#but both of those are in my bookmarks on ao3 anyway

[dyed-red]

gurl you're such a fantastic writer i keep coming back to your consequentialism and deontology series it made me unwell (affectionate) <3

can i ask you what are your favorite wincest fics or authors?

hiii <3 i'm glad that you enjoyed that series.

for my favourite authors, i'm honestly terrible at choosing faves, but i think you can see the authors i reblog a lot if you follow me, and i have a tag for fic recs that you can skim through.

i would also recommend checking out my bookmarks on ao3, because i tend to bookmark things that i really enjoy or that re-write my brain chemistry.

[asteria7fics]

In old lady news, I just realized you can actually see the full number of bookmarks your fic has on ao3, including those who have their bookmarks privated.

Grandma was very confused for a second, but she figured it out.

[c-e-d-dreamer]

Wreck My Plans, That's My Man

A/N: listen. Look at me. Does this make sense? Is it technically logical? No. It's horny vibes only here, and I need you to roll with it. Anyways! This was all inspired by this beautiful piece of art, and then I was enabled and encouraged and basically wrote this whole thing in like 48 hours... Enjoy? NSFW warning!

Read on AO3

“Hey, Nes, have you seen—”

Cassian's voice trails off, and Nesta hears the distinct sound of keys jangling. She rolls her eyes fondly as she goes back to her book, burrowing deeper against the stack of pillows at her back. She doesn't look up, even as she listens to his boots against the hardwood coming closer, even as that familiar scent of smoke and pine washes over her, even as a sweet kiss is pressed to her hair.

Only when she's finished the page does she slide her bookmark into place and tilt her head back, meeting a pair of bright hazel eyes and a wide, soft smile meant only for her. Cassian is dressed in his usual all black show attire, ripped jeans clinging to his thighs and the low cut of his tank showing off the thick muscles of his arms, the wide breadth of his shoulders and chest, the lines of black ink winding across his golden skin.

“I left your pass on the hook by the door,” Cassian explains, scraping his hair back and out of his face before securing it with a hair-tie. “Are you thinking you'll drive? I can make sure they open the lot for you.”

“No, I'll just get an Uber, and then drive home with you after.”

“Perfect.”

Cassian leans down, slotting their lips together, and Nesta practically melts against him, sighing into the kiss. Too soon, he's pulling away, stealing one last peck to her lips before murmuring his goodbyes and heading for the door. Nesta slumps back against the pillows, closing her eyes and giving herself just one more moment. With a soft sigh, she tosses the blanket off her legs and heaves herself up, padding down the hall to their bedroom to shower and start getting ready.

Nesta’s phone dings where it’s sitting on her vanity, letting her know that her Uber driver is approaching. She takes a moment to straighten out her skirt, to tug up the strap of her lacy, red top. She grabs her phone and her purse, rushing toward the front door. Thankfully, her pass really is right where Cassian left it, and it’s easy enough to toss it on, easy enough to tug on her shoes and her leather jacket, zipping it up to fight off the late October chill.

There’s more traffic than Nesta anticipates, and by the time her Uber driver is dropping her off in front of the venue, they’ve already opened the doors, the queue shuffling forward and people moving about the sidewalk with excitement. It still blows Nesta’s mind seeing the way the queue stretches all the way down the block and around the corner, seeing all these people in tour shirts and with wide grins, all to see the Bat Boys.

“Excuse me,” Nesta says to one of the venue workers directing people. “Which way is the stage door?”

The worker turns his attention to her fully, not even hiding the way he sweeps his eyes over her. When his gaze raises to her eyes again, his face is unimpressed, and he lets out a near derisive snort. “Nice try. Keep dreaming those Wattpad dreams.”

Nesta doesn’t bother biting back her scowl or her eyeroll, practically glaring daggers at the worker as he turns away.

“Guess I’ll find it myself,” she mutters to herself, weaving her way toward the side of the venue building.

“Oh my gosh! Imagine if Cassian points right at you tonight!”

The words give Nesta pause, and she turns to find a couple of girls in the queue. They have their hair and makeup done up, one clad jeans and the other in a short, leather skirt. And both of them have handmade, matching tees declaring ‘Cassian’s Future Wife.’

It had started as a bit. Cassian had informed Nesta that he would be dedicating a song to her on their last tour, a sweet more acoustic number he had penned himself, but when he introduced it to the crowd, he’d instead declared it was for his future wife. Nesta had been pink the entire rest of the night, cheeks and ears burning, but the reaction only seemed to spur Cassian on until he was making the same announcement every night, every show where she was in the audience.

“Imagine if he pulls me out of the crowd and invites me back to his place after the show,” the girl in the skirt offers to her friend.

“Once he sees you, he totally would.”

“I bet he’s amazing in bed too. He’d rock my world, and then I’d be like no need to look any further. You found your future wife.”

The girls laugh and practically squeal in agreement, but Nesta has to swallow down a scoff. She doesn’t know why the conversation scrapes across her skin, why it grates against her nerves. She knows that Cassian and his brothers have a large female following for their band. She knows that she’s the one who asked to keep their relationship more private. She knows that it’s their bed he comes home to each night, that she’s the one he wakes with soft kisses and quiet good mornings, that she gets the ‘I love you’s and the smiles just for her.

But there’s no denying the anger that starts to lick through Nesta’s veins, fire crackling and flaring beneath her skin. There’s no denying the annoyance that twists through her stomach, tightening like vines in her chest. It takes everything within her to bite her tongue around the words she wants to sneer, instead shouldering past the girls and through the crowds to continue her trek toward the side of the building.

When she reaches the back of the building, she spots Cassian's truck in the lot. The pair of stagehands smoking and the big, burly security guard standing near an otherwise nondescript metal door let her know she's found what she's looking for. She unzips her jacket enough that she can pull free her pass, flashing it, but rather than letting her in, the security guard holds out his arm to stop her. His eyes narrow suspiciously, sweeping over her and squinting at her pass.

It has Nesta's anger burning into full-blown rage, into a living, writhing thing that digs its claws into her chest and begs to be released. Her boyfriend is in there. Her boyfriend. And she won't have these people looking at her like she's just some groupie. Won't have these girls thinking they're going home with Cassian.

She's about to give in to the fire, to give in to the cool words poised and ready on the tip of her tongue, when the stage door swings open. Nesta just barely steps back in time before Balthazar goes barreling into her, and she watches as the photographer all but runs to where his SUV is parked, rooting around in his back seat. He jogs back toward the door, pausing when he realizes who's standing there.

“Hey, Nesta,” Balthazar greets with an easy grin, holding up the small case now in his hands. “Need a new SD card already.”

“You know her?” the security guard asks.

Balthazar lets out a quiet laugh. “Seriously?”

He doesn't say anything more, merely shakes his head and vanishes back inside, but at least it's enough to have the security guard look sheepish. At least, he holds the door open and finally allows Nesta to step inside. The steady thrum of bass and drums pulses beneath Nesta's feet, a raspy, feminine voice floating on the air to her, and she knows that the supporting act has already gone on and started the show.

With determined steps, Nesta weaves her way around stagehands and equipment, making her way toward the back of the stage. She slips behind the black curtain splitting the stage in two and hiding the Bat Boys' setup until it's their time, finding Cassian right where she expects him: sitting at his drum kit, casually twirling a drumstick between his fingers while he nods along to the band playing in front of the curtain. Nesta doesn't know if he hears or if he's just always able to sense where she is in a room, but his eyes snap to hers in an instant, that slow, soft grin tugging its way across his face.

“I was beginning to think you were going to stand me up,” Cassian teases lightly when she's close enough.

“I just had to deal with a bunch of shit,” Nesta grumbles, dropping her purse to the ground.

Because she can, she tosses her leg over Cassian's own, straddling his hips. The seat is small but she makes it work, pressing close to him and looping her arms across his shoulders. Cassian's own hands find her hips with ease, holding her steady.

“What kind of shit?”

“Just stupid people.”

Cassian hums, dropping his head so his forehead rests against her collarbones, his thumbs tracing soothing circles against her hip bones. “At least you're here now.”

Nesta hums her own agreement, trying to let the feel of him pressed against her soothe her still sparking nerves. She reaches a hand up, tugging free the hair-tie from Cassian's hair and slipping it onto her wrist for safe keeping. She runs her fingers through the dark, curly strands, scraping her nails against his scalp in the way she knows he loves.

“I had to deal with getting past your little fan club,” Nesta continues, pressing a bit harder with her nails until she feels Cassian sigh against her.

“What can I say? I'm an expert at stealing hearts,” Cassian offers, his voice muffled against her skin, as his hands slide down to the backs of her thighs, teasing just beneath the hem of her skirt.

“There's even a group of girls in the audience with shirts that say 'Cassian's future wife.'”

Cassian pulls his head back, his eyes practically glinting even in the low light of this part of the stage. “Are there?”

Nesta yanks hard on his hair, tugging his head back enough that his entire throat is on display for her. It gives her the perfect view for the way he swallows hard, the way his eyelashes flutter around his darkening hazel eyes.

“But they don't stand a chance, do they?” Nesta snaps, her tone cold and demanding.

Cassian's already shaking his head despite her grip, his expression dazed, before she even finishes speaking. “Not a chance in hell, sweetheart. No one compares to you.”

“Because you're all mine, aren't you?”

“All yours,” Cassian groans, his hips bucking up against her own, pressing his growing hardness against her ass. “Fuck, you're so hot, baby.”

“And you're going to prove it.” It's a statement, not a question, nor a request, and Nesta grinds and circles her hips down against him, chasing the friction, the heat already building between her thighs.

Cassian's hands tighten, sliding further up until he's grasping her ass fully beneath her skirt. “I'll do whatever you want me to.”

“That's what I like to hear,” Nesta tells him, dragging her nail down his temple and cheek and relishing in the full body shudder that takes over Cassian's body. “You're going to touch me, make me come, and then I'm going to fuck you until I'm the only thing you'll think about for the rest of the night, until no other woman will be able to get close to you without smelling sex and my perfume all over you.”

“We only have forty minutes until the show.”

“Better hurry then.”

Rather than let Cassian say anything more, Nesta crashes her mouth against his, nipping and biting at his lips and pressing her tongue into his mouth. Cassian groans as he kisses her back just as hungrily, using his grip on her to move and rock their hips together. One of his hands reaches between them, sliding two fingers over her still clothed center, and Nesta has to pull back to gasp, her hips stuttering at the pressure.

“Fuck, I love how you're always so wet for me,” Cassian whispers against her lips, tracing a teasing circle across her clit. “Absolutely soaked, sweetheart.”

