kiss in the kitchen like it’s a dance floor
Calum hums. "I could stay with you."
Again Michael's heart gives a lurch. "Really?"
"Yeah, why not?"
HELLO!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY @jbhmalum this is for you i got cute in the ao3 notes and im worried about repeating myself but anyway i really just love and treasure you je t’adore i really wish i could compliment you better in french but i simply do not have the words so suffice it to say that i am so so happy to know you i love reading your fics you are so unbelievably talented not to mention just mad cute and just overall an absolute delight i hope your birthday is super amazing and yeah i love you lots
so here’s a really fluffy domestic malum quarantine getting together fic per the birthday girl’s request i know you’re all thinking fluff???? from bella??? but joke’s on you because i wrote this several weeks ago don’t worry i am still emo inside
title from sunflower vol. 6 by harry styles <3 king shit
read it here on ao3
At risk of sounding overdramatic, Michael is going to die unless he sees Calum in the next week. Possibly less. He's experiencing severe Calum withdrawal, and it shows. Sleeping alone sucks more than Michael can put into words. There's no warm, steady weight against his back anymore, just the flimsy brush of his own duvet. He tucks it as tightly around himself as possible, but it's just not the same as Calum's embrace.
"I miss you," he whines over FaceTime one evening.
"You better," Calum replies. Then, immediately, "Sorry, I mean, I miss you too, obviously."
"You're on thin ice here," Michael grumbles.
"You already know I miss you," Calum tells him.
"I hate being in quarantine. This sucks so bad, Cal."
Calum nods, sighs. "You know…I've been in, like, proper quarantine for two weeks. More than that. Haven't seen anyone or done anything."
Michael makes a face. "Really? No one? Nothing?"
"Yeah, but I mean." Calum tilts his head on the screen. "I could probably come to yours."
For a moment Michael's heart leaps into his throat, and then, just as quickly, it plummets. "You can't," he says. "The travel, and plus then you'd be going back, and I'm pretty sure I've been in some suspicious places recently. I mean I'm being careful, but you know. I don't want you to get it or bring it back with you."
Calum hums. "I could stay with you."
Again Michael's heart gives a lurch. "Really?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"That'd be so amazing," Michael breathes. "Beyond awesome. Oh my God. Can — would you? Seriously?"
"Are you kidding me?" Calum gives Michael a look, like, do you even know me? "Michael. Like, I don't want to overstate things here, but I miss you more than I think I've ever missed anyone, excepting possibly Duke."
"Not as much as I miss you," Michael returns. "I've never missed anyone more. At all. Dogs included." Instantly that feels wrong. "Okay. That's a lie. But —"
"Ha!" Calum crows. "I miss you more. Get destroyed, Cliffo."
"You know what," Michael says petulantly, "maybe you shouldn't come visit."
"Funny," Calum says. "I'll sort my shit out here and then I can probably leave in a few days, is that alright?"
It's more than alright. It's actually the most brilliant thing Michael's ever heard. The prospect of seeing Calum lifts his mood way up into the stratosphere, and he grins, bubbly.
"Yeah, yeah, perfect," he says. "Can't wait."
The look on Calum's face says he can't wait, either.
-
It's been too many weeks to count since Michael's been hugged, but the moment Calum is in his arms, the time melts away. "Oh my God, I missed you so fucking much," he murmurs into Calum's shoulder. Calum chuckles.
"Yeah," he says, all fond. "Missed you too, Mikey."
"Let's never stop hugging," Michael suggests. "Ever."
Calum pats his back. "I think life would get pretty difficult pretty quickly."
"I don't really see how."
"The bathroom, for starters."
"We'd figure it out. I've seen you naked."
"That's not. Really." Calum laughs. "Fuck. I really missed you. Come on. Invite me in."
"No," Michael says, as Calum pulls reluctantly out of his hold. Calum frowns. "You might have corona."
"Oh, fuck off."
Laughing loudly, Michael leads Calum in. Immediately, Southy and Moose are at his heels, yapping excitedly. Calum kneels, grinning. "Hey, guys! Miss me much?"
"They can just smell Duke on you," Michael says in mock-contempt. It's generally accepted that Moose and Southy favor Calum over, well, basically anyone, but Michael refuses to cave. They're his fucking dogs.
"Oh, fuck," Calum remembers, straightening up, to Moose's displeasure. "Duke."
"Go get him," Michael says. "I'll put your shit in your room."
Calum smiles at Michael, the big, bright one, eyes crinkling in the corners so they almost disappear. Michael thinks if he had to pick one thing to wax poetic about forever, it would be this smile, and how it makes him feel gooey and melty inside whenever Calum turns it on him.
"What?" Michael finally demands, when Calum doesn't say anything.
Calum shakes his head. "Does it have to be something, man? I'm just fuckin' happy."
Michael breathes out, feeling lighter than he has in ages. "Me too."
And with that, Calum turns and goes to get Duke from the car. Michael carries Calum's stuff to Calum's room, which is actually a guest room that's been broken in by Calum enough times that they started calling it his. Not that he stays there that often. Borne of habit from both childhood and hotel rooms, Michael and Calum always elect to share the bed. This, among millions of things, has made Michael's life hard in quarantine. Sleeping alone sucks.
Michael gives the room a once-over as he deposits Calum's bags down. It has minimal decorations but the few that are here are very much Calum. A photograph of the sunset off the beach near their childhood homes hangs above the dresser, and there's a comically large poster of Alex Gaskarth above the bed, which, Michael is somewhat sure, had been the result of a lost bet.
Arms wrap around his middle. "Hey."
"You get Duke set up?" Michael asks, resting his hands against Calum's and tilting his head back.
"On a trial basis, yeah. He's gotten really territorial about his food, though, so if either of your kids tries anything…"
"My kids?"
"Your dogs," Calum says dismissively. "I'm just saying, Duke could kick their asses."
"Um, excuse me?" Michael twists around, prying himself out of Calum's grip. "First of all, it would be two on one, and there's no way your weak-ass mutt could —"
"Weak-ass mutt?"
