#dancing with our hands tied fic

[xspeter]

꥟ part of the “dancing with our hands tied” collection, Luke Castellan x Apollo!reader

꥟ IN WHICH… You discover that everyone at camp can tell.

꥟ W.C: 3k

Capture the Flag is a camp staple. It’s practically what makes the camp what it is! The battle strategy, the team work, the training.. it was perfect.

“Explain to your idiot boyfriend that we should get the Aphrodite cabin because he already has the advantage!”

“Just because we have more campers doesn’t mean we have the advantage! How many times do I need to say that?”

Clarisse and Luke have this argument nearly every week. Always fighting about who gets what cabin, which battle strategies were ethical and which weren’t, that whole ordeal.

You just wish they’d stop including you in it. Especially when you’re trying to clean a little boy's scraped knees!

You sigh, shooting the Demeter child a sorry look, but he doesn’t notice. Instead, he’s got a huge smile on his face as he watches Luke and Clarisse bicker like siblings. “They’re silly!” He giggles.

You smile, placing a blue band-aid on his knee and helping him off the bed. “Yep. Sooo silly.”

He doesn’t spare you a second glance as he leaves, and you’re partially grateful and partially offended. You don’t linger on the thought though, instead focusing the rest of your attention on the two fuming teens.

“You already have half the cabins in camp! Just because our cabins bigger doesn’t mean you get to hog everyone!”

“We aren’t hogging everyone-”

You rub the bridge of your nose, annoyance building in your temples. Are they aware that this is still technically your place of work? You don’t hang out in the infirmary on the daily just for fun. As Apollo Head Counselor it was literally your job to be there, and they were just making it harder.

“Okay, guys, calm down-”

They don’t listen, instead just getting louder and louder. Some of the patients are starting to notice, and seeing as majority of them are younger kids, it makes them nervous. And nervous kids in medical settings? Never a good mix.

“Luke, you’re literally so stupid it shocks me that you’re even still alive.”

“Right, because I understand basic math and you don't, I'm the stupid one. Makes complete sense.”

You sigh, glancing at a little girl that has started fighting the medicine your brother was trying to give her. It’s already been a struggle to even get her to lay down, and they had disrupted any progress you guys had made.

“Can you guys stop yelling, please?” You strain, watching as another little boy begins to cry when Clarisse practically screams fuck you! at Luke.

Again, they ignore you, and you’re starting to wonder if they can even hear anything you're saying. You wouldn’t be surprised if not.

“You know what, Castellan? Why don’t you take your math, and shove it right up your-”

“Okay!” You intervene, grabbing them both by their wrists and dragging them out of the building. Honestly, you’re still not sure they’re processing anything you’re saying or doing, because the entire time you lead them outside they glare at each other like two children.

Once you’ve gotten a safe distance from the patients and any prying ears, you smack both of them upside the head. Clarisse yelps while Luke’s hand immediately goes to soothe the spot.

“Are you guys deaf or just plain selfish?” You ask, nostrils practically flaring. “I mean, did you not notice the patients in there or did you just not care? Because to me it seems like you just didn’t care!”

They both have the decency to look at least a little bit ashamed, and for some reason it almost makes you feel bad. You're not sure if it's because of the genuine guilt on both of their faces, or just your constant need to please. You’re betting on the latter.

Luke swallows, sharing a glance with Clarisse before both of their gazes fall to the floor. “We’re sorry.” Clarisse mumbles, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. To most, Clarisse was rude and rarely ever apologized, but that was just to the people she didn’t know.

If you really took the time to know her, you’d discover she was just as lost as the rest of you. And underneath that hard exterior, there was a sweet girl begging to be found. You just had to be willing to look for it.

Luke nods in agreement, “Really, really sorry.”

Your eyes dart between the two of them, arms crossing over your chest. Some part of you wants to continue raging on them, you feel like it’ll be a bit therapeutic. But, the more rational part of you knows how serious they take the game, and sometimes they just get too into it.

“It’s fine,” You mumble, sucking in a breath and dropping your arms to your sides again. “Just, explain to me again whatever it is you guys are mad about.”

They both go to speak at the same time, and you realize you should’ve been more specific with your wording. You put a hand up to stop them, and quickly say, “Without arguing.”

You don’t miss Clarisse’s eye roll, but you choose not to call her out on it. Luke glances at the dark haired girl, and she gestures for him to speak a bit more aggressively than you think was necessary.

He sighs, turning to you with a slight smirk. It was his signature one, the one that practically dropped trouble. “Basically, Clarisse wants the Aphrodite Cabin because they have more campers, but she already has more than half the cabins in camp. So, I think we should be able to keep the Aphrodite cabin.”

You nod, “Which cabins does Clarrise have?”

The Ares child answers, “Demeter, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and Ares- obviously.”

You assumed that meant the other cabins were on Luke’s team, and if that was true, that meant he had the majority of the bigger cabins. Which meant that Clarrise should get Aphrodite.

But, the puppy dog look on Luke’s face makes your heart skip a beat, and you wonder if maybe you could bend your morals for him. Just this once. It was just a game after all, right?

Unfortunately, Clarrise has this knowing look in her eyes, like she knows what you’re thinking. It makes you feel small, so you do your best to seem as nonchalant as possible and say, “Then Clarrise should get it. But, maybe give Luke Dionysus? Since there’s only two of them.”

A huge grin overtakes Clarisse’s face, and she sticks her tongue out at Luke. “Ha!” She shouts, pointing a finger in Luke’s face. “I knew your girlfriend would agree with me.”

Luke rolls his eyes, a slight blush overtaking his cheeks at the word girlfriend. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We’re still gonna beat you.”

Clarisse just shrugs him off, shooting you a wink as she walks away. Your friendship with Clarisse definitely was unexpected considering your clashing personalities, but you loved the girl like a sister.

Luke sighs dramatically, bottom lip jutting out a bit as he crosses his arms over his chest. “You really couldn’t have just given them to me?” You snort, you know he’s not really angry with you, which is why you roll your eyes with a grin.

“Sadly, no.” You shrug, “Besides, we both know you’ll be able to win without them.” It was true, Luke’s quick thinking and obvious knack for battle strategy set him up for success. But, it was also pretty well known majority of the kids in the Aphrodite Cabin would rather spend their time braiding hair and gazing at themselves in puddles. So, you didn’t think it was that hard of a loss.

Luke chuckles, “Why? Because they’d rather stare at their reflection then actually play the game?”

You pretend to think, scratching your chin and gazing up at the sky. “Um, yeah, exactly my point.”

