#i accidentally wrote 5k words one day like hell if i know

[stunt-lads]

I miss writing silly drabbles

Mayhaps I will try tomorrow night to write some

[whimsicalmeerkat]

20 questions for fic writers!

Thanks for the tag, @thotpuppy! I've been thinking about this off and on the last couple of days. I really do enjoy this sort of thing, both reading others and making my own. Blank after the cut.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

135. 23 of which are drabbles

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

354,120 total, all since the beginning of 2020

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The big ones are Teen Wolf and Black Jewels., but I also write Perilous Courts and The Hollows, along with some other assorted SFF book fandoms. I have a lot of Men's Hockey RPF fics, but rarely revisit the fandom. Spideypool's another fandom I fell out of at some point.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Tell Me No Lies (Spideypool, 5k. Explicit, grocery store meet-cute)

my heart was connected (Teen Wolf Steterek, 11k. Explicit. fake SO for the holidays that grew legs and ran away with me)

I give hell my worst (Spideypool, 5.5k. Explicit, merman Peter Parker and pirate Wade Wilson)

just give me one thing that I can hold onto (Teen Wolf Sterek, 9k, Explicit, Derek and Stiles keep waking up naked in the woods)

Joke's On You (The Witcher, Emralt, 12k, soulmates get married for Reasons)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond, but sometimes it takes me a while, especially when I have a lot I want to say.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably it kind of vanishes away (Teen Wolf Dargent, 866 words, Explicit, two sad and lonely men getting off together)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I don't know what I would say is the happiest, so I'm going to go with the kitten is happy (Perilous Courts Julien/Whisper, 300 words, Gen) because it's the most unequivocally happy ending I've written in ages.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I've been pretty fortunate. I've gotten a few shitty comments, but nothing I felt the need to dwell on. Another commenter yelled at someone for one of them once, months after the fact. That made me laugh.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes. I don't know what this means by kind, exactly. I write a lot of wall/door sex and work knotting in whenever possible, especially if I can make it accidental.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

As a general rule, no, but I did co-write a Spideypool/Men's Hockey RPF one where Peter Parker was the guy inside the Gritty suit.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Just the one mentioned in #10

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Daemon Sadi/Lucivar Yaslana from Black Jewels

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Black Jewels modern AU of sorts where magic comes back and I strip out all of the gender bullshit

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization is my greatest strength, without doubt. I'm also good at writing banter and funny moments during smut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm really bad at planning ahead or sticking to a plan I've made. I think overall it's worked out in my writing, but it can get me in trouble during the process. Plot in general isn't a major strength for me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've done a curse or two, but in general I avoid it both because I don't speak any other languages and because I don't think there are many good ways to incorporate translations.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically, it's probably the Wheel of Time message board RP I did on Dragonmount in the nineties, but if we're talking about actual fan fiction it's Men's Hockey RPF.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Man, this wasn't easy. I genuinely enjoy my writing and reread my stuff a lot. I'm going to have to go with no words needed (Black Jewels Daemon/Lucivar, 565 words, Explicit, zero dialogue smut with wink kink) because it's different and because I like it more every time I read it.

I'm going to tag @calenlily, @dear-massacre, @mswhich, @pterawaters, and @alondradina, but would love to see anyone else's answers too!

20 questions for fic writers!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

16. What are your writing strengths?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

19. First fandom you wrote for?

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

[roughentumble]

written in the stars wip? 👀 so glad I'm not the only without super detailed titles asdkfl mine are like 'learning', 'sleepy'

my titles are generally even LESS descriptive than this, 99% of my works are entitled variations of "ugh why am i so self-indulgent" because for some reason i get embarrassed writing out my ideas unless i somehow Explain In The Title that yes, indeed, i know writing is a little embarrassing. then i go in later and give them vague titles when they start getting confusing, all being named the same thing XD

anyway. CONGRATULATIONS you stumbled on the non-witcher crackship fic from like before 2018!!!! 🎉 the pairing issss *drumroll*.......... max rockatansky/peter quill!! i remember my logic being "i want to put max rockatansky in space. i want him to kiss a boy. star-lord is, to my knowledge, 1) in space and 2) a guy and 3) was the first one that came to mind, so he's the big winner". looking at the file this thing is..... jeez, i somehow wrote 5k words about this way back when, according to the software. i'll put the logistical breakdown i wrote for myself here, then under the cut i’ll put..... basically everything i wrote, give or take, because this is the only time it’s seeing the light of day anyway

1) the premise

An au so extreme none of the characters are recognizable

Like. Apparently in canon the world went to shit while MAX WAS A NORMAL ADULT WITH A COP JOB???? he's a cop?????????

Like. I guess thats a thing. Who knows. Anyway my point is, thats not relevant here. He kind of knows that he's on earth but like, no one alive was around for when earth went all Fucked, that was a looooooooong time ago. And some people have had old knowledge passed down through oral tradition, but most books are ruined or at least really hard to come by, and some of the knowledge has been warped by time. like, irl we have awesome communities that have INCREDIBLE oral records, but here you also just have folks who don't have time to remember correctly, or make up bullshit to sound cooler, or like. Like you don't have the same communities that are required to properly maintain oral traditions, and when you do they tend to be closed off since that's how they stay safe from all the Bullshit.

ALSO also they're kinda considered crazy, since theyre weird hermits who never talk to outsiders and their knowledge is a little kooky by wasteland standards.

Because thats the impression I was under when I watched fury road, so, thats, what it is here!

Quill was stolen as a kid, but not from earth, cuz, thats not. A thing. No more. Earth is a wasteland! some scientists saw that earth was going to hell, and started a project probably called something real cheesy like "the new eden project" and then they packed up a ton of people onto a spaceship and sent it out into the Great Beyond. at some point on the trip they had some awful bullshit go down, they got thrown off course, and then through other random bullshit they loose track of their old course and have no clue where earth is. They lose their old path in the expanse of space(that seems easy enough to do imo) and after some continued planet hopping, eventually settle on a viable planet(probably called some corny spaceage junk like "eden prime")

quill was born on EDEN PRIME, and no one on eden prime knows how to get to or remembers earth(it was so long ago). some scientists want info on Terra Classique(tm), also theres general like "if you find earth you get an Award/get into guiness book of new world records", and also like it's got a weird air of mystique surrounding it. no one really, like, hardcore cares, but everyone's a little curious about it? it feels a little fake and mythlike.

also everyone knows about aliens, too, its an integrated part of society. nothin to worry about on that front.

SO quill accidentally stumbles on earth, not knowing its earth(maybe??? i'll have to fiddle with some logistics on this, but I think it'll come down to"it's one tiny speck in the whole of space, so the likelihood that you'll just happen upon it when you have full 3d maneuverability is just pretty damn low) and helps out max. Max eventually lets it slip it's earth(not knowing its A Thing) and peter flips out like "YoUrE a TeRrAn?!?!?!?!?!? A FOR REAL REALSIES ACTUAL FACTUAL TERRAN???? BORN AND BRED?????? AHHHH????????!?!??!??!? we are going to be RICH, we are going to have our names IN THE HISTORY BOOKS, we FOUND EARTH, holy SHIT"

Also they grow together probably, and max heals from his Garbage Planet and is Entranced by Eden Prime, maybe folks from eden prime go to try and fix up earth/terra/homeworld/whatever, maybe not, idk. actually that sounds like a great way for things to go terrible from multiple angles, very quickly. but still. Stuff like that. Also they fuckkkkkkk because theyre two handsome men and I am Gay! merry xmas thats my idea.