" — also, Southy can and will scratch, and I know for a fact Moose has never read the Geneva Convention."
"Yeah, but they like me more," Calum says cheekily. Michael makes an offended face, and Calum swoops in and kisses his cheek.
"Hey, don't try that shit. They do not like you more."
“Okay,” Calum says, in a very unconvincing voice. “So. What’s for dinner?”
“Nothing for you if you keep this up,” Michael grumbles, scowling.
Calum chuckles. “I can look through your pantry and make something?”
“I just said I’m not feeding you.”
“Right, that’s why I’m going to be feeding you. ”
Michael huffs. “Don’t cook, we can order something.”
“No, I’m gonna cook. I’ve missed cooking for you.”
“Really? For me? ”
“Yes,” Calum says, looking strangely at Michael. “For you. I’ve missed spending time with you. Doing things for you. Why do you think I sent you the care package?”
“Because you love me?”
“Yeah,” Calum says, which is a little unfair, because Michael had been teasing and had expected Calum to tease in return. But Calum just looks matter-of-fact. “Exactly. So let me cook for you.”
Michael squirms, torn between the desire to make another joke or to let Calum’s love settle over his shoulders like a second skin. “Okay,” he concedes. “I’ll be supervising so I know you won’t poison me, though.”
Calum’s eyes crinkle with his smile. “Oh, no. Hanging out with me in the kitchen while I cook? I can’t think of anything worse.”
“Stop being so fucking sappy,” Michael whines. “You’re making me feel bad for being bitchy.”
“No, by all means,” Calum says airily. “Keep mocking me, your best friend, while I remind you over and over again how much I’ve missed you. I don’t mind at all.”
“You’re a shit,” Michael says, swatting at Calum’s shoulder. “Go make me dinner, peasant.”
“Bossy.”
“You asked to make dinner!”
Calum laughs, and turns to go start dinner. Michael trails after, because whatever he says, however he mocks Calum, he’s missed him far too much to let him out of Michael’s sight for too long.
(And also, Michael likes to try and distract Calum while he cooks. It’s in his top five favorite sports.)
-
Having Calum here feels so natural it makes Michael wonder if they’d ever actually spent any time apart or if it had been a hallucination. They fall back into routine so easily, routine established from every part of their lives spent together; traditions created back in school, behaviors formed and reinforced through years of sharing hotel rooms, habits only known to the other. Calum slots back into the Calum-shaped gap he’d left when quarantine started, and it’s as if he’d never been gone.
Michael likes the bubble they’re existing in now, where they speak to no one but each other, go nowhere but the store to replenish depleted groceries, and pretend that time isn’t passing in the outside world. They make a dent in their long list of movies to watch together, and occasionally make fun of. Calum runs in the morning while Michael sleeps, and every morning wakes him for breakfast while Michael bitches. They walk their dogs together.
(Michael gapes when Calum lets Duke off his leash.
“Since fucking when?” he accuses.
“He’s a grown dog,” Calum says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Michael, he’s like a foot long with attachment issues. He won’t go anywhere.”
Michael stares reproachfully at Moose and South. They stare innocently back. Calum chuckles and pats Michael on the back. “You can let ‘em off as long as I’m here. You know they won’t run away from me.”
“Fuck you,” Michael retorts, looping the leash once more around his wrist. Dream on, he thinks, eyeing his dogs.)
And it’s easy, for a week or two, to think that this is just how people are, or if not, that this is just how they are, how Michael and Calum exist in the world. They’ve been best friends since forever, and there’s no one else in Michael’s life who fills the shoes that Calum does — and why should there be, when he has Calum? It’s not like Michael’s ever needed anyone else, or anything else. Homeless or starving or broke or on a deserted island or stranded in outer space or drowning in an ocean or on death row, Michael’s only wish would be Calum.
Of course it would, though. Calum is everything. Michael’s known that for ages.
They don’t even start under the pretense that Calum will be staying in “his” room; from his very first night at Michael’s he doesn’t even open that door, just follows after Michael when Michael declares he’s going to retire for the night and slips under the blanket with him, wordlessly, a silent agreement that there’s no reason to torture themselves sleeping alone when they don’t need to. This quarantine has given them both a new perspective on solitude; namely, avoid at all costs. So Michael snuggles up to Calum, content even to be the little spoon if it means Calum’s the one whose front is all lined up with Michael’s back, whose arm is slung tightly over Michael’s middle, an unspoken promise that Michael’s not getting away from Calum if Calum has any say. It’s comforting to be held, but not necessary; Michael wouldn’t leave Calum’s arms if the house were on fire.
(Okay, maybe if the house were on fire. But he’d definitely wake Calum for that.)
They do the bare minimum promoting CALM — mostly Michael likes leaving that stuff to Luke anyway, who, as lead singer, gets the bulk of the attention for it. Sometimes Michael decides to be resentful about that, but now it’s nice to know that the world doesn’t expect much from him, from either of them. They FaceTime with Luke and Ashton, who express openly and loudly how envious they are of Calum and Michael spending time together. The world spins on, with Michael purposefully ignoring it. Life is wonderful.
“Right, what’s next on the list?” Calum asks, handing Michael a glass of water and collapsing onto the couch. He kicks his legs up and stretches them across Michael’s lap. Michael gives him a look, and Calum just gives Michael a cheeky grin as he takes a sip of his own water.
“The Umbrella Academy, ” Michael says.
“Isn’t that a show?”
“Yeah, well, it’s next on the list.”
Calum frowns. “Why haven’t we got a separate list for TV shows?”
Michael rolls his eyes. “Because we’re idiots? Or because we probably never anticipated having this much time to actually get through the list. Do you want to watch it or not?”
“Oh, definitely,” Calum says. “Isn’t that, fuckin’…Mikey Way’s, or something? One of the MCR guys?”
“Gerard. Yeah.”
“Dope,” Calum says. Michael reaches for the remote while Calum pulls his legs off of Michael, shuffling around on the couch until his head is on Michael’s lap, legs thrown up over the armrest. Michael settles his free hand onto Calum’s crown, running his fingers along the short hair over his scalp. It’s not that he prefers Calum with more hair — generally speaking, Michael’s favorite version of Calum is always whichever one exists at the moment — but he does miss having more hair to play with. He suspects Calum misses that, too. Calum always liked Michael playing with his hair.