He snorts in response, allowing you to lead him back into the infirmity silently. You almost find it strange how he doesn’t even question you. Just… follows. “I didn’t think you’d be so stereotypical, Sweetheart.” He jokes.

You shrug, “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”

Luke watches as you push the door open, immediately going to greet a waiting patient. She’s a little bit older, probably around Percy’s age, but you still talk to her gently and kindly. Still treat her like a little kid, but not in a condescending way.

Luke’s not sure how you manage it. It makes his heart flutter in his chest for reasons he can’t explain.

“Yeah.” He sighs, eyes trailing your every move. “You are.”

꥟

You didn’t particularly enjoy being stuck in the medical tent during capture the flag. Not because you wanted to actually play the game, no, but because you were completely alone.

Some of your siblings always offered to stay behind with you, but you never let them. They’d be miserable staying with you, even if they wouldn’t admit it. Thus, here you sat, alone.

It wasn’t all bad. You enjoyed the peace, a rare thing to get at Camp Half-Blood, and most of the campers were too hell-bent on winning to even bother stopping by. Which meant you got to enjoy the unusual serenity all by yourself.

The birds sing hymns that you don’t know the words to, and the leaves dance together like professional ballerinas. It’s all very beautiful, really.

At least it is until Percy Jackson rips through the trees, a wide smile on his face and his chest heaving. His eyes dart around the opening, before they finally land on you.

You're sat outside the tent, jean shorts surely stained an unflattering green color and shins covered in shards of grass.

“Oh! Good, you’re here.” Percy breathes, jogging over to you. You stand, doing your best to discreetly wipe at your butt.

“Yep. I’m..” You let out a sigh, “still here.”

Percy just sniffs, giggling a bit and bouncing on his toes. He looks like a little boy who’d just been told he could get his favorite candy from the store. “He got it.” He says.

You raise an eyebrow, “Who got what?”

“Luke got the flag.” He grins, “I’m supposed to wait here to make sure no Ares campers cross the threshold.”

You nod. The makeshift infirmary was placed directly on the invisible threshold, but you found it a little weird Luke would send Percy to lookout for incoming Ares campers here when majority of them would probably be somewhere deeper in the woods.

You knew that, and surely Luke knew that, which meant..

You give Percy a sympathetic look. It’s not his fault he gets… distracted so easily when playing the game, but you also understood how seriously Luke took this. It just sucked he resorted to lying to the kid instead of coming up with something else for him to do.

“I see,” You mumble, eyeing a small cut on Percy’s knee. “What if I patch that up while you wait?” You ask, gesturing to the cut with your chin.

Percy shakes his head, eyes never leaving the woods. “Can’t. Have to make sure no one crosses.”

You sigh, chewing on your bottom lip. Percy could be so stubborn, that’s probably why he and Annabeth got along so well. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, it’s so quiet you’ll be able to hear them if they do. Just come inside, alright?”

Finally, Percy tears his gaze away from the open area to you, and he’s got that familiar glint in his eye. Percy’s smart, he always had been. And you weren’t the best liar. “What do you know?” He asks suspiciously, pointing an accusing finger at you.

You throw your hands up in surrender, shaking your head. “All I know is that you’re bleeding and it’s my job to take care of that, okay? So let me do my job.”

You can see the inner battle in Percy. He wants to stay out and do what Luke told him, but he also knows the cut on his knee stings like hell. He sighs, lowering his hand and glancing cautiously to the clearing. “Alright… but, promise if we hear anything you’ll let me go back out?”

You smile, “I promise.”

Seemingly satisfied, Percy allows you to lead him inside and begin your work. The floor in the tent was still grass, which meant the chair he was sitting in was quite unstable on the ground.

He rocked on it, eyes going wide when it leaned just a bit too far back. You snort when he does, and he sheepishly rubs his hand on the back of his neck.

You begin your work with no words exchanged between you, instead humming a familiar tune.

“That’s the song you sing at the campfire, right? Here comes the sun?”

You nod, glancing up at him. Percy smirks, hands messing with his helmet. “Luke said that was his favorite song, and I could never really understand why because it’s just… it feels odd to me for someone like him to like that song. But I think I understand why now.”

You’d like to pretend that Percy’s statement doesn’t make you go pink in the face, but it does. Luke said that was his favorite song? Of course, it didn’t automatically mean it was his favorite song because of you, but… it was nice to imagine, right?

“He did?” You ask, clearing your throat and trying to be as causal as possible. “And why do you think you know why? It could just be because it’s a catchy song.”

Percy shakes his head, “Nah. Trust me, it’s definitely not just because it’s catchy. It’s cause-”

The deafening sound of footsteps interrupts the both of you, and you both share a look before Percy is darting out of the tent and outside. You follow closely behind, a fresh pack of band-aids still in your hands.

Luke is leading a chase, with a giant red flag in his hands and a wide grin on his face. Dozens of campers follow him. Percy runs to them, jumping up and down and screeching something you can’t make out. Everyone is laughing, grinning. Everyone except for Luke.

His eyes look over the scene, looking for something you’re not sure of. It’s not until they land on you that it clicks. He was looking for you.

Instantly, he shoves the flag over to some unsuspecting kid and rushes over to you. It’s such an exhilarating feeling, being the person he looks for. You aren’t sure when that had happened, or what you had even done to deserve it- you just know you’ll thank The Gods everyday for allowing it.

Luke’s arms wrap around your waist, engulfing you in a bone-crushing hug. Instantly, your senses are overrun by everything Luke. You can feel him, smell him, practically taste him with how close he is. It’s too much and not enough all at the same time.

Your arms wrap around his neck, dropping the pack of band-aids in the grass and standing on your toes. You grin into his neck, “I knew you’d win.”

Luke snorts, giving you one final squeeze and backing away, but his hands remain at your waist. It makes you feel faint. “It was nothing, really.” He says with a shrug.

You furrow your brows, unconvinced. You know Luke is more than proud of his accomplishment, so why was he acting so easy going right now?

“Is that so?” You ask, swaying on your feet. “So, you aren’t going to be bragging to Clarisse for the next week about how you beat her?”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “Oh, no, of course I am. But, I can’t say that in front of a pretty girl can I? Gotta play it smooth.” He squeezes your waist as he says it, and your cheeks instantly fluff. A pretty girl. He was calling you a pretty girl.

Compliments from Luke were hardly rare, but he never said them in front of so many prying eyes. And it’s then that you notice everyone staring at the two of you, most all have knowing smirks on their faces, but some look on in jealousy. You hate to admit that it almost makes you prideful.

