#holsom fanfic

[larkral]

Chapter 11: Justin wakes up to his phone alarm.

Chapter 12: Holster ropes him into all kinds of errands in between classes.

Chapter 13: "Hey, bro, mind if I snuggle up?"

Chapter 14: That's the thing about a CTC: it definitionally prevents a paradox.

Chapter 15: "There's always tomorrow, bro."

Chapter 16: Turns out Holster is a very good student when he has the right motivation. 

Chapter 17: Holster hums in the back of his throat.

Friday Prime

"What's happening?" Holster asks. "Friday," Justin smiles back over his shoulder and bops his head to the tune. "Bro, it's Saturday. We had a game and a haus party last night."

Friday, February 19th just can't give it a rest.

[shadowkingofswords]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Check Please! (Webcomic) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Adam "Holster" Birkholtz/Justin "Ransom" Oluransi Characters: Adam "Holster" Birkholtz, Justin "Ransom" Oluransi, March (Check Please!) Additional Tags: Jealousy, Friends to Lovers, Oblivious, College, Getting Together, Light Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, Mutual Pining, Making Up Summary:

Ransom starts hanging out with March and Holster feels insecure and not good about it. Holster wants to do a better job of being Best Friend.

[halfabreath]

Chapters: 2/3 (Part 3 coming ASAP) Rating: Mature Relationships: Holsom, Background Zimbits, Shardo, Holster/OMC Tags: Alternate Universe, Character Death (but not really), Violence, Homophobia, Drowning, Illness, Friends to Lovers, Scooby Doo-Esque Shenanigans, Gratuitous Water Imagery, SMH Ensemble, Blood, Accidental Marriage Summary: After suffering a nervous breakdown, Dr. Justin Oluransi moves into a lighthouse on the coast of Maine and accidentally summons a selkie husband. The only problem? He doesn’t actually know they’re married, and his husband doesn’t remember anything about his human life. This story is, ultimately, about two idiots accidentally falling in love. Oh, and they solve a murder.

Playlist | Tag | My Work (Ao3) (Tumblr) Art by: @sexydexynurse and @gouachemole

[samwell-actually]

Holsom Fic-Rec

Although I have my all-time favorite OMGCP fic bookmarked on my Ao3 page, I wanted to compile a master list of all of my favorite OMGCP Ao3 fic to have in one place on my tumblr. And since I’m that neurotic, I thought it might also be nice to break-up each ship as well: 

Two Minutes for Holding | halfabreath One-Shot, 2k Ransom is a team physician and Holster is a referee. They first meet on the ice during a particularly physical Aces v. Falcs game.

not funny | applecrumbledore One-Shot, 9k This whole thing feels so weird, like they're betraying some clause of the homosocial bro code that says it's only for fun, you can't actually be gay, like they're letting someone down. But on the other hand, being with each other is the most natural thing they've ever done. Like a chemical reaction, or two halves of something whole, or one of those hand puzzles where the two pieces of metal are all twisted around each other, or the logical and satisfying conclusion of a really good book.

Score | emmagrant01 One-Shot, 12k Ransom and Holster like to score goals for each other, and they like to take care of each other. It was probably just a matter of time before those two things became entangled.

What I Wanted Was to Fall Asleep | halfabreath One-Shot, 5k The gods are real, which everyone knows, but when they’re not fighting among themselves they’re usually partying and humans have generally learned to accept their meddling without too much complaining. Ransom just never thought he’d actually know someone who’d been god-touched and he never, ever expected that it would be Holster. Alternatively: Holster becomes a tree.

Five Things Adam Birkholtz Learns in HDFS 332: Healthy Couple Relationships | EllyAvon Completed Multi-Chapter, 6k HDFS 332: Healthy Couple Relationships is just the night class Holster is taking with Lardo to fulfill one of his core requirements. He doesn't expect it to drastically change his life. OR: The Weirdest Healthy Relationships PSA Ever. OR: Wholesome Holsom

In a Different Frame | sunfair One-Shot, 4k Holster is determined to become somebody's boyfriend. Too bad he's kind of an idiot. He figures it out, though.

BFFWB | emmagrant01 One-Shot, 7k Ransom's schedule this semester leaves no time for a sex life. Holster has a solution for that. (Set fall 2014)

Seasonal Drinks | rhysiana Completed Multi-Chapter, 1k An AU in which Ransom and Holster never met in college. Thank goodness for the local coffee shop.

someone as good for me as you | astrolesbian One-Shot, 7k “So tell me,” Justin’s mother says, all business, “is your boy going to propose?” “What, Jack?” Justin says, and doesn’t really think much of it, because his mother eats up the details of Jack and Bitty and JackandBitty like Holster eats up rom-coms. His mother sighs, and he can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “No, baby, I meant Adam.”

what is the meaning of this? | kleinergruenerkaktus Multi-Part Series, 13k Ransom has a system, and it was working just fine before Holster came along.

There Were Fireflies | Schuyler One-Shot, 3k Holster has never been weird about shit like this before. They’ve been friends for, what? Almost a decade? And Holster has never said anything bad about guys who date other guys. Hell, they lived in a house with Jack and Bits. But Ransom goes on two dates with a guy and Holster goes ballistic.

blink back to let me know | nighimpossible One-Shot, 4k Justin is a medical student in Boston and Holster is working in New York.Things were a lot easier before they became real people.

Here’s a Man in Evenin’ Clothes | halfabreath One-Shot, 5k Ransom's estimating that they've got another 3.75 hours until the last people trickle out of the Haus. 3.75 hours, 225 minutes.Holster grins, flushed and disheveled and handsome as Justin has ever seen him, and suddenly he knows he's not going to be able to wait another 225 minutes before kissing him. Or: Epikegster toga porn

Keep It | petals42_tumbler (rosepetals42) Completed Multi-Chapter, 18k At the start of their senior year, Ransom is dating March and Holster is okay. Of course he is. Except when he's not.

cabin fever | theghostofjamespotter One-Shot, 5k “Dude. You didn’t score a single goal.” He’s beaming, chin resting on Ransom’s thigh. “And you came in like, under five minutes.” or, the forfeit fifa fic no one has asked for. just bros being bros and somehow accidentally hooking up.

How to Romance a Hockey Player | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells One-Shot, 7k After Holster comes out, Ransom needs a plan. A plan to make his best friend fall in love with him. What could possibly go wrong?

the lucky ones | screamlet Completed Multi-Chapter, 17k They made the decision to drive to Myrtle Beach when Holster found the fucking sweetest cottage near the beach.

guard/hit/hammer | halfabreath One-Shot, 2k Justin Oluransi is a gold medalist, and he has no idea what he's doing. (Ransom and Holster's first kiss happens on a tiny couch on the world's biggest stage.)

first love, late spring | lehtonen One-Shot, 12k “Right.” Ransom still looks serious, but there’s a sinister glint in his eye that Holster gloomily recognises as contemplation. “What’s in it for us?”Holster whips his head round to stare at him so fast his neck twinges in three different places. “Nothing is in it for us,” he hisses sotto voce, “or did you not hear the part where we’d be dating?”