2) the snippets

"Fuck!" Quill exclaims, snatching his hand away from the offending panel and shoving a slightly sandy finger into his mouth to suck. He glares up, but the tangle of wires seems completely unrepentant.

He grumbles softly to himself as he wiggles out from under his ship gracelessly. His movements work at least two handfuls worth of sand up into his jacket, and it leaves behind a thin layer of coarse irritation when he finally sits up and the bulk of it pours back out. He curses again at this, and tries to shake it out without much success.

This planet-- or at least, this particular corner of it-- is a fucking hellhole, if you ask him.

Sand's getting into every nook and cranny of his ship's equipment like it's its' personal mission to muck up the Milano's hardware, the star he's currently orbiting seems intent on turning the desert sand to glass, and he's yet to see a single sign of life in the days he's been parked here. He's hot and irritable and sweating and filthy and, worst of all, bored. Bored and lonely. Fuck it, he thinks to himself bitterly, it's not a core problem, anyway. He kicks the panel shut and crouches down to screw it back shut. The angle's awkward, but he's tired of being on his back.

He's just gathered and stowed his tools, intent on high-tailing it off this godforsaken rock, when a sound starts rolling over the sand dunes. He pauses at the top of the ramp, and it's silent for a long moment. Quill wonders, briefly, if he's starting come down with a nasty case of cabin fever, but then-- There it is again-- It sounds a bit louder this time, a gentle rumble creeping across the vast expanse, and... Well, it could be nothing. It's probably nothing. He says this to himself a few times, turns away from the open door and everything. This planet'll be a speck on his horizon in seconds. But...

But he's curious, dammit. So, with excitement slowly starting to creep up around the edges, he puts on his helmet and hops on a speeder, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, something interesting.

[insert “quill saves max with space guns” scene here]

+++

Quill is woken from his daze by a flurry of movement, and instead of 'good morning' he gets his own blaster in his face. So much for gratitude.

After he'd gotten the man back to his ship, he'd cleaned and patched him up as best he could. He was still pretty filthy, since cleaning any part of him other than his wounds had seemed like a breech of privacy, but otherwise he had been set for the time being. All that was left was to wait for him to recover and wake, so Quill'd taken the opportunity to rest up himself on the bunk across from his guest's, leaving the ship on auto-pilot. Now he's been woken up(rude), had half of his favorite set of guns stolen(double rude), and has had his stunning display of hospitality thrown back in his face(triple rude, the charm). He becomes distantly aware that at some point, while he was still getting his bearings and not entirely cognizant, the man had demanded Quill let him leave.

"Looks like you're up." He says, raising an eyebrow. The man doesn't look amused, just shoves the gun more incessantly into Quill's face. "Hey, whoa, easy," Quill says, hands raised to chest-height in mock-surrender. There's a tense silence where they both just stare at each other, then he snaps into action, using one hand to smack the gun to the side and drawing his second blaster with the other. The man squeezes the trigger a moment too late, firing into the wall, and he scuttles backwards immediately, slamming back against the other wall in an effort to get space between the two of them.

Minutes tick by excruciatingly slowly as they stare each other down. The man gets increasingly agitated as the standoff wears on, glancing around the room in search of an opening, but the bunks are essentially situated in a hallway, just long enough that there's nowhere for him to duck for cover if he makes a break for it. Plus, he's accidentally gotten wedged up against the corner of the cot, which puts him at a rather severe tactical disadvantage. Finally, he grits out the words, "I won't be your blood bag." His lips curl in disgust around the words.

"Blood bag?" Quill says incredulously. His brow furrows as he struggles to understand what that means. Suddenly, he remembers the tattoo spread across the stranger's back, the one he'd discovered while patching up his side. He hadn't fully understood the meaning when he found it, but now the words universal donor appear in his mind, unbidden. His stomach churns. He thinks I took him, his gun waivers, to keep as a slave. As a human meat locker. Quill looks at the man before him- really looks- and nothing about him is screaming 'aggressor'. He looks frightened. Pissed off also, obviously, but he can see it in the man's too-wide eyes, the tension wound up so tightly inside him that the tendons in his neck have popped out clear as day.

He looks like a caged animal; or, even worse, someone who's been made a slave before.

Quill sucks in a breath and then slowly sets his blaster on the ground and kicks it over to the man. He raises his hands in earnest this time. "I don't want to hurt you, and I won't make you a blood bag."

To say he looks unconvinced is an understatement. His eyes flick between the weapon on the ground and Quill. Another long moment passes and Quill's mentally berating himself for doing something so stupid- wondering if he somehow misread the situation and wracking his brain for how he could recover from the extreme tactical disadvantage he's just put himself in- when the man finally speaks up again. His voice cracks this time, it sounds like from disuse. "Why?"

"Why-- ? Because you were hurt. You would've bled out. I couldn't just leave you there, with those... those fuckin' vultures." Quill is met with an unimpressed glare. "Honestly! I just... I wanted to help because I wanted to help. Because it felt like the right thing to do." The man's expression remains unchanged. "Alright, fine, I guess if I'm being totally up-front, I also sorta' did it because those guys were pieces of shit and I wanted to kick their asses. But mostly it was the good guy thing!" The man's eyes are boring holes in him at this point, and he's a little freaked out because he's not entirely sure what he could say to convince this dude, but then the gun lowers. Not a lot, but it's enough to make Quill grin with relief and he nods enthusiastically, as if that'll encourage the man to complete the motion. "And I'll let you off wherever you want, I'll even put you back right where I found you if you want. I was just trying to help."

The movement is stilted and jerky, but his gun-arm finally drops to his side. He looks incredibly tired, pale from blood-loss, and he leans fully against the wall for support, reaching up to cup his injured side. Quill curses quietly and reaches out to help the man into bed. He springs back into action at the movement, blaster raised and eyes wide. "Easy, just helpin' you lay down." Quill presses forward, steadfastly ignoring the weapon as he places his hands on the other man's shoulders, again mentally crossing his fingers that he's reading the situation correctly and this is the right move. There's an initial flinch, but once he realizes Quill isn't hurting him, he sags like a puppet with his strings cut. Quill barely suppresses a grin- yay, progress!- and carefully maneuvers him in the right direction.  [[ALT:: Quill carefully maneuvers him in the right direction, easing him down onto the cot. It seems like the guy's in too much pain to be completely alert, and Quill makes a mental note to find some pain meds for him.]]

Once he gets the man situated, he moves to take his blaster back, and in response the man not only tightens his grip but growls. Actually growls at him! Quill can't fight back his grin this time, and he pats the man's shoulder appeasingly. [[ALT:: Quill can't help the amused tilt of his lips at that, but then he remembers all the reasons to be on guard that this stranger seems to have, and the expression fades. He pats the man's shoulder appeasingly.]] "It's alright," he says softly, "you keep it." He does pick up and holster the one on the ground, and he spares one more glance at the man on the bed before slipping out of the room.

About half-way back to the cockpit to check on the auto-pilot, a realization strikes him. "Dammit," He mutters, "I forgot to ask his name!" [[ALT:: Just cut entirely. Way too cheesy]]

+++

Quill's just finished fiddling around with the panel on the outer hull that had given him all that trouble on the sandy hellpit when the motion detector alarm beeps quietly inside his helmet. It felt a bit wrong, monitoring his guest's comings and goings, but he'd yet to wake up since their initial encounter and Quill was starting to worry that the man would never wake up, or that he'd try and sneak off with some of Quill's shit in one of his ship's escape pods(which, honestly, would just be downright rude.) [[ALT:: Maybe add; He was just worried for the guy's safety, and maybe also his things' safety a little bit.]] He figures(hopes, really) that if he uninstalls the motion detector after a single initial triggering, it won't be quite so wrong, morally speaking.