You were the only one Luke ran too- the one he looked for. That had to mean something, didn’t it?

You look away from him, rolling your eyes and shoving at him playfully. “Shut up, you flirt.”

He pretends to look hurt, giving you his best puppy dog eyes and grasping at his chest. “Oh, how you wound me!”

You giggle and open your mouth to respond, but Clarisse's familiar screech of anger interrupts you. “Where is he?”

You raise your brows, watching as Luke winces. While he would be claiming bragging rights for the rest of the week, being around her right now definitely wasn’t the best idea.

You suck in a breath, whistling lowly. “I think you’d better run.”

Luke’s lips thin into a line, tilting his head. “Yeah. Probably.” But, he doesn’t move. Instead, he just stares down at you. You raise your eyebrows in confusion, “Are you going to go?” You ask.

Luke grins slyly, “Yeah, just one more thing..”

It’s then that you feel the familiar warmth of Luke’s lips on your cheek, suspiciously close to your mouth. But, just as soon as he was there, he was gone. Running off and leaving you flustered and alone.

Your hands intertwine in front of you, a large cheesy grin on your face. You turn and begin walking back to the tent to clean up, but everyone’s eyes on you stops you. You glance down at your clothes, and then feel your face, checking for something- anything.

When you don’t find anything, you let out a nervous laugh. “What…?”

Everyone shares a look, one that you know all too well. You let out a groan, hands running through your hair, “It’s not like that!”

Percy shakes his head, “Yeah, okay. Of course it’s not.”

You just roll your eyes and storm into the tent. They were seeing things that just weren’t there! Luke was your best friend, and it was normal for best friends to be affectionate!

Hugs, compliments, cheek kisses… there was nothing else going on. Luke was just your friend being happy to see you.

That was all.

taglist: @apolloscastellan @ddarling-ddearest-ddead

[tinyluminaryzombie]

@jilymicrofics | March Prompt #27 - Satisfied | 316 words ~(angsty and a bit steamy)~

Tonight may be the most self-serving Lily’s ever been. 

She’s also sure it will lead to her ruin. 

Lily snaked her hand around James’s under the table two hours ago. She didn’t think to question why he squeezed her hand tight and started whispering jokes in her ear. 

Two hours ago it didn’t matter. Because their intertwined hands were resting on Lily’s leg. It was almost everything she wanted. The universe had fulfilled one-half of her wish and Lily was too afraid to shatter the moment to ask why. She didn’t ask for more, beg for complete satisfaction. No, instead, she took an incomplete dream and ran.

From peeling clothes off her skin to placing her head on a stack of two pillows, James has barely let go of her hand. His determination to always be touching makes Lily want to say things she shouldn’t. Things she’s thought about for way too long and things that could never be taken back. 

It’s on repeat in her brain, right next to the touch of his lips against hers. She’s in love with James. 

“Lils, you still good?” James asks, one finger pulling her lip from her teeth. 

She could change her mind right now and he’d stop in an instant. She knows that he’d be okay with anything she’d want to do. James Potter might not be in love with her, but he’d rather die than hurt anyone he cares about. 

Lily knows the reality of their (lack of) relationship will sting in the morning. She’ll probably cry and hide under the covers for the day. But, she wants this, with James, even if it’s only tonight. 

For once, she is reckless. 

James not loving her will be Future Lily’s problem. 

“Of course,” she breathes out, letting go of James’s hand to rest hers on his neck, pulling him closer. 

How could anything this good be bad?

[booiiee]

Deep blue, but you painted me golden

the first time you realise you're in love with yeonjun

Pairing: female reader + choi yeonjun

Tags: realisation of love, date in the park, fluff, tooth rotting fluff, LOTS of kissing (self indulgent)

sfw!

the first time you realise you love yeonjun you're in central park for a last minute picnic (that you were not dressed appropriately for- a pair of jeans and a tshirt that you had borrowed from jun). you're setting down your art supplies as you look over to yeonjun who's already begun taking pictures on his film camera ( that you had given him as a present).

Maybe it's the way the sunlight falls on his face or the way he smiles as the breeze touches his hair, maybe it's the way he's always treated you, or the way he is always so gentle when he speaks, to everyone around him- his gentle soul is an all access feature that seldom makes you jealous for he makes you feel special in a million other ways.

He had asked you out twice before you agreed to go on a date with him, too scared to mess up the friendship and lose him if it didn't work out, and he missed no chance to let you know it was the best day ever for him.

Making sure to not overwhelm you (you were, his aura is overwhelming in itself) he prepared a dinner at your shared apartment and laughed wholeheartedly when you accused him of using his fabulous cooking skills to get more than one date outta you, "well my charm has worked once, I'm sure you'll agree for another date if i asked nicely" he had said, silly him didn't know it wouldn't even take asking you twice, you've wanted this for a long long time.

He got himself another date and then one more and a third impromptu one you were currently at. In the 10 days you guys had been going out (in your head anyway) holding his hand and resting your head on his chest is the most physical contact you had initiated. On the second date you had anticipated him to kiss you, with the way he pulled you by your waist but he stopped at a forehead kiss instead, somehow that had you blush like crazy.

Lost in your thoughts you did not notice when yeonjun has already walked towards you and had squatted down near you waving his hands, "earth to y/n. where are you lost?"

"nothing just thinking what to draw" you lied.

"well you can always draw me, but if you wanna draw me like one od your french girl, we'll have to go back to our apartment" he teased.

"you're so annoying" you say shoving him onto the blanket you were currently sitting on.

he laughs as he falls and you stop in your tracks to feel how his laugh rang in your ear like a song.

"and yet you're on a third date with me!" he says cheekily laying on his side.

good god he looks ethereal.

"hello!! why are you getting distracted when im hereee, do you not wanna be here? we can always leave" he says sitting up, trying his best to hide his disappointment and his pout. god he's adorable.

"sorry for getting distracted juniee i was just thinking, we don't have to leave i like it here, love it actually! thank you for bringing me here" you almost have to control the urge to just lean in and squish his face.

you spend the next few minutes drawing the scenery as jun lays on his back with his eyes closed. comfortable silence, you've realised is one of your favourite things that come so naturally with him. You put down your pens to look over at jun and feel your whole body shiver with the way his face glimmers under the sunlight, the shadow of the leaves on his face making up for the perfect shot for a picture.

you grab his camera and click a picture and then another and put it down only to continue staring at him. your hands, with a mind of their own, reach over to his face to move his hair from near his eyes; your body following your hand leans over as your lips take the final call and place a soft kiss on his temple.

yeonjun opens his eyes in surprise with a pink hue covering his pale cheeks. embarassment takes over you as you try to move but get pulled by yeonjun landing on his chest. "my turn" he says, leaning towards you and kissing your forehead, he spends good few seconds staring at your flushed cheeks before leaning again and this time planting a kiss on your temple, and again on the other side and as your heartbeat grows, he caresses your cheek with his thumb as he plants a kiss on the other and continues to stare at you.

