, she’s enrolled in UCLA as a politics major. 

coran wimbleton-smyth - retired acclaimed director who occasionally signs himself on as a producer for works he thinks are particularly meaningful. he’s the producer for shiro’s next film, a sci-fi space opera a la the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, and he’s gunning for shiro’s character to be explicitly gay. genuinely good-natured and wants to be involved with his projects; has a reputation for being the kind of director/producer to bring donuts in for everyone and cancel shooting days if the weather gets too hot. would support the current (2023) strikes. wants to see everyone succeed, but especially shiro and his family. 

hunk garrett - lance’s bestie and bisexual-awakening! aspiring personal chef to celebrities, but currently works at a restaurant and attends california institute of technology for engineering, because why not? met lance when lance went to eat at the restaurant he worked at and liked the food so much he asked to personally thank the chef; hunk had changed the dish last-minute as it went out the door, ratatouille-style, and so he gets the credit. they’ve been besties ever since! 

matt holt - lance’s young agent! saw potential in lance because of their shared personality-type, but he can be ruthless when it comes to matters of public opinion and which roles lance should take, which lance both appreciates and dreads. committed to doing what’s best for lance’s career, whatever the cost.  katie “pidge” holt - matt’s younger sibling that is pushed into lance’s orbit unwillingly due to her big brother’s job. hangs around because, whatever he may say, she really does like lance as a friend, and warms up to hunk quickly once they meet due to their shared interest in engineering/computers. has a geocities website dedicated to weird lizards and insects. low-profile enough to get away with things none of the others could manage.

nyma - shiro's ruthless but skilled publicist. knows how to turn public opinion around her finger, all while pretending to be innocent and nice the whole time. this doesn't mean she's uncaring, though; sometimes she'll let slip that she actually cares about shiro and keith's images because she cares about them, not just because it's her job and reputation on the line if she doesn't. isn't afraid to advise them to do painful and sometimes downright demoralizing things, but it's always in the interest of saving their necks, at least from her perspective.

--

this isn't an exhaustive list of the voltron characters that will be included btw; i'm going to find a way to put adam & romelle in if i have to die for it. but these are the main cast i have so far :) let me know what you think!

[romcom1dficfest]

One Direction Rom-com fic fest - first week

Here is a list of the fics posted during the first week along with their summaries.

Hello again - @always-in-love-x

Summary: Thea Tomlinson and Belle Styles are work besties. When Belle decides that Harry needs a date for his fiftieth birthday party, Thea suggests her Dad. What the pair don't know, is that Harry and Louis went on a date nearly thirty years previously, and it didn't end well...

You can find the fic post here.

You could be the one that I love - @thelavendrhaze

Summary: “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Niall waved off. “Now, let’s talk man to man to man. You two have had a crush on each other since uni. Now’s your chance to finally get something going. I could see the sparks and connection and attraction back then and I can still see it now, God damn it! You’re just denying fate at this point.”

He looked impassioned, his blue eyes wide and imploring. Louis shook his head again and chuckled. “You can’t just snap your finger and expect us to, like, get it on.”

“I’m not,” he reasoned. “I’m merely telling you to do something about it.”

or

A Missed Connections AU.

You can find the fic post here.

Remember to leave kudos and comment on the fics to show your love and appreciation to the authors!

[scottishaccentsareawesome]

I just got a subscription to Netflix just to watch "Set It Up".

And I did. And I truly love it.

You know the characters I love in that movie possibly just as much as Charlie and Harper though, is their BFFs - Becca and Duncan.

First of all, when Harper told Becca she was leaving her party, with Charlie, because it had no pizza, Becca just let her go - and then the pizza guy showed up. She could've said "No, the pizza'll be here soon!" and made her stay, but she wanted her BFF to get somewhere with the cute guy she was with, so she let her go.

BECCA'S the Set-Up master in all this.

...And also, when Harper was totally down about her writing being crap, Becca gave her legitimately good advice (that I honestly need to remember) and went "of course it's gonna be crap! It's the first draft! But you'll have finished it! So write a complete, crappy first draft and then go back over it!"

Solid advice, Becca. Truly solid.