Now he scurries back inside to find the man cautiously investigating a panel set into the wall a few feet over and a set of stairs up from the bunks. It's pretty limited in its capabilities, so he isn't super worried about his guest breaking anything, but it is a rather cute sight. He acts like he's never seen a coms panel before, Quill muses to himself. He tries to telegraph his approach, but it still elicits a jump, unfortunately. The guy appears to relax once he sees it's Quill, but not by much. He nods a greeting, then turns back to the panel, seemingly intent on sussing out the mechanics of it.

"It's a coms panel." Quill leans his shoulder against the wall next to the panel, looking the screen over to see what the man's accessed. He looks lost, and he repeats the words 'coms panel' in a questioning tone, like he's testing them out. "I mean, technically it's a CDD panel, but see-dee-dee panel doesn't roll off the tongue as smoothly." He's going for joking, maybe even a little flirty, but instead Quill's met with a blank stare. The man seems to be able to navigate the panel just fine(no surprise there, the UI's pretty straightforward), but it doesn't seem like he's heard either term before(more surprising). "Communications and Diagnostics Display. CDD." He clarifies, and the man nods a bit, absorbing this information, though he still seems pretty curious about the full extent of the panel's capabilities. He's got plenty of time for that, though, and Quill is /dying/ for a little human interaction. "I'm Peter Quill, by the way. People call me Star-Lord." He puts on what he considers to be a fairly charming smile, but the look he gets back is completely flat and unimpressed.

"Star-Lord." He says it slowly, enunciates both syllables, as if it's a new nickname Quill thought up last night and he's trying to talk Quill out of it. Like saying it slower will somehow make Quill snap to his senses and realize it's the stupidest thing he's ever heard. Neither of those things happen. Instead, Quill just adopts a slightly exaggerated wounded expression.

"Aw, c'mon, no need to be a dick about it. Star-Lord's cool!" He insists. The man flicks his eyes up and down Quill once, then in a rather clipped tone hums 'mhm', as if to say 'yeah, you seem like the type who'd think that's cool.' Quill clicks his tongue against his teeth and crosses his arms over his chest. "What's your name, then, oh-arbiter-of-good-names?"

The man presses his lips together and turns back towards the coms panel. The seconds tick by as he taps back and forth between screens. It honestly seems like he's not going to answer, and Quill's just about given up on waiting when he hears a quiet, tentative, "Max."

Max. He smiles softly, turning the name over in his head. "You've got a point... That's a pretty good name." Max scrunches up his face, looking confused. "It suits you." He stares for a moment, like Quill is a puzzle that he's trying to solve, but then he just grunts his agreement and turns away again. "Star-Lord's still a cooler name, though." This prompts an eye-roll, and Quill grins from ear-to-ear.

+++

Max's fork stops halfway between his plate and his mouth. "We're... in space."

Quill nods like it's nothing special. "Yeah, we've been off-world a while now. Since I picked you up. And like I said before, I'll drop you off wherever you like." He speaks in between bites, taking no notice of Max's hesitance. "I'd go with the nearest hub, if I were you- put that awful ball in your rearview mirror and never look back- but if that's where you wanna' be dropped I can't really stop you, so. 'S your call." He shrugs with one shoulder and finally looks up.

Max doesn't even need to say anything. 'This fucker's crazy' is scrawled across his face clear as day.

Quill's own face screws up in confusion at that. "What? Seriously! I didn't want any scavengers harassing me while I fixed up my ship, so I hopped a few rocks over. Easier that way."

"Of course. Perfect sense." He doesn't sound like he believes Quill; he sounds like he's placating a delusional man. He turns back to his food, but he watches Peter warily out of the corner of his eye. Quill can feel a muscle in his eyebrow twitch.

"Seriously! What the hell, dude, my ship's not that much of a junker. She's perfectly functional and got us here no problem. Just needed a little tune-up's all. Which is the only reason I stopped on your planet in the first place."

"I'm sure your... ship... works fine."

Quill huffs. "Alright, c'mon." He grabs Max by the elbow and tugs him up, then ushers him out of the room and into the flight deck. He points emphatically at the scenery beyond the glass. "Does that look like the dust ball I pick you up off of?" Max goes very still beside him, and he can feel all of the muscles in Max's arm going tense. When he finally looks back, Max's face is rapidly loosing color and his breathing's become uneven. Peter's grip and his tone both soften, though he's still incredulous when he asks "Haven't you ever been off-world before?"

Max shakes his head minutely, eyes glued to the scene before him. He takes a few steps forward, reaches out to gently rest his fingertips on the windshield. "This isn't," he mumbles around numb lips, "It's... not possible." His face is twisted up in shock and disbelief.

Quill steps a little closer, nudges his shoulder against Max's and grins down at him, attempting to lighten the mood. "What, never expected a lovable rogue to swoop into your life and finally get you off that backwater hellhole of a planet?"

"I didn't know there were other planets," Max says quietly. A stunned silence falls over the room as Quill absorbs this information. He drags his eyes away from Max to stare in the same direction, taking in the he sights of the planet he'd stopped on. He'd stayed in the same system for a variety of reasons(he had no idea where Max wanted to be dropped off, he didn't want to waste fuel backtracking, he had a few minor repairs he was itching to finally get off his to-do list...) It was all fairly insignificant, and he suddenly finds himself wishing he'd taken them somewhere prettier.

He'd chosen a random moon, and from their vantage point on it they can see a planet striped with swathes of reds and browns, backlit by the distant sun. It's nice enough, but nothing breathtaking, the surface of the moon consisting mostly of dull, rocky formations. Quill gets bored of the view easily enough, but when he looks over he sees Max enraptured. His hand is fully pressed against the glass now and his lips are parted in awe as he openly drinks in the sight before him. He blinks slowly, inadvertently showing off long lashes, and his expression is so much more open than Quill has ever seen it. [[ALT:: cut; possibly. Or rewrite??? either lacks something or is unnecessary I think]]For an instant, he's entirely unguarded, and it leaves Quill's chest tight and his cheeks warm, swallowing reflexively at the sight. All of the sudden the view here seems more than adequate for taking his breath away.

He clears his throat awkwardly and tears his eyes away from Max, attempting to tamp down on his blush as best he can and mentally pulling away from such a cheesy thought.

+++

"So what's it short for?"

Max glances at Quill out of the corner of his eye, baster still held in front of his face in examination. He makes an inquisitive noise that seems to communicate What's what short for?

He's really good at that.

"Your name. Max," Quill explained, plopping down on the bed next to Max, who slowly lowered the blaster as he realized that Quill was intent of having, horror of horrors, yet another conversation. There was also a tensing of shoulders that implied he hadn't been invited to sit, but he either didn't notice or steadfastly ignored it. "What is it, Maximillion? Maxwell? Maximus?"

"Nothing," He said simply. "Just Max." He nodded slightly to himself then started examining the blaster again, seemingly under the impression that he'd completed the interaction.

Quill's face screwed up. "Just Max? Who names their kid just Max? You should at least do them the courtesy of making it something badass, like Maxium Overdrive or something. Oh!" The words had been rolling off his tongue, but he exclaimed when he processed the name he'd come up with. He looked excitedly over at Max.

"Just Max." He repeated, ignoring the now crestfallen Quill, who flopped back against the bed.

"You're no fun," He insisted. "No fun at all."

Max just hummed in agreement.