“You might have trouble drinking if you’re laying down like this,” Michael observes wryly, although he hopes Calum doesn’t sit up. It may be stupidly domestic, to be like this with Calum, but that’s always been them, and Michael likes it that way. Prefers it. Friends are stupidly domestic sometimes. Aren’t they?
“Whatever,” Calum says, setting his glass blindly onto the floor in front of the couch. “Don’t, like, kick to the right, and we’ll be fine.”
Michael shakes his head fondly and hits play on the first episode of the show. It’s a good show, and for the first episode he and Calum are both equally taken by it. When it ends, Duke shuffles into the room in search of company, and Calum pats the couch to invite him up. “My son,” he whispers as Duke precariously attempts to climb the couch. “Come here, my son. I can lift you up. I can show you what you want to see and take you where you want to be.”
“Are you,” Michael says, briefly distracted from starting the next episode. “Are you singing Capital Cities to Duke?”
“Shut up,” Calum says, making grabby hands towards Duke until Duke gets the message and comes close enough for Calum to grab. “You’re just jealous ‘cause neither of your dogs want to hang out with you.”
“Because they’re normal dogs who sleep at this hour.” Duke settles himself onto Calum’s chest, collapsing with an adorable whoomph, nose brushing up against Calum’s chin. It’s too cute for words, the pair of them. Michael feels his heart clench inexplicably, and looks away.
“Jealous,” Calum sing-songs. “Go on, start the episode, what’re you waiting for?”
“I don’t think you’ll be able to watch with Duke sitting on top of you.”
Calum makes a dismissive noise. “I’ll be fine.”
And he is fine, right up until he falls asleep about fifteen minutes in. Michael notices straightaway, and wonders when exactly he got so attuned to Calum that he can tell in an instant if he’s awake or asleep. Sure enough, glancing down, Calum is exhaling gently, steadily enough that he’s obviously dropped off. Duke is dozing on Calum’s chest. Once again, Michael’s heart does that squeezing thing that leaves Michael vaguely confused. It’s just Calum. It’s always just Calum; what’s happening now that never used to happen before?
For a moment, Michael entertains the idea of just sitting here forever. It’s a tempting option. Michael’s hand has stalled in Calum’s hair but it still rests there, fingertips grazing the nape of his neck, and Calum’s chest is rising and falling rhythmically, raising and lowering Duke with it. The scene is endearing, charming beyond explanation, the kind of thing that makes Michael wish you could frame moving pictures like they do in Harry Potter, just to watch this moment for the rest of his life. He’d put it up in his bedroom, and look at it whenever he was in need of some sense of peace.
If Calum is asleep, though, it must mean he’s tired, and they should probably go to bed if that’s the case. Michael gives himself another long moment to just watch his best friend sleep, face restful and all creases smoothed. He clicks off the TV.
“Cal,” he whispers.
There’s no response.
“Calum,” Michael repeats softly, scratching his fingernails over Calum’s scalp. “Calum, babe.”
Calum hums and his eyes open groggily. He lifts an arm to rub a hand over his face, and Duke jerks awake. “Hmm,” Calum manages, staring up into Michael’s face with a vaguely blank look. “Oh. Fuck. Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine,” Michael says. “Bedtime, though. I’m kind of tired anyway.”
Calum grabs Duke in his hands and then, with an almighty groan, heaves himself into a sitting position, gently lowering Duke to the ground. Duke leaves the room, possibly to go and harass Moose and South into letting him sleep with them. Michael sees a lot of Calum in Duke.
For a second Calum just sits, elbows braced against his knees, face in his hands. Michael furrows his brow. “You feeling okay?”
Calum breathes out. “Yeah, yeah. Just — more tired than usual, I guess.”
“Sleep in tomorrow,” Michael offers. “Lazy day. I love lazy days.”
“Mike, all your days are lazy days.”
“Fuck you, firstly, and secondly, none of my days are lazy days with you.” Michael pokes at Calum’s shoulder. “Which is obviously completely different, because it means we can cuddle all day, or do whatever. And get takeout! Come on, Cal, lazy day, lazy day, pajama day, lazy day —”
“Okay, okay,” Calum relents. “Yes, fine. Fine.” Michael grins and wraps Calum in a hug from the side, and Calum shakes his head, although Michael knows him well enough to know it’s fond exasperation at worst.
“Lazy day,” Michael sings lightly. Calum huffs a laugh. “Let’s go to bed.”
They go, and Michael’s heart does that squeezing-clenching thing again when Calum burrows into Michael’s chest once they’ve gotten under the duvet. He seems to be tipsy off tiredness, but it’s not anything Michael hasn’t seen before, and he doesn’t know why he’s reacting differently all of a sudden.
Must be the tiredness getting to me too, he thinks dismissively, pretending not to think about the fact that he’s no more tired than usual and he’s been tired before, without weird thoughts about Calum cramming their way into his mind. Best to sleep it off.
(Part of him doesn’t want to sleep it off, though. It’s a lovely fantasy, thinking he and Calum might be something more — not that he wants that, necessarily, but if he were going to want it, he doesn’t think it would be so bad. In the safety of his own mind, in fleeting thoughts, it’s nice to think about. Calum’s Calum, after all. It makes sense that eventually even Michael would start to think things. Just as long as he knows they’re all far-fetched things that are far too delusional to ever be anything but silly, sleepy, inexplicable ideas.)
“G’night,” Calum murmurs, sending a buzz from his words across Michael’s skin. Michael shivers, and hopes Calum doesn’t pick up on it.
“Sleep well,” Michael says quietly, lips brushing Calum’s hair. “And if you get up before ten, I’ll spread rumours about you on Twitter.”
Calum barely breathes out a giggle before he sighs and falls asleep. Michael doesn’t see the point in being awake without Calum, and without ceremony falls asleep as well, warm from Calum’s body lined up against his own.