“Less talking, more following directions,” Nesta chastises, canting her hips more firmly against his hand. “We're on a time limit, remember?”

Cassian hums his agreement, slotting their lips back together. At the same moment, he tugs her panties to the side, wasting no time and sinking two fingers inside her. Nesta practically whimpers into his mouth at the stretch, a sound Cassian greedily swallows. He holds his fingers still, and Nesta clenches down around them, hoping to encourage him to move.

“Cassian,” Nesta whines high in the back of her throat, trying to shift her hips against him.

But Cassian uses his free hand to hold her firmly in place, to hold her still against him. He slowly pulls his fingers out, dragging against her walls, before pressing them deep again, just as slow.

“You're just as much mine, you know,” Cassian breathes hotly, repeating the same motion. “You think I don't see every guy and girl staring at you every time we go out?”

“I don't even notice them,” Nesta promises, sliding her hands down to Cassian's shoulders and digging her nails into the skin there. “Besides, at least none of them think they're going to be my future spouse.”

“I bet they want to be.”

“I bet they want to see what I look like when I come too. Maybe, I should ask them to help me instead, since you'd clearly rather take your sweet time.”

Cassian growls, curling his fingers, and Nesta knows that she's won. He starts to work his fingers in earnest, pressing in deep and hard the way he knows she loves. When his thumb joins in, pressing at her clit in tandem, Nesta slumps forward against him. She drops her forehead to his shoulder and bites hard at her bottom lip to quiet the moans and whimpers threatening to spill from her throat. Already, her blood sings, pleasure firing from her every nerve ending, and it's all focused where Cassian's fingers sink into her over and over again.

“Is this what you want, Nes?” He whispers right against her ear. “Is this how I prove it to you?”

“Yes. Fuck, don't stop,” Nesta gasps, turning her head enough that she can dig her teeth into his pulse point, sucking the skin between her lips until she's sure she left a mark.

Cassian's fingers stutter for a moment, and Nesta feels more than she hears the groan trapped in his throat. But since the moment she met him, Cassian has never backed down from a challenge, never allowed himself to be out done. And Nesta has never been more thankful. He squeezes in a third finger, curling all three and pressing against her clit, Nesta's whole body lighting up at the sensation.

He plays her body the way nobody else can, the way that only comes from learning each other's bodies over the years. Every slide, every curl, every press of his fingers sends Nesta cresting higher and higher. Heat pools low in her gut, her whole body tightening and pulling taut as her cunt flutters around Cassian's fingers.

“Come for me, baby. I can feel you're close. Be my good girl and come all over my fingers.”

The praise is all Nesta needs to go crashing head first through her orgasm. She bites at Cassian's shoulder to keep quiet, clenching hard and practically shaking against him. Cassian continues to work her through it, his fingers unrelenting and dragging her orgasm out.

Only when Nesta reaches down and squeezes his wrist, the overstimulation too much, does Cassian slip his fingers free. He brings his hand up to his face, sticking his tongue out and lapping at the pads of his fingers with a soft groan. Nesta is quick to grab his wrist, guiding his hand closer and sucking his fingers into her own mouth. She keeps her eyes on his, not breaking eye contact as she slowly glides and swirls her tongue over each digit.

“Fuck,” Cassian mutters, his hips bucking up as if of their own accord.

The movement reminds Nesta of what's still to come, of the hard length practically waiting for her. It has her blood heating again already, has her feeling empty and clenching around nothing. She pulls her mouth away with a quiet pop, reaching her hands eagerly toward his belt.

“I need you,” Nesta whines, all but yanking the button open and tugging Cassian's jeans and boxers down enough that she can free his cock.

She fists it tightly in her grip, squeezing at the base before sliding her hand up and down, spreading the precum already weeping from the tip. It takes some awkward maneuvering on the too small seat, but Nesta is able to raise herself up enough that she can line him up with her entrance, that she can sink down. No matter how many times they do this, Nesta doesn't think she'll ever get used to the feel of him, the stretch. There's no biting back her moan once he's finally seated to the hilt.

“Mother, save me,” Cassian groans, clearly just as affected. “You take me so well, baby. Nothing feels like you.”

“That's right,” Nesta tells him, clenching around him. “No other cunt will ever squeeze you like this.”

“Good.” Cassian buries a hand in her hair and kisses her hard, tugging her bottom lip between his teeth. “Because no other cock can fill you like mine can.”

Despite Nesta's words earlier, her promise to fuck him until she's all he thinks about, it's Cassian that takes control. His hands grip her hips, guiding her up and down his cock, while he uses his planted feet to thrust up into her hard and fast. Nesta loves it. She loves the way he presses deep with every slap of their hips together. She loves the way she knows she'll have bruises for days across her hip bones.

She buries her hands in Cassian's hair and slams their mouths back together, breathing every moan and whimper past his lips and swallowing his every answering groan. Every snap of his hips, every drag of his cock has Nesta's toes curling in her shoes. Her cunt flutters and clenches around him, desperate to pull him in deeper, to keep him here right where he belongs, keeping her full and stretched.

She knows Cassian is close from the way his hips start to stutter, so she drops a hand between their bodies, finding her clit with ease and working it in time with their movements. It's almost too much. The sensation and feel of their bodies coming together. The sight of Cassian with a flush clinging to his cheeks, with his hazel eyes nearly swallowed whole by his blown out pupils, with his hair a mess from her fingers. He's beautiful and he's hers, and she can feel herself teetering closer and closer to that ledge.

“Come on, Nes,” Cassian pants, pressing their forehead together. “Ladies first. Want to feel you squeezing me. Want to be drenched with you. Come all over my cock.”

Like a marionette on his strings, Nesta's body gives in to his request. She comes hard enough that spots dance in her vision, and she just barely has the foresight to press her free hand to her mouth, biting into her palm to quiet her shout.

Cassian's hips are unrelenting as he chases his own high, as is his still rambling mouth. “That's my good girl. That's it, baby. Fuck, you're so fucking beautiful.”

A few more thrusts, and Cassian buries his face against Nesta's shoulder and groans her name. He practically shakes as he finds his own release, hips still moving shallowly as he spills inside her.

Nesta slumps forward against his chest with a blissful sigh, her body wrung out in the best way. Cassian's arms curl tight around her, holding her close to him, and he turns his head enough that he can press a kiss into her hair.

“Fuck, I love you so much,” Cassian murmurs against her hair. “You should get jealous over crazy fangirls more often.”

Nesta rolls her eyes at the comment, nipping at his skin in retaliation. She sits up enough that she can reach over and grab her discarded purse on the floor, rooting around until she finds the tube of lipstick buried there. She makes quick work swiping the bright red color across her lips, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Cassian's chest, right above the neckline of his tank, right above his heart.

She tilts her head and hums appreciatively, admiring her work, but then Cassian's hands are sliding along her jaw, cradling her face and pulling her into a deep, languid kiss. When they break apart, his mouth is smeared with red. Nesta drags her thumb across his lips to try and help, but it only seems to make it worse, only seems to further emphasize the swollen and kiss-bitten state of them.

“Sorry,” Nesta offers with a wince. “We seem to have made a mess.”

“Good,” Cassian tells her, not even bothering to bite back his smirk.

“You are insufferable.”

“Says the woman still sitting on my cock.”

Nesta scoffs, but she shifts off his lap and to her feet, keeping her thighs pressed tightly together until they can get to the bathroom and clean up properly. It's a slow and awkward walk, especially with Cassian all but plastered along her back, unable to let her go just yet.

When they step out of the bathroom, his brothers are already there and waiting. Between the disheveled state of Cassian's hair and clothes, the lipstick stains and nail marks on his skin, and his wide, shit eating grin, there's no mistaking what happened. Nesta awkwardly clears her throat, tucking a strand of hair that came loose back behind her ear.

“I don't even want to know,” Rhysand mutters. “But we're on, so let's go.”

Cassian leans down, pressing one last kiss to Nesta's cheek. “Stay backstage tonight.”

Nesta frowns at the strange request. She and Feyre always claim one of the balcony boxes for their shows. “Why?”

“Just stay backstage,” is all Cassian offers as he backs away toward the stage lights, toward the screaming fans beyond.

A wink in her direction and he spins around, jogging the rest of the way onto the stage. Nesta can do nothing but continue to frown in confusion, nothing but watch as Cassian and his brothers play the opening song of their set. Only when there's a quiet, surprised laugh from her left does Nesta finally pull her attention away, finding Feyre now standing beside her. At Nesta's questioning look, Feyre holds out her phone, showing off the tweet she has pulled up. It's a photo, clearly taken from the audience, zoomed in and cropped so it shows Cassian behind his drum kit.

To whoever fucked this man's brains out before the concert, I want to say thank you for this look, but also I wish that was ME!!!

The replies to the tweet aren't much better, and already Nesta can feel heat creeping up her neck and threatening to spill across her cheeks.

Hate to see someone else living MY dream

Someone get the FBI on the phone to analyze and find the owner of that lipstick mark! Whose lips are those?

Wordlessly, Nesta hands Feyre's phone back to her, keeping her focus on the stage, on the Bat Boys as they continue their set. It's not long before Nesta knows what song is coming next, her eyes automatically snapping to Cassian's in anticipation, but for once, he pulls his microphone free from its stand and stands up, stepping out from behind his drum kit.

“Velaris, how are we doing tonight?” Cassian greets, earning an echo of screams in response. “Now, you may not know this, but this venue holds a very special place in my heart. You see, a few years back we played here, opening for a little band you might know called The Band of Exiles.”

More screams from the audience at that mention. It has Nesta shaking her head fondly. She still remembers that night, remembers Feyre dragging her and Elain along to see her old school friend's Lucien's band. One night and now all three of them are with musicians. Nesta is sure if their mother was still alive, she'd hate it.

“Great show,” Rhysand comments idly into his own microphone.

“Great tour,” Cassian agrees with a nod. “But you see, what really made that night special was that there was someone in the audience. Someone I wrote this next song about. Someone who for once isn't in the audience but backstage.”

Cassian gestures with his arm to where Nesta's standing, and she can do nothing but stare in shock. She feels like a deer in headlights, her eyes wide and jaw slackened, as Cassian gestures for her with his head. A hard shove in the back from Feyre has Nesta stumbling forward out onto the stage and bright lights.

“What are you doing?” Nesta seethes quietly, walking over to Cassian awkwardly.

“Just remember, Nes,” Cassian tells her, holding a hand over his microphone so it won't pick up their voices. “If you kill me, you'd miss me too much.”

“Cassian.”