There was a beat of silence, before Quill broke it yet again. "What about last names? You can't be just Max, right?"

More silence, as Max debated whether or not to tell him. Quill slowly sat up on his elbows, watching Max's shoulder; he'd learned by now that rushing him would just turn him into a brick wall, though the waiting did make him fidget. Max slowly took in a deep breath, as if realizing this was a bad idea, then closed his eyes and said "Rockatansky."

Quill snapped to attention, sitting straight up. "Dude! That-- that name's fucking awesome, what the hell! Why don't you lead with Rockatansky? I'd never go by anything else, ever."

"Bit of a mouthful." Max explained. He tried to keep up his veneer of cool, detached disinterest, but the ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he quietly revealed "Some people call me Mad Max."

Quill's eyes got wide and he gasped theatrically. "Your name is Mad Max Rockatansky, and you introduce yourself as Just Max?" He lightly smacked Max on the shoulder. "Philistine!"

"Usually in a rush," Max explained with a shrug. "All those syllables'd get me killed." He flipped the blaster over to examine the other side, seemingly intent on having something to look at other than Quill. "Didn't exactly pick 'Mad' either. It was just given to me."

"Okay," Quill said patiently, then clapped a hand on Max's shoulder, "but it's super fucking badass, and you're a fool if you ever introduce yourself as anything other than Mad Max Rockatansky." He said it slowly, really emphasizing his words.

Max chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes as the glanced sideways at Quill. He tilted his head back just slightly and said "Guess I'm a fool then, hmm?"

Quill felt the air rush out of his lungs at the sight. Something about the quality of the light, the way it wrapped around the edges of his profile, the glint in his eye, even the exact angle of his head... It was like a picture in a magazine. Peter wished he had any way at all to capture it, but it left at quickly as it came, Max refocusing on the weapon in his lap and turning away from Peter. He still looked striking, backlit with head bowed and a rare smile on his lips, but now that his attention was no longer on Quill, it was a little less overwhelming and a little more affectionately domestic.

Quill still swallowed hard at the sight. "I could show you how it works!" He blurted out suddenly. Max raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "The... the blaster. I could show you how it works. I don't, uh," Peter hedged awkwardly, glancing away from Max, "totally know everything about how they work? But I know enough to fix them when they break. Mostly. Usually. So, uh, yeah."

The amusement returned, a little stronger this time, and he held out the blaster. "Go ahead and show me, then, Mr. Expert."[[ALT:: idefk, something other than expert here maybe.]]

[sitabethel]

Fic tag game, and I was tagged by @rochelle-echidna, @isisishtar, and @ninjam117

1 - how many fics do you have on ao3?

Like any good Suikoden protagonist, I have 107 Stars of Destiny in my castle

2 - what’s your total word count?

2,445,507 (Daddy...Imma get that to 2.5 mill by the end of the year. Watch)

3 - what are your top fics by kudos?

The Lemonade Stand

Out From the Cold

King of Thieves

Safe

Talk Dirty to me

wtf, y’all. The puppyshippers are giving out more kudos than the thief stans. Shame. Shame. Talk Dirty To Me isn’t even a fic??? It’s an RP supersteff posted for funsies??? 

4 - do you respond to comments why or why not?

Most of the time (as long as I’m not overwhelmed with life). Responding to comments is how I’ve made most my friends in this fandom, so A++ would recommend. 

5 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Definitely Three Nights. My only fic w/a sad ending (which is why I wrote Three More Nights b/c I couldn’t handle having a sad ending. I had to fix it.)

6 - what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I honestly couldn’t say. I’m here to have a good time and to make sure all my favs also have a good time, so I’m always actively trying to give them the happiest possible endings. 

7 - do you write crossovers?

Nope.

8 - have you ever received hate for a fic?

I sure the hell have

9 - do you write smut? What kind.

ROTFLMFAO

10 - have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes. It was kinda funny b/c out of all the fics, it was “Me” a 5k deathshipping one shot that is one of my least popular works. But like...I don’t really think they were *trying* to steal it so much as homage it? But they were too young and unskilled to know how to rework something properly, so it was almost an exact copy of my fic. I tried to go over it and show them how to rewrite parts in order for it to be more original (Like, you can give YM piercings, just don’t give him the exact same piercings. You can have YM play with his hair/clothes/presentation in order to explore his identity, but pick different things that are more unique and how *you* would imagine YM being as his own person, instead of just copying exactly what I did). 

11 - have you ever had a fic translated?

There’s an Italian version of Storm of White on ao3 (go kudo bomb it!)

12 - have you ever co written a fic before?

Lots! I love colabs <3 The last one I did was Conspire With You, but there was also A Way Home, and I’ve co-written a few things with SuperSteffy. Please support all the other writers who worked hard on these fics with me! (kudo-bomb the hell out of them)

13 - what’s your all time favorite ship?

*Cries in polyamory* 

I can’t...choose one. Thiefshipping and Deathshipping were my first favorites, but like...damn, Kingshipping and Trapshipping have honestly ruined me. And Arrestshipping...Euroshipping...Rustshipping...Boundshipping...LISTEN!!! If it’s any combination of Seto/Atem/Yugi/TKB-YB/Ryou B/YamiMa/Malik it’s my favorite, okay? I’m a dragon who hoards ships. Especially polyships. I will literally froth at the mouth at any combo of those 7. Now let’s move on to the next question before I add more characters to the list........

14 - what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

That demon/angel au I was working on years and years ago. A shame, since I think there was a lemon that spilled into 3 chapters in that and it’s what Bakura deserves, but the plot was just...meh. 

15/16 - writing strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Dialogue, sometimes imagery, projecting the right trauma/personality traits on the right characters in a way that can make scenes relatable/authentic. 

Weaknesses: I can be lazy with some plot points b/c it’s fanfiction, and I’m only here to have a good time, so eff it. And I will absolutely “sum up” certain chapters in order to finish a story at 80% potential. Anons used to get on my ass about this, and some commenters too, but I refuse to repent of my hasty ways. I write a lot of stories, and sometimes it’s better to get 3 80% stories out instead of one 100% story (for me. absolutely nothing wrong with ppl who want to write their best all the time. Like, mad respect to those peeps). Anyway, the ppl who complain are 100% accurate, right, and valid, but again, If you call me out on this I’ll just shrug at you and remind you of my commission prices b/c I’ll be happy to personally tailor a story for any angry anon-- if they want to put their money where their critique is *blows kiss*

17 - what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Depends on the context and how it’s used. 

18 - what was your first fandom you wrote for?

FFVII, but I never posted any of it thank god

19- what’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I honestly love so many of my stories. I honestly re-read my own stuff all the time for comfort/self-care. I especially love a lot of the more intense, emotional pwp one-shots. It’s extremely difficult to pick one, but let’s go with humor and link 

Measuring Up 

Gotta love Bakura’s monster **** And the interaction involved with writing that story made it so much more fun. I really miss the days where you could slap a vote on tumblr and get a lot of responses, and dammit I miss Abby throwing random things into my ask box (like Bakura’s monster ****) 

Not going to tag anyone, since so many ppl are in the same little thiefshipping circle and I’d probably just accidentally tag a lot of ppl who have been tagged by others already. 

[getalittleclosey]

under 100k larry fic recs

hi! i’m becca and i read...so much fic. these rec lists are an accumulation of fic that i’ve read or reread and extra loved from 2016-now. there’s a wide range of stuff here and i think there’s definitely something for everyone!! i divided them up by length so you can check out all those categories below!

please make sure to read tags and warnings on all these fics!! the only things i think i can guarantee is that these are all larry, there’s no non-con, no age play, no eating disorders, no mentions of bg, they end happy, and they’re mostly aus. oh and they’re all on ao3 and some are locked so you’ll need an account! anyway i hope y’all enjoy!!!

under 5k

under 10k

under 25k

under 50k

100k+

☆ somethin’ bout you by missandrogyny 60k

Of all the government agents in the world, Louis had to go and land the most charming one.