-
Despite Michael’s threat, he still wakes up to an empty bed, covers thrown back where Calum must have gotten out. Of course he has. Michael starts brainstorming vaguely irritating rumour ideas to put on Twitter.
It’s eleven, though, which means that technically Calum could have woken up after ten but before Michael. Either way, Michael’s waking up alone again, and that’s annoying.
He shuffles out of bed, pulling on Calum’s Youngblood hoodie as he pads into the kitchen, where, predictably, Calum is making breakfast. Michael wraps his arms around Calum’s waist and hooks his chin over Calum’s shoulder. Calum jerks at the touch before apparently realizing who it is, and settling backwards into it.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Calum greets him, turning his head to give Michael a kiss on his temple. It strikes Michael as a strangely romantic thing to do, which isn’t a thought he needs to be having. “I promise I wasn’t up before ten.”
“Hmph,” Michael grumbles, which is morning-Michael-speak for come back to bed, but Calum either doesn’t understand or chooses to ignore it. Eyeing the griddle on the stove, he adds, “Pancakes?”
Calum nods. “See, when you wake up early, this is the kind of thing you have time for.”
“Worst lazy day partner ever,” Michael sniffs. “I want to cuddle.”
“What if we eat breakfast and then cuddle?”
“What if you come back to bed and then we eat pancakes when we wake up?”
Calum chuckles. “I don’t know how you’re tired right now. It’s eleven.”
“I don’t know how you’re not,” Michael says, horrified. “It’s eleven.”
Calum just laughs. “I love you,” he says, apropos of nothing, and Michael’s heart does a triple backflip.
“I know,” he says. “If this is a ploy to get me to forgive you for getting me out of bed at eleven in the morning, it’s not working.”
“It’s not a ploy,” Calum says. “But it is working.”
It is working. Just for saying that, though, Michael stubbornly wishes it weren’t, but it’s too late; Calum’s already softened his defenses, thawed his prickly morning mood. “Fuck you,” he mumbles. Calum makes another half-laugh noise and even though Michael’s not looking at his face, he can tell — he can almost feel — the way Calum’s eyes crinkle with his smile.
“You can grab the syrup from the fridge,” he tells Michael. Michael hugs Calum tighter and buries his face in Calum’s neck.
“No,” he says, voice muffled in Calum’s skin. “Shut up.”
“You can’t cuddle me while I’m making pancakes, Mikey.”
“Fucking watch me.”
“Mike.”
“Shh, napping,” Michael mumbles, closing his eyes. He can feel Calum’s racing heartbeat pulsing in his neck, against Michael’s cheek, and distantly wonders why it’s racing. Calum relents, thankfully, and for a moment they just stand there, in the peaceful quiet of the kitchen, Michael’s hands loosely curled into Calum’s shirt. They fit so well it’s almost criminal. “This is perfect,” he sighs, breath hot against his own face where it bounces off Calum’s skin.
Calum settles a hand on Michael’s. “What is?”
Michael hums. “This,” he says again, although he knows that’s mostly meaningless, and it could mean anything. “You. You being here. Just this.”
It’s still kind of nonsensical, but Calum seems to understand anyway. It’s what they do best, understanding each other when nobody else can, when nobody else would bother trying. “I missed you more than I think it’s normal to miss someone,” Calum says quietly. To an outsider listening in, it would sound like a change of subject, but Michael knows it isn’t. It’s perfect to me, too, Calum is saying. It wasn’t any good before. The words hover before them, almost like giving Michael the option to ignore them.
Michael had known that, of course. Michael had also missed Calum more than it’s normal to miss someone. He’d kind of just figured that was how they operated. Calum is saying it like it should be news, like it should mean something monumental, but it’s all the same to Michael. He missed Calum more than a normal person ought to, but not more than Calum deserves. It’s Calum.
“Your heartbeat’s really fast,” Michael murmurs, also a surface change of subject, trying to say so many things, like I missed you too, an insane amount, and is this new for you, too, or just for me? and have I never noticed that your heart pounds when I hug you, or has it just never before? and it’s okay with me, whatever the answer is. He’s almost afraid to pick his head up, scared that he’s going to see the look on Calum’s face and not like it, scared that it’s going to be what he wants it to be. Scared that something is going to change, but almost more afraid that nothing will.
Calum breathes a laugh. “Of course you would notice that.”
“My face is on your neck,” Michael says. “How could I not notice.”
“I meant it,” Calum says, which Michael had also known, and he knows what Calum means, too; not just that he’d meant what he said, but also what he hadn’t, the unspoken this that Michael had been talking about in the first place.
“So did I,” Michael says, meaning that he meant everything he didn’t say, and he wonders if Calum had understood it, but it’s Calum, and they’re them, so of course Calum has understood it. He picks his head up off Calum’s shoulder and Calum twists himself around in Michael’s arms, hands fluttering over Michael’s shoulders before landing. Michael is tempted to point out that he probably shouldn’t turn his back on an open flame, and he probably would if he didn’t think it would ruin the moment. They’re definitely in a moment right now, which should probably be weird, but it isn’t. This should feel weird, but it doesn’t, because it’s Calum.
Michael wonders how many exceptions he’s made in his life for Calum, and how many more he’ll make at the drop of a hat. There’s the world, and then there’s Calum, and the rules stop applying somewhere in transit.
Calum rests his forehead against Michael’s. “I thought that maybe it was just me.”
“How could it be just you?” Michael says softly. His own heartbeat is thudding in his chest. “If it’s you, then it’s me. That’s always been true.”
“This is different,” Calum says, except it’s not. “You changed your mind. Recently.”
Michael blinks. “How do you know that?”
“I just,” Calum shrugs, helplessly. “I don’t know. I could just tell. I can tell.”
“I didn’t change my mind,” Michael says, because he doesn’t know what to say to everything else Calum’s just revealed. Like that Calum must have known before Michael knew. And that Calum must have been waiting for Michael to screw his fucking head on right. And that Calum had noticed, the moment it happened. “I just realized, you idiot. You should have fucking told me.”
“This is my fault? ”
“You knew!”