Ransom and Holster’s Guide to Shennanigans | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells One-Shot, 8k Ransom and Holster have been together since June, but they keep it low key. Maybe even a little too low key. Shenanigans ensue because, hey, it's awfully hard for the team to set them up when they've already been dating for months.

Just bros being bros | blue_eyed, growlery One-Shot, 7k Rans and Holster have a busy semester, so they start planning their bro-time. But its not like they're dating, right?

all my time is yours as is mine | halfabreath One-Shot, 1k No one knows how long Holster's been alive. No one knows how much time Ransom has left. Everyone knows about things. Not everyone has one, but everyone that does has a different word for it. Gifts. Abilities. Talents. Purpose. Superpowers. Quirks. Most things are small, but sometimes, in very rare circumstances, they’re all encompassing and terrifying. There’s a reason Ransom and Holster call them curses.

Give a Little Bit (of Your Time to Me) | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells Completed Multi-Chapter, 21k In a world where Adam Birkholtz never went to Samwell, he loses a beer pong bet to Lardo and winds up refereeing a rec hockey game for one freshly broken-hearted Justin Oluransi. For once in his life, Justin is totally out of his league.

Adam Birkholtz's Foolproof Guide to the Perfect Birthday | akadiene One-Shot, 6k On March 28th, 2016, Justin Oluransi, co-captain of the Samwell Men’s Hockey team and love of Holster’s life, is turning 23. It's also the day Holster dies.

Always Halfway to Go | halfabreath Incomplete Multi-Chapter, 33k While at Samwell, Ransom gets a job at the Rec center teaching water aerobics. Generally his class is filled to the brim with old ladies and their husbands, so he’s shocked to arrive at class at the beginning of the semester and find Adam Birkholtz, ex-hockey player, who’s there to supplement his physical therapy with gentle cardio.Things only get more complicated from there.

Detachment Studies | Tiptoe39 Completed Multi-Chapter, 4k A soulmate doesn't always mean a lover. But it does mean an attachment that's hard when it breaks. Luckily, there's the field of detachment studies -- how to mitigate the cognitive damage done when one loses a soulmate. Ransom's going to become a specialist in the field and prove that there's life after detachment. And he's going to practice what he preaches -- by leaving his own soulmate behind.

Salt-Mates | orphan account One-Shot, 4k Losing is dog in the park, Adam Birkholtz is pretty sure he's about to experience his worst day. Until he finds his dog sat quietly with a gorgeous man on a bench, a Harry Potter book in his hand, giving a lecture to the animal about the tragedy that befell Remus Lupin. That's when things get a little bit...strange.

This is Why We’re Medical Proxies | SecretGeniusShittyKnight One-Shot, 4k Holster gets sick. Then he gets a hospital stay. Then he gets high. Then he gets a boyfriend.

pH balance | alcatraz One-Shot, 2k “I can’t believe you have a crush on a white boy who unironically wears cut-off sweatpants,” she says gleefully. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Have We Been Boyfriends This Whole Time? | rhysiana One-Shot, 1k Post-college socializing is harder to organize than Ransom expected. Fortunately, his best bro is there for him. In every way.

Future Perfect | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells Completed Multi-Chapter, 14k WANTED: COMMITTED MONOGAMOUS COUPLES Are you and your significant other in a committed, monogamous relationship? Have you been dating for at least six months? Are you living together? If you meet these criteria (and you are at least 18 years old), you may be eligible to participate in a COMPENSATED study (up to $300) on love and decision making. Please call 617-555-7864 or email romance.jenningslab@samwell.edu. The moment he sees the sign, Holster knows he's struck gold. The only problem is, he and Ransom aren't technically dating. But who are romance and technicalities to stand in the way of a business scheme that's bound to go according to plan?

Tailspinners | rhysiana One-Shot, 1k In which Holster runs a literacy non-profit, Ransom is a pediatrician new to town, and Bitty is the Youth Services librarian who brings them together.

don we now our fake romances | DizzyRedhead One-Shot, 4k Justin notices that Holster is looking a little run-down. But there's no problem that their awesome broness can't solve. Right?

wanna be your romeo | leetlebird Completed Multi-Chapter, 50k Holster's always said 'fuck the lax bros,' but when he meets Ransom, a new transfer student on the lacrosse team, Holster realizes he wants to be a gentleman and date a lax bro first. (Ransom doesn't think Holster's too bad, either.) As Ransom and Holster navigate their own secret relationship, their teams band together to get Nursey and Dex to stop fighting by any means necessary - even if that means setting them up on a date. (Romeo and Juliet AU + Much Ado about Nothing AU. Dramatic misunderstandings can only be solved with One Direction, secret make-out sessions, snickerdoodles, Jerry's dates, and - finally - some communication.)

Literary Inspirations | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells Multi-Part Series, 15k The possibilities of life are infinite, but time is not. Certain things, like college years, like hockey careers, like the time for your best friend to fall in love with you, have expiration dates. Justin's just afraid he's missed his chance.

the masculinisation and romanticisation of art criticism through the framework of sports-related injuries (or, gross and beautiful) | heyfightme One-Shot, 2k ransom is a gross pre-med hockey boy. holster indulges him. art is created.

The One with All the Kissing | halfabreath One-Shot, 2k In which Holster messes up, gets way more action than he anticipates, and really is Chandler.

The New Ref | rhysiana One-Shot, 1k Ransom is the on-call emergency dentist at the Falconers' games. Holster is the new ref. Lardo and Shitty are matchmaking busybodies.

The World Still Spins | lecrivaineanonyme One-Shot, 5k Justin had first learned about the theory of paradigm shifts back in junior year during his class on the history and philosophy of science. It was just another definition for one of the short answers in the midterm exam: a fundamental change in the basic concepts of and experimental practices within a given scientific discipline. It was a benign factoid to be stored away, something to be revisited in a later essay: compare and contrast the views of Thomas Kuhn and Karl Popper on the scientific process. He hadn’t understood just how jarring such a fundamental shift could be until he broke up with Adam. (Happy ending!)

Homecoming | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells One-Shot, 10k Each December, Justin brings Holster home for Christmas. Each time, it means something new.

Division One Defense Duo To Reunite Saturday | the ghostofjamespotter One-Shot, 1k Flyers Defenseman Justin Oluransi will play against Adam Birkholtz of the Pittsburgh Penguins, for the first time since the two were college D-partners.

Bittle Birkholtz Brousins | halfabreath Multi-Part Series, 19k When Eric Bittle is 8 years old his Aunt Judy marries a Northeasterner named Jacob Birkholtz and suddenly he’s not the weirdest cousin anymore, it’s this gangly 12 year old named Adam who Did Not Want to move to Georgia and now they’re stuck in the same town together.