☆ tug-of-war by cherrystreet 63k

Louis' husband dies suddenly and he is left with nothing. Well, not really nothing. He has Harry. And a St. Bernard puppy named Link, whom his late husband left behind for him. Louis takes care of Link and Harry takes care of Louis. Everything is okay until suddenly, it isn't.

☆ cameras flashing by juliusschmidt 82k

With his breakout single platinum three times over and his second album still selling out in stores around the world, Louis Tomlinson has made it to the top. However, his position as Pop Heartthrob of the Decade is threatened by the edgier, more artistic Zayn, who happens to be releasing an album a week after Louis’ upcoming third. Louis needs something groundbreaking- scandalous, even- to push past him in the charts. Much to Louis’ dismay, his PR team calls in The Sexpert.

Consulting with PR firm Shady, Lane and Associates pays the bills so that Harry Styles can spend his down time doing what he really loves: poring over data. On weekends and late into the evenings, he researches gender, presentation, and sexual orientation, analysing the longitudinal study that is his father’s life’s work. That is, until his newest client, the popstar with the fascinating secret, drags him off his couch and frighteningly close to the spotlight.

As the album’s release date approaches, will Tomlinson and Styles be able to pull off the most risky PR scheme of the millennium and beat Zayn in sales or will the heat of their feelings for each other compromise everything?

☆ home to you by crowsonthewire 54k

“If someone wrote that for me I’d probably be a crying mess before it was even over. I’m crying a little right now actually.”

It’s about you, Harry’s brain screamed. I wrote it about you.

Gemma appeared in the doorway then and dragged Louis away. With one winking smile he was gone. Harry curled up and stuffed his face into his duvet so he could cry with no one hearing.

**** At fifteen, Harry wrote his first song for an oblivious seventeen year old Louis Tomlinson. Ten years later he’s a singer/songwriter who cant find any words for his second album and Louis is a closeted actor tired of LA.

They both try to run from the things weighing them down and in the process, they find each other.

☆ fate don’t know you by sincewewereeighteen 99k

“Just. How bad is it?”

Zayn sighs. Shit.

“Not that bad, really,” he says quickly as he scans Louis’ face. “It depends, really. The freshmen are all right and I think you’ll manage just fine with the sophomores.”

“But?”

“Seniors are always shit because they think they rule the school, and this specific class of juniors… Well, let’s say you’ll find a real troublemaker there. Some say he used to be a soft kid, but- I don’t know. Most teachers just leave him alone.” Zayn shrugs. “He walks around with a tough crowd. Guess no one wants to take their chances with him. This is Chicago after all.”

“D’you know the name of the kid?” Louis asks, already very curious to meet said person.

“His name is Harry Styles.” The other man responds. “You’re in for a treat with this one.”

[Or: The one in which Louis always hears thunder when Harry speaks and sees lightning when he glances at him.]

note: this is student/teacher so if that makes you uncomfortable please skip! harry’s 17 but he is still a student so power unbalance and all that but from what i remember it was tastefully done. just like....don’t do that irl obv jfkdaj

☆ like an endless summer by objectlesson 87k

“You just wanna go fawn over Styles as soon as possible,” Zayn grumbles.

“I do not. Plus, he probably got ugly this year. Eighteen is an awkward time...I bet he’s got acne and one of those terrible fuckboy haircuts all the hipsters are getting these days, with the shaved sides? Just watch, the first year we’re gonna get any time together is gonna be the first year I don’t have a stupid crush on him.”

---

Or, Louis is a riding instructor at a summer camp, and Harry is a fellow counselor who he’s been successfully managing his crush on for the last two summers. That is, until Harry shows up this year leveled up and lethal, and all Louis’s formerly perfected veneer of nonchalance melts like a popsicle in the sun.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 6k of pwp

☆ back to how it was by lululawrence 53k

Harry carefully stood up and was on his way to the window to look outside when he ran his hand through his hair, and it stopped entirely too soon.

He froze then began fervently patting all over his head. Where was his hair? He’d been growing it out for a couple of years now and it was finally almost to the length he’d had as a goal the entire time. How could it have gotten cut off overnight?

Harry rushed over to the mirror hung on the wall adjacent to the window.

Oh shit. What the hell was happening? Harry leaned closer and saw that not only was his hair cropped shorter than he’d ever wanted to go again, but it looked like he had the beginning of crow’s feet by his eyes. Those definitely weren’t there yesterday! And what happened to his tattoos? He still had some of them, like the star and the letters he’d gotten for his mum and Gemma, but most of the rest were missing and there were a few he’d never seen before instead.

What. The. Fuck.

Or the one where Harry goes to bed angry with his bandmates and wakes up in a universe where One Direction was never formed and he has to find a way back home. Home definitely has nothing to do with his best friend and bandmate, Louis. That would be ridiculous.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 24k!

☆ when we were younger by dinosaursmate 76k

About a week after Harry started visiting this particular chat room, he was watching some kid argue with the whole room about football, personally disinterested as he tipped a bag of crisps into his mouth. He happily chomped on the crumbs, taking a swig from a glass of Ribena to wash them down, glancing at the screen and very nearly spat the squash back out again. His heart was pounding wildly. The display icon of the argumentative newcomer had caught his eye, and not in a good way. He gulped as he clicked the picture, and when it popped up in full resolution, his heart nearly fell right out of his arse. - Sixteen year old Harry Styles’ world turns upside down when he logs on to gay teen chat to discover somebody has stolen his photos and used them as their own.

note: there’s a second part that’s 3k ziam centric

extra note: you don’t want to know how many episodes of catfish i’ve seen

☆ like cabbages and kings by you_explode 61k

When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland. There were rabbits wearing waistcoats and talking cats and ridiculous tea parties, and amidst all the absurdity, there was a boy. A boy with dimples, big green eyes and the sweetest soul Louis has ever known. Louis has always kept a place in his heart for that boy and for his funny dreamworld, and when he’s twenty-five and his life falls apart, it turns out Wonderland might not be so imaginary after all.

☆ knives don’t have your back by turnyourankle 51k

The lone survivor of an on campus massacre that claimed the lives of his four housemates, Harry is urged to take a sabbatical or transfer. Instead, he chooses to stay in school, move into the dorms, and overcome his fears.

He finds comfort in a budding friendship with Louis, an upperclassman who lives on his floor, not realizing that their relationship will bring him closer to his traumatizing past rather than further from it.

☆ loving you is free by littlelouishiccups 68k

Louis is a workaholic record label CEO who hasn't been on a date in nearly a year. Niall and Liam make an account for him on a sugar dating website as a joke. And then Louis meets Harry.

note: there are two other parts to this that are pretty much pwp. they’re 24k and 4k

☆  dance to the distortion by lis (domesticharry) 93k

Louis accidentally breaks Harry's camera lens and in order to get it fixed, they decide to participate in a romantic couples study. The only issue is that they are not actually couple. Well that and the fact they cannot stand each other.

☆ waiting on you by emma1234 77k

“Vampires,” Louis says with disgust, glaring over at the vampire who is noisily slurping from the woman’s neck nearby.

Zayn gives the neat fang marks on Louis’ neck a meaningful look.