“I thought it was just me,” Calum repeats.
“Well that was a stupid fucking assumption to make,” Michael tells him. “You were waiting for me to realize.”
“I wasn’t waiting, I was just…” Calum frowns. “Hoping.”
Michael rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m here now,” he says. “I’m all caught up.” They’re dancing around it, he notices, because Michael is just finding his footing and Calum is probably waiting for Michael to say psych!, and neither of them wants to say it. Once they say it, it’s a fact.
It’s a fact already, though. It’s been a part of the MichaelandCalum history since they met, and they’ve both just been idiots about it, basically.
Calum’s eyes crinkle as the ghost of a smile starts to lift at the corners of his lips, and before Michael can even begin to wax poetic about it, they’re kissing. It makes so much sense to be kissing that Michael doesn’t even think, for a moment, that it’s strange. It just feels nice, and feels right, and Calum’s mouth is warm and tastes like chocolate, inexplicably.
Calum exhales sharply when they part. “Fucking finally,” he says, breath hot on Michael’s lips.
“You could have told me we’re in love,” Michael says. “I wish I’d fucking known.”
“Don’t blame this on me. You could have opened your fucking eyes.”
“Pancakes,” Michael remembers. “You’re making pancakes. You should make them.”
“I think, maybe,” Calum says, and then nothing else, just catches Michael in another kiss, sweet like the last, familiar like everything to do with Calum, one of Calum’s hands curling steadily around the back of Michael’s neck. Michael doubts if he’s ever felt more at home than he does right now.
“Okay,” Michael says hoarsely against Calum’s mouth. “More of that. Pancakes later.”
Calum grins. The pancakes sit on the island until they’re cold, vapor dissolving into the cool kitchen air. The world spins on. Life is wonderful.
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List of Iorveth/Roche WiPs
Because somethings I like to torment myself by showing how many fucking things I’m working on. Doesn’t help that lately, I’ve started a new WiP every time I get stuck in another fic. So, in no particular order (literally just how the tabs are ordered in my window lmao), here are all my Iorveth/Roche WiPs
2 fics in the Petals and Stripes ‘verse - one with Roche’s POV straight after and one of the Stripes’ POV as they deal with the aftermath... and try to help their boss woo Iorveth. Surprising no one, they’re terrible at it.
Curse breaking WiP where True Love’s Kiss strong emotion for one’s enemy saves Iorveth’s life. And then he, Roche, and Triss team up to go save the Scoia’tael.
Roche’s POV WiP set before they first meet. Includes some nice knife and blood kink during a face off between Iorveth and Roche. No idea where this one is going.
Eye On You Chapter 3, for which the plan is thigh-fucking. That’s it, that’s all I got.
Fake dating casefic (The Curious Case of the Murivel Resort for Couples). rn they’re playing strip gwent and I somehow signed up to write 5 different gwent games for this 😢
Competitive makeouts (The Chase) rn they’re spiderman kissing, but there’s gonna be a conspiracy plot that Iorveth has to reveal.
New ‘verse involving Iorveth/Roche/Kayran and Roche/Foltest lmao. First WiP is Roche running into Iorveth during his monthly fuckdate with the Kayran... and then joining in. Second WiP is a comparison of Roche’s two relationships and how they make him feel. For some reason, I framed it around the Chivalric Virtues from Blood & Wine and made it a 5+1 lol
Pining and Poignards, a WiP in which there is pining and stabbing lol. A poignard is a type of knife, which Iorveth generously “gifts” to Roche. rn Iorveth is sneaking around the army base and has just caught Roche masturbating. I...only sort of know where I’m going with this one.
Tittyfucking. That’s it, that’s the plot lmao. Iorveth is a lil obsessed with Roche’s chest and attempts to fuck it.
Gross Gremlin Man aka Iorveth prefers Roche nasty and sweaty. Uh... I just started this one and somehow it went from “huh, why do I not mind Roche when he’s all sweaty” to “hmm, I think I’m gonna steal his clothes and smell them while I touch myself” and I’m still working on the transition from one to the other lol
Red is the Rose Chapters 3+4 - Ch3 is about ready for posting, but I’m trying to figure out how much of the events of W2 to cover or if I should just skip all of them and get to the post-W2 plot.
Fun fact: all of those WiPs above are in 1 document because I like to make life difficult for Google Docs. But the other docs are all specific ‘verses (or themes) and these ones are theoretically standalone. Theoretically.
More standalones
Letters - a post-W3 WiP where Roche is running Temeria and hates it and starts receiving letters from Iorveth (sealed with a forget me not in wax).
WiP where they both get captured and imprisoned in a magic cell and whoops, sex ends up happening... and then their teams come rescue them.
Cuddles with the Commander - continuation of Pride of Temeria, where Roche wakes up cuddled up with Pillow Tits and his team.
Fire Breathing - a Meet the Family WiP where Iorveth is hanging with the Stripes and PT decides to demonstrate how to breathe fire. Iorveth is more than slightly freaked out that humans have this ability.
Iorveth gangbang - uh yeah, what it says on the tin. The Blue Stripes take Iorveth apart under Roche’s guidance.
Different first meeting identity porn WiP - they meet in Flotsam just as the Scoia’tael is starting to get formed. Neither knows who the other is, but they have amazing sex and every time they’re in Flotsam together, they meet up again. But Iorveth, of course, leads the Scoia’tael, and Roche has been tasked with hunting them down.
Crones WiP - Roche went to the Crones to plead for his men back. He gets them back - but as ghosts. He also gets assigned to help work on a cure to the Catriona plague, and it turns out one of the people already working on it is Iorveth. I literally just want Blue Stripes ghosts laughing at Roche’s bad flirting, but somehow it’s mostly angst rn ooops
Love Shack WiPs
First Time WiP - this one is so close to being done dammit. It’s actually the first WiP I ever started for this pairing and it just needs like 2 more orgasms aaaaahhhhhh
Medicine WiP - morning after their first time, they have a discussion about scars and medicine and how elven medicine is way better than human medicine. Not at all based on the billions of medical procedures I’m going through or anything.