"you're staring" you say, body still half on top of him.

"i am" he says, as he continues to stare

"don't" you say

"and why not" he says, putting his finger under your chin making you look into his eyes.

"am i making you uncomfortable?" he asks, ever so gently

"no, I'm just....im just feeling too shy. we've been friends for so long and now suddenly we're going out and we're so close and i feel like i" you ramble on until you realise you might let out words that you shouldn't say so casually.

"hey, hey, breathe. you're getting overwhelmed, that's okay we can, we can take a step back, not go on dates for a while" he says sitting upright and holding both your hands.

"infact we don't have to go on dates at all, I'll never do something you're not comfortable with, it doesn't matter how i feel, you're more important to me than what relationship we share" he continued. you could feel his genuine concern but also the hidden hurt at the possibility of never going on another date again.

you couldn't wait for a perfect moment anymore, not when he was ready to scrap the whole idea just so you wouldn't feel overwhelmed or upset.

"yeonjun"

"yeah"

"i think..."

"i think i fell in love with you"

"no im sure, im in love with you, I've been in love with you...for a while now"

you confess, looking at his soft eyes, which looked like they would jump out with how shocked he looked

"you WHAT NOW?" he says, almost too loudly for others in the park.

"you love me? you LOVE ME??? so more dates?? You'll go on dates with me?? YOU'RE GONNA BE MY GIRLFRIEND?!" one thing about yeonjun, he cannot hide his excitement.

"well not if you don't ask me first" you say in a matter of fact tone, as if you didn't have a whole zoo in your belly.

"oh my god wait wait" he says running to the car, 5 minutes later he's coming back with what looks like a bouquet made from some flowers he picked from the park and wait- boba?!

"the boba's not as cold as you like it but i asked them for a lot of tiny ice for you, anywayy, y/n, you've been my bestfriend for years, my favourite person in the whole world, best gaming partner cause you always lose, and the girl i love for 4 years now, would you please make me the happiest guy in the world by being my girlfriend? I promise I'll get you a better bouquet at our date tonight, if you say yes that is, and i promise I'll never be too possessive and ask you not to hangout with other men, although that dude from uni might catch these hands, BUT anyway, I'll be a good boyfriend to you for as long as you'll have me and a good husb-, a good boyfriend yes" he looks up to see tears streaming down your face and gets worries before you leap into his arms and say 'yes' and repeat it until he hugs you back.

"This is the best thing that has happened to me since meeting you, yes I'll be your girlfriend, i love you so much choi yeonjun" you say taking the bouquet and boba from him, smiling through your tears.

"can i.." yeonjun says and then stops in between

"please kiss me" you say throwing your arms over his shoulders.

"god you make me crazy" he says, in a tone you didn't quite recognise, and which made your legs feel like jelly.

He kisses you softly and then gives you a few pecks as your two break the kiss but he pulls you back and kisses you again, this time more passionately, almost as if you weren't in a park filled with people, almost as if you were adorned in a sundress and not his tshirt. He breaks the kiss and sinks his head on your shoulder as he calms his breathing, making you breathless, he was so close, and yet not close enough.

"wait you said you've loved me for 4 years, that's almost as long as we've known each other!" you ask in astonishment.

he smiles shyly and replies "yeah i kinda fell in loce with you as soon as we became friends, i think it was the moment i saw you at rhat cafe, you were drawing the scenery outside the cafe's window, you looked so bright almost as if no one in that cafe knew the way to light and only you took autonomy of it"

"jesus christ dude you're such a sap!" you laugh trying to hide the loud thumping in your chest, he REALLY had you swooned.

"don't 'dude' me after you just made out with me in a public park!!" yeonjun says loudly his pout too noticeable for you to take his words seriously.

the newly received status of being his girlfriend must've messed up some wires in your brain cause before you realise, you had grabbed his face with both your hands and kissed his pout, "you're adorable!" you squealed.

"oh my god! give a guy a warning!" he exclaims trying to hide how his face had turned red.

the first time you realise you're in love with yeonjun, he tells you he's been in love with you for years.

-fin

.

this was born out of my friend sending me her fab zzn posts and how the pictures above seemed to her like the realisation of love.

i had fun writing it now (at 2 am) but i will be groaning and whining when i read it later and miss him like crazy.

not my first time using a lyrics for the story title but i hope you guys know i associate all bright things with him, he's my sun, my moon,.my everything, literally my daylight.

[smallblueandloud]

badly described WIPs

@tanoraqui made this meme and i'm kinda obsessed with it. here goes nothing.

[th30ra3k3n]

I'd kiss you as the lights went out

Swaying as the room burned down

I'd hold you as the water rushes in

If I could dance with you again

[athenasparrow]

Chap 10 | Dancing With Our Hands Tied

And that's it! Done and dusted!

Read the final chapter "the other side of the door" here on AO3.

Start at the beginning here : )

Summary:

But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t take his eyes off her figure as she moved effortlessly in rhythm with whatever song she had playing. He learned she was wearing more than a t-shirt when she slid across the kitchen on her socks, throwing her head back to sing words James wished he could hear.

OR: In a world where social distancing reigns supreme, two strangers find themselves confined to their apartments with love only a window away.

[kenshivshow]

Happy Monday......I wrote some more fanfiction!

It's post season 4 episode 9 (Church and State)

I finally got to make Kendall cry during sex....all I've ever wanted (it may be the first time, but it certainly won't be the last!!!)

[hope-drunk]

i’m a mess but i’m the mess that you wanted

[c0wboylik3m3]

I've been writing a lot to help with my anxiety, some of it's smut and some of its me trying to be better at writing romance. one of the fics that i'm writing in attempt to get better at writing romance, a lot of it is terrible but I wrote something and it's been on my mind.

“I don’t know if I believe in god or a heaven but when I die and if I meet him I will thank him for everyday I’ll spent loving you” 

there's just something about it. Like if someone ever said this to me I would sob. like full on.

And the place within the fic in which it is said would kill me. It's a Spencer Reid x OC, their married and on a case. They just got back from the police station and OC had ran a bath while Spencer got chinese food to enjoy. They got in the bath together and was just talking, Spencer was staring at OC as she talked with the most loving eyes. She paused and asked what was wrong and he just dropped that.