“Can’t live with them, can’t live without them,” Louis finishes, ignoring Zayn when he rolls his eyes.

Louis takes a long sip of his milkshake, presses his fingers against the marks on his neck, and definitely doesn’t think about the vampire who left them there.

note: there’s a second part to this that’s 5k

☆ this wicked game by cherrystreet 70k

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

note: i’ve seen maybe five episodes of the bachelor in my life and hated it but i have read every larry bachelor fic 

☆ coax the cold by mediawhore 86k

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

☆ this feeling by orphan_account 59k

"Gonna play it back for you now." Louis clicked play and the song flooded through Harry’s headphones.

The sound of each others voices united into one, and the rhythm of the music carried their voices effortlessly. Harry’s insides tingled and a wave of shivers rolled down his spine.

Before the clip cut off, Harry turned to raise an eyebrow at Louis, and failed miserably at disguising his smile. Louis stared back at him in shock.

Or A Larry Duet AU

☆ love’s on the line, is that your final answer? by pearlydewdrops 53k

Harry can’t believe it when Louis, the boy he’s always had a tempestuous rivalry with, asks him to be his boyfriend. Well, pose as his boyfriend, that is—for a new television game show in which young couples are quizzed on how well they know each other for a jackpot of thirty grand.

Reluctantly, Harry agrees—because he's got student loans to pay off, hasn't he? What's the harm? And he can totally deal with keeping his secret thing for Louis under wraps too. This is all just to win some money. It's fine. No big deal. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, everything. Obviously.

☆ say your prayers by nothing_but 59k

Louis was left wondering what the fuck this encounter had been. Coming to this camp - especially after learning that it was a religious one - he had never expected to find himself in a bathroom with the attractive, strictly Catholic, not-gay-or-anything head counsellor making flirty remarks. Quite the opposite, to be honest.

Or the one where Harry, head counsellor at a Catholic summer camp, dedicates his time to what he loves most, year after year. It’s mostly the same every summer; the place, the topics, the games. This year, however, there’s a new assistant counsellor stumbling into his camp, and possibly his heart.

☆ i’ll crash until you notice me by stylinsoncity 61k

Louis sets off to Barbados to oversee the massive resort his family owns known as Sandy Hill. For years, he's been looking for a change in the monotony of his life, seeking adventure and perhaps love too. What he doesn't expect is the bright eyed boy who spills a milkshake on his shoes.

Cue the summer loving.

note: zendaya is listed as a character in this which desperately makes me want to reread it because i don’t remember that!!!

☆ nothing but you on my mind by nonsensedarling 84k

Louis Tomlinson is a PR manager hired to improve the image of royal bad-boy Prince Harry Styles. Unfortunately for him, that means being faced with the Prince's constant innuendos, incessant dirty jokes, and relentless flirting. Louis just wants to make it to Princess Gemma's coronation; once she's crowned Queen, his contract is up and he never has to see the Prince again.

☆ ghost note symphony by whoknows 96k

Louis is on tour when he first hears about it. It’s all over the news – Harry Styles Attacked By Fan runs in headlines for days. It’s not even just the gossip rags, either. Actual journalists are covering the story. It would have been impossible to avoid hearing about it. Technically, Oli is the one who tells Louis about it, but it’s not exactly being covered up. Harry doesn’t answer Louis’ text asking if he’s alright, but that’s not really surprising. They haven’t spoken for months, and it’s been a lot longer than that since they’ve had a real conversation. The sting of the text going unanswered is still there, less painful than it might have been a few years ago.

It’s not that it’s easy to forget about, exactly. Louis has a whole life outside of One Direction now, though. So Louis goes on with his life, figuring that if Harry was seriously hurt he would have heard about it by now. He might currently be in the same country as Harry, but being on opposite sides of it puts enough distance between them that putting it in the back of his mind is easy. There’s nothing Louis could do, even if he thought Harry might want him to.

That’s why everything that happens next comes as a complete shock to him.

☆ thinking about the t-shirt you sleep in by nonsense_darling 52k

Harry's alpha fraternity donates to a local thrift shop (because of Liam's latent crush on a cute beta in his lecture). Louis' financial situation (and confusing omega instincts) lead him to make some interesting fashion purchases. Lots of pizza, feelings, and not-really-lying.   

☆ here in the afterglow by fondleeds 89k

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.”

-

1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

note: i can’t believe i waited until 2020 to read this...it was life changing tbh and i cried

☆ just call me inspiration by hereforlou 52k

The truth is Louis knows he’s going to hell, if there is such a thing, but it isn’t because he writes erotic fiction for a living. If anything, it’s because his muse, the reason he’s inspired to write about people shagging in increasingly creative ways everyday, is the sweetest, loveliest, most genuine (and completely oblivious) future children-book illustrator in the world.

(Or, the one where Louis is a writer, Harry is an art student, and they inspire each other in very different ways.)

☆ truly, madly, deeply (10 things i hate about you) by sunsetmog 54k

The first Louis had heard of Harry auditioning for X Factor was the night he'd turned up on Louis' doorstep the day before leaving for Boot Camp, with a DVD and an illicit bottle of vodka.

Thing was, Louis hated secrets, and he really hated being made a fool of, and he really, really hated Harry Styles.

or: the one in which they're all in sixth form together, and Harry auditions for X Factor without them.

note: this has always been a fav

☆ the impossible now by stylinsoncity 65k

A wish on Christmas Eve sends Louis to an alternate dimension where Harry is a member of One Direction.

☆ swallow the knife by whoknows 76k

“You came,” Louis says, still breathless, clinging to Harry, uncaring that his sweat is getting all over Harry’s presumably clean dad shirt, or that he’s making Harry hold up all of his weight.

“Of course I came,” Harry says. He shifts, one arm curled underneath Louis’ arse, the other spreading wide in the middle of Louis’ back. “If I ignored you every time you pissed me off we would have stopped being friends a long time ago.”

Louis already knows that, of course. It doesn’t do anything to stop the pleased squirm in his belly every time Harry proves it, though. They fight like nobody’s business, both of them too stubborn to pull their punches when they’re arguing, and it used to get them in trouble, but they always make up.

Adrenaline makes Louis loose-lipped, and they both know it. He tightens his arms around Harry’s neck, buries his face in his hair. “I missed you,” he confesses, quiet. “Doesn’t feel the same up there by myself.”

note: i don’t even normally like non-aus but i have read this fic five times in the last nine months so. there’s that. 

extra note: there’s an 11k alternate sex scene here

☆ perfect storm by cherrystreet 80k

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

☆ anyplace, anyhow, anytime by aimmyarrowshigh, colazitron 81k

Harry's going to audition for The X-Factor in a few days, he really can't use this persistent tickle in his throat. What's even worse is when the tickle turns into a full blown cough, and the cough makes him pass out only for Harry to wake up in a different world. And then another one, and another one, and another one. The only other person who seems to be as affected as he is, is a boy with blue eyes who keeps showing up in every single one of these worlds.

note: i reread all of aimmyarrowhigh’s larry fics this year including the 500k or whatever sheylinson verse and i thought about putting them all in here but like...felt excessive & i figured i’d give attention to a less well known one, plus this way we get colazitron too! 

☆ the second hand unwinds by kingsofeverything (fullonlarry) 52k

Louis Tomlinson is one of the first members of NASA's top secret Chrono Exploration Program. When things go wrong and he's sent further back in time than planned, he has no other option than to show up on his ex-boyfriend's doorstep.