“Nesta, I love you so much, it clearly makes me stupid,” Cassian begins, speaking into his microphone again. “It makes me want to shout it from the rooftops, but I suppose this is the next best thing. Since the day that I met you, I knew that you were it for me, that you were going to be my future wife, but what do you say we make it official?” There's no stopping Nesta's gasp as Cassian drops to one knee. “Nesta Archeron, will you marry me?”

In that moment, everything else fades away, the stage, the band, the lights, the crowd. All there is Cassian. Cassian with his bright hazel eyes and his warm, easy laugh. Cassian with his teasing remarks and a fire to twine and match with her own. Cassian with his quiet comfort and the strength and safety in his embrace. Cassian who looked at her nicked and bruised heart and told her it was perfect. Cassian who carved out a place in his chest for her just as surely as she did for him.

“Yes,” Nesta somehow pushes out around the emotions clogging her throat, around the tears prickling in her eyes.

Cassian's answering grin is radiant. He slides the ring onto Nesta's finger, jumping to his feet and pulling her into a kiss. The crowd erupting into loud cheers around them pulls Nesta firmly back to the present. She tries to slip away backstage again, but Cassian catches her hand in his, tugging her to his drum kit and onto his lap, her back pressed firmly to his chest.

“This next song,” Cassian announces into his microphone, picking up his drumsticks again. “Is dedicated to my wife!”

Thankfully, Nesta is able to scurry away after the song. She's pulled into a bone crushing hug by Feyre as soon as she steps backstage, a squealing Elain on FaceTime from whatever city she and Lucien are in today. Various members of the crew offer their own congratulations, Balthazar promising he got some great photos of the whole thing, and Nesta thanks them all quietly. Her heart still pounds between her ribs, the anxiety of being on the stage still swirling in her gut, but as she looks at the ring now glinting on her finger, there’s no fighting the smile that tugs up her lips. No denying the happiness bubbling within her at the future now before her. No denying the warmth that blooms in her chest, tying as securely around her heart as a golden thread.

Nesta lets out a squeal of surprise when strong arms wrapped around her waist suddenly, spinning her around and walking her back until her back is pressed against the wall. Cassian’s eyes are especially bright, sweat still clinging to his face and his skin from their set, further smearing the lipstick stains she left on him.

“Hello, wife,” Cassian greets with a wide grin, caging her in and leaning down and brushing his nose against hers.

“You know just because you proposed, that doesn't actually mean we're married yet.”

“Semantics.”

Nesta rolls her eyes fondly, even as she slips her own arms around Cassian’s waist, keeping him pressed close. “And how long have you been planning this?”

“Like a month? Maybe two?” Cassian offers, shrugging easily.

“And yet you didn't want to stop me when I was being mean earlier?”

“I love it when you're mean,” Cassian tells her, his hands reaching up between them to cradle her jaw. He tilts her face up to him, kissing her sweetly. “I can’t wait for you to be mean to me for the rest of our lives.”

—

Taglist (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed): @moodymelanist @nesquik-arccheron @sv0430 @talkfantasytome @bookstantrash @eirini-thaleia @ubigaia @fromthelibraryofemilyj @luivagr-blog @lifeisntafantasy @superspiritfestival @hiimheresworld @marigold-morelli @sweet-pea1 @emeriethevalkyriegirl @pyxxie @dustjacketmusings @hallway5 @dongjunma @glowing-stick-generation @melonsfantasyworld @isterofimias @goddess-aelin @melphss @theladystardust @a-trifling-matter @blueunoias @kookskoocie @wolfnesta @blurredlamplight @hereforthenessian @skaixo @jmoonjones @burningsnowleopard @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk @ofduskanddreams @rarephloxes @thelovelymadone @books-books-books4ever @tenaciousdiplomatloverprune @that-little-red-head @readergalaxy @thesnugglingduck @kale-theteaqueen @tarquindaddy

[antimony-medusa]

Ao3 Wrapped

I like numbers so here I am delving into my works again!

__

Overall stats for 2024!

User Subscriptions: 218

Kudos: 1,703

Comment Threads: 376

Bookmarks: 479

Subscriptions: 126

Word Count: 186,620

Hits: 186,620

That's a decrease on most metrics, but my word count is very comparable to last year, and I had no idea my subscription count had broken 200! Cool! Especially as I wrote some kind of out there fics this year, I'm very touched by that people want to stick around. I feel like I also do kind of absurdly well for comments, so thank you guys for that.

Fun Stats: 

Fics Published: 25, including one on anon, for 186,620. This is down from last year's 31, but my word count last year was 198,621, so we're pretty damn close!

Number of One-Shots: 22— It was another year of going hard on exchanges, and that encourages one-shots! Of those, 14 were under five thousand words, so I'm pretty pleased with my objective of learning to write short was actually enacted, when I was experiencing deadline pressure!

Number of Multi-Chapters: 3 total, and one still unfinished. I didn't start any new ongoings and leave them unfinished this year, but I still have multiple languishing from 2022, and I didn't finish the one of those I was working on this year, so— augh. I need to stop doing events and finish some of those ongoings! But events are so good...

Number of Inspired Works: 3, because I participated in recursive exchange, where you write fic inspired by other people's fic and art! One of those was inspired by an animation, which I'm very proud of.

Longest Fic: You Blew Me Into Stardust (42,846 words), my beloved mech au. I did two fics for the aufest reverse bang, I also wrote Trying Hard Not To Smile Though I Feel Bad (16,254 words) for Aufest, which is a college au! The minimum for that event was 5k so I— went overboard a bit.

Shortest Fic: I just posted it actually, that's How To Make The Secret City’s Speciality Dessert - Roasted Brown Sugar Oranges And Buttermilk Ice Cream  (912 words), that's a zine fic where we had a 1250 word maximum! I love this fic, and I'm so proud that I managed something short.

Most Kudosed Fic: Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, which is a bit unfair because that one has been acquiring kudos since 2022, and is now at 213 kudos. My poor neglected child the mafia fic I HAVE THE REST OF THE FIC OUTLINED I just keep writing things for events instead of writing you.

Most Viewed Fic: That's Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, with 2,220, but again a bunch of those are from last year, so probably my biggest fic is Trying Hard Not To Smile Though I Feel Bad, my 13-things-I-hate-about-you Niki & Ranboo au, at 1,457 hits. That one I honestly did not expect to get as big as it did, but I guess people like the comedy.

Most Subscribed Fic: Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club, with 82 people wanting to know how that one ends. I"M SORRY. I"LL FINISH IT I PROMISE. I did notice my subscriptions to fics overall fell— people were still subscribing to one-shots last year, and this year I guess people realized that was not panning out.  

Most Bookmarked Fic: okay so it LOOKS like it's Gonna Have It Out Like Fight Club at 73 but I can count dates so I can tell that only 28 of those are from this year, wait I forgot about private bookmarks. Hm. Well anyways the one I'm sure was bookmarked this year was Things Could Be So Easy (If You Let Them), my first real intentional shot at writing QPR emduo with a proposal, and boy having THAT unlocked was a delight. That one has 52 bookmarks.

Most Used Fandom: Dream SMP with 13 fics, and SMPEarth in second place with 5. I wrote 9 different fandoms this year, technically.

Least Used Fandom: this is A MULTIWAY Tie as Internet & Social Media (Anthropomorphic), Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura, Original Work, Origins SMP, and Parkour Civilization are all at 1 fic.

Most Used Rating: Teen, 18 fics. I wrote my first two explicit fics this year, both for exchanges!

Least Used Rating: Gen, 1 fic.

Most Written Relationship: Technoblade & Phil Watson | Philza, 10 times, UP FROM NINE LAST YEAR I'M DOING BETTER.

Most Used Additional Tag: hilariously, it's a tie between Comedy and Grief/Mourning, both with four times.

Most Frequently Used Characters: 

Philza (16)

Technoblade (15)

Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF) (6)

Niki | Nihachu (5)

Tommyinnit (3)

Ghostbur (Dream SMP) (2)

Tumblr (Anthropomorphic) (1)

Jade (Books of the Raksura) (1)

Moon (Books of the Raksura) (1)

Archive of our Own (Anthropomorphic) (1)

Last year I was really startled that Tommy didn't make the list and well. I am not immune to Tommyinnit. He's back again.

Last Year’s Stats

And here's my stats! Tag me if you do this too, I like to see numbers!

[hopetorun]

thinking about that poll re commenting on explicit fics and it is bringing me back to the livejournal days when we would all just comment stuff like "i'll be in my bunk" we should bring that back maybe

honestly ... not a bad idea! i have a lot of thoughts and curiosities about the dynamics of kudosing and commenting on smut in fandom because as i said in my tags, my experience especially in rpf fandoms is that a fic being explicit gets you more interest not less ... but there's still definitely a dynamic where if something is really kinky or has quote-unquote questionable tropes it racks up a really high rate of private bookmarks!

i don't like using hits as a counter for much of anything on ao3, because it's just so unreliable, but creators can actually see how many public and private bookmarks there are on works (you have to go into your statistics and look at the bookmarks number there to figure out how many private ones there are). i don't even write particularly kinky stuff but like, the public sex fic? only about 25% of the bookmarks are public, and most of my fics it's around 50%

anyway, go tell some authors that you think their smut is hot. maybe even some kinky or quote-unquote questionable smut. i promise it's not weird. we wrote it hoping people would think it's hot. if you don't wanna get into the gory details of your personal reaction you can use the 🥵 emoji or just say "oh my GOD" and i think those both get the point across.

[dinitride-art]

Au fics that i think are neat and that i want to compile into a list because im trying to figure out how to comment on a chapter of a fic but i need time to sort out my thoughts (usually for fic recs i try to rec fics with less kudos/engagement because reasons but im just gonna throw everything in this list. probably multiple fics by the same author in the same universe because thats the one im trying to sort out my thoughts on.)

the strawberries are dying by eggowlss - historical fiction and very interesting character relationships and also character exploration within the time period. I really like this one because the pacing and tone are very gentle. There’s a srt of ebb and flow to the story that makes both the time period and the characters really fit into it. idk how to describe it i just like it a lot.

in the quiet of the night (acswy ao3 series) - they’re putting those characters in situations. It’s a very good time. 10/10 do recommend. If you haven't heard of this one though, it’s basically a modern au where everyone works at a summer camp and Mike and Will cause problems for themselves, each other, and usually everyone else around them. 

si vis amari, ama by perexcri - demons and angels and heaven and hell and its honestly just one hell of a story. like ive got vivid images in my head of scenes i imagined when reading this. 

you start to kiss (and the record skips) by eclipseadventure - this is a band au with a side of a secret relationship and im a sucker for secret relationships. a bit of drama/high stakes in here too which is always pretty fun. 