I just think that it's the most romantic thing I've written to date and if you'd like me to post it lmk cause I will, it won't be very good but it will be something with a little bit of smut but mostly romantic shit.

[daintyduck99]

Ao3 wrapped! 10, 11, 16, 29, 30

10. What work was the quickest to write?

I wrote a few fairly short and simple stories this year, but the quickest to write was easily Butterfly Kisses and Glitter On Our Lips. I wrote most of it during lulls in other activity over the course of Thanksgiving Day, and I actually spent way more time making the moodboard (although I think it helped that I had a very solid idea of what I wanted to write ever since I wrote the prompt fill it's based on)

11. What work took you the longest to write?

nothing is forever so let's do this again took almost a year, somewhat due to waning interest on both of our parts and somewhat because the main things left to write were the party scene and the smut scene, both of which required a lot of creativity and mental energy and coordinating. We finally finished it because I had a burst of motivation once it became seasonally appropriate again (and bless @nuandia for swooping in and finishing the last part I was stuck on and tying the ending together)

16. What’s your most common “Additional Tags” tag?

I checked and I was correct--it's fluff XD When I don't use fluff, I typically use fluff and humor or fluff and angst. Flirting wasn't too far behind any of them, though, which actually did surprise me (I didn't realize that it's apparently so prevalent in my works)

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

I am going to cheat and give two XD

From Our Luxury (A Love Like Stars), I still really love this description I came up with for Julie's rings:

Luke was right—the ring is perfect for Julie. 

It takes him a moment to realize that there are two rings, so interwoven that they fit snugly together. They’re a set, a golden engagement ring and the matching wedding ring, one a delicate crown of stars and the other a simple, sturdy sunburst of diamonds. 

But also, this line from I'll Be Your Tangerine has stuck with me:

She’s more than a walking wound, a phantom knife to the adolescent ribs.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I have to say that the sunflower series (all of the parts written and not) completely crept up on me. The whole thing blossomed out of a stray thought and now it's an entire universe (that I hope to eventually get the rest of out of my head--which is another thing, the main story came out so quickly for me, I wrote it in about a week!)

[itsmiyamore]

Taylor Swift is so yummy like oh yes the fic ideas potential

[andvys]

Dancing with our hands tied | Prologue

I knew there was no one in the world who could take it I had a bad feeling

Warnings: mentions of injuries, bruises and scars, mention of the upside down, this is post s4, enemies to lovers. mentions of death and the upside down. readers features are not mentioned, besides the accident with the hair dye in the past

Pairing: Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Summary: You and Steve have never seen eye to eye, and it never changed, not even when you were pulled into a world of monsters and risked your life to save him. But tension had always been between you both, something that neither of you ever wanted to admit -- but how much longer can you take it when the pull between you gets stronger and stronger each second you spend by each others side?

Word count: 3.6k+

Author's note: A new fic and another shoutout to my queen @hellfire--cult 🤍 thank you for working on the ideas for this story with me, I'm so excited for this one!

-

You’re running through the darkness, barefoot, the soil feels wet and slippery beneath your feet, twigs and branches scratch your skin open, the air feels icy cold, the wind blows through your hair and goosebumps arise on your skin, though not because of the cold but because of the growling behind you, the creatures that reach for you, that scream for you, that want your blood and your flesh. 

Your lungs feel on fire and so do your legs, but you don’t stop running. 

You run faster and faster, hoping to find shelter though this forest seems so big and never ending, there is no way out of this, no way out of here. 

There is no shelter and there is nowhere to run – and yet, you don’t stop, you don’t let them get to you, you don’t let them touch you. 

Rain starts falling, thunder rumbles through the woods and the ground beneath you suddenly starts shaking, making your knees buckle. 

Desperation clings onto you, you can’t fall, if you do then you lose. 

The sky becomes redder, shining angrily, the lightning now comes for you, crashing down on the ground right before you, causing you to yelp in surprise. 

And that is all that it took, an obstacle thrown into the path that was destined for you to stay on. It caught you off guard, you no longer looked at the way before you, you slowed down and you slipped on the muddy ground. 

You can feel yourself falling and it feels as though it takes forever for you to crash, you can feel the breath getting knocked out of you, you can feel the tear running down your cheek, you can feel the darkness taking ahold of you and despite knowing that you are going down, the fall still startles you, making you whimper in pain when you hit your head on something, your vision blurs and your skin aches and despite it, you push yourself up but it’s too late. 

The vines are wrapping itself around your body, like snakes that are about to poison you. Panic rises in your chest and your eyes widen when you lift your head to see the creatures running towards you, getting closer and closer. 

“No!” Your own voice sounds so unfamiliar to you, so filled with fear and desperation. 

You struggle against the vines, though they hold you down so strongly. You try kicking against it, you try fighting against it but nothing helps, nothing will help you, nothing will save you. 

Suddenly, you feel something sharp in your skin, in your legs, in your calves, in your arms, everywhere. You scream in pain – in pain and in anger. Tears stream down your face, blood seeps from the ripped open skin, the metallic taste now lingering on your tongue and that will be the last thing you will taste, the last thing you will see is the blood red sky, the last thing you will feel is how you’re being ripped apart. 

But even now, as you’re slipping into a cruel death, all you think about is him. 

You’re awaiting the darkness, the void – though it’s not what greets you when your eyes close. Light greets you. Bright, disgusting light that makes you want to close your eyes again. Fuck. You forgot to close the curtains last night.  

A groan falls from your lips and you pull the blanket up higher, hiding your face from the sun that shines directly into your room. You pay no mind to your racing heart or the fear that still lingers from the dream you just woke from – you ignore it, as you always do. 

This one was unlike all the others that have been haunting you for weeks now. Instead of hands around your neck, and the cruel blue eyes staring into your soul as he tried to kill you, it’s been the creatures that wanted you dead this time – and somehow they caused you less fear than he did. 

You sink deeper into your mattress, enjoying the comfort and warmth of your bed. 

Nothing awaits you today, absolutely nothing. 

With a sigh, you lift your blanket and sit up, rubbing your eyes before you squint them open. You pull your legs up to your chest and prop your chin up on your knees, looking out your window as you get lost in your thoughts. 

You are taken back to your dreams when the sun gets brighter, reminding you of the lights that surged through the red sky when the creatures – the monsters ripped you open. Not shying away from digging their teeth and claws into your delicate skin. – And to think that you once thought that Tommy and Carol were monsters.. Now you know what real monsters look like, feel like.. 