☆ waiting for the tides to meet by nauticalleeds (metamorphosis) 60k

Louis lets out a deep breath, thinking about Harry’s soulmate. Thinking about how Harry’s soulmate is probably as beautiful as Harry, some person that Louis cannot compare to, and how the universe has chosen them to be Harry’s. Fuck the universe. “Fuck you,” he calls out to the universe. He’s aware of how crazy he sounds.

Maybe he is crazy, with how he’s falling for Harry. And fuck that, too.

Soulmate AU. Everyone is born with heterochromia — one eye is their own eye colour, while the other is the colour of their soulmate's. It's only when they meet their soulmate for the first time that their own eyes match properly. After a hazy night at a frat party, Louis wakes up to blue eyes and the shocking realization that he had met his soulmate, without any sober recollection. Seven years pass where Louis comes to terms with the fact that he'll never know who his soulmate is. Then one fated summer, a beautiful green-eyed photographer arrives at Louis' workplace, with promises of endless laughter and a familiar feeling in Louis' heart.

Featuring a lovely cup of OT5, a road trip down the coast, and a scene where Harry eats a whole head of lettuce. Don't ask why.

☆ keep my candle bright by whisperdlullaby 79k

louis returns to his hometown after four years to find that the reverend’s son has done some growing up of his own.

☆ strawberries & cigarettes by dimpled_halo 77k

Harry looks up and immediately freezes. Next to Ms. Archie stands the boy from just the other day. The boy with the leather jacket and chipped black nails, that might or might not be sketched in the very book Harry has just placed on the table in front of him. The leather jacket is missing today, probably because they aren’t allowed as part of their required uniform attire, but Harry can still see the fading black nail polish on his nails, and eyeliner around his eyes. Harry’s mouth goes a little dry. This boy is so intriguing to him.

“Ye-yes, Ms. Archie?” Harry tries to play it cool, but he’s almost positive that his cheeks are burning red, and he’s relieved neither of them can tell how fast his heart is beating in his chest.

The boy seems to also recognize Harry, because his lips curve into a knowing smirk.

“Harry is at the top of his class. He’s your best bet at getting familiar with things around here.” She explains.

Louis nods, his smirk still very prominent on his face. “Thank you Ms. Archie. I’ll be sure to take advantage of young Harold here.”

*

Summary: Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.

[thisisarealtagwhy]

Day 2: Scars

Just a little (jk it’s like 5k words) fic i wrote a while back for the second day of 20 years at sea, enjoy!

They all have scars, especially the Mugiwara no Kaizoku. Both physical and emotional, that doesn’t make them weak, it just means that they have to become stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger until they can protect everything important to them.

These scars carry the weight of regret and pride all in one nook.

Brook has a big scar spanning from his right temple across to the top of his head, he doesn’t talk about how he got it but, it happened when he was alive.

It wasn’t tragic or anything, no. When he was a small child he remembered the sea more than anything else.

His parents frequented a spot on top of a break wall that some of the wealthy had been able to afford. They were allowed there due to the payments of music that they presented the noble family with.

But, it overlooked the sea, blue, expanding far over the horizon, blue hues reaching for the burning sun.

Brook loved the sea, it whispered a song on its’ gentle breeze, a song of freedom. Brook wanted to travel the world and see the world for himself whilst playing a song for himself and for his nakama.

He would sometimes sneak out at night and play to the soft yet rough melody of the sea. One of these nights he leant far too close to the edge of the break wall and stumbled, tumbling head first into the rocks that adorned the wall.

Luckily for him one of the noble boys also happened to follow the small boy out and listened to his music. “Nurse! We need a nurse! Brook has fallen off the side of the break wall!”

And so Brook was sent home with a scar full of stitches, covered by bandages. His skull had fractured so he was bed confined for a while.

“Ne, Papa, might I request a song?” Brook whispered to his father who was silently standing vigil.

At his nod Brook smiled shakily. “How about the song that the pirates sing when they come into town?”

His Papa smiled gently and abided his request for to be a pirate meant to be the bravest, most daring souls and most pirates simply were following their dreams.

“Yohohoho, yohohoho. Binkusu no sake wo, todake ni yuku yo.”

After his skull had healed he still had the nasty scar running along his face, his parents had proudly stated that it was proof that he was an adventurous soul.

When he was 19 he left the kingdom he had grown up in, his fencing skills were impeccable and the sea was calling him.

****

The scar on his heart however…

Laboon had been following their ship straight through the calm seas, chirping along happily to their choice of song (his favourite being Bink’s Sake).

But… they had been forced to leave their dear friend behind lest he be killed by the terrors of the Grand Line.

And Captain Yorki…

He was…

…Fading away…

Brook hated the fact that he was the one who had taken over Captain Yorki’s position, then, maybe they wouldn’t be stuck in this god forsaken triangle.

Then remorse for he knew he would not be making it out alive like this. The poison was already working through his veins like a particularly nasty virus. “One last time…” He muttered to himself as the remainder of the Rumbar pirates lined themselves up in their respective musical positions.

“It’s not right…” He wasn’t talking about the fact that all of his crew were dead, no, it was wrong that they would never be able to see Laboon again. They were cheating their promise now and he hated it so Brook prayed with every fibre of his being that eventually he would see Laboon in wherever he might go.

But it never happened and 50 years later Brook found himself accompanying his new crew to the ends of the sea, if not to keep his promise to Laboon then because of his new captain, Monkey D. Luffy was an insane boy but Brook will give anything for him.

Because he has sworn fealty.

****

Franky has plenty of scars, before he had blown himself up in that godamn laboratory he had subtle scars where he hadn’t fixed his ‘skin’ to perfection, if one looked closely enough they could see the subtle lines in his skin.

Not that anyone had back in Water 7, except for maybe Bakaberg.

But he didn’t really count.

Now, two years after they had all failed he had more scars, the two more prominent scars running down his bare chest where he had been forced to attach more skin for the robotic extensions.

Subtly there were more down his legs where the plates hadn’t quite fit on like he had expected.

Chopper was the only one to really know, he had insisted on doing full checkups on all of them post their training years and Franky had suspected it was to do with the massive scar taking up the majority of their captain’s chest.

And after Chopper had gotten over the coolness of his knew body he had inspected the neat stitching and declared that whoever had treated him did a good job.

Franky didn’t feel the need to point out that it was himself who did the stitching.

****

Emotionally, Franky had one deep regret.

He wished more than anything that he had listened to godamn Iceberg and stopped creating his warships but no, and then his – teacherfathereverything – had to pay the price.

He regret it more than anything else, he had been abandoned by his own godamn parents and the one who had taken him in was now going to pay penance for his crimes.

He hated it.

It’s why Franky found himself on the tracks of the sea train they had all painstakingly built. Through his blurry eyes he cried for the train to stop, but of course it wouldn’t.

And some part of Franky welcomed it, if the sea train succeeded it meant Tom would go to Impel Down and he had heard his fair share of rumours of such a place.

But, he pushed through his own selfishness, remembering that Tom had died for him to live, so he rebuilt himself, replacing flesh with metal and then more metal to ensure he could still move.

It was weird, having to rebuild his body every few years so he could keep up with his own natural growth but eventually he got into the swing of it.

And Franky will admit it, he was a little terrified of becoming like the shichibukai Kuma, an empty shell of what he once was, controlled by his superiors.

But he will push through his own fear and be as strong as possible for his captain who had gone through so much and if that meant sacrificing more of his humanity then so it shall be.

****

Robin doesn’t have many visible scars, she was usually able to either convince her captors/captain to spare her or pay them in anything.

But there were a few hidden on her body that had slowly faded away through the passage of time as she and her body had aged.

There were knife wounds, bullet holes, and if her captors had been feeling particularly sadistic, burns.