End Racism on the OTW! - you and me and the horrible teenaged ghost who keeps eviscerating himself in our apartment makes three by TheWrongKindOfPC - i am also a sucker for buzzfeed unsolved aus. buzzfeed unsolved, hauntings, ghosts, yknow the fun stuff. 

into the daylight by andiwriteordie - THIS IS NOT THE FIRST ONE, it’s just the first one that came up in my bookmarks. anyways, this is the second fic in a fantasy au series. The worldbuilding is really cool and there’s magic and history and politics and i like it a lot. the most recent chapter is spinning around in my mind.

the heartbreak prince by andiwriteordie - THIS IS THE FIRST ONE. 

beneath these boughs, my devotion blooms by perexcri - this is the fic that nearly killed me. i literally cant summarize it because im still recovering from what happened to me when i read it. Did i read it in april? Maybe. Listen, it had me asking questions about things i had never considered before. its 11k but im pretty sure it took me a good few hours to read because it made me think about it so much. again, ive got a bunch of visuals running through my head. its just... so much.

sweetheart, you're so cruel by perexcri - Mike’s in a band, Will’s a music snob, they’re both contemplating their life choices. very fun, very interesting, also made me think about some things. 

keep it hush by wiseatom - theres an amusement park and the horrors of customer service. and some other stuff but basically its pretty bright (the visuals of the fic in my head are bright- like sun glinting off metal- and idk how else to describe it)

the start of an age by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy) - this ones funny and serious at times and its got Max in it. fantasy au with prince will and knight mike and a secret relationship and a small scheme between three parties that involves a fake (ish) marriage. 

superhero therapy by silverluminoqity - spiderman au with a side of trauma and healing? it’s complicated theres stuff happening, i had a good time reading it. 

you've got this spell on me by andiwriteordie - this one was really fun. basically its a fantasy au theres magic and mike gets himself hit with a spell that makes him fall in love with will and will freaks out about it for a while.

Daydream by disaster_energy - i really really liked this fic. its a fantasy au and its got gods and stuff and will gets chosen by the moon goddess because hes Will and everyone is like... woah.

takes one to know one by andiwriteordie - i also liked this one a lot, its a superhero au and its got ironic (like... dramatic irony- i think is what im talking about? maybe? but like fun irony) secret identities. 

Love goes 'round by evil_ontheinside - conversations in a laundry mat. mikes flopping (as in, flopping around like a fish) around a bit and this was pretty cute. 

my promise could be your fiend (could be the smallest of signs) by s0ld_it - spider man au, theres a bookstore involved and a lot of stuff. ive read this fic twice and greatly enjoyed it both times. 

Tip-toeing on Lily-pads by cherryisgone - very very fun, fantasy au and... mike gets cursed to be a frog. can only be un-cursed with a kiss. 

filling in the blanks as we go by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy) - bookstore meetcute

there’s more but i spent all day painting my room and i am tired. Ive also got way too many bookmarks to go through and i have decided to stop here. still haven't figured out how to write that comment (but i am working on it because i love the fi(s) and ive been thinking about one specific thing that came up in a new chapter for so long). anyways, i hope someone enjoys this list of au fics from my bookmarks. 

[hsvh-hp]

what drarry fics would you recommend that are very in character?

Before I get into it, I’d just like to say that I started working on a fic rec sideblog last month. The posting schedule doesn’t kick in until April, so it’s blank at the moment. But, it’s there, if you’re interested in giving it a follow!

Anyway, two caveats about this: one, I read a lot of drarry fic and have a bit of a poor memory, and two, I'm not certain that what I consider in-character to be the majority consensus of the drarry fandom (for example, I don't like down and out Draco, soft Draco, Draco hating either of his parents, or Harry being overly judgmental or unforgiving (though that's not to say I haven't read those tropes and enjoyed them)).

In general, any fics from my ao3 bookmarks will meet my bar on being in-character, since I tend to hit the back button if I start asking myself, 'who are these people?'. I took a cruise through my bookmarks in spirit of the ask though, and I'll post a list below the cut of fics that stick out in my memory as having some of my favourite characterizations:

Twelve Months by dysonrules (14,840 words)

Hermione buys Harry a journal and he ends up using it to record his DEEP THOUGHTS. Not surprisingly, those tend to mostly involve Draco Malfoy.

This one cracked me up. Since it's written in journal form, we get Harry's running internal monologue about his life. And a lot of Draco, because of course we do. I also always enjoy a Draco who actually is up to something, but it’s for a good cause.

The Gentlewizard Club by Sophie_French (28,129 words)

Draco wants what Draco wants. And if he has to snuggle up to Harry to get it, well, surely, Draco can handle that. Problem is, not sure Harry can.

This fic starts with Draco and Harry as both friends and Auror partners. As friends, the high point of every day for Draco is when he gets to read (oft-times aloud, and dramatically so) Harry's fan mail as it's delivered to their office. As Auror partners, Draco is barred in writing their field reports because he sucks at it. He's very happy to put that work onto Harry, and Harry is happy to do it (because he's pining hard, okay?).

That Draco and Harry are Auror partners isn't actually important in this fic (although the sequel has a case that they tackle). Harry gets a letter about having been admitted into a club that Draco really, really, really wants to join, and he begs Harry to sponsor his admittance. Harry can't say no to him, therefore, commence operation fake relationship for a weekend getaway. I love the balance in Harry trying to give Draco what he wants while fearing that what he wants will only hurt him.

Martyred by dothechachaslide (82,004 words)

Harry Potter only wants one thing: to take care of the people he loves. After Teddy’s abrupt departure from his role as Andromeda’s caretaker, Harry decides it’s finally time to step up and handle the job himself. Castoff Manor, an old Black family estate, has never seemed as sinister as the stories make it sound, but it’s there that Harry stumbles upon ghosts, haunting family secrets, and a familiar, snarky blond gardener hell-bent on chasing him out. Maybe if Harry sticks around long enough, he’ll finally learn why all of Andromeda’s previous caretakers have fled without looking back.

Harry and Draco are in their fifties, in this fic. The summary about sums up Harry's characterization: he takes care of the people he loves, and a mystery at hand draws him obsessively in. As for Draco, I would consider him post-redemption. He took the consequences handed down to him after the war seriously, and has grown so used to the Muggle world that he lives there as comfortably as the magical world. He tends the garden at Castoff Manor to prevent anyone else being harmed in the role (part of the fic's mystery), and tutors Squibs in the nearby village.

One small detail that I love about Draco is how every time he gets uncomfortable, he hops on his bike and runs away. It's one of those things that, despite the rather far-flung future from the canon years, it's so absolutely in-character across time and space for him. He's changed so much, but there's still this degree of pettiness and cowardice deep down inside. It's just expressed in a less harmful way than it used to be.

Lethe by QueenieJinny (70,885 words)

A new form of vanishing sickness is sweeping across Britain. Healers Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are on the case. When Draco Malfoy is admitted to the isolation ward, Harry never imagines falling in love with him will be the easiest thing he’s ever done – and watching him fade away to nothing will be the hardest.

Like above, Harry again takes care of the people he loves and cannot resist a mystery to solve. He's a Healer in this fic, a line of work that suits him well for his compassion, and Draco ends up his patient. Draco is on the difficult end of the spectrum as far as patients go (are you surprised?). Watching their Healer-patient power dynamic swing toward equilibrium is wonderful. They fall in love, Draco comes to terms with his (temporary) mortality, and Harry goes as far as he possibly can for Draco after he's gone: finding a way to rescue him from where the vanishing sickness took him.

Draco Malfoy, Bloodsucking Fiend by Kbrick (23,198 words)

There are two things that Draco’s Auror partner, Harry Potter, must never know about him. One is that he’s a vampire. The other is that he’s been completely, pathetically, head-over-heels in love with Harry for years. But when the duo is trapped inside an old shop on Diagon Alley with no means of escape, Draco finds himself fiending for blood and unable to put even a modicum of distance between himself and the man he can’t stop lusting after.

There are 3 of Kbrick's fics on this list, and I could have honestly added more. All of her fics that I haven't gotten to yet are on my to-read list. I just love the way she writes Draco and Harry, okay?? I'm a big baby when it comes to angst and hurt/comfort (more on that further down), but I absolutely trust her to put the boys in a blender on the highest setting that I can personally handle.

Anyway, this fic in particular, I'm all about that pining and the feeling of a countdown being on. Draco is resisting on two fronts: his feelings for Harry and his need as a vampire to feed. Harry is perfectly balanced in his obliviousness and perception.

You See Through My Disguise by aibidil (9,666 words)

Bellatrix's knife flew across the room, but Harry leaped, pushing Dobby and Griphook to safety but stranding himself at Malfoy Manor. Now he and Draco are locked in the cellar with Wormtail's corpse and a rat, waiting for Voldemort to return and decide their fate.

The premise is on the tin. As for their characterizations, Harry and Draco are on a countdown to sort themselves out enough to make an escape from the dungeon at Malfoy Manor during the war. They can't help but poke at each other, so the fic is a compelling balance of ego and necessity.

Criminal by The_Sinking_Ship (83,497 words)

Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less. Now, Draco is stuck in England under Auror Potter’s guard with no friends, no distractions, and no escape. How the hell will he pass the time? And since when did Potter get so bloody fit?

I'd had this fic on my to-read list for ages before seeing it on a rec list for morally grey Draco. That's my favourite kind of Draco, so I decided to jump this one to the top. Also, like I said about Kbrick above, The_Sinking_Ship is another writer with whom I've either enjoyed everything I've read (recs within recs: Never Mind the Bullocks, Dwelling on Dreams, and Chasing Dragons) or I've simply yet to get to the rest of their work.

For this fic specifically, Draco's done the best he can with the shit situation his life was in post-war, and he's a lion in a cage when he gets legally stuck in England. He and Harry meet for check-ins, and the chemistry goes from there. Draco has some self-harm tendencies, and his want for Harry ends up (temporarily) going that way for him. Harry's in a rut in his life as an Auror. I love fics where he goes into the force and then becomes disillusioned with it. That feels very in-character for Harry, to me.

AITA for being "obsessed" with my childhood nemesis? by RainstormRadish (4,289 words)

Alrakis I [24M] attended a small boarding school in the UK. There was a boy in my year, a couple of months younger than me, and he became my nemesis after we developed an intense rivalry. My friend [25F] told me recently that our dynamic was "weird back then" and that "it’s even weirder" that I still think about him today. She argued that I talk about him all the time, but I believe the amount I talk about him is reasonable. AITA? prongymcprongface i completely get what you mean. i had a nemesis (like a school one, separate to my other nemesis) and we had a dynamic super similar to what you are describing. having a nemesis is a very cool and normal thing dw about it. NTA In which Draco asks the internet if he's being reasonable. Only one commenter is sympathetic. They start talking.