They never got under your skin like the monsters in your dreams did, not even when they thought they did. They threw cruel words at you, made up rumors about you that circled around school but as entertaining as it was to some of the students of Hawkins High, you just didn’t care what they thought of you, what they whispered about you whenever you passed by the gossiping girls or the boys who would smirk whenever you would walk through the hallways. 

Just like all the other new freshman girls, you were fresh meat, a little lamb in the midst of a lion's den, ready to be ripped apart – or at least, that’s what you were meant to be. The first time Kelli Robertson approached you in order to intimidate you and to make it known who she was, she walked away with a split open lip after she tugged at your pigtails and made fun of the way you dressed. She never approached you again after this and neither did her friends. 

You were no violent person but it had always been easy for you to lose your temper around girls and boys who loved to think that they were better than anyone else, that their status in school was something deemed special and meaningful outside of it, that they could push around the ones weaker than them. 

Maybe you weren’t better than them, you gave them back what they gave to others, but at least they deserved it. And with them, you had the power to fight back whenever they came at you. 

But when it came to him, you didn’t have much power to fight back – only luck was on your side, that night. A battered house you were supposed to die in, saved you. It’s ironic, really.

It’s been a few weeks since the evil had been defeated and you had won – since your friends had won, but not without scars and bruises. 

Eddie almost died. 

Max almost died. 

And you, you almost died too. 

Maybe you should have. 

You drag yourself out of bed, like every morning, ignoring the sharp pain in your side, the ache that still lingers in your neck – you wonder if it will stay there forever now. 

You hate to look at yourself in the mirror, but you still do.

You wash your face and brush your teeth and you stare at your reflection, hating what you see. The bruises that have not healed yet, the ones on your face and on your neck, the scar that he left for you to always look at. 

With a sigh, you turn away and leave the bathroom. You make yourself a cup of coffee and sit on your windowsill. You pull your knees up to your chest, closing your eyes for a moment, you enjoy the way the sun feels on your skin. You missed it, the warmth, the smell of spring in the air and giving yourself this moment of peace every morning.

You feel the beating of your heart, the kind that fills your body with fear – the fear that will always linger now. 

You can’t stand it. 

And you can’t stand that the only way to get rid of it is to be around the person who hates you the most. 

The one that ripped your heart out more than once, with nothing but cruel words. 

You should stay away, but you can’t. 

And besides, your words are just as cruel. 

-

Walking into Family Video, a small smile tugs at your lips when Steve’s frown greets you. He is leaning against the counter, a pencil in his hand as he works on the crossword in the newspaper. He instantly straightens up when he locks eyes with you, a sigh already falling from his lips. 

He has been seeing you more often than usual in the past few weeks – every time you walk in here, he ignores the relief in his chest and the pain when he sees those fading bruises on your skin. 

By the look on your face, he can tell that you are up to no good. 

You’re wearing a sweet smile on your face – one that could never be directed at him. An iced coffee in your hand that you got from the shop across the street, he sees you walk in there, every afternoon. 

“Hey Steve,” you smile as you walk up to the counter, placing the cup in front of him. “I got you a coffee.”

Steve raises his eyebrows at you, glancing down at the coffee, not quite believing you or the sickly sweet tone in your voice, you even called him by his name, something that never happens. 

“What’d you put in there?” 

You chuckle, shrugging at him. “Nothing, I figured you could use some coffee and some company, you look bored.” 

The store is empty and he already stacked up all the new tapes. Yes, he is bored but he doesn’t believe you for a second. You’re here because you are bored. 

You tap your manicured nails against the counter, tilting your head and looking at him oh so sweetly – your lashes flutter, your lips are curled into a soft smile, you’re wearing a pretty blouse underneath your denim jacket and heart shaped glasses on your head, you smell like cherries. If you weren’t you, he would be flirting away already but unfortunately you are you. 

The girl he cannot stand, even now, after you risked your life for a person that means so much to him, after you almost bled out and died fighting someone who was ready to kill you. 

He ignores the pang in his chest when he looks at the faint bruises around your neck, you almost got matching wounds now – only his were caused by bats, yours were caused by someone else’s hands. He redirects his eyes to your face instead, not bearing to look at the marks any longer. 

He looks into your eyes for a moment, trying to figure you out the way he always does – though you will always remain a mystery to him.

Tempting, he thinks – the coffee, not you, definitely not you. 

With a sigh, he reaches for the cup and just as he goes to wrap his hand around it, you beat him to it, snatching it back. 

“Oops, I changed my mind.” 

You wrap your lips around the straw, keeping your eyes on him as you drink the coffee that you definitely did not order for Steve.

He clenches his jaw, eyes flashing with annoyance as they lock with yours again. 

Satisfaction fills your chest, you love teasing him. 

“Robin isn’t here, so what the hell do you want, Blondie?” 

At that, you clench your jaw. 

You can’t stand the stupid nickname that he hasn’t stopped using since Sophomore year. 

You wanted that blonde you saw on Dolly Parton in the magazines, only for a bright yellow to end up on your head. You begged your sister to let you stay at home, but she pointed to the door for you to face the consequences of getting hair dye without her permission. 

And since then, you went back to your natural hair color, not touching a dye in your life again. 

Steve won’t let you live it down, always bringing up the nickname he knows you hate so much. 

Though you don’t know whether he gave you the name because of the yellow hair you once sported or because you love the band so much. 

“Well, I wanna rent a movie,” you shrug as you play with the straw. “I figured you could recommend one to me. You know, since you work here and everything.” 

He rolls his eyes, “just get The Breakfast Club and leave.” 

You put your hand over your heart, feigning pain. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Lego head?” 

He clenches his jaw harder than before, you can tell that he is trying his hardest not to roll his eyes. 

“I watched that movie last week. I wanna watch something else now. Give me a few recommendations or I’ll speak to your manager,” you tease him. 

He shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he walks around the counter, nodding his head at you to follow him. 

“I wouldn’t put it past you.” 

You follow him, sipping on your coffee as you look down at the way his jeans are hugging his ass. 

“How about Teen Wolf?” He asks as he walks into the horror movie section, he reaches for the movie and turns back to you, gripping the shelf as he gives you a fake smile. 

“Hmm,” you scrunch your nose up as you pretend to think. “No thanks, I got enough Teen Wolf in front of me.” You gesture to his hair and the chest hair that peeks from his unbuttoned shirt. 

You try to not look at the scar around his neck, the vision of him being held down against the ground while the bats tried to bite chunks of flesh out of him still pains you and makes shivers run down your spine. 