That wasn’t including the other torture methods performed on her. But the list was extensive enough that she didn’t like to think of it.

There were a few scars hidden amongst her thick black hair where someone had ripped out clumps of her hair, scalp skin still attached.

Sabo and Koala had taken very good care of her, however, and she hadn’t gained any new scars and her old ones had faded over the course of her two years training regime.

****

Most of her scars were hidden behind a calm façade that only one man had ever seen through.

She would wake some nights in a sweat of coldness, shivering from the images of her friends, no her family burning, being shot down. And the tree, oh god the tree, burned down until it fell onto the harsh earth below.

And even then it hadn’t stopped, her friend Saul had tried to get her the hell out of there. (Just like every scholar, just like her mum)

But he had been frozen into the one who haunted her nightmares, and yet…

He let her go, probably realising that this ‘Absolute Justice’ wasn’t as good as everyone made it out to be.

She had kept her façade up for so long, even after entering the rookie crew that managed to completely annihilate Baroque works and Crocodile himself, one of the shichibukai.

She found herself becoming close, too close, she mentally scolded. But it was impossible to dodge the all encompassing warmth she would herself feeling when she was around them.

Maybe…

Maybe they were the ones Saul had told her of…

But then Water 7 happened and she knew she couldn’t just let them die for a worthless wench like herself, the rest of the world wanted her dead.

But they had to live because she owed them more than she could ever truly express.

But then those godamned idiot followed her and then she was spewing words of hate and fire and yet Luffy stood there… was that understanding in his eyes?

Then they burned the flag and she finally let go of her burden.

And from onwards she found herself living freely.

But all good things never last and Kizaru and Kuma happened. She saw the emptiness, the pain running through her captain’s face and wished that she had never seen such emotions on the usually optimistic boy.

Please be alright Luffy.

And then Marineford had happened and she tried her best not to cry, she had to be strong in front of her potential enemies.

Two years later and the scars were healed by the sight of a jubilant smile and the effects of the training on everyone.

****

Chopper didn’t have any visible scars, and any he did happen to have were hidden beneath his thick fur.

There was a few around his body that used to scream in protest when he switched forms. They were left there from bullet wounds and Chopper now understood how to make sure they wouldn’t hurt when he switched forms.

There were a few little ones littering his hooves where he had accidentally cut his finger trying to manage herbs for medicine.

Every time Doctor Kureha would frown and roughly patch him up, scolding him for being so careless.

****

There was only one thing that Chopper had been afraid of all of his life, being feared and rejected.

After his pack openly rejected him he wanted to curl up and die but where was the point in that? Might as well try and live for a better day, right?

And then Doctor Hiruluk had come along and changed his entire perspective, now he had a – friendmentorfatherinstructorpartnerincrime – to clean his wounds and to help him.

Naturally Chopper had to screw that up and because of him and his foolishness his father had died.

Chopper hated it and secretly craved friends to share his moments with, Doctor Kureha was a kind mentor but at the same time she was brutal and critical.

And then came along the Straw Hat Pirates and they saved him, the entire of his island and even Doctor Hiruluk’s flag. He was eternally grateful.

And then Luffy had cried that it didn’t matter if he was a monster, being a monster meant that he could protect everything he cared about.

Now Chopper didn’t care if he was called a monster, he would rather be a monster than allow anything to happen to his nakama, the only friends he had known in his short life.

(There were more and more friends piling up now with every adventure and everything was fantastic.)

****

Sanji had grown up wishing to be the same as his brothers and sisters, to be strong like them, to not fail his course and to heal as fast as they did.

He hated himself sometimes.

But, he had plenty of scars from the nights he had tried to get that godamn mask off his head. His fingers were almost sliced through and yet he persisted.

Before everything went downhill he had a few scars from trying to work out how to cook, it had been worth it though, the white scars on his fingers where he almost sliced clean through.

When Reiju let him out and told him to never come back he had agreed. And now, as a cook for a little ship he had been content and desperate to follow his dream.

****

He sometimes remembers days upon days of nothing but hunger and guilt accompanying himself on that isolated rock.

He remembers the feeling of his skin sagging into his body, any fat he had on his body used up in a desperate attempt to survive.

And then that shitty old geezer saved him again by not eating any of the food he had managed to pillage.

But, whenever he thinks of that his hands start to shake and he quickly lights up another cigarette before he can be tempted to empty the fridge of what it’s worth.

He feels the pain of that shitty old geezer sacrificing an entire fucking limb for him, it’s not something that can be grown back.

And for so long he drowned in guilt over that, working himself in the old geezers restaurant. It was only once a boy in a straw hat came along that he understood.

“Dying is not repaying a debt!” And Sanji saw that the straw hat bearer had understood someone sacrificing something like that.

It was in his eyes, the way he sometimes looked at that straw hat with regret but resolution.

So from that point on Sanji had set out for his dream, the all blue, and in the process becoming the chef of their small crew.

It was all he could ask for.

But he couldn’t help and feel the crushing defeat of failing to bring Robin home, it tore at his heart to see her defeated and he can still hear Choppers’ cries falling on deaf ears.

But then his family is coming after him and he knows he has to go lest the crew get into trouble, he now sympathises with Robin-san and Nami-san, these are things they have to do for the good of the crew.

****

Usopp didn’t have many scars, sure there were a few on his hands where he had screwed up the ratios with his gunpowder ammunition and he had taken to wearing an arm band to prevent his slingshot from hitting his arm brutally.

There was a couple on his upper thighs that had occurred due to some of the more… active wildlife on the Boyn islands he was sent to. But they had faded to mostly become thin white jagged lines across his skin.

****

Usopp remembered the pain of losing his mother, he had desperately wished for a miracle to occur and for his mother to no longer be as ill as she was.

He wanted his father back, who he had never met (he couldn’t remember him at least) but apparently, the man had never shut up about him to Luffy.

Sometimes Usopp was jealous of his captain, he had spent time with Yasopp then he had.

Usopp knew he was far too prideful, sometimes he caught the disapproving glances Zoro sent his way when he did something disrespectful.

And then Water 7 had happened and he felt ashamed for he had made Luffy cry. And he hated that but he was too prideful to do anything.

Usopp was pretty sure Luffy knew who Sogeking was, he was fairly certain. But Luffy never called him out on it so he guessed either he didn’t know or he just wasn’t particularly caring.

And then he got down on his hands and knees and he apologised and suddenly there was a limb stretching towards him, grabbing on the two cried remorsefully together.

And Usopp swore to himself to never do something that godamn stupid.

It was a reminder of his place.

And after the two years of training he underwent to become stronger and stronger for Luffy because none of them were there when they should have been.

Usopp wasn’t going to lie this time, he couldn’t help but feel concern and abject horror for his captain, one that he would call brother except he had just lost his brother.

Usopp remembered Ace, the subtle and unsubtle warmth in his gaze when he stared at Luffy. And he remembers the promise they had all made, one they had failed.

So Usopp will weave tales for his captain on the nights that Luffy seems to become distant, one hand placed lightly on his chest, the other tightly gripping Sunny.

****

Nami has plenty of scars on her body. Countless knife wounds when she was young and stupid and bold. Stealing off pirates became a necessity and she had to live through any wounds she received.

That wasn’t to say that they weren’t painful.

And then she remembers the absolute anguish of her hardwork being for nothing. The countless years of deceit and betrayal amounting to nothing. So, she stabbed that cursed mark until she was stopped.

Now, her tattoo covers it but sometimes she feels phantom pains.

She now knows that she can go to Chopper if something is