Draco and Harry cross paths on Reddit. Everyone else in the AITA thread thinks Draco (the OP) is absolutely nuts for his 'nemesis' situation. Except one, because of course that one person had a similar situation and it was totally normal, don't worry about it. I'm aware I basically just repeated the summary, but it says it all, really!

Rookie Moves by peu_a_peu (75,328 words)

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

More Auror partners with a Draco that is unhinged. Tbh, I am very fussy on Auror Draco fics. I don't see Draco as someone to subject himself to much pain and suffering (like in fics where it's emphasized that he was subject to much bullying/pranks/etc during training, and he persevered regardless). He's too hedonistic, and I don't particularly think that the war would have warmed him to the Ministry or the means it possesses of authoritarian force. Fool me once, and all that.

In this fic, each chapter covers a job or case that Draco and Harry embark upon. It's meant to be funny, and holy shit is it ever. These two are such dumb cops. Even with the genre shift from serious to goofy, they get the work done. It's been long enough now since I read it that I can't remember specifically, but I feel that sometimes Draco and Harry being disasters helped them solve their cases. The other fics in the series Rookie Moves belongs to are 100% reading through as well. I cried happy tears in the end.

Timeshare by astolat (14,156 words)

“It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.” “Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.” “Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before.

This fic has wonderful fuck/fight dynamics between the boys. I also like fics where the writer isn't afraid to let Draco be flawed with bigotry. Things like that he cannot fathom 'Potter's Muggles' talking to him and that he whinges the entire month he's at the Dursleys' house that it's too small, and the food isn't up to par, etc. As for Harry, he wants Draco despite all this, as well as despite how uncomfortable his month at the manor with Lucius and Narcissa is. I love when Harry is allowed to be flawed in that way.

Hey, Potter by SunseticMonster (16,024 words)

Harry returns to Hogwarts for his 8th year, determined not to let Malfoy get to him. But when the snarky teasing starts up again, Harry finds that returning the jibes with compliments has a far more interesting outcome.

This fic explores something that I've always headcanoned about how Draco and Harry got along throughout the canon books. We never see them have a single good or even neutral interaction (rather than Draco's part in their Madam Malkin's meet). They're always going at each other with their claws and teeth out, taking everything the other does in the most bad-faith interpretation. So, what happens when Harry starts killing Draco with kindness? I personally believe that if Harry did as such in the canon books, he would have very easily won Draco over.

Lumos by birdsofshore (41,476 words)

Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking.

I love eighth-year fics where Draco doesn't return to Hogwarts with his chin down and shoulders hunched. It doesn't feel in-character to me; he'd feel just as free as anyone else post-war, and I can't see him even hiding his relief and happiness for it to be over for the sensibilities of the other survivors. On top of that, Draco coming back to Hogwarts and immediately pushing Harry's buttons? 100% him. Harry playing into it every time? Also 100%.

A Convenient Impracticality by firethesound (38,540 words)

Somehow Harry ends up agreeing to a fake relationship with his ex-nemesis-turned-friendly-acquaintance-with-benefits, except for some reason it involves an awful lot of actual dating and, sadly, not much sex. Confused? Harry is too, but when has anything with Draco Malfoy ever been as straightforward as it seems?

More fake relationships! Harry and Draco fucking but not being sure what they are or what the other feels in return is so my jam. I can see both of them being attracted enough to each other to land in bed together, but the intimacy is more hard-earned because of their history. It's all the more satisfying once they figure it out.

Who we are in the shadows by Quicksilvermaid (99,714 words)

What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

I wrote up above about loving a Draco who's up to something, and it's for a good cause. This fic takes that notion and turns it up to like, 15 at minimum. Draco's an investigative journalist, and he's going after some very dangerous people. He needs muscle, enter security agent Harry who's still adjusting to life as a werewolf. Harry tags along out of (hired) necessity on Draco's job, and they are a team not to be reckoned with. On top of their chemistry, this fic left me gasping for breath. Folks who've read it before will know what I mean when I say my heart was pounding out of my chest during the tunnel scene.

Star Quality by who_la_hoop (118,607 words)

Two years after the war, and Harry’s content with his life. OK, so it’s a little annoying that he keeps winning Witch Weekly’s Most Eligible Bachelor award, and he’s really not looking forward to the unveiling of an enormous gold statue of himself, but he loves his friends, and he loves being an Auror. And if he yearns for something more, something he can barely bring himself to think about, well, he’ll probably get over it. No one’s happy all the time, are they? But then everything changes, and Harry’s thrown into a new and dazzling world he’s not sure he can actually escape from. And as time goes on, he starts to wonder: does he actually want to?

Draco and Harry end up in such a wonderfully ridiculous situation in this fic. Harry wakes up in an alternate (Muggle) universe where Draco is a pop star. The Draco of his universe has come along with him, and he's a total shit about helping Harry get them back home. Harry's grumpy, Draco's having a blast. It's fun. It's them.

The Day Before the Wedding by Kbrick (39,419 words)

Harry's getting married to Ginny tomorrow. The problem is that he can't seem to get beyond today.

Time loops and Kbrick, my beloved (Turning Leaves is another excellent fic of hers with this trope). The summary says it all for the premise. Like Star Quality above, Draco is 'in the know' with Harry (though he doesn't tell Harry right away lmao). Harry makes some Realizations in the time loop. Seeing as it's a Drarry fic and Harry was meant to get married to Ginny, I'm sure it's quite plain as to what that might be.

Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 (70,509 words)

Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.

Another fuck/fight kind of Drarry fic. This one takes place through OOTP, HBP, and DH canon, as if Draco and Harry had a secret sexual relationship throughout. I love how they come together like two accelerated particles, only to scatter to lick their wounds or attempt to process just what the hell is going on. It has the explosiveness that I love to see in Hogwarts-era Drarry fics when the war is on and they remain on opposing sides through to the end of it.

Dwelling by aideomai (83,382 words)

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Listen: I bawled. I'm going to try to say this without spoiling the big twist. The fic nails how Harry and Draco tick together twice. Whether it's in a No Voldemort AU or a canon post-war era, these two cannot stay away from each other. I love the solution Harry and Draco reach at the end of the fic - the only way they can fathom any sort of resolution for what happened to them, despite how turbulent their waters remain.

Lovesick by corvuscrowned (7,688 words)

People keep spiking Auror Harry Potter with love potions. Healer Draco Malfoy keeps having to pick up the pieces. But it's getting harder and harder for Draco to watch Harry fall in love with everyone except for him.

corvuscrowned is another writer I put in the same category as Kbrick and The_Sinking_Ship. I've either read their fics and loved them, or just haven't got to the rest yet. What can I say? I love a slow burn. For more excellent fics from corvuscrowned, I will also humbly offer Loverboys (their first fic I read, which blew me away) and Seeker's High for your future reading consideration.

For this fic, the premise is on the tin, and crow executes it perfectly for characterization. I love their Harry in general, how he has his own complexes and the Harry POV isn't just Harry witnessing Draco's character. This fic is Draco POV, and Harry under a love potion is great. So is Draco's pining. They're perfect.

The Matchmaker's Spell by Kbrick (20,859 words)

Thanks to a spell cast over all of wizarding Britain, Draco is forced to marry Harry Potter, who still hates him. But Draco refuses to live a cold, sexless existence, choosing to fill the emptiness in his life and his bed with a parade of lovers. And while Harry may not be able to stand Draco, he despises seeing him with anyone else.

Remember earlier when I said that I trust Kbrick to put the boys in a blender at the exact intensity I could personally handle? This fic is right on the precipice of that. It's so angsty and dark. Draco and Harry are forced to marry, and their journey is so turbulent. Draco cuckolds Harry to push his buttons, and at one point their marriage goes well for a little while before shit happens and they're back on the rocks. They almost had it! We saw a glimpse of their potential!! Also, Draco's lovers keep mysteriously dying? That's sure weird and coincidental. The last scene in the fic made me gasp out loud.

Salt on the Western Wind by Saras_Girl (60,549 words)

When the war isn’t quite as over as it first appears, a guilt-ridden Harry is sent to a mysterious safe-house. Among sandwiches, insomnia, and Mills & Boon, he discovers something quite unexpected.

This fic starts up right after the Battle of Hogwarts, where Narcissa demands the trio take Draco into forced hiding with them. This leads to Draco and Harry being accidentally bonded. Oops! I don't think I have to make the case for how well Saras_Girl characterizes the boys, but I think this one is my favourite so far of the ones I've read (also, obligatory Turn and All Life is Yours to Miss mentions here).

Recalibrate by Saras_Girl (20,921 words)

Sometimes, you need to step back and think about things from a new perspective. Other times, you’ve just got to open your eyes to what you needed all along.

Yay, more eighth year! I read this one a looong time ago, but I still remember reading this and thinking 'oh, this is so them' at so many points. I am overdue for a reread.

Actually, that's probably true of all of these, lol. I should reread them and give them their own post/shower of love on that rec blog I mentioned.

This list took a couple days to compile. I could never make a wholly comprehensive one, but I believe I answered your question, anon. 🤪

[graygiantess]

Got any good fics to rec? Finished or unfinished, I do not discriminate. Need to get my bookmarks up! 😁

Hey hey, thanks for the ask!

You can have a look at my bookmarks if you like. I only bookmark fics I want to reread later. (My TBR list lives in 80 separate tabs in my browser. This is the way.)

Lately I'm especially into fics by SheOfBadIdeas, Bellaedythe and HummingbeeoOo.

Akinma and Bandedbulbussnarfblat both have loads of amazing fics as well. (And I do mean LOADS, they both have over 120 IWTV fics.)

And if you're on Bluesky, I do a daily Armandaniel fic rec on there! You can find me here.

ALSO: I basically only read fics that are recommended to me/written by my friends these days, because of the sheer number of new fics we're blessed with every day. I simply can't keep up! If anyone reading this thinks, "Gee, I wish GrayGiantess would read/rec MY fic," please feel free to DM me the link! (I have a strong preference for one-shots under 6k or multi-chapter fics that are just starting out, because long covid fried my energy levels/attention span.)

EDIT: Fucking Tumblr removing all the links to Ao3! 😭 I literally linked to all those people's pages AND to my bookmarks. Anyway, here's the link to my bookmarks: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrayGiantess/bookmarks

You can find all the authors I mentioned by doing a quick author search on Ao3.

[fangirl-erdariel]

How long after posting do people comment on fics?

No, really, I'm curious, what's everyone's experience on this?