PWP Ovi WiP - uh yeah, this one is just pure porn. rn Iorveth is giving Roche his eggs and Roche is loving it.
The Picture Says It All - next is gonna be a sketch of Roche hard at work hunched over a desk and Iorveth is all “no, this is wrong, he’s meant to be wielding a sword and fighting me”
The Haunting of Barrack 8B - Adda!! Adda is officially getting introduced in the next part, which is good, ‘cause she’s important in this ‘verse (and in my heart)
Roche builds Iorveth a home WiP - oh yeah, I stalled out because I realized I had to establish Roche and Rinn’s friendship before she could give him a hint about making a nest for Iorveth
Long Live the King - WiP about Roche’s relationship with Foltest, some of what he’s done for the King, how Iorveth feels about it, and then the big finale for this ‘verse, which I will leave secret for now.
Don’t Cry For Me, Temeria WiPs
These are only the ones that have actual WiPs started, because believe me, I have a LOT more ideas
(Im)Perfect Strangers ch 27 - time for Roche to step up his wooing. Featuring dinner, dancing, and gift giving. And, of course, it wouldn’t be me without misunderstandings lol.
Between Two Fools Ch 8 - I’m working on getting this out as soon as I can. Just gotta finish writing their sex from the end of (Im)Perfect Strangers ch 26
Unlucky Number Thirteen - I want to write about how he starts spying for Roche and their developing kinda mentorship relationship
Silas’s story - he’s literally JUST joined the Stripes and I need to write how he and Thirteen work closely together but also this poor anxious boy is like 3 seconds from a heart attack at all times rn. It will get better tho.
Earning Your Stripes ch 2 - the first time. This chap will actually have porn! But first I gotta finish writing it lol. Rn Ves and Finch are double teaming Fenn and PT and Thirteen are in subspace cuddling with Roche, but soon they’ll get to join in too.
break (v /brāk/): to destroy someone's resistance - cnc WiP where Iorveth asks Roche to break him - and Roche has a lot of fun doing so as they pretend to fight like they’re still enemies.
Bath House - this was SUPPOSED to be a porny lil thing where Roche talks dirty to Iorveth while they’re stuck being proper for the kids, and then finally they get some alone time. But what it also turned into is that Anais and Thirteen equally hate baths lmao. Boussy loves them tho. He’s a hedonist, while Anais is just bored and Thirteen is like a cat with water.
Tutti Ch 2 - Iorveth begins to compose a symphony for Roche about their love story.
Daggers, Dumplings, and Dresses - the Elihal/Hattori side story. Not gotten much written so far - mostly just Elihal reflecting on his friendship with Iorveth.
The First Rule of Fight Club ch 2 - Ves now has time to think about what Ciaran said about Roche not being worthy of her loyalty. And also about how Ciaran’s skin tasted when she bit him.
Dragonfucking - another PWP WiP featuring a threesome with Saskia... except Roche still doesn’t know about the whole dragon thing, so he’s in for a surprise.
Water Balloon Fight - silly lil WiP where the Scoia’tael and the Blue Stripes have a water balloon fight. PT is the ref.
Baby Mama - lmao yes that is what it’s listed as in my doc. Not gonna say a lot about this, but will probably be a longer piece. Set in the distant future in DCfM,T.
Tempt Not a Desperate Man ‘verse
Yeah, does anyone know what this is? It’s the ‘verse that started with Devour What’s Truly Yours and so far has nothing else published oops
Part 2 - in which they actually have to face each other again and figure out where they stand. And then there’s some fisting.
The Chaperon - Iorveth decides to make Roche a chaperon since the last one was sacrificed as a cum rag
Human Bootlicker - Iorveth makes a joke about Roche surrendering on his knees when he gets the upper hand in a fight between the Blue Stripes and the Scoia’tael - and then Roche actually does.
Elven Baths - so it’s kinda a thing in this ‘verse that they end up meeting and fucking in the elven baths in the Flotsam forest. As in, the legend about “if you’re in love, you can still hear the lovers’ sighs in the garden” came to being because Roche is fucking loud lmao. Also, roses of remembrance. 😉
Sort of series fics, but technically stand alone. AKA apparently I decided I wanted to do Themes.
Theme 1: Possessiveness aka all the kinky sex kinda embarrassed to admit to these which is dumb because fuck shame
Piss fic - uh, kinda what it sounds like? Roche decides to be an asshole and refuses to move out of the way when Iorveth tries to get to the bathroom - and somehow this turns into Iorveth pissing on his crotch.
Come inflation + piss fic - Roche gets a potion that makes him come a lot. Iorveth likes it and wants more.
Possessiveness - Iorveth has feelings about his nemesis and Roche does not know how to feel about this.
Tentacles + Breeding - a tentacle/vine plant instinctively tries to lay its eggs in Roche. Iorveth is not okay with this plant going for his enemy... until it turns out Roche is very much here for it. And also for Iorveth fertilizing the eggs after they’ve been laid.
Dream - Roche dreams about Iorveth being an elven king and himself being essentially Iorveth’s plaything, to use and to show off
Theme 2: King Roche aka hey, wouldn’t it be funny if he ended up in charge? He would hate it so much
Murder husbands - Iorveth breaks into the palace and finds the very unhappy “King” Roche, then they go run away and kill war criminals together. But of course Roche could never abandon Temeria, so he’s still in charge by day. But by night, it’s murder time.
Okay, technically this has like a line written for it, BUT bodyguard AU where Roche knows he’s gonna get assassinated without protection once he becomes king, and only Iorveth is allowed to kill him. So only makes since for Iorveth to become his bodyguard.
Arranged Marriage AU - inspired by softestpunk’s The Gift, I literally just want cracky fun where they are forced to get married and they hate it but also fall in love. That’s it, that’s the story.
Holy fuck, I have a lot of WiPs. But I think that’s all the Iorveth/Roche ones. Which is not to say I don’t have more, but rn, I am hyperfixated on these idiots, so these are the ones I am actively writing.