With a snort, he rolls his eyes and puts the tape back on the shelf. 

“What do you want, horror, action, rom-com–”

“Do I look like I’d enjoy a shitty rom-com?” 

“Right,” he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck as he looks you up and down. You actually do look like you’d enjoy a shitty rom-com. Besides the constant glare or the frown on your face, you actually look like a sweet and approachable girl – that’s where he was wrong. You are unapproachable, you always have been. You’re rough and you’re mean, you never bite your tongue and you don’t shy away from fights or arguments, that is something that caught him off guard the first time he talked to you. The pink skirt, the bow in your hair and the innocent look on your face was a disguise for the little devil that was hiding behind those pretty eyes. 

Your looks still don’t match your personality. – Even now, after the horrifying things that you have been through only weeks back, you are still you. Still the same mean girl he always knew you to be. 

There was a shift in your behavior after last summer, something had changed in your eyes, a sadness lingered in them, one that hasn’t been there before, he doesn’t know what happened, if you had gotten hurt or if you had lost something or someone, but even if, that clearly wasn’t enough for you to change either. 

Nothing seems to change you. 

You are just cold and unreachable in your emotions – for the most part. 

“Alright then no rom-com,” he sighs. 

He continues to offer you movies, ones that you keep saying no to. He can feel himself growing frustrated the longer you do this, knowing damn well that you aren’t here for a movie, especially not for tonight, you’re hanging out with Robin tonight. 

Once you make it to the last aisle, Steve is officially fed up with you. He leans against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest while you innocently look at the movies in the thriller section. You are sipping on your drink, eyeing some tape that you just reached for. You put it back and sigh, pretending to be bored. 

While Steve had been trying to be less harsh with you than he was weeks before, he can’t help but roll his eyes at you. 

“Why are you here?” He grumbles. “We both know you don’t want to rent a movie.” 

You turn your head, eying him up and down before you start making your way over to him. 

“How would you know?” 

“Because I know you,” he mumbles as he takes a step closer to you. “I know you’re here because you’re fucking bored.” 

You smirk, tilting your head up as you look into his hazel eyes. 

“Get a job and let me do mine,” he rolls his eyes and finally brushes past you, making his way back to the counter. 

“I don’t need a job, I have enough money to do… uh.. well nothing for the rest of my life. Just like you, Harrington. Why don’t you take that hush money we were gifted with and get the hell out of here?” You ask, curiously as you follow him. “You could be relaxing, traveling through the country, staying in fancy hotels, taking out hot chicks.” 

“How fun,” he snorts as he stops by the register. “You go do that, if that’s what a dream life looks to you. Or get a freaking boyfriend or something and stop getting on my goddamn nerves, Blondie.” 

“Who would keep your life so entertaining if I got too busy with a boyfriend?” You ask. “You’d die of boredom.”

Steve picks up the pencil he dropped earlier, trying to ignore you as he continues working on his crossword but you don’t let him obviously. You place the drink you teased him with, in front of him and lift yourself up on the counter, making yourself comfortable next to him. 

He rolls his eyes, looking up at you through his bangs to find you looking at him already, a smirk lingering on your lips. You’re close enough for him to smell the perfume on your skin, sweet and flowery, another misleading thing, you’re not sweet, not in any way. 

“You really think you have that much of an impact in my life?” He asks. Like the bruises on your body don’t anger him, because he couldn’t help you when you were fighting for your own and someone else’s life. Like he didn’t hold your hand when your cold body was laying in the hospital bed. Like he didn’t pray for you to make it out alive. 

You bite the insides of your cheeks, blinking as you continue to look into his eyes.

You nod. “I think you would miss me so much if I was gone.” 

He glares into your eyes, taking deep breaths as he moves his tongue along his bottom lip. 

How can you speak of such things when you almost lost your life? He wonders. 

“Yeah, you would definitely miss me,” you smirk and reach for your drink, only to be stopped by him when he reaches for it first, smirking back at you as he brings it up to his lips, wrapping his lips around the straw – not caring that your lips have touched it first. 

Your jaw drops a little, only a little, though enough for him to be amused by the shocked look on your face – that is rare. 

He takes a sip of your coffee, humming. “Mhmm, Vanilla? How’d you know it was my favorite?” 

You purse your lips, squinting your eyes at him. 

“Don’t look at me like that. You’ll give me the wrong idea and make me think that you have a crush on me or something.” 

What an idiot. 

“You wish, Lego head.” You snort and jump off the counter, letting your face drop into your regular expression. 

He chuckles, tilting his head at you. “Right, I forgot, you don’t have such a thing as feelings.” 

You blink, cracking your knuckles as you meet his eyes again. 

Yeah, you heard that before and it stung, really badly. 

“Not when it comes to you.” 

He crosses his arms over his chest, looking at you with a bored expression. 

“I’m so wounded.” 

Nothing you would say or do could ever hurt Steve Harrington. 

Not even the cruelest words from you would hurt him. 

Because you don’t have the power to hurt him. 

You don’t have an impact in his life. 

You wouldn’t leave a void in his life if you just disappeared – not like he would in yours if he were to disappear.. But he doesn’t need to know that. 

He couldn’t care less about you, he surely wouldn’t care if you left this town like you should have a long time ago, he surely wouldn’t care if you had died that night. You would have been long forgotten by now, a faceless someone in his memories. 

“Heidi or Summer or Kayla will surely patch those wounds,” you smirk as you walk towards the door. “Or are you still getting over Nancy… you know after she rejected you… again?”

He nods at you with a glare, clenching his jaw at the reminder. 

You chuckle and turn around, you open the door and step out. 

“Look both ways when you cross the street, Blondie!” He calls out to you. “You don’t wanna end up in the hospital again!” 

You flip him off, rolling your eyes at his chuckle that you hear before the door closes behind you. 

The afternoon sun is shining down on you, leaving a warm feeling on your skin, a smile pulls at your lips as you glance at the growing flowers next to trees. 

The sky is blue, no cloud in sight to hide the sun, it’s quiet, peaceful – almost too peaceful. 

This is how it should be, right? 

The war that was fought in secret is over. 

But, there is still one upon you. 

You and the man you just walked away from. 

Will you make it out alive this time? 

Or will you be left more broken than before? 

-

I'm only doing taglists for friends & mutuals so please don't ask to be tagged! It's too stressful for me to keep track of that.