I just started thinking because like, okay, I try not to get too caught up on how popular my fics become, and especially I try not to compare them a whole lot. If I worried about popularity I'd just never write anything, probably. But I do glance at the ao3 stats page every once in a while, out of curiosity

And like. I have one fic that's a massive outlier popularity-wise to literally anything else I have ever written. Not through any merit of mine, not really, I just kind of lucked out; i wouldn't say it's my best writing by really any metric, but it's not like, bad, and it is a formulaic hurt-comfort fic centered on a popular character, so that immediately gives it better chances to get popular anyway. But more than that, there's the fact that I wrote and posted it right at a time when the fandom was enjoying a massive resurgence overall, getting both an influx of new fans and a renewed interest from a number of old fans, so there were a lot more people reading fic, creating rec lists (this is the only fic of mine i know for a fact has ever been included on a rec list, though it is of course possible that other fics of mine have been on rec lists that i just never became aware of), all of that, and therefore more people that had the chance to find and read it before it became buried. And of course when something gets popular, it creates a certain momentum for it, it has an easier time finding more readers. So this fic, it's nearly three years old, and it still tends to get a kudos once or twice a week, just by a brief look through my kudos emails, so people are still finding it and reading it and liking it on a regular basis

It is by and far my most popular fic by almost any metric, whether that be hits (which, yes, i know, are not a very accurate metric for measuring how many people actually read the thing through, let alone liked it, but still, including it here for the sake of my point)

...or kudos

...or bookmarks

or technically even subscriptions, though the numbers are much much smaller here anyway, despite the fact that it's a one-shot while two of the others on the list are multi-chapter (admittedly just 3 and 2 chapters long, but still, more than one chapter)

but comments? well, it's still the most popular, but by a far slimmer margin, with a difference of only three comment threads more than the next most commented-on fic i've written

the four most commented-on fics after that first one were all published within the same year with the most popular one, btw. they're all i think a little newer, but only by a matter of months. I guess 2022 was a good year for me fic-writing-wise

and like. looking at the amount of comments on this most popular one - 20 comment threads, 40 comments total because i like talking with people so i try to reply to all comments i get - it's just... well, it feels so weird. when by all other metrics ao3 provides, it is so massively more popular than anything else i've written. and then the number of comments is not really in proportion with that popularity, is really not significantly higher than on the next most popular fics

and out of curiosity i looked through the comments. and of those 20 comments on the fic - 8 were written within about a week of its posting in february 2022. 5 were written throughout the entire rest of 2022 (most of them in the summer, one in the fall), 5 through all of 2023, and then 2 in 2024. The 2024 ones were both early in the year, one in January and one in March. since then, no new comments at all.

and like. it's not that i'm ungrateful for the comments i've gotten. it's not that i necessarily think i *deserve* more or whatever, deserving is fake and twenty is still way more than i ever get on most of my fics! No, like, I am incredibly grateful to everyone who did take the time to write a comment on it, and I genuinely treasure all of those comments

but it just is strange, how disproportionately more kudos and bookmarks than comments the fic has compared to any of my other fics. like obviously more people will always leave a kudos than will comment, but like. the difference is so visible here. I can see that clearly people are still regularly reading the fic and presumably enjoying it, since it keeps getting kudos. And I find it hard to believe that all of those hundreds of people who've left kudos but not commented, either are people who simply never comment, or felt that they had nothing at all to say about the fic. So really the only conclusion I can come is that at least some of those people haven't commented because the fic isn't brand new. Which is a shame, honestly, I just like getting to talk with people and i'd love to hear what people thought abt it

But. I don't know. I'm curious to hear other writers' experience. Do people comment on your older fics a lot, or a little, or not at all? If there is a cut-off point after which you feel that people don't comment, how long after posting is that for you? How do you feel about people commenting or not commenting on old fic?

And for readers, does the age of the fic you read affect how likely you are to comment, and if it does, why? No judgement btw, i'm genuinely curious to hear!

[froidefille]

Day 7: the best of your OTP *

📚 Bond by Anna Fugazzi **

Draco/Harry, 174k, M, OOTP compliant ***

Summary:

Yet another one of those Harry And Draco Are Forced To Be Together By Something Beyond Their Control And Then Stuff Happens Leading To Twoo Wuv stories. Because every HD writer has to write at least one.

First off, if you enjoy bond fics and haven't (somehow) read this gem yet - oh boy, are you in for a treat. This was the very first bond fic I've read so for me it's an archetype of the trope, sort of like an exemplary model. It has it all - the very veeeery slow enemies to husbands to lovers, excellent plot, worldbuilding and the writing style to die for.

I asolutely loved the bond theme of it and how we can slowly see the boys start to trust each other and how they become friends and each other's Persons’. What I also loved was how believabe the characters were. It was absolutely enfuriating to read how Draco stays true to his beliefs but at te same time, exactly that has made him an excellently-sculptured character. Plus, it makes the final resolution so much sweeter :')

I also have to mention the way intimacy is handled in this fic, because it was so down-to-earth and realistic. In the story both boys are sixteen year olds, forced to suddenly spend all the time with someone they don't even like so obviously the intimacy part was going to be tricky. Dont get me wrong, I like "and suddenly they were kissing" just like any other girl but I LOVED reading how getting intimate was actually difficult for the boys (well, one of them xd) and how they've overcome this (and boy, they have, don't worry 😇).

Oh and also the h/c elements were delicious 💔.

I have already read this fic multiple times. I have this tradition that I read it every summer (and every other about-Christmas time actually) so I have many memories reading it: in uni during English Lit lecture (oh irony haha), on the bus stop, on the beach in Croatia, in my parent's house, in office at work.

I also remember when I was only learning English (lol) and so I have listed every word I didnt know the meaning of from the epilogue to my English notebook (I still have it somewhere!). So yeah, this fic has taught me the word spouse and expression rotten luck xd

Thank you for today’s prompt @hprecfest and until the next one!

* I really appreciate this prompt’s wording as „the best of your OTP” allowed my autistic black-and-white brain write about just one fic as it obviously is one of the best. My OTP happens to be one of the most popular ones hence there is at least a dozen of my personal bests of (some of which are included in the other day’s prompts but some just have to wait for another fest. There's simply too many 😅).

** I actually planned writing about this fic on day 3 for not-on-AO3 prompt as I’ve read this fic on FF.net like, 10 times minimum. So I wrote the whole rec and just before linking FF.net page I thought, let me just check if it is DEFINITELY not on AO3.

And guess what. It is. And I have it bookmarked xd

*** So many adnotations for this one, sorry! Anyway, I wanted to make sure you are informed – Anna writes on her dashboard that she is not tagging her works on AO3 – so tread carefully!

[f-imaginings]

Going through your Ao3 bookmarks after you posted them… the RotG stuff makes so much sense! Did you ever write any Blackice yourself?

I loooved rise of the guardians and blackice so soo much!!! I drew some art, did a tiny one shot and had a blackice roleplay with a friend but the fanfics that held my heart in a vice was @not-poignant 's take on the pairing. They had two major blackice fanfics that live in my brain rent free, one was a brilliant dystopian military au with world building that made my brain do a flip it was so good, and the other was a sequel sort of fic from the movies exploring what happens to Jack after Jaimie dies and exploring why it impacted him more than it did the other guardians and the events that followed once his death shone a light on the true extent of Jack's loneliness.

It was that fanfic that gave me a million mental epiphanies and changed my life and I went back to reread it every year like a tradition to evaluate how my mental health had changed and where I was at now. I resonated with Jack's loneliness and invisibility a lot, especially given how I felt in my family and how things shook out somewhat neglectfully in my past relationship. Since working on myself through therapy and being in a loving attentive relationship I get to see the growth I've had mirroring that of Jack's. Their writing style inspired me greatly, especially how they handled characterisation and character motivation. No scene is wasted. I especially loved how they used every sex scene to either further the plot or reveal something crucial about the characters and the situation developing. They're a top notch a tier aussie writer (a fellow Aussie!) and I highly recommend you to read their fics and shower their work with some love! (They've got some great original works too!) (I'm a big fan lmao I cosplayed their characters, drew art, all the fun stuff)

For people who are fans of Billford and the whole "king of nightmares" schtick, blackice I find can be a softer sweeter version of it without the worshipful dynamics or the toxic betrayal moments between the two. It's basically the boogeyman Pitch Black with mischievous winter boy Jack Frost. It's still got the "join the dark side" elements ("It's not too late to join me"/"what goes better together than cold and dark") and both pairings play on the whole "they are both lonely and one is trying to play on that to sway the other" with world domination stakes although Billford is leaning harder on the manipulation side of things to achieve this (Pitch tries manipulating but it comes off as more of a sales pitch than the degree of cruel manipulation Bill does) there are aspects of the whole nightmare king powers that can be fun to see (reading ones fears vs mind reading) and for fans of the whole corruption/bad ending trope there is a lot of fics out there where Jack gets corrupted into a nightmare boyo like how Ford becomes a henchmaniacs/Bill's right hand/Bill's pet (yeah I see you out there lmao) ect, for folks on board for a bad guy gets redeemed fic tho there are heaps more of those for Pitch since he's actually a hot noble single dad in a lot of cases. His apologies/acceptance comes a lot more naturally BC technically he did bad things BC he was possessed, Bill definitely does not have that excuse.

Anyway I've rambled for a long time but basically anyone who enjoyed reading KMKY and wants to read something amazing while waiting for the new chapter (which I'm working on haha might be done just after Xmas) then definitely read not-poignants works. I promise you they are very poignant and will give you the sort of cathartic cry you got from chapter 34 and 50 of KMKY.

[cheesenames]

AO3 Wrapped: Writer's Edition

I was tagged by the lovely @batrachised and I will learn from her example by just skipping questions I find boring

Words written this year: 27,893

Works written this year: 8 (a nice even split of 4 for each of the fandoms I write in)

Work Most Proud of: It almost feels like cheating to use a collaborative work, but I'm really pleased with Bioethically Speaking, Mr. Sheev. I feel like I've already said this a zillion times, but figuring out how to tell a story and show characters' personalities within the limits of the format (email chains) was a challenge I enjoyed + I think it turned out well

Work with Most Hits: Conveniently also Bioethically Speaking

Fav title: "may they never forsake you" came from a poem that's been bouncing around my head for more than a year, so I'm glad I finally found a place to use it

Pairing You Wrote the Most For: I barely write romance at all, but this year I've got an in-progress fic where Anidala just keep getting married again and again and again, so they win by default

What Work was the Quickest To Write: I'm pretty sure Set her up for ever took less than 30 minutes

What Work Took You Longest To Write: Two of the three multi-chapter fics I started this year remain unfinished, so probably those. I was so sure I was going to finish one of them before Halloween...........