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Week 16 Roundup! We have a LOT of awesome stuff this week, due in part to our monthly Discord party! Keep reading to see what our participants created! (A few Endgame spoilers as well, proceed with caution)
Title: Not as Expected
Collaborator: Magi_Silverwolf
Link: AO3
Square Filled: T1 - Sam Wilson / Falcon
Ship: none
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: major character death, not Team Cap friendly, consequences
Summary: For some reason, Sam Wilson didn't expect to be arrested for his crimes. Even if the thought had occurred to him, he expected that the excuse of helping Captain America would be enough to get him out of any trouble. This wasn't what he expected.
Word Count: 1205
Title: Late Night at the Stark Residence
Collaborator: newnewyorker93
Link: AO3
Square Filled: K3 - dark
Ship: Pepperony, Tony & Morgan
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: Endgame spoilers, fluff, light angst
Summary: A snapshot look at one night in the life of the Stark-Potts family during the "Five Years Later" time jump in Endgame, featuring Morgan sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night and lots of soft dad Tony Stark.
Word Count: 3500
Title: Can't Stop Us RoboDads - Chapter 7: I'm Always Gonna Be Here For You
Collaborators: rebelmeg, summerpipedream
Link: AO3
Square Filled for summerpipedream: A1 - image of JARVIS
Ship: MIT Bros
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: MIT era, bot children, fluff, mild angst
Summary: JARVIS is born, Afghanistan happens, and Rhodey reminds Tony of what he needs to hear.
Word Count: 1639
Title: Indenture
Collaborators: 27dragons, tisfan
Link: AO3
Square Filled for tisfan: K5 - Kink: Virgin
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: Explicit
Major Tags: explicit sexual content, gladiators, master & servant
Summary: See the galaxy on a two year work-contract. Well, Tony Stark figures, can’t be worse than home. When he ends up on Sakaar, in the hands of a gladiatorial team, it might be his mechanical skills they’re interested in… or it might be his virginity.
Word Count: 14,588
Title: Red Dust
Collaborator: HogwartsToAlexandria
Link: AO3
Square Filled: S3 - shared trauma
Ship: IronStrange
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: Supreme family, angst, trauma, panic attacks, emotional hurt/comfort, nightmares
Summary: Even as he knows the Snap’s been reversed, that his son is safe and sound in his very own bed and his husband is lying right next to him, Tony can’t seem to make himself let go - every night brings him right back to this one day he’ll never be able to forget, none of them will.
Word Count: 803
Title: The Most Powerful (Pillowfight)
Collaborator: wakandan_wardog
Link: AO3
Square Filled: T2 - A Battle / Fight / Confrontation
Ship: none
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: not Endgame compliant, team as family, fluff
Summary: In which Carol and Tony (aggressively) support each other and then do battle (with pillows) for their honor. Or each other's honor? It's unclear, things got out of control. (James Rhodes loves these idiots way too much.)
Word Count: 1905
Title: Enjoy the Ride
Collaborator: mortenavida
Link: AO3
Square Filled: A3 - free square
Ship: Bruce/Clint/Bucky/Steve/Natasha/Tony/Thor
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: Soulmate AU, non-traditional A/B/O
Summary: Alphas are born with a smudge of "ink" on them that will, as they age, form into their soulmates name. Betas are free of marks. Omegas are born with symbols that represent their Alpha. Much to Howard's displeasure, Tony Stark was born with not one, but six solid symbols across his skin. Tony grew up being told that Howard had tattooed them on his skin so no one could take advantage of it. It takes a weekend to realize how very, very wrong that was.
Word Count: 2294
Title: When You Fall
Collaborator: AoifeLaufeyson
Link: AO3
Square Filled: S1 - KINK: BDSM
Ship: Stony
Rating: Explicit
Major Tags: explicit sexual content, BDSM, bad BDSM etiquette, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending
Summary: Steve makes a mistake and he and Tony have a way to go before they recover from it. Characters, relationships, and tags will updated as the story moves along. See end for more spoilery notes.
Word Count: 3372
Title: Professional Relationship
Collaborator: katling
Link: AO3
Square Filled: A4 - Picture from the comics of Tony Stark and Janet Van Dyne kissing
Ship: Tony/Janet
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: not Steve friendly, conglomeration of Marvel universes, Team Tony
Summary: Steve catches up on the latest news from the New Avengers and he doesn't like what he sees.
Word Count: 1141
Collaborator: Trashcanakin
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: K3 - Old Team
Ship: none
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: retired Avengers, moodboard
Summary: Years after the Avengers retired, handin’ off their mantles to a newer set of young heroes; our favourite OG6 decide t'take a trip. They’ve all moved on since then, have their own families, own homes, are livin’ a happy retirement. But every year on the same date, they all get together an’ take a trip to a new place! What better way t'see the world they all helped save than travel. Everyone is happy an’ nobody dies! :‘V
Title: But(t)… But(t)… But(t)…
Collaborator: katling
Link: AO3
Square Filled: T5 - identity porn
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: secret identity, not Team Cap friendly, not Steve friendly
Summary: No one knows who Iron Man is, other than the bodyguard of the Avengers' main benefactor, Tony Stark. Bucky figures out the secret but not quite in the way you might think.
Word Count: 1984
Collaborator: Trashcanakin
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: S3 - royalty
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: none
Major Tags: moodboard
Summary: After King Howard an’ Queen Maria’s sudden death, Tony is forced to become King. Obadiah Stane, the Hand of the King tries his best to counsel King Stark an’ keep him safe; yet he seems to have disaster after disaster. After an’ attempt on Tony’s life that was nearly successful, High Knight James Rhodes, the Commander of the Army, sends a letter searchin’ for aide. Knight Bucky is sent to help an’ is placed as the King’s bodyguard. Obadiah continues to try an’ kill the King, but with his new guard, it is harder an’ harder. Decidin’ to get rid of Bucky first, he sets out for his plan. Durin’ the ambush, Bucky discovers that it’s Obie commitin’ treason against the King, but ends up bein’ beaten, losin’ his arm in the process. Thinkin’ Bucky dead, Obie heads back to the kingdom. However, miraculously, Bucky doesn’t die. Rhodey finds him while out on patrol, an’ Obie’s evil schemes are foiled. They apprehend Obie an’ King Stark commands he be killed for his crimes.Bucky survives, an’ Tony builds him an arm. He was always a mechanic, never wanted to be King, but he was also a skilled alchemist. Everyone is amazed. Tony & Bucky live happily ever after. Goodbye 😂
Collaborator: strangemischief
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: S2 - Shared Trauma
Ship: IronStrange
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: moodboard, grief/mourning
Summary: Supreme Family Infinity War moodboard
Title: Some Like it Hot
Collaborator: 27dragons
Link: AO3
Square Filled: A5 - KINK: wax play
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: Mature
Major Tags: light BSDM, mild sexual content
Summary: Bucky doesn’t like the cold, but that’s okay. Tony likes making things hot for him instead.