And Duncan(played by the hilarious Pete Davidson)? He pointed out to Charlie that he didn't even really know his girlfriend because they don't even have meaningful conversations, AND when Charlie confirmed for him that he didn't work for Rick, Duncan threw coffee on him, because he knew he was horrible!

Seriously, those are Top Tier Besties - both as Rom-Com Besties, but also just in general.

Find you a bestie who'll dump coffee on your horrible ex-boss...:)

[lyricalsakura]

Congrats My Ex || Madness Overloaded, Treat for the Eyes...well...that's it.

A treat for the eyes. Not for the soul - A nice attempt to blend Indian and Thai culture.

Hoooooo boy! Where do I start?

From the moment I saw the trailer I knew what to expect. I knew what kind of film it is going to be and even though I wanted to be wrong, I am not. It's a rom-com and as cringe as I thought it would be. But I am not disappointed. In fact, the minus points of this film is also the plus points.

Spoiler Alert: Proceed with Caution

So, Risa (Bella Ranee) finds out that she is the wedding planner of her ex boyfriend (Arun/Mahir Pandhi). Ouch!

And then as if it is not hurtful enough, the emergency photographer she had to hire is actually another ex (Tim/Bright). Wowzers!

When asked how stereotypical melodramatic rom-com you want it to be ? They really said HELL YES!

From the Indian soap opera like sequences, to overly dramatic horse riding to overacting sidekicks to garbage dialogues, try-hard-to-make-people-laugh slapstick comedic moments it had everything!!!

This is me when I see my bestie making a fool of herself before her crush

But still I enjoyed everything. Why? It was fun to watch a nice amalgamation of the two cultures.

Bright in Sherwani

I have a little crush on Anahita Bhooshan ngl

The Bollywood style dance number

And the depiction of Indian wedding, well more like typical North Indian (mostly Punjabi style, although Sangeet is now almost a part of all kind of Indian weddings) upper class traditional wedding.

This is Karan Johar style but minus the extreme emotional parts.

I was this close to tear my hair in the scene where Arun is riding (get your minds out of the gutter, he is literally lying akimbo on the car trying to stop it - talk about Bollywood...) the bonnet of the car but I was also snorting with laughter.

The dream sequence where Risa is getting married to Arun and Monica is slapping her repeatedly is my flashback to overtly melodramatic soap operas. As much as I was cringing hard, I was also having fun as the film is sarcastically making fun of it. I was both laughing and crying.

Honestly, there is not much story here. The only thing you see is the grandeur. Don't come here expecting much acting and plotline. And no expectations. It's a one time watch film. But I would applaud the makers of it for even bringing it to existence. I hope we get more good stories that reflects more of the two countries and the cultures.

Also posted on MDL

[raleighcarreras]

perfectus

Part 1: and I know I said go slow

Pairing: wanda maximoff x black!fem!reader

Rating: M (language)

Wrd Cnt: 1.5k+ maybe?

Warnings/Tags: friends to lovers, angst, slow-ish burn, eventual smut

Part(s): 2,

Summary: You're determined to be in a committed relationship by Valentine's Day. So what if it's a capitalistic holiday that holds no real significance. In your 25 years of life, you've never had a Valentine and if you make it to 26 the same way, you might just jump out of a window. So, you and your best friend Wanda have 60 days to accomplish the impossible.

Little do you know, your Valentine has been right under your nose the entire time. And Wanda has a plan of her own. Sorta.

Notes: trying my little hand at a rom-com because I get to do whatever I want around here. here's the playlist for this fic. the title song is 365 by Katy Perry & Zedd. Translation done by Google translate of course.

Falling deeper than before. Say that you are ready, lock it up in a heartbeat.

How early was too early for stores to start prepping the shelves for Valentine's day? Christmas was still a week away. Certainly, you would have thought that would be too early.

But the Walgreens closest to your and Wanda's apartment had other ideas. They were shoving the teddy bears with hearts sewn to their paws right next to the teddy bears with santa hats sewn to their heads.

Even worse? They blended together seamlessly because everything was red!

You had crossed your arms and pouted severely as you recounted the blasphemy you had encountered (while trying to retrieve your daily vitamins and a bag of baked cheetos) to your best friend, Wanda Maximoff.