How Many WIPS do you have for next year: Besides the two fics from question 8, I've got 3 stories I've started drafting and no guarantee that I'll finish any of them. I would also really like to try writing a story not in English next year, though I've got no ideas connected to that goal yet

Longest Work of the Year: boring, next

Shortest Work of the Year: boring, next

Fav character to Write: Anyone I can make fun of a little bit. Lately the main targets of that have been Mr. Bennet (???) and Anakin Skywalker

Which work of yours have you re-read the most: Probably that dream within a dream because I have to remember what I've written so I can continue it lol

Total Kudos this Year: boring, next

Total Hits This Year: boring, next

Total Bookmarks This Year: comedically skewed by a single fic, next

Total Subscriptions This Year: I'm actually not skipping this one because I don't understand why 58 people subscribed to a bunch of one-shots. I'm not complaining, it's very flattering, I just feel a little bad that they're not going to get any more

What Do You Listen To While Writing: silence <3

Fav line or passage: Uhhhhhhhhhhh. I have various lines that amused me (to everyone's detriment, I do think I'm funny) but I feel like my favorite is from a fic that generally underwhelmed me? It was one of those situations where I couldn't get the idea out of my head without writing it, but I knew going in that I would probably not be able to write it in a way that satisfied me. But we try anyway, and maybe next year I'll revisit the concept to try it again. Anyway, here's Obi-Wan and Sabé being mean to each other post-RotS:

“I fought him off, I got her off the planet, I held her hand while she—” Obi-Wan took a deep breath, realizing how dangerously close he’d come to spilling another secret. “While she died. And all that time, you were safe on Naboo, not even knowing she was in danger.” “Fought him off? He’s alive, and you’re alive, and she’s dead, and you expect me to laud you for your supposed heroics?” “It was more than you did!” “And whose fault was it,” Sabé spat, “that she was ever in danger in the first place? Who brought that viper into her life, who trained it to act docile so she’d never expect the attack? We both know what he’s done, and you’re still lamenting him?” “I know what this is,” Obi-Wan said nastily. “It’s the jealousy again. She made one decision without you, and you never forgave her, and you can’t stand that I proved myself more loyal to her—to both of them.”

No-pressure tagging @animazi , @midnight-melancholiaaa , @twicesonnet , @wlwanakin plus anyone else who sees this and wants to do it (because I surely would have tagged you if I’d made the connection between your tumblr and ao3 usernames)

[ofstormsandfire]

Do you have any good BotW/TotK fic recs? Yours or other people’s!

Boy howdy DO I.

Going to preface this by saying that I have preferences, and those preferences tend to veer towards gay shit and people who don't initially get along ending up ride or die, and as such a high proportion of these are going to be Revalink.

Anyway. The fic that got me into that ship, changed my brain chemistry, and is a large part of why I go !!!! about ghosts (literal and nonliteral) haunting the narrative, characters with amnesia who are supposed to be dead, and the Rito as a whole, is Pinesong by aperplexingpuzzle and that is the fic that makes me go "if you read NOTHING else in this fandom read THIS holy fuck."

(But also you should be reading other things too, because there is so much good shit and I adore it greatly I go back to reread my favorites regularly. Also check out the authors I mention apart from just the fics I link there is so much good fic I'm forcing myself to just pick one per author or else I will be here literally all day.)

Next up: Moonlight (every single night) by Heleentje. Do you like time loops? Do you like characters slowly, painstakingly figuring out how to get it right? Did you get very attached to Revalink from the last fic? how about some ~queerplatonic Zelink~ in this trying time?

Frankly, it is very hard to pick just one fic by Ginneke, they've got so many good ones but I'm going to have to settle on Flowers from your Beloathed, which is another Revalink fic set before the Calamity where, y'know, Revali is getting flowers from a secret admirer. Except he's Revali. Hilarity ensues and I enjoyed the hell out of this one ^-^

Also also. Come Morning Light by misscoconi. Post-Calamity, they are both idiots (affectionate) and I am starting to realize that I have a bit of a pattern in my taste in Revalink fics. Huh. I'll unpack that later actually.

Skybound Wishes by Baddrummer is unfinished (unlike most of the fics I've recommended here) but y'all. Y'all it makes me lose my shit in so many ways because I am a SLUT for creative fix-it fics and gratuitous weaving-in of references to other games in ways that still respect the established canon but respect all of it, y'know, not just doing the TOTK thing of "actually nothing pre-BOTW matters anymore and neither does BOTW lol."

...I am starting to realize there may be a reason why I don't have a lot of TOTK recs. Also if this post is starting to sound unhinged and disconnected that's probably because I'm bouncing between Tumblr and studying for one of my finals like a ping pong ball.

But I do have one really, really big fic rec for TOTK. Y'all should check out Show Me the World Outside by IllusionOfDeath. The Sages get to do things, the Divine Beasts don't just vanish without a word, the Champions get actual recognition, and you can tell that the author is the Linguistics Georg (affectionate) of the fanfic world.

Anyway I think I will shill myself a bit too since you gave me permission to anon! If you read no other Zelda fics by me, may I recommend no one ever mentions fear, a fic that... it really was, in a lot of ways, a love letter to the fics in the fandom that I'd read and loved before. You've got the Champions getting to live and have nice things, you've got Revali being a dumbass (affectionate), you've got gay shit, you've got Problems Being Caused by the Yiga Clan in the background.

...Oh god this post is getting. A little longer than I meant for it to I've realized. Um. I love fanfic and tbh if you end up reading everything I've recced and still want more, my bookmarks on AO3 are public and I tend to bookmark just about everything I've read and liked enough to want to find again.

......I should probably get back to studying now but thank you for the ask! I like rambling lol

[the-east-art]

Easts Supernatural Fic Recs

Since's I've been combing ao3 for good SPN fics, and exactly one person (@ennael) said they'd like to see what I've found. A trend you may notice that I'm not a big shipper - shipping is sometimes a little seasoning, but never the star of the show. ]

Passing Ships - BrownieFox

Summary: John gets injured during a salt and burn and a stranger brings him back to the hotel

Notes: This is the first fic in a series that got me looking for SPN fics again. It explores the idea of late series Sam going back in time and trying to prevent the various tragedies that lie in the future. The REALLY interesting part is that this is all done from an Outsider POV - from the young Winchesters as they meet this strange man that seems somewhat familiar. Because of that POV you never really know what Sam is up to, which builds some suspense and curiosity.

(The rest under the cut!)

you gave up half your life - loosingletters

Summary: When Dean and Cas disappeared, Sam was lost. But in a world that had nearly broken apart so many times, he wasn’t the only one who needed support and guidance.

Alternatively: (Salty) Post Season 7 Fix-it in which Sam Winchester accidentally starts organizing a bunch of Hunters all while trying to find his brother.

Notes: I knew this would be good but for some reason it took me a while to get to it. It turned out to be REALLY good. This story really focuses on how people need people, and honestly the stars of this show are the Hunter ocs that flavor the fic - all of them are so unique and different, and make the world feel truly alive.

mad and dead as nails - EclipseWing

Summary: “Your brother is missing.” That’s how it starts. But now Dean’s dead, gone, or maybe he never really existed in the first place. Maybe Dean was never real, and it was always Michael. Because if Sam knows one thing, it’s that Michael is all that is left.

Notes: Honestly this fic is a better analysis and thesis on Free Will than the actual story. This fic does a GREAT job at utilizing Jess as a character and works with the similarities between Dean and Michael as well as the concept of self. HIGHLY recommend.

Ain't No Grave - art_savage

Summary: When John Winchester wakes up to a post-apocalypse future, he only wants to know two things: where are his sons, and just what brought him back? AU in which the apocalypse caused a lot more trouble and ended a little differently.

Post apocalypse story that kind of searches for plausible 'happy' endings for the characters that doesn't keep them chained to the roles they inhabited during the main story. It's kind of low key but I super love it.

The Other Side - EclipseWing

Summary: In which Castiel has no idea what pulled him out of Hell, but he knows that he doesn't expect Dean, or his puppy-dog eyed brother Sam (what sort of angel names were those anyway?) who happens to be on the run from the other angels.

Notes: easily the best swap au I've managed to find. I'm a sucker for stories where Sam and Dean are actually Lucifer and Michael, and this story takes it in a fun direction!

When Worlds Collide - elfinblue

Summary: When a kidnapped Tony DiNozzo is rescued by legendary - and supposedly dead - serial killers Dean and Sam Winchester, the NCIS team takes over the Winchester investigation. What they find is a file filled with contradictions and impossibilities. This is an attempt to cross these shows but keep both in canon.

Notes: an NCIS crossover and the only fic here that is on ffnet cuz they never crossposted, but its worth it I promise! This fic is particularly good because it takes place mostly from the NCIS characters perspectives as they find ways to apply logic to the strange happenings around the winchesters and their works. Reads like a tv episode pacing wise which is awesome. Does have canontypical fat shaming and transphobia which sucks tho.

Anyway those are my absolute faves but I also bookmark my stuff on ao3 as easternCriminal so there's more there!

[divinesayer]

i'll be cleaning up bottles with you on new years day

series: yugioh 5ds ship: yusei fudo/jack atlas rating: T tags: implied sexual content, fem!jack atlas, butch he/him lesbian yusei fudo, new years eve, marriage proposal notes (sorry i was rambling this time): this is my 100th 5ds fic on this account, and the end of... well, a totally crazy year. i think i've quadrupled my fic count this year (around about anyway), and i've refound such a passion for yugioh 5ds that i honestly thought i had lost forever. what a year! thank you to everyone who's read any of my works or supported me via kudos/comments/bookmarks. it means the world, and i mean that. i've got a lot of plans for 2025, so here's to an exciting year of insane 5ds fics!

read on ao3 | tip on kofi | commission info

He hadn’t expected her to bring it up herself one Sunday morning.

It had started when they were both young: a promise to take Jack’s hand in marriage one day. Yusei’s hand tight in hers as she tugged him around, a wide smile on her lips.

“I’d be honoured to be your wife someday, Yusei,” She had told him over a cup of ramen, and he had felt his heart explode in his chest. It didn’t matter that everyone else around him thought it was ridiculous – of course girls couldn’t marry each other – Yusei would find a way.

He wasn’t sure when her opinion changed, but the topic came up one evening, back when she still lingered around Yusei and his friends – she scoffed at the word, rolling her eyes as her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Really never gonna?” He remembered Rally asking, watching her with wide eyes.