Bull City Blues | rhysiana Incomplete Multi-Chapter, 11k In which Ransom chooses Duke for medical school, the boys move to Durham, and Holster has to figure out what to do with his life.

One Dance | palateens Complete Multi-Chapter, 7k If he remembers any part of them making out and promptly passing out on the couch the next morning, he doesn’t mention it. Justin would rather avoid making things weird with his best friend while he’s still searching for his soulmate. She’s out there somewhere, and she’s everything he’s ever dreamed of.

The Final Rose | Tintinnabulation_of_the_Bells Incomplete Multi-Chapter, 7k Justin Oluransi quits his job and goes on the reality dating TV show The Bachelor looking to find love. It should be simple, but what he finds is nothing he (or Bachelor host Adam Birkholtz) could ever have imagined of in their wildest dreams.

[parseisflat]

april and holster become friends because their friends are dating. the first time they’re invited on a double date, they only do it as a favor. they’re sitting there the whole night feeling like shit because although all four of them are bros, ransom and march are holding hands right across the table. 

march and april walk back from the double date together, neither of them really registering that no one is ending the night with their actual date. the walk home is illuminated by the streetlights and the stars, and when april shivers a little, march puts an arm around her shoulder and squeezes. “you’re so southern,” she teases. “it’s literally like, forty degrees.” april aches.

that same night, ransom crawls into holster’s bed out of fear of the ghosts (”not that they exist! ghosts aren’t real”). it’s 3 am, he’s exhausted and cranky, but he wraps an arm around ransom and holds him until he falls asleep. he wakes up with his best bro’s cheek resting on his chest, but his mind is filled with thoughts of ransom and march, ransom and march, ransom and march.

for some reason, likely masochism, the double dates continue. they walk in with their dates, and they leave with their bros.

at some point during this process, holster and april find themselves alone at a kegster.

“are we actually dating?” april says, because she’s drunk. she briefly wonders if she sounds rude, but holster just laughs in that loud booming way of his and leans against the wall.

“do you want to be?”

she bites her lip, eyes moving involuntarily to where march and ransom are making out across the room. something in holster’s face shifts, and he leans a little closer, seemingly more at ease. “you too?” he says, as quietly as quiet gets for holster.

and then she’s laughing, bordering on hysterical, because she’s had like three cups of tub juice and a few shots, and she’s at a college party with a cute boy where she could easily be hooking up and dancing and making bad decisions but instead she’s so close to crying over her best friend who may never love her back. “we’re losers,” she says, and he snorts drunkenly; it feels like a new beginning.

some days, she’ll come over to the haus to hang out with holster. they sit out on the reading room, sometimes sharing a joint, and the quietness of the roof opens up a space for them to let themselves be honest for a few hours. “is it weird that it feels worse when she tells me she loves me?” april will say, and let the silence fill the air.

holster thinks of best friend sundaes, and long weekends together in the library, and the way every time he hears someone talking about ransom it is in conjunction with himself. “not weird at all,” he says, then he reaches for the joint and their minds are buzzing with the words that don’t need to be said out loud.

eventually they stop going on double dates.

when they started... it had been fun. a little painful, but not so much that they couldn’t shove down their feelings for a couple hours and open the dam again at night when no one else was around. but after several weeks in a row of fake smiles... april’s done. she’s never been the self-sacrificing type, no matter how much she loves march, and she’s not about to start now. 

march doesn’t seem to see it the same way. “april, look at me,” she’s saying. they’re standing in her dorm, several feet apart. april’s staring at the window, scared of what would be written on her face if she made eye contact. 

“did i do something?” march is saying, and april still isn’t looking up. the sound of her heart pounding is roaring in her ears. dread is pooling slowly in her gut, enough to make her sweaty and nauseous. 

“april,” march says, visibly frustrated. “talk to me.”

april slowly tears her gaze away from the window. “holster and i aren’t even dating, march.”

march throws her hands up in the air. “then why did you even bother coming at all?”

her words are cold, jagged in the corners, and april flinches a little. “i did it for you.” she hates the slight wobble in her voice. after months of hiding successfully, all of her composure is unraveling and any plausible deniability of her being in love with march is slipping away.

march laughs derisively, and april’s heart is stuttering, trying to leap out of her chest and run away to a safe place where she can’t cut herself open and leave her secrets bare. 

“april! what does that even mean?”

something in april snaps, and she all but screams, “can’t you see? march, i’m in love with you.”

her eyes widen when she realizes what she just said. march freezes, slack-jawed. “what did you just say?” she whispers. 

april closes her eyes. fuck. “forget it,” she says. “you’re with ransom, i didn’t - i know i -”

a calloused hand come to rest on her jaw, warm and tender. she slowly opens her eyes. 

march’s forehead comes to rest on hers, and she lets their noses bump together. shakily, april lets her hand tangle in march’s hair. “april,” she’s smiling, laughing a little. 

“march,” she responds, and then she is cut off as march kisses her back to life.

a few days later, all four of them can be found at annie’s again, walking hand-in-hand with the right people this time. 

both the hockey and volleyball teams are incredibly confused when they learn the news, because they thought the double dates were just mlm wlw solidarity the entire time. ( @pecanplease )

[softeningthesound]

Soooo I guess I'm writing real fanfic for the first time in my life?? Sure I used to write headcanons and little oneshots about Wolfstar lmaooooo that's funny to think about (hello old followers if you're still here) but I've never written an actual long fic with like, actual plot and getting together

So it's a Holsom fic about them being friends with benefits and Holster's telling Jack about how it's absolutely destroying him inside because he wants it to be more but he can't say anything because it makes him panic

And I've got an actual storyline planned out and there's going to be flashbacks to the first time it happened and the subsequent times and not necessarily misunderstandings or miscommunication but just two guys who don't want to ruin what they already have so they shut their mouths

Like it's actually gonna be several thousand words (I'm at 1200 words already and that's just part of the setup) I'm really excited

[larkral]

Fic writers self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass it on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have already done it). Spread the self love ❤

Thank you for the ask!! Not a secret: my most recent story is *nearly always* my current favorite. That means that ringing in at

#1 is Friday Prime

It's a Holsom fic, it's an OMGCP fic, it's a time loop, it's a time loop told from the perspective of the person who doesn't know he's in the time loop. I feel out of this world satisfied with how this story came together, including several screaming comments that I just sat at home giggling over because of something I'd set up for a long time that landed like I wanted it to.

#2 is Good at Something

Snowbaz, my beloved. Far and away the most popular of my fics ever, the first smut I'd written in 7 years, a story that I intended to just be smut and then it secretly developed plot. I love this story with all my heart and soul. It's about blowjobs. There are a lot of blowjobs in this fic.