"Are you even listening, Wands?!" You shrieked something serious.

Wanda only peaked one of her eyes opened, "Yeah."

You flopped onto the couch heavily. You threw your feet to one end and laid your head in her lap, "Then what did I say?"

"You said that it was stupid to put the V-day stuff out so early but you only feel that way because it reminds you of how lonely you are."

You stared up at her, "That isn't what I said in the slightest."

"No, but it's what you meant."

You scrunched your nose up in offense, "I don't like you."

Wanda smiled softly, "Liar."

"You smell like smoke."

Wanda laughed out loud at that. She gestured for you to get off her lap so she could extradite herself from the couch, "That's what happens when you're a volunteer firefighter. Sometimes, you encounter fires."

Wanda stretched dubiously, as if to empathize her point. Her wife-pleaser raised above her midriff. You made it a point not to look. You had always been envious(?) of her body in a wierd homoerotic way that you rather not explore.

"Did you save everyone?"

Wanda walked over to the kitchen, probably in search of a Nutri-Grain bar, as was her routine.

"No one to save. Some teen thought it would be funny to light a match next to a newspaper stand."

You stretched your neck over the edge of the couch to see her. She was upside down in your vision, but you would make do.

"My brave bestie."

Wanda mumbled something that you couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"I said it wasn't really about being brave. I could have thrown a cup of water on it and it would have been fine."

"Well, I still think you're brave. Even though you didn't run into a burning building today, doesn't mean you haven't before. And you're doing it for free? You're a hero in my book."

Wanda's cheeks reddened, "Thanks."

You hummed, "Where's Kaiser?"

"Who? Oh! I locked him in your room."

You gave a scandalized gasp and jumped up. You ran to your room, opening the door to the saddest puppy you have ever seen in your life.

You picked up the german shepherd and husky mix, cuddling him into your chest. You walked back into the livingroom with a scowl.

Wanda huffed, "What? He screams for you when you leave and I was trying to take a nap before I go to the bar."

"Your mommy is so mean, isn't she, my little kaiser roll?" You're 76% sure he nodded at you in confirmation.

"I'm not his mommy. He hates me! Despite having saved him from a tree. He's a dog, why was he in a tree!?"

"He's adventurous and he can smell your fear." You thought back to the day Wanda seemed to reluctantly come back home with a random puppy, despite not having left with one.

She told you that she had to boost Natasha into the tree during one of their shifts and in the process Natasha had stepped on her face to retrieve him. No one else could take him home and they didn't want to drop him off at a shelter because he was clearly not that smart. Wanda drew the short fire hose.

"He's the size of my shoe, I'm not scared of him."

"You're still a bad mom. Say sorry to our son."

Wanda turned to you with an incredulous look that quickly turned exasperated when she saw you were serious, "I'm sorry, Kaiser."

Kaiser gave her a look that was clearly meant to be perceived as triumph over Wanda.

"He said apology accepted."

Kaiser barked.

"No he didn't."

You placed Kaiser down on the floor and watched as he curled into a ball at your feet.

"Anyway, back to the problem I brought up earlier. I refuse to be without a Valentine next year. Tony is inevitably going to rent out your bar for a stupid little love day party and if I don't have a date I think I might explode."

Wanda returned to the livingroom. Kaiser nipped at her ankle when she got decidedly too close to you.

"Who cares if you have a date or not? You normally don't."

Your groan forced you deeper into the couch, "Exactly! All of our friends probably think I'm a loser and unlovable. And...and fuck, I just don't want to spend another year alone."

Wanda's brows furrowed, "You're not alone. You have me. And I know for a fact that you're not a loser and extremely lovable."

You pressed the palms of your hands into your eyes, "You're supposed to say that. You're my best friend. If you didn't think that the bestie police would like arrest you or something."

"That's not a real thing."

"Sure it is. And so is me needing to be boo'd up in the next 60 days." You crossed your arms over your chest.

"I'm still not understanding the rush-"

"Wanda, when was the last time I brought someone home?"

Wanda wished she didn't have to think so hard, "Oh! Three nights ago!"

"That was Pietro. And I definitely didn't fuck him. One, because he's gay, and two, because we were in here the whole night and you were with us!"