You can follow my side blog @andvyswritingss and turn on post notifications if you want updates for this series! 🤍

[ohsotwistedideas]

a pocketful of recommendations! ｡･:*˚:✧｡

a/n : hi !! as a fellow reader, i thought i would finally make a list full of recommendations. it's what these writers deserve <3 these are some of my favourite works, which include fluff, smut and angst!

this is an 18+ blog, mdni please!

aaron hotchner :

anything by @ssahotchnerr and @hotchfiles (absolutely love the way they write him)

all of @solardrop's works!! they're excellent <3 as well as @kimstills's fics: blame ; crazy ; savor (some favourites!)

@cerisereids series we can't be friends (wait for your love) chef's kiss truly!!

@basketonthedoorstepofthefbi: this two-part story, that i cannot stop thinking about and constantly reread <3<3<3<3 (to be fair all of jamie's works are a must-read)

@louvaine: midnights

@lauriegraham01: close to you

@honeypiehotchner: juno ; sleepy

@hotchscoffeecup : two part series : stuck + unstuck !!

@boneblushed: ignorance by infatuation

@moonlightspencie: solace

@hotchner-edu: eyes don't lie

@cxrrodedcoffin: don't call me kid

@mariasont: marked territory

spencer reid :

anything by @nereidprinc3ss, she just gets him!!

@street-smarts00: weirdest place

@raekensluver: second to none

this cute drabble by @street-smarts00.

@parfaitblogs: false god

@dr-spencer-reids-queen: love drunk

the behind closed doors series by @incognit0slut !!

@cerisereids: please don't have somebody waiting on you + all of her other works, they're excellent <3

@pathologicalreid writes him so well !! red flags is a favourite of mine!

@avis-writeshq: off my face

stiles stilinski :

@murdrdocs: torn at the seams

@itsjustrosee: worried sick

the don't tell scotty series by @strangerstilinski <3 also recommend all of her other works !!

steve harrington :

anything by @forevermoreharrington !! <3

rafe cameron :

i am a sucker (and truther) for soft! rafe <3

@forevermoreharrington: dancing with our hands tied; i think you're everything i've wanted

one of the best fics i've read is only on wattpad: old money.

others :

@luveline writes for most of the aforementioned characters (and more) and i cannot recommend her writing enough, an absolute joy to read her works!!

@mariasont has a really fun series with reader x aaron and x reid !!

I will be updating this list! <3 happy reading!!

[basicrese]

Luke Castellan Fic Recs

back to main navigation

luke castellan fic recs (pt.2)

one - shots

Fate by @gh0stsp1d3r

firegirl by @calliopeslyrics

freaky friday by @too-deviant

Girls Castellan might like by @wenigstenshabeichesversucht

how to get a girl’s attention by @scwheeler

I Can See You by @sycamoregirlsworld

i like me better when i’m with you by @queer-little-demigod

I’m an Idiot by @alipal97

late night cravings by @lixzey

lighting the fuse might result in a bang by @love-that-we-were-in

LOML by @xspeter

Lovers Lake by @balletfilmss

luke castellan x poseidon!reader by @apollos-calliope

oh he looks so cute, wrapped around my finger! by @moneyndior

perk by @veryberryjelly

romeo meets juliet by @kafkasmuses

silver springs by @girlkisser13

something out of my dreams by @celesterayel

Sweetheart by @leafleaf

take a chance with me by @krkiiz

the clearing by @angelicdanvers

The Dare by @strawberries-and-summer-days

The Olive Theory by @neo-nomatrix

treat me like a fool by @moneyndior

true luck’s kiss by @atlabeth

what’s a girl gonna do when she’s in love with you? by @emiliehornby

when you get me alone, it’s so simple by @emiliehornby

series & multi-parts

all-american bitch by @cobrakaisb

dancing with our hands tied by @xspeter

everything in between by @fawnindawn

feigning for ya’ by @amoreva

he’s not just a man, mom by @brodieland

jackie and wilson by @too-deviant

lovelorn by @lixzey

luke castellan x nemesis!reader by @kamaluhkhan

mind over matter by @woodlandwrites

one year with luke castellan by @tangledinlove

partners in crime by @ma1dita

poisoned mercury by @wlntrsldler

ready to love by @svnny-days

The Jubilee Recollection by @klineinie

the prophecy by @wlntrsldler

three weeks by @too-deviant

the incessant ringing of loneliness

social media AUs

i’ve loved you in secret by @lizlovestofangirl

must be love! by @livlaughloveluke

my good looking boy by @lizlovestofangirl

Pictures for my Crush by @maraudersmyloves

so if you need a hero, just look in the mirror! by @moneyndior

sunburn by @voguesriot

take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die by @lizlovestofangirl

[smallblueandloud]

For the fanfic writer directors cut: ⭐

send me a ⭐ and i'll give a director's commentary on one of my fics!

for you, aur, i'll talk about my most recent CNL fic: oh, how was i to know, which is about clint realizing that natasha is his and laura's missing soulmate.

this fic kinda came out of two desires: i wanted to explore why S.H.I.E.L.D. knows about natasha and not laura, and i also wanted to explore the pre-bond time, cause i knew from the start that clint didn't know that natasha was his soulmate when he saved her life but i didn't know how to explain that

(it was fun to write about pre-canon CNL, though, cause it let me use the timeline i made for my very first CNL fic which will never see the light of day! one day, maybe, i'll use the laura backstory from that fic for something)

the fic kinda ended up centering around the middle scene, where natasha tries to grift clint and he sees through it. i didn't plan for this scene, but it makes sense -- i feel so, so strongly that natasha's trauma and past affect her WAY more than we see in canon. so writing that scene kinda ended up with me... theorizing how clint (and laura, by extension) would deal with that. and the answer is that they are also both traumatized! but also that clint leads with compassion, even when it's kinda stupid to do so, cause clint trusts his gut above all. and trusting natasha is the strongest gut feeling he ever has in his life, even before he finds out that she's his soulmate.

[athenasparrow]

Ch 7 | Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Eeeek! This chapter put me over 100,000 words of Jily written since I joined the fandom in January! I did not think that would happen when I signed up for one little gift exchange by @jilymicrofics.

Shout out to @charmsandtealeaves for being my fandom bestie - without her encouragement I wouldn't have committed to a month of micros, which is really what got the writing flowing.

A @jilymicro-oops fic.

So have a read of Chapter Six "I Bet You Think About Me" on AO3.

Start from the beginning here.

Summary:

But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t take his eyes off her figure as she moved effortlessly in rhythm with whatever song she had playing. He learned she was wearing more than a t-shirt when she slid across the kitchen on her socks, throwing her head back to sing words James wished he could hear.

OR: In a world where social distancing reigns supreme, two strangers find themselves confined to their apartments with love only a window away.