#3 is A Dangerous Affinity

The fic concept that got me back into writing fanfic after the 7 year hiatus. Naomi Novik's Scholomance meets Carry On. Snowbaz in Hellschool. You won't find any sour cherry scones here, but you will find raw denim jeans, terrifying monsters, and a description of eggs that will ruin your appetite some time.

#4 is Feet Buried in the Sand

The description reads "Moments on a beach", the tags read "the beach, waves, surf, tides, an unsettling feeling" and I know the sparse description of the fic is the reason it's the least popular of my works, but I promise it's worth reading, especially, perhaps if you have feelings about Baz being stuck in a coffin.

#5 is a tie between Visible at Sea and An Arranged Meeting

I decided I get two here because most of y'all don't go to either of these fandoms, and yet!

Visible at sea is a silly Sunbrat romp in the In Other Lands fandom. My attempt at writing something short (hard for me!) and something with a believable Elliot voice (also hard for me!). I think it landed, and also the smut in this story is very hot if you ask me. Originally fake-titled Wet, Hot, Otherlands Summer

An Arranged Meeting is a Battlestar Galactica fic, Kara/Lee AU thing told in a nonlinear narrative. When I wrote it (eight years ago), it was an incredible divergence from the way I'd previously written, and I remain incredibly proud of it.

[halfabreath]

i really hope it’s okay that i just kind of went and. did a thing. bless the fuck up for making this it healed me. i’m trying to get back in the swing of things!!! Sorry if the formatting is messed up.

Something tugs on the edge of Holster’s consciousness, a thread unspooling as he flutters back to something resembling wakefulness. The creaking of the attic’s ancient floorboards did it, or the rustling of fabric, or the soft breeze of Ransom’s whispered “Holtzy?” 

“Mmmhmm,” Holster rumbles, the sound curling over his shoulders like the blanket he’s cocooned in. “Want in?” He asks, even as he’s pulling up the blankets so Ransom can settle in next to him. The heat from Ransom’s body was answer enough, but Holster’s pretty sure that Bros don’t think that way about Bros (they’re supposed to chill five feet apart ‘cause they’re not gay but the heat that curls in Holster’s stomachs when Ransom smiles or laughs or bumps his fist with that soft little smile on his face feels kinda gay). Instead of diving into that clusterfuck, though, Holster just asks, “Did you drink the water I left you?”

“Yeah,” Ransom mumbles, the word almost lost in the shuffle of blankets and sheets as he settles on his back. A cool burst of air slips over Holster’s lower back, but he waits until Ransom is settled before pulling the blankets back in place. “Can you - ?” Ransom asks, and Holster knows what his friend needs from the halting syllables and way Ransom’s hands are curled around the blankets (five feet apart, five feet apart, five feet apart ‘cause they’re not).

“‘Course,” Holster breathes, slipping one arm under Ransom’s neck while his other arcs over Ransom’s chest.

(they’re not gay)

Ransom manages to be silent for all of two minutes before he’s mumbling again. “If I fall asleep right now I’ll get five hours and forty two minutes of sleep. If I get five and a half hours of sleep Excel says I’m guaranteed to get a 92% or higher. I need a 95% to secure my A for the semester and if I get that then I can focus more on organic chemistry.” His voice is louder than the wind outside, the Haus settling around them, Holster’s breaths.

“I’m no scientist, but I don’t think you can fall asleep while you’re talking,” Holster muses, heavy eyelids already falling shut again. Ransom’s fingertips press against his forearm.

“You’ve done it. More than once.” Ransom shoots back, and he doesn’t laugh with Holster but he’s somehow sure Ransom is smiling, white teeth shining in the darkness.

“How do you know I’m not doing it right now?” Holster asks, and that, finally, makes Ransom laugh. It’s just a little, huffed thing, but his ribs shake against Holster’s stomach. “Mm, there he is. Wanna tap your breaths?” Holster asks, hand already slipping up Ransom’s chest. He taps his thumb against his friend’s chest - Ransom would know the names of the bones and muscles and nerves he’s pressing against but Holster just knows if his nose is presses against Ransom’s head and if his other hand can curl around Ransom’s ear that he’s in the right spot.

Holster taps one-two-three-four on the inhale and Ransom exhales on five; Holster taps six-seven-eight-nine on the exhale and Ransom inhales on ten. They go on, and on, numbers rising and falling in a rhythmic circle.

“Holster,” Ransom says suddenly, pieces of the broken circle flying across the room as Holster remembers where he is and when he is and who they are to each other (not gay).

He wants to fix that. He wants to push himself up and kiss Ransom so softly, to cup his cheek and make him feel everything that runs through Holster’s mind on a continuous loop but Holster just kisses his temple instead, and tries to make him laugh.

“If you try to thank me I’m going to smother you with a pillow.” Holster deadpans, voice low and rumbly, and Ransom laughs.

“I wasn’t,” Ransom says, and Holster makes a sound he knows his friend will interpret as are you fucking kidding me? “Really!” Ransom protests, hand curling around Holster’s wrist; a tether to someone Holster never, ever plans to be apart from.

(Five millimeters apart feels too far.)

@willdexpoindexter made me do this to repent my sins on the discord and tbh I’ve been cleansed inside and out

[rickastromega]

Here's my most recent work!

Thank you @willdexpoindexter for commissioning me to write this. I had so much fun

Also, I wanna Thank my friend Clover for beta reading this.

Running over you

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266660

[parrishsrubberplant]

December 3 - lighting the candles on the menorah

“How sure are you we aren’t going to burn the Haus 2.0 down?”

Holster presses the tip of the match firmly against the rough side of the matchbox. “Pretty sure.”

Ransom hooks his chin over Holster’s shoulder. “I’d prefer ‘very sure’ or ‘certain,’” he confesses. Holster smells like unscented deodorant and laundry detergent and library. Holster always has a certain scent when he gets back from the library--not quite B.O. and not quite books and not quite crowded T train. A mishmash of all of them.

Holster strikes the match. “I did this every year we were in college.”

“True.” Ransom doesn’t move or step back as Holster lights the shamash. “Do you need to sing?”

“You probably know it too, by now,” Holster says. He leans back a tiny bit, relaxing into Ransom’s hold. “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.”

“Amen,” Ransom says.

Holster picks up the shamash and uses it to light the first candle. It’s pink. He tips the flaming wick of the shamash until the flame transfers. “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh,” he sings.

Ransom releases him. “Amen. Can I light the second one?”

“Of course.” Holster watches as Ransom lifts the shamash and lights the second candle--green--with grave concentration. He places the shamash back in the center.

They stand together for a moment, watching the candles burn. Ransom can feel Holster’s warmth all along his left side. “I’m glad I didn’t go to med school right away,” he confesses.

The corner of Holster’s mouth curves up. “I’m glad you didn’t either.”