"Yeah...okay, last week?"

"That was Natasha." You deadpanned.

"The week before that?"

You rolled your eyes so hard Wanda feared she have to catch them when they fell out and rolled to the ground.

"That broad was here for you!"

Wanda sunk into the couch cushions, "Damn. It has been awhile."

"See?!"

"But that doesn't mean you need to fall over yourself to find someone by Valentine's day. Besides, we always do Galentine's instead. What about that?"

"Technically, I need to find someone before then because I want to be in a committed relationship by V-day. We can still do Galentine's with Nat and Carol. It'll just have to be earlier in the day." You said easily. You didn't notice the miffed expression Wanda was giving you.

"How are you going to even do any of this?"

You smiled brightly, turning to face Wanda, "With your help, of course! And probably Nat, Tony, Carol, and Sam's too. You guys will find me suitable dates. And we'll go from there. I'll even reactivate my Tinder account."

Wanda's frown deepened even further, "But you hate Tinder."

"That's how you know I'm serious about this."

Wanda watched as you frantically typed away on your phone. Informing your friends of your plans and setting up multiple online dating profiles.

"There's no talking you out of this, is there?"

You only shook your head with an infuriating smile.

"Fine. I'll ask around I guess."

"Yay! Thank you, Wands!" You threw yourself into Wanda for a hug. Wrapping your arms around her neck as much as you could.

Wanda patted your back.

"Youre welcome, Detka. At least this way I know they won't be the losers you normally have an affinity for."

You pulled away, "I do not have an 'affinity for losers'."

Wanda raised an eyebrow, "Which one of your exes has not been a loser?"

"Carly!"

"We were 16 when you dated Carly. She was definitely a loser."

"Jackson?"

Wanda's eyes widened, "Jackson tried to cheat on you. With me!"

You shrugged, more than over that by now, "Yeah, but he was so hot. And his dic-"

"Okay. You win. Moving on."

Kaiser hopped up onto your lap.

"Your mommy is so easy, Kai."

Wanda just scowled.

"And your dumbass agreed to that?"

Wanda huffed for the fourth time that evening.

This little coffee break with Natasha and Sam was not going well. She thought they'd be on her side when she explained the crazy episode you had the day before.

But instead, they were just staring at her like she had three heads. She wasn't the crazy one. You were!

"What do you mean? I had no choice. She volunteered me!"

Sam blinked. Once. Twice, "Did it not occur to you to just say 'No'?"

"Of course it did. But I couldn't!"

It was Natasha's turn to blink blankly, "And why not?"

"B-Because!"

Natasha and Sam shared a glance.

Natasha shook her head in astonishment, "Oh my God."

"What?" Wanda asked softly, thinking something was wrong.

"oH. My. GOd." Sam, for his part, looked just as confused as Wanda.

"What, Natasha?!"

"YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH Y/N!" Natasha exclaimed with a half shriek half laugh thing that caused her to choke. Sam patted her softly on the back while looking at Wanda in shock.

"Заткнись на хрен." Wanda said through gritted teeth, looking around the fire department's lounge like you would pop out from behind a light fixture at any second.

Sam pouted, "Hey, no Russian. Bucky still won't teach me anything. Not even the cuss words."

"She told me to 'shut the fuck up'. Which obviously means I'm right, Sammy boy."

Sam turned to Wanda, "Then why did you agree to this!?"

Wanda blew out a latte scented breath. The cat was out of the bag and there was no getting it back in. So, she might as well have leaned into it.

"Because she asked." Wanda shrugged.

"You simp. I'm so ashamed of you right now." Sam said with a shake of his head.

Wanda rolled her eyes, "When was the last time you said 'No' to Steve?"

"This isn't about me, Wanda."

"Anyway, so you're actually going to let her go on dates and potentially find a life partner even though you like her?" Natasha asked with a concerned grimace.

"Yes. As long as she's happy. If she liked me back she wouldn't always put me in second place."

Natasha shook her head, "That's not fair! You're always in second place because she doesn't even know you're in the damn race."

"And you're not going to tell her, are you?" Sam said with a soft, sad smile.