She turned her head away, ponytail tracking in the air. “Why the hell would I waste my time with it?” Yusei watched her leave a moment later, unaware she had pierced his heart with a dagger, leaving the dying muscle to spurt blood everywhere. Little did he know she would finish the job only a few weeks later.

When they met back up, two years older and with many more scars on their bodies and souls, Yusei didn’t dare to ask what her thoughts were. It didn’t matter how she looked at him, fluttering those long lashes with a smirk, leaning down to box Yusei into smaller and smaller spaces until he had no choice but to kiss her.

Even after becoming girlfriends, he still felt reluctant to touch the topic. He knew that he would always wish to be her wife – if she still had no interest, it would be the nail in the coffin, and he imagined their budding relationship dying like a plant in the snow.

No, it was much easier to avoid it entirely.

He hadn’t expected her to bring it up herself one Sunday morning. She sat perched by him at the table, stirring her coffee absently as the familiar tunes of her favourite album filled the air, her voice occasionally harmonising with the words, though he couldn’t understand what was being said.

He sighed, content, leaning back in his chair as his eyes closed. And that was when Jack struck.

“You know,” She began slowly, and he initially mistook the cadence in her voice for desire, one eye opening to watch her, “I hope you’ll make me a Fudo someday.”

Yusei sat silent for a moment, staring at her with wide eyes; it was only when they began to sting, tears blurring his vision, that he blinked, and she panicked.

“Shit, did I say something wrong?” Jack rose from her chair before he could respond, arms flung around him, pulling him close. “Sorry, I just…”

He shook his head, burying his face into the soft fabric of her – or was it his? – hoodie. “You just made me the happiest girl on Earth.” His voice was muffled, half from wavering and half from nuzzling his face further against her chest.

When she laughed, relieved, light and airy, her grip relaxed. “Well, thank God for that.”

A year later, and Yusei hadn’t forgotten.  While twisted up in their bedsheets, she promised eternity to him, and he swore it against her body. Each night, laying in the afterglow, he considered just asking her, the words dancing on the tip of his tongue as his fingers traced prayers along her spine.

But he couldn’t – he had to make it special.

The ring burned in his pocket, each movement stabbing a corner into his hip, a constant reminder that he couldn’t back out of this. He had set an internal deadline – by New Years – and the cut-off was looming at him, a large clock ticking the seconds down. Sure, she wouldn’t know any different if he asked after, but…

He had spent so long wanting to marry Jack Atlas. He was tired of beginning the speech and backing out. How she was unaware of what he was trying to do, Yusei would never know (but he was relieved for it all the same).

They had stood by the waterfront for a while on their walk home, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he had gained the courage, but it dissipated as quickly as it came when someone walked past behind them.

She hadn’t noticed anything, gripping his hand a little tighter, whispering, “Isn’t it pretty?”

Yusei hadn’t even looked over the waters, but he replied, breathless, “Yeah.”

By the time they returned to their apartment, it was already 11:50pm. He kicked his shoes off, watching as she did the same, sighing in great relief as she freed herself from her heels.

Jack was the first to step away from the entryway, shuffling her slippers along the hardwood floor as she made a beeline for the kitchen. “I’m opening the wine – the bells’ll be soon.” She spun around, a smile painted in shades of red across her lips. “Whiskey, yeah? Neat?”

“Please,” He replied softly, watching as her skirt flounced as she turned back round, disappearing behind the door for a few moments – she was humming again, something he had grown accustomed to. It was a tune he was unfamiliar with, but his heart swelled all the same.

When she stepped back into the living room with their drinks, he was already on one knee, the small box in his hand – a purple sapphire shone back at her, twinkling under the overhead lights.

“Will you—” was all Yusei managed before Jack’s hands failed her, both glasses smashing against the floor, spilling alcohol everywhere. Her eyes were wide, unblinking, and he wondered for a second if this was how Jack felt that one Sunday morning.

When she finally blinked, she was smiling, stepping closer gingerly, relieved at the lack of a crunch under her step. His other hand held hers, tight, and she nodded, silently encouraging him to finish.

“Will you marry me, Jack Atlas?” His words were shaky, nerves getting the better of him despite knowing the answer to the question.

“I will, Yusei Fudo,” She replied without a second of hesitation, tugging him upwards a moment later. “Make me Mrs. Fudo.” It was only when he put the ring on her finger that he realised – Jack was trembling too.

Yusei captured her lips in a kiss, the world fading away under their feet. He knew they would have to clean the drinks up from the floor, sweep away the glass before either of them hurt themselves on it, pour new ones.

All of that could wait.

As she pulled away, amethyst eyes shining, the fireworks outside began. A brief check of the time on his phone told him why: 12:00am 1st January. “Happy New Years, baby.”

“Happy New Years, my love,” she mumbled against his lips, pulling him ever closer.

[bucksbelly]

HP Rec Fest - Part 1 (Days 1-16)

Boy, has it been a moment since I've gone through my fanfic bookmarks. Thankful that @hprecfest has given me a reason to do so and rediscover some old gems!

Anyways making this list made me realize that I'm a connoisseur of explicit content so most of these are smutty and I'll leave that up to you to decide whether that's good or bad

(These are almost exclusively post-war fics where everyone is an adult, unless otherwise stated!)

1. A favorite fic under 5k: If We Lie Like This by everythingokay

(Harry x Charlie Weasley, rated E, 4.1k)

Harry/Charlie is one of my absolute favorite ships of all time, and this is one of the sweetest pwps I've ever read of them, so you know this had to be my first rec.

2. A comfort fic: Lumos by birdsofshore

(Drarry, rated E, 41.5k)

This is one of my oldest bookmarks, and still one of the best. I love, love, love eighth year fics, in no small part because of this one. The summary really says it all:

"Harry never expected to spend eighth year listening to Draco Malfoy wanking."

3. A podfic

I've truly never listened to a podfic in my life, I just prefer reading I'm sorry

4. A fic with art: What Have You Been Hiding Under Those Robes, Professor Malfoy? by Booktopus

(Drarry, Rated E, 15k - art is NSFW!)

Finding art in my fics is such a rare, exciting surprise, especially because I rarely go looking for them. Now, a GIF? And a smutty gif at that? Of tattooed professor Draco? What. A. Find.

5. A non-AO3 fic: The Lust of Gryffindors by Fearful Porpentine

(Harmione + so many pairings/groupings, rated M, 381.5k, aged-up during canon)

Yeah, I'm pretty much exclusively an AO3 girlie, so I don't have many options for this one. Still, this is a standout as one of my favorite smutty extravaganzas.

6. An unreliable narrator fic: Touch by bixgirl1

(Drarry, Rated E, 45k)

I had this fic on my TBR for so long before I actually read it, and when I finally did, I was KICKING myself for waiting so long! I love touch-starved characters finally getting what they need (is it self-fulfilling? perhaps), and I never thought a sleep-deprived Harry could be so funny.

(I'm aware this is an unreliable narrator in the loosest sense of the word but I'm sticking with it because it NEEDS to be recced)

7. A canon-compliant fic: With the Edges Worn Down by MayatheBee

(Harry x Ron x Hermione, rated E, 13k)

By "canon-compliant," we mean "takes place so far in the future that canon can't disprove it," right?

If so, then here's my pick. After Ginny's death, Ron and Hermione decide to finally act on feelings that have been ignored for their entire friendship. It is so, so sweet and so, so hot.

8. A canon-divergence fic: Safe Word is Devil's Snare by ShayaLonnie

(Neville x Hermione, rated E, 97k)

Hot Neville Agenda? Hot Neville Agenda.

Neville is fast becoming one of my favorite characters in fic (both in reading and writing). I'm a sucker for him growing into his self-confidence after the war while still being the same loveable plant guy we know. And a forced marriage with hyper-competent Hermione? Get ready for the spice, y'all.

9. A rare pair fic: 93 Diagon Alley by Schmem_14

(Harry x George, rated M, 30k)

I'm quickly realizing that most of the fic I consume (outside of drarry) is rare pairs, but this is one of the best. Harry and George leaning on each other through their grief, and realizing what they need to get through said grief is, in fact, each other? Sign me up. I usually avoid stories that feature Fred's death as a significant plot point, but this is too well done to ignore.

10. A fest fic: Beware: Naked People Ahead by SonnenFlower

(Lots of pairings, rated M, 6.6k)

I’m recommending this fic not only because of the absolute hilarity of the premise, but because it is a part of one of the best fests I’ve ever come across — the Hermione’s Nook Naked Weasley Fest! This fic had me laughing the whole way through (and crying when I wasn’t.)

11. A dark fic: Whore by orphan_account

(Harry x Fred x George + noncon, etc, rated E, 141.6k, takes place during canon)

Listen, I don't read dark fics very often. They tend to crush my soul and spin me out. This is my "I want to hurt" fic — SO MIND THE TAGS.

12. A WIP you're following: New Blood by artemisgirl

(Pairings still evolving, rated M, currently 1.3 million words, takes place during canon)

As a general rule, I don't read many in-progress fics (this is a personal fault because I get too impatient and invested). But when I started this fic, it had over 1 million words and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, so I took the plunge. It features a Slytherin, overpowered, badass Hermione, deep fae/wix lore, and a unique twist on all our favorite characters!

13. A fic with over 100k words: Finding Sophrosyne by mlfoyskhione

(Drarry, rated T, 136.5k)

An eighth year fic where everyone in Hogwarts falls into an unwakeable sleep...except Draco and Harry. Absolutely delectable.

14. A favorite series: Harry Potter & Seven Years of Chaos by Severitus812

(Harry x Fred + Severitus, unrated, 1+ million words; takes place during canon)

When I started this fic, the first six parts were published and part of the seventh. I DEVOURED them in a week, and I still haven't gotten around to finishing it because I'm positive it's going to break my heart. Still, an absolute beast of a story that is so, so fun to experience!

15. The most recent fic you bookmarked: The Best Laid Plans by Drarrymadhatter

(Drarry, Draco x George, Harry x Fred, rated E, 6.6k)

Okay, I’ve bookmarked entirely too many fics since the start of this fest, so to avoid repeats, I’m recommending the last fic I bookmarked BEFORE then. Based on my url, it couldn’t be more perfect — Draco, George, Harry, AND Fred? Absolute perfection. Sexy, sexy perfection.

16. A fic that made you laugh: I WANNA SEE SOME ARSE by thefrancakes

(NottPott, rated E, 10.5k)

From the title of this fic through the end of it, I was laughing. And where I wasn’t, I was fanning myself because. Hot. Damn. I’d never shipped Harry and Theo Nott until reading this.

So many excellent fics here...and yet I'm even MORE excited about the next set of prompts! Until then!