[parseisflat]

@parvuls​ made this post! and then @ivecarvedawoodenheart​ made one based on it so now i’m copying both of you <3

1) a fic that made you cry actual tears

Ice Crew Please! by @petals42​ (t, 61.4k, zimbits)

this is probably one of those obvious fic recs because everyone has read this fic but... oh my god. it’s so incredibly touching and cathartic to read. this fic beautifully encapsulated everything i love about found family hhhhh

2) a comfort fic

The Decision to Act by @potrix-the-queerschlaeger​ (t, 2.1k, nurseydex)

i initially bookmarked this fic because it put me in a good mood! it starts off with drunk, tactile nurse and nursey patrol and it combines some of my favorite tropes (mostly hinging on their stupidity, of course). it’s a nice, short read and definitely something i would turn to to cheer up

3) free space

And Miles to Go (Before I Wake) by CoffeeStars (t, 6.5k, patater)

this one is a coraline au! it’s so insanely good, i vividly remember reading it and just being so entranced. it’s the best mix of heartbreaking, unsettling and even funny at times. it was also incredibly romantic.

4) a fic with a trope you don’t normally read but still loved

Inertia by @foryouandbits​ (t, 62.5k, zimbits)

not sure if this counts as a trope but this fic is an inter-dimensional travel au which is just, so creative? the worldbuilding in this one is so well done. i read so much fic it tends to blur together but i remember little details about this one, it’s so good

5) a fic that is angst but hurts so good

stones through stained glass windows by @omgpoindexter​ (t, 14.2k, nurseydex)

this fic is one of the best explorations of dex’s character growth/relationship with his sexuality that i have ever read. and the found family? this fic looked me in the eyes, x-rayed me and said hey, i know your pain because i’ve felt it too. this fic is a fucking lifestyle.

6) a fic that convinced you on a ship you didn’t ship before

The Dream of Having No Room by @omg-whiskey​ (e, 110.8k, whiskent)

there’s no way whiskey x kent would’ve ever crossed my mind had it not been for this author. this fic explores the intricacies of both of their characterizations with such detail and care.

7) a different meeting au

Real Gone by Moransroar (g, 11.3k, zimbits)

it’s a greasers au! something about the tone of this piece and the images it painted in my mind just really hit for me. the characterizations are really interesting, i was just really immersed in this one :)

8) a fic that made you laugh out loud

Say my name, say my name by @omgchyeahplease​ (t, 4.5k, zimbits)

a really hilarious fic focusing on the falconers and jack. it has some really great oc’s! the idea was that a very tired jack doesn’t register that “bittle”=“eric” and he’s like “who the fuck is eric” which elicits the obvious conclusion that they broke up and jack is now pretending his ex doesn’t exist :’( hilarious miscommunication, please go read it

9) a wip you read as it was updated

Baking with the Stars by sweetsoutherncuisine (g, 7.6k as of now, zimbits)

i rarely ever read wips, which should tell you something. i found it on its first or second chapter, it’s currently at 7/8. it’s a baking competition show au! and it’s so well done! the dynamic between jack and bits was so fun, but i really am enjoying the storyline, plus there were a few moments where i was so proud of the characters :)

10) a fic with a ship that isn’t your main ship

(the use of) nostalgia (for what didn’t happen) by @someobscurereference​ (t, 3.3k, jenny/mandy and holsom)

this fic is incredible. there was so many little funny moments (and sad ones as well), and i just fell in love with all of the characters. i will definitely be rereading this one. it’s an au where jenny and mandy are alive and ransom is the ghost. i’m not good at this just go read it trust me

[larkral]

Chapter 7: Friday, February 19, 2016

Chapter 8: Friday, February 19, 2016

Chapter 9: Friday, February 19, 2016

Chapter 10: Friday, February 19, 2016

(the days keep coming and they don't stop coming)

Friday Prime

"What's happening?" Holster asks. "Friday," Justin smiles back over his shoulder and bops his head to the tune. "Bro, it's Saturday. We had a game and a haus party last night."

Friday, February 19th just can't give it a rest.

[nanlicia]

27 for holsom pleaseeee

27. “Son of a bitch.”

I am so sorry this took me forever to get to, but i love you and thank you so much for even sending me this prompt in the first place

Justin keys into his new apartment in Boston, dragging his suitcase into the tiny kitchen his entryway opens into. After a long flight from Toronto, he really can’t wait to plop down on his mattress where it still sits on the floor in his room. All he wants is sleep, and he’ll worry about unpacking and organizing all of his things later.

“I’m home,” he says into the small space, glancing around at all the changes that have happened since he was last here.

His parents had wanted him to come spend some time at home before he had to start work in July, so after graduation he had moved all his belongings into his room in the apartment and then run out to catch a flight home for a couple weeks.

Apparently in the time he’s been gone, Lardo and Holster have made quite a lot of progress settling in. The couch is pressed against the far wall below the window, small end tables on either end with lamps and little knick-knacks atop them, and the book cases have all been arranged nicely to the side, with a neat little rug in the center of the small room.

It feels very cozy, and as his eyes travel around he also spots the lovely painting on the wall leading towards the short hallway, and chuckles to himself as he remembers facetiming Holster while he argued with Lardo about whether she should hang her work in their place.

“That’s not my style,” she had said, spooning peanut butter out of the jar and directly into her mouth.

“Your own work isn’t your style?” Justin had asked, just as Holster had said “Well it’s my style and I like it and I want it!”

Lardo had shook her head and shrugged a shoulder and said “Whatever,” but Justin had seen the faint blush rising in her cheeks and smiled to himself as Holster whooped in triumph and began discussing where to put it.

He loves these two goofs, tbh.

“Hello?” he calls out now, seeing that there are lights on in every room down the hall and yet no one answered him.

“Son of a bitch!”

That was Holster, and actually, the light in Justin’s room is on, and he doesn’t understand why, but he’s pretty sure Holster’s shout came from there too.

“What are you doing?” Justin asks, making his way down there and hearing shuffling from inside. “Holster?”

“Wait, hang on, one sec!” Holster is shouting just as Justin turns to enter the doorway to his room and - oh.

His mattress had been left sitting of the floor in the corner before he left for Toronto, with all his things still in boxes and bags which were stacked haphazardly against the wall beside his closet. He had suitcases of clothes that had been shoved inside it, and the tall dresser he owned had been in the middle of the room.

But now.

His bed frame has been assembled, with the box spring and mattress atop it and his comforter and pillows are all neatly in place. His dresser is against the far wall, his posters are up and so are his picture frames, and he can see that his clothes are all hanging in the closet. His shoes are arranged at the bottom, his books have been stacked in the corner - he still needs to buy a bookcase for his room. There’s also some hooks hanging on his wall where he assumes he’s going to be able to hang his sweaters or a robe or something, and standing just to the left of them, with a hammer in one hand and another hook in the other, is Holster.

He’s smiling coyly and sweating slightly, and he’s shrugging a shoulder and spreading his arms out and says “Surprise?”

Justin drops the handle of his suitcase and hears it clank to the floor. Holster winces. “We got neighbors below us, bro, you gotta be careful.”