"No. I'm going to help her get ready for her dates with a big smile on my face. And if she finds the love her life. I'll be happy for her."

"Wanda?"

"Yes?"

"You looked like you were going to burst into sobs while saying that."

Wanda scratched at the side of her head, "Yeah. I'm-uh-still working on that."

Sam was silent for a moment, "Can we make a deal?"

"Depends?"

"If she still hasn't found a Valentine by February 13th, you ask her. And not in a 'besties gal pals BF4EVA' way. In a 'if you took off literally any peice of clothing even a sock I would have to change my pants' way."

Wanda dismissed her blush with a breathy chuckle, "Deal. But we all have to take this assignment seriously. I'm a last resort. No setting her up with losers."

Natasha and Sam both looked reluctant to shake hands on those terms, but they did anyway.

"Deal."

[jetwhenitsmidnight]

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

Release date: 4 July 2024

Genre: adult historical fantasy rom-com

If you like:

Grumpy x Sunshine

Only One Bed

Found family

Trio of disaster bis sharing one(1) braincell

A little cat-sized dragon

Horrible History (the author wrote for the show)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Upper London residents Fang and Lazare awake from their deaths to discover they are not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having acquired the power of immortality, they’re also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings that reside in the underground city of Deep London.

Thrown together by the curse they share, the two strangers set out to reverse the spell, all the while trying to ignore the intense connection between them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

Content warnings

Violence, death, blood

Child abuse, child endangerment, confinement, kidnapping

Sexual harassment (recurring)

Racism

Consumption of human flesh (not cannibalism)

Mention of animal abuse

Alcohol consumption

Review

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC! 🐉🐈‍⬛🧛

I have to be brutally honest; this book could use a lot of editing.

There are PoV changes in the middle of paragraphs, sometimes it is not clear who is being referred to, and the dialogue could flow better. Also, the writing is very anachronistic. Like, "hot" and "hotties" are used multiple times throughout this book. I'm not a historian, so maybe they did say that in Elizabethan England, but at one point "re" was used, and as a computer science student I am fairly certain that emails had not been invented yet. If you are the type of person to be put off by this, be warned.

I also have to address the blurb and the fact that it is wrong! The blurb describes this book as a "cozy rom-com", which it is not! These guys die so many times, they are constantly adventuring and hauling ass. I think they chill out for like ONE (1) scene, then they immediately go back to being in danger! This is the opposite of the meaning of cozy!!

That being said! I freaking loved this. These characters are so fun to read and they were so endearing to me I fell in love with their dumbasses. These three adults share one brain cell and Nell has it 90% of the time. The other 10% is when Lazare is being emotionally intelligent, and Fang breaks the smart Asian stereotype by having the brain cell never. Also Amber the dragon is the sweetest little baby I want to adopt her and feed her all the meats she desires.

The world-building is rather interesting and fleshed out. The author does such a good job at showing how the supernatural creatures live alongside the humans, as well as how they are integrated into this society. It was really interesting getting to explore this alternate version of London (and also Deep London).

I appreciate that our main characters are PoC; with the way people get mad/debate about the existence of PoC in historical fiction, having characters that are not white + having their race be intrinsically tied to their backstories was much appreciated.

This book is also hilarious. Your mileage may vary; my bestie thought the humour was a bit much, and I personally found some of it to be ridiculous but I could still find it funny.

I also loved the stupid-ass romance. Lazare and Fang are so dysfunctional and stupid (endearing) (and moreso Fang). Their dynamic was so frustrating to read but in a good way, I promise! Also, this is pitched as a romance, but (IMO) one of the central tenets of the romance genre is that the couple ends up together by the end, which is NOT the case here.

Since this is book 1 of a series, they will probably get it together in the sequel. Which, BTW, I am beyond excited for I need it so bad.

(@ the author or publisher or whoever is in charge of this, I would love an ARC for the sequel hmu)

[boasamishipper]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

you're so prolific I want to make you pick 5 😈

how can you ask me to choose Only Five.......this is like asking me to choose a favorite child.......