Word Count: 1483
Collaborator: Trashcanakin
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: T4 - De-Aged!Tony
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: art, de-aged Tony
Summary: “Aw, look Buck, he still likes you even when he’s small!” “Ya better fix this, Steve.” — In which Bucky is angry that his boyfriend got de-aged an’ Steve makes fun’ve ‘im for it like a good bro 😂
Title: Rest Easy
Collaborator: ethereal-lullabies
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: S2 - Afterlife - Ascension
Ship: IronPanther
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: Character death, Avengers Endgame pictures used
Summary: After a long life together filled with a happy marriage and many children, Tony and T’Challa pass away together in their sleep.
Title: The Pursuit of Pleasure
Collaborator: buying_the_space_farm
Link: AO3
Square Filled: K4 - hedonism
Ship: FrostIron
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: pre-IM1, magic
Summary: Tony just wants to know who the stranger that he keeps noticing is.
Word Count: 1736
Collaborator: Trashcanakin
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: T5 - Arena
Ship: WinterIron
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: moodboard
Summary: AU: Bucky goes missin’ durin’ a mission gone wrong, everyone assumes he’s dead, but Steve looks for him for a year until his higher ups make him stop. Devistated that his brother is actually gone, he goes hard into his work, where he meets Tony Stark, a skilled mechanic & inventor, & fellow agent. They don’t get along well, but they work well together. 5 years later, Steve & Tony get paired up for a mission, they end up gettin’ kidnapped by a strange evil orginization. Taken to a remote place in the desert, where an honest to god colleseum is set up, they’re told they hafta fight for their freedom; that they must defeat their champion. This orginization mostly jus’ wanted them dead, but wanted to give agood show to their followers. They had no doubts that their genetically enhanced champion would win. They’ve experimented on him countless times to make him the best, after all. Dressed up in medieval garb an’ handed swords an’ weaponry, they’re shoved through the gates into the ring. They start to fight, but everythin’ changes when they discover that their champion is actually Bucky.
Title: You Need to Put Those Back
Collaborator: singingwithoutwords
Link: AO3
Square Filled: K3 - AU: angels/demons
Ship: IronHusbands
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: supernatural elements
Summary: Tony finds a couple spooky silver chalices in a cabin and, like the dumb white boy he is, decides they're his new favorite wineglasses. It goes about how you'd expect, but not nearly as bad as it could have.
Word Count: 1917
Collaborator: Trashcanakin
Link: Tumblr
Square Filled: A4 - [Picture] Tony in Captain America uniform, from comics.
Ship: none
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: art
Summary: Cap!Tony art
Title: Now and Later
Collaborator: MadStarker
Square: K1 - Kink - Rushed Sex
Rating: Explicit
Pairing: Tony Stark / Peter Parker
Warnings: First Time, Love Confessions, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Porn with Feelings, Anal Sex, Armor Kink, Blow Jobs, Multiple Orgasms, Dirty Talk, Barebacking
Summary: Tony's so relieved to have Peter back that he just takes him right there on the battlefield behind a pile of junk
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18917116
Title: the dreamland, amber and gold
Collaborator: deathsweetqueen
Link: AO3
Square Filled: T3 - tony in workshop
Ship: ThunderIron
Rating: Mature
Major Tags: sexual content, Asgardian Tony, Thor AU
Summary: “Anthony?” Anthony looks up from the sword he was cleaning painstakingly. “What?” he demands. Thor stands in the doorway to his forge, hip cocked outwards, cape red as blood glinting in the low light, as his large arms fold across his chest, running a thumb over his lower lip. His eyes pass over Anthony’s bare chest, dark beneath his pale eyelashes. Anthony bites back a sigh; he gives the sword a mournful look – it is very unlikely that he will be able to return to his work that night. “I have missed you, my love.”
Word Count: 9524
Title: The Great Body Shop
Collaborator: JacarandaBanyan
Link: AO3
Square Filled: T2 - Worst case scenario
Ship: Tony & JARVIS, WinterIron
Rating: Teen
Major Tags: Tony angst, JARVIS gets a body
Summary: Tony asks Jarvis what he wants for his birthday, and for once Jarvis asks something of Tony that Tony isn't sure he should give.
Word Count: 2025
Title: You're Making the Typical Me Break My Typical Rules - Chapter One
Collaborator: martianwahtney
Link: AO3
Square Filled: R1 - Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier
Ship: WinterIronHawk
Rating: Gen
Major Tags: Fem!Tony, Clint is an asshole, soulmates, no powers AU
Summary: Toni Stark knew she and James Barnes were soulmates the moment she saw him. The electric blue lines of the arc reactor seemed to glow against his skin, just like hers did. But she kept her mouth shut and she made him a new arm and even engraved his old soulmarks onto his new metal arm. James Barnes knew he and Toni were soulmates nearly a year after they met. She’d been neck deep in one of her car engines and it was impossible to miss the red star on her arm- his star on her arm. Clint Barton knew he, Toni Stark, and James Barnes were soulmates the second Toni had flipped over her arm to show him a purple arrow that stretched from the crease of her elbow to the palm of her hand. The same arrow he had been born with. Alternatively, where Toni tries until she doesn’t, where James keeps his distance until he doesn’t, and Clint won’t let himself fall until he does.
Word Count: 5997
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