“What did you do?” Justin asks, stepping into the room and glancing around.

“Well, I mean - I knew this was gonna be annoying to get to, and I knew you weren’t looking forward to it, and I knew - I didn’t want you to come in and see mine and Lardo’s shit everywhere and feel like you still weren’t putting your own touch on the place, ya know? It’s your home too, and I wanted to make sure you could feel that. I just - I know how anxious the thought of unpacking all those boxes was making you so I just, I thought I’d try to alleviate all that.”

Justin is speechless. He’s staring at Holster’s face, watching the way it moves and expresses so many things with every little word he says, and his heart is just fuckin’ pounding against his chest.

“I hope it’s ok…” Holster says, trailing off and he’s starting to look nervous. “I considered that you know, it might be kinda, invading your privacy to go through your stuff, yeah, and shit- you’re mad aren’t you? This was so fucked up of me, oh my god, I’m so sorry, I should’ve let you do this, I should’ve let you decide where everything goes and just offered my own manual labor instead of putting my hands all over all your shit and I’m so sorry, I’m such-”

Justin takes two steps forward, grabs Holster’s face in his hands, pulls him down and kisses the fuck out of him.

He presses his lips hard against Holster’s, and presses his body hard against Holster’s, and slides his hands down and presses them hard into Holster’s too.

When they pull apart they’re both panting and smiling and holding hands and Holster breathes into the small space between them and says “So you’re not mad?” and Justin shakes his head and says “Not at all”.

Holster’s smile grows impossibly large and Justin is so thankful to him for being so damn considerate and making such a kind gesture, especially when he pushes Holster back and they’re able to fall onto the bed together without the thing falling apart. 

Holster laughs, and Justin reaches up and slides a hand into Holster’s hair. 

“This was incredibly kind of you,” he says, and watches Holster smile shyly. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

Justin nods, pulling slightly on Holster’s hair. The other man inches himself closer so that their noses are touching and when they look at each other their eyes are crossing. 

“So you… you like it enough to kiss me, eh?”

Justin hums under his breath. “That’s been a while coming, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Holster says, swinging a leg over Justin’s hip and wiggling closer. “Yeah, it has.”

Justin smiles and presses a brief light kiss to Holster’s lips. “I’m gonna keep doing it, if that’s ok with you,” he whispers.

Holster nods slightly, and closes the gap between them again to kiss him back and Justin is so glad to finally be home. 

[halfabreath]

I wish you would write a fic where: Ransom is a team physician and Holster is a referee. (They first met on the ice during a particularly physical Aces v. Falcs game?)

Prompt Free For All, Accepting until Sept. 1st! This fill brought to you by @omgpieplease‘s amazing Holsom sketchpage and ref!Holster sketches. 

Justin Oluransi, MD, has a complicated relationship with his job. One one level, he loves it. There’s something so pure about the rush of adrenaline when he has to run onto the ice and assess a situation. He loves hockey and he loves helping people, and being the team physician for the Providence Falconers allows him to do both. There’s just one part of his job that he hates: he’s only called in when something terrible happens. Fighting is expected - he’s sewn up more busted lips and tracked down more teeth than he can count - but injuries are always horrible to witness.

As much as Justin loves his job it’s never fun to see a player go down, especially now that he’s gotten to know the Falconers individually. It had been a little easier to watch them go down when he was still terrified to speak to them for fear of embarrassing himself (in his first conversation with Tater all he’d managed to say was hello and goodbye), but now that he counts them as friends instead of colleagues every time he rushes onto the ice there’s a heavy dread sitting in the pit of his stomach.

Justin’s particularly busy whenever the Aces come to town. He’s not sure what it is about the Aces and Falconers, but guys who aren’t at all prone to fighting tend to end up in the worst scrapes of all whenever their paths cross. It’s so bad that he’s kept even closer to the ice than usual, tucked almost on the bench itself instead of back in the halls underneath the stands. It’s only because of this vantage point that he sees him.

He’d be difficult to miss, actually. He’s taller than most of the players and is just as broad, his clear, blue eyes visible even from behind the low brow of his helmet. He’s stationed himself on center ice, arms crossed, looking as relaxed as he is threatening. He raises a thick eyebrow whenever one of the players gets too close to someone on the opposing team as if he’s just waiting for one of them to make trouble. It wouldn’t be entirely unprecedented - there had been a fight not five minutes into the first period of the last Falcs/Aces game because of a taunt thrown across the ice during warm ups.

As Justin watches, Kent Parson skates right up to the ref, all brash confidence and an easy smile. He can’t hear what they’re saying over the din of the crowd and the constant scraping and clacking from the players warming up, but after a few moments of talking the ref’s expression has shifted from an unimpressed eye roll to a sly grin to a broad smile. They’re chirping, Justin realizes.

“Hey,” he nudges the closest blue and white uniform with his elbow; it’s Tater, who’s holding onto the bench as he stretches. “There’s a new referee?” Tater straightens up, glancing over at the exchange happening at center ice.

“New here, yes!” Alexi confirms. “I see him at Bruins games, hear he moved to Providence. I introduce now.” He decides with one definitive nod. Before Justin can protest he’s waving his arm, calling out to the ref.

“Birkholtz! You start conspiracy with rat? In my house?” The ref laughs, a booming sound Justin can hear over the cacophony of the stadium, as Parson rolls his eyes and skates back to his teammates. The ref glides over, a wide smile still on his face.

“Hey, none of that now. I’ve decided that you have to wait at least a full ten minutes before starting a fight this time.” The ref claps a big hand on Tater’s shoulder, friendly and familiar. Now that he’s close Justin can see that he and Tater are the same height and his cheeks somehow start burning despite the icy air in the rink.

“Me? Fight? Never.” Tater’s words would hold a little more weight if he wasn’t currently sporting the green and yellow remnants of the black eye he’d gotten in a fight not two games ago. Birkholtz raises an eyebrow, unimpressed, then looks over at Justin with the same expression.

“Can you believe this guy?” He asks, and his voice is warm as his eyes are blue and Justin wasn’t prepared for this at all. He smiles, matching Birkholtz’ expression.

Justin shakes his head and reaches out to shove Tater playfully. The Russian glides back a few inches, twisting his body to act like he’s just received a tragic blow. “No, not since he lied to me about his cold symptoms so he could play against the Stars last month. He lied to his doctor.” Tater just shrugs, shamess, and the referee gasps dramatically.

Birkholtz claps his hand to his chest, looking at Tater with horrified amazement. “You’ve lied to a medical professional? Mashkov, I am aghast.” Justin laughs just as Tater waves them off and skates away to join his teammates. The ref turns his attention to Justin, his dramatic expression shifting into a small smile. He sticks out his hand and Justin clasps it firmly. “Adam Birkholtz, professional athlete wrangler.”

“Justin Oluransi, and same.” He replies, pumping Adam’s hand. It’s rare for Justin to find someone bigger than he is, but Adam’s hand feels huge wrapped around his. Adam leans in conspiratorially, entering Justin’s space easily.

“Yeah, but you get to hang out on the bench. I have to run around out there with the kiddos.” He thumbs over his shoulder, gesturing loosely to the players circling behind him. His face is lit up in the same grin as when he was chirping Parson.

Justin scoffs, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “I was in school for like a thousand years - I think I deserve a break now.” He hesitates before continuing, but he can’t keep the words in. “Besides, all that running around agrees with you.” Adam looks up at him in surprise but his expression quickly shifts into an easy smile. He opens his mouth, about to respond when a stream of Falconers fly past them, making their way into the tunnels. Adam winks at him and shoots him with a pair of honest-to-God pair of finger guns before skating backwards to join the other referee. Justin rolls his eyes but points his finger at him, popping his lips as he pulls it back in a quick shooting motion. Adam laughs and banks smoothly, pulling up beside the other officials. Justin watches them talk until the lights dim and the equipment manager needs him to move so he can set up the spare sticks.

Watching the Aces play the Falcs is usually stressful, but with Adam out there it’s almost fun. He jokes with players from both teams to set them at ease and chirps them relentlessly, sometimes in the same breath as calling penalties. Refs are supposed to go unnoticed but Justin can’t keep his eyes off him.

Between the second and third periods Justin’s standing by the boards, watching Marty strech to make sure he’s not hiding an injury from the hard check he took just before the buzzer sounded. There’s a burst of cool air behind him and suddenly there’s a large, striped presence at his side.

“Doc O,” Adam greets. He smiles down at Justin, one thick eyebrow raised flirtatiously.

“Ref Birkholtz,” Justin replies, turning to face him. They’re standing close together, Adam’s height exaggerated by the skates, and they’re literally surrounded by thousands of people but it feels like it’s just the two of them. “Enjoying the game?”

“Always,” Adam’s gaze travels around the rink, a fond smile on his face even after his eyes land back on Justin. “But keeping the kids in line? Not so much. They’re really going at it tonight.”

Justin sighs, nodding in agreement. “I know. I’ve got my exam room prepped for any outcome. Did you know there’s a sixty seven percent chance someone’s going to lose a tooth tonight?” Calculating the exact chances of injury and peril is always a part of his pregame ritual and tonight’s figures had caused him to put in an order for extra gauze and rubber gloves.

“How do you know that?” Adam asks in amazement. “Knowing shit like that would make my job so much easier.”

Justin shrugs and leans in conspiratorially. “I kind of calculated it myself in Excel? It makes my job easier, too.” He still has to speak loudly to be heard over the crowd but he doesn’t want his Excel habit getting out if he can’t help it. He’s not even sure why he’s told Adam but there’s something welcoming about him Justin can’t explain. Despite only having met Adam less than an hour ago, Justin knows it’s safe to confide in him. They talk about the odds of Jack completing the last goal of a hat trick and jokingly throw numbers back and forth until the buzzer sounds and Adam has to skate to center ice to drop the puck and begin the last period.

Things go inexplicably well for the first fifteen minutes. Sure, there’s roughing and high sticking (He hears Adam say “You know what, fuck both you guys, let’s go,” before he literally drags Troy and Guy to the penalty box) but by some miracle Justin gets to stay by the bench. He’s even so relaxed he pulls out his phone to inspect his Google Sheets for any inaccuracies in his calculations when the dull roar of the crowd becomes an all-encompassing barrage of sound. Screaming like that means one of two things: a goal or a fight, and there aren’t any sirens sounding.

When he looks up Jack’s circling Anatoly Kuragin, one of the Aces defensemen. When Jack gets a good punch in and sends Kuragin reeling back the Russian tears off his own helmet and leaps at him. Kuragin tackles Jack to the ice and the noise increases tenfold. It’s a dirty move and all twenty thousand people in the arena know it. Adam joins the fray as he attempts to pull Kuragin back, but Justin’s distracted from the noise and the anger boiling in his own stomach by a smear of red on the ice.

Justin’s vaulting over the boards the moment he sees the blood and he kneels by Jack to check him over quickly. He looks dazed but he’s not bleeding and he easily answers the flurry of questions Justin throws at him. By the time Jack’s back on his feet his eyes are clear, narrowed and cold as he glares at the Ace. When Justin follows his gaze he sees Adam holding Kuragin in a chokehold and it’s suddenly clear where the blood came from.

Justin may have swore an oath to Do No Harm but when he sees the red streaming down Adam’s face he has to tighten his grip on Jack’s jersey to keep from punching Kuragin himself. The linesmen take over and wrestle Kuragin over to the penalty box as the crowd cheers but the sound fades to a dull roar when Justin hurries over to Adam’s side. He steers him towards the dressing room, pushing him carefully off the ice and through the tunnel. Staff members swarm around them but Justin keeps his hands firmly on Adam’s shoulders and Adam, for his part, goes exactly where Justin guides him.

When they reach the exam room Adam carefully removes his helmet and hops up on the table, but Justin has to push past equipment manages and people that are cluttering up his exam room with their presence.

“If you’re not going to be helpful, then get the fuck out.” He shoves a wayward intern to the side and slams the box of wipes on the exam table. Justin glares at the staff hovering around them and they all trickle out of the exam room. When he turns back to his patient Adam has his head tilted up, a thick stream of blood trickling down the pale column of his throat.

It’s not hot, because Adam’s hurt and his brows are pinched together in a telltale sign of pain, but Justin has to admit there’s something beautiful about him even under the harsh florescent lights.

Justin snaps on a pair of gloves and wipes the blood on Adam’s throat away carefully. Adam’s surprisingly still beneath his hands, his only movements the quick rise and fall of his chest as he tries to catch his breath. Justin works his way up Adam’s throat, to his jaw, to his lips and finally to his nose. He examines it for a moment, gently turning Adam’s head this way and that, feeling around until his suspicions are confirmed.

“Well, your whole face is broken.” His tone make Adam smile, revealing his red-stained teeth. Justin winces and tugs Adam in to make sure all his teeth are still there. He pulls Adam’s upper lip up unceremoniously, opening his mouth wider to check his molars. It’s hard to believe he’s currently running his gloved fingers over the gums of the man he’d been flirting with not two hours ago. Adam’s clearly thinking along the same lines, shoulders shaking as he tries to hold in his laughter. It spills out when Justin finally removes his fingers from his mouth, stepping away to change gloves.

“Kuragin caught me with his elbow. I bet you don’t think all that running around agrees with me now.” Adam jokes. There’s blood on his teeth and his nose is red and clearly bent out of shape, but he’s smiling nevertheless. When Justin has the new gloves on he steps between Adam’s knees, reaching up to cup his face to his head to the side in order to examine his profile.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Justin murmurs, running his fingers along Adam’s jaw. He lingers, letting the words hang between them before guiding Adam’s head back down. They’re eye to eye and Adam’s blatantly staring at his lips. It takes all his self control to step away but he lets one hand fall to Adam’s knee, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“I’m going to have to reset your nose.” He explains, all joking aside. Adam’s smile dims for a moment as he raises a hand to gently touch his own face, wincing when he pokes the fracture directly. Justin grabs his hand before he can inadvertently hurt himself again.

Adam glances down at their joined hands, the corner of his lips raising in a crooked little smile. “You don’t think this is a good look?” He asks, squeezing Justin’s hand once before pulling away.

“I like your face better the way it was.” Justin admits, shooting at Adam’s face with the same finger gun the ref had used on him before.

Adam chuckles, low and throaty. “So you do like my face.”

“Yeah, Adam. I like your face.” Justin places his thumbs along the sides of Adam’s nose, feeling carefully to determine exactly where the fracture is. Adam’s about to reply and Justin figures now is a good time as any. He applies a sharp pressure to the right side of Adam’s nose, mouth set in a grim line as he sets the cartilage back into place.

Adam’s expression twists into a pained grimace. “Holy fucking hell, what the actual god damn fuck? Fuck me!” His voice, already so loud in the crowded rink, fills the small exam room completely. He jerks back but Justin holds him firmly in place, refusing to let go until his nose is back where it should be. Adam grits his teeth, blue eyes squeezing shut in pain until Justin finally releases him.

He shudders, letting out a shaky sigh. Justin places a comforting hand on his shoulder, rubbing the muscle gently until the tension bleeds away.

“I’m assuming you want to go back out there?” Justin asks quietly, entirely unsurprised by the answering nod he receives.

Adam brushes his fingertips over the bridge of his nose, lips twisting in a small grimace. “You know it. Someone’s gotta keep those assholes in line.” He shrugs, smiling that crooked smile Justin’s becoming so fond of.

Justin sends him back into the fray with a full face shield attached to his helmet, a splint taped over his nose, and his number written on the back of Adam’s hand.

Two weeks later they’re standing outside Justin’s apartment building after their third date. Justin’s cradling Adam’s face in his hands, thumbs gently pressing along the sides of his almost healed nose.

“You’re sure it doesn’t hurt?” Justin asks, trying and failing to concentrate when Adam’s hands settle on his hips. The bruising had faded days ago but Justin’s not about to break Adam’s nose again with his own face.

Adam doesn’t reply but he leans in close, brushing their lips together in a light almost-kiss. Justin smooths his thumbs under Adam’s eyes, across his cheeks until he’s cupping the taller man’s jaw in his hands.

“See?” Adam murmurs into the small space between them. “I have the best doctor in the United States and Canad - mmhm.” Justin’s already sealed their lips together, unable to keep from kissing him a second longer. His fingertips skate along Adam’s strong jaw, turning him this way and that. Adam pulls him close, winding an arm around his waist.

It’s worth the wait.

[parrishsrubberplant]

Various couples, summer training

Jack and Bitty

They have different body types and different styles of play, so certain things don’t work. 

“I can’t--it wouldn’t be safe for me to spot that.” Bitty looks at the multiple 25 lb plates balancing Jack’s bar.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Bitty laughs. “Did you forget I’m short?”

Jack likes that he didn’t say weak, because Bitty isn’t weak. If you compare what he lifts to what he weighs he’s actually one of the strongest people on the team, literally. But weights are out.

Cardio, on the other hand...

Bitty sprints to the end of the block and then turns around, laughing. “You’re so slow!” he calls out, an instant before Jack collides with him. “No! No noggies!”

Jack is laughing as he scrubs his hand through Bitty’s hair. This, they can do together.

Nursey and Dex

“Come on,” Dex whines. He lies on his back on the bench. He’s waiting for Nursey to add more plates to the bar, but Nursey’s being a dick about it. “I can definitely do it. You just don’t want me to beat you.”

Nursey laughs at him and picks up two ten-pound plates. “No, I just don’t want to have to massage your back all night.”

Dex’s face is already red from exertion and sweat has gathered at the hollow of his throat. “I won’t ask for a massage,” he says stubbornly.

Nursey puts the plates on. Dex completes the set. At the end of it, his arms are trembling. He racks the bar quietly, though. It’s just one of the many things Nursey loves about him--the way Dex never, ever slams the weights.

Later, Dex flops onto the bed with a groan. “Kill me.”

Nursey flops down next to him. “Take off your shirt.”

Dex turns his head and glares at him. “Take off yours.” 

He doesn’t expect Nursey to comply, much less smile brightly. “Babe,” Nursey says. “I got flavored massage oil.” He sounds way too excited about this.

Parse and Tater

It’s their first summer training together. He’s really surprised that Kent would drive four hours for anything, but. Kent has a fast little car and he lets Alexei pick the music.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Kent says, and sings along with the pop song in surprisingly good Russian.

“It’s not off day,” Alexei says. He knows it’s going to be an adjustment, spending this much time together. But he needs to be in shape for the season, he can’t just take days off.

“We’re still going to train,” Kent says. “Tomorrow’s an off day and we’re going to stay at Moose’s beach house.”

“Moose knows this?”

Kent grins. “Yep.”

Alexei closes his eyes and stops worrying.

Three and a half hours later (speed limits are for mere mortals) they’re pulling over by the side of the road. The horizon is wide open ahead of them and the ocean sparkles. Kent pops the trunk.

It takes him ten minutes to set up the green poles. Oh. Plyometrics. Alexei can do this.

They jog up and down the beach to loosen up after the drive. Alexei tries to push Kent into the water, but Kent is too fast for him.

“Set your stop watch,” Kent says, and completes the jumps, bouncing over each pole like he has springs in his calves. He probably does.

Alexei follows him. His time is two seconds faster than Kent’s. “Oh, too bad. Has all that champagne made you lazy?”

Laughing, Kent throws a handful of wet sand at him. “Again,” he says.

Holster and Ransom

The trail is just wide enough to run side by side. It’s cooler here in the woods, shaded by the trees.

“Dude,” Holster says, and Ransom knows he means ‘Watch the rock, right there.’

“Bro,” Ransom says, later. Translation: ‘You’re about to spear yourself on that stick.’

The trail ends at a wide pool. Holster drops to a walk and wipes his forehead. They’ve been here before, to the disused quarry/pond. It’s usually quiet and today is no exception. Except the birds, they’re the only living things in this forest.

“Is there a still swing?” Ransom asks.

Holster nods, walks behind an enormous maple tree, and comes back with a rope in his hands. He offers it to Ransom.

Ransom holds up one finger and bends down to untie his shoes. He toes them off, leaves them neatly lined up by a tree. Then he takes the rope and swings himself out over the water.

“Jesus!” he comes up sputtering. “Cold!”

Holster laughs and cannonballs after him.