The Stars Walk Backward (Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Finn/Rey)

this fic contains everything i wish the sequel trilogy had given me: luke training finn and rey, reysky, endgame finnrey, queer poe dameron (as well as a plethora of other queer characters), kylo ren actually being a villain, a finn-centric main storyline, a stormtrooper rebellion, etc etc etc. it remains one of my more complicated multi-chaps (see: all the plot points i made myself juggle), and though i will forever be angry about the direction the sequel trilogy took, this fic will always have a special place in my heart.

Make A Wrong One Right (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Maverick&Goose)

[stefon snl voice] this fic has everything. time travel. magical realism. heavy angst. gratuitous back to the future references. ice and mav's conversation in ch2 remains my all-time favorite scene i have ever written for them.

Word on the Street (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Outsider POV)

in which a handsome navy pilot moves into the neighborhood and the real housewives of fallon, nevada, promptly go feral - even more so when none of them can seem to agree on what the handsome navy pilot looks like. this was my first time writing outsider pov, and i had an absolute blast doing so. sharon markowe my short jewish queen 2kforever.

You Had Me At Aloe (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, pre-Rooster/Phoenix/Fritz)

fritz may have gotten exactly Zero lines in top gun: maverick which is sad but Also that means that my headcanon of him as amy santiago trapped in the body of jason mendoza is not jossed!! hurray!! while i loved writing fritz being a Mess and the number one iceman kazansky stan on base and playing off bradley and phoenix (as well as sick!mav confusing bradley for goose), this fic makes the top five faves list solely because of this exchange:

Fritz buries his face into a wad of toilet paper and wails. “I told my hero he looked like a plant!” There’s a long pause. Fritz can hear Phoenix whispering part of an explanation. “Well,” Bradley says at last. “In your defense, he kind of does.” “That doesn’t make it better!”

For A Minute There I Lost Myself (Ted Lasso, Nate Shelley-centric)

you know, during the hiatus i was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this version of nate's s3 arc, and after s3 dropped i was even more proud of myself because Boy Howdy is 'nate grows into himself as a coach for west ham, bonds with his players, stands up to rupert, and mends fences with ted, who also apologizes to him' a more compelling storyline than whatever the fuck jason sudeikis and co gave us. goddamn.

bonus 5 faves because i can:

When I See Your Light Shine (Ted Lasso) - In which Sam matches with Dani on Bantr instead of Rebecca, and the rom-com of the ages ensues. Part 1 of a series.

Austin Alone (9-1-1: Lone Star) - In which Owen and Billy become friends with benefits after the reopening of the 126. Co-written with my bestie @lilalbatross.

and it was not your fault but mine (Ted Lasso) - In which Jamie learns that forgiveness is not the same thing as trust, and Sam gets some agency back.

Many Happy Returns (No Exchanges or Refunds) (What We Do In The Shadows TV) - In which it is Colin Robinson's birthday.

'cause a cat's the only cat (who knows where it's at) (Top Gun, Captain Marvel) - In which Maverick and Iceman's alien cat has alien kittens. Part 8 of my TG Captain Marvel AU series.

[ratsoh-writes]

Then she's mostly invited him out ta club with her an has taken him ta some restaurants she's wanted ta check out.

He actually got ta the point Pookie is so comfortable she's invited him over without her makeup on or anythin an ordered them some take out ta watch old rom coms. With cheap wine cause she's classy like that. 😌

Ooo they’re gonna be best friends quick

Speaking of besties, charms been hanging out with butch a lot these days!

[smimon]

I'm not really planning to write anything after "Too much to manage" (unless artistic rage hits me again) but my bestie encourages me to write a series of short rom-coms with jesseguard that we came up with as a joke

The point is, put them in all the cliche settings from romantic fanfics, but make it so that the situations never occur. Make the impulse barely miss them. Put them in one elevator, and they don't get stuck there. Make it coffee shop AU, and the barista is a professional and does not flirt with the customer. When they meet on a train, it does not swing to push one of them into the other's arms etc. etc.

This would be pretty funny I think, and also I really enjoy the idea of having a crush but no interest in starting a relationship. Like, I ship them in a way that will never sail. They never end up a couple, but not in a sad way. It's mutual respect and admiration, and complete lack of will to make anything out of it. And it's what they like. And the universe is pissed because they would make such a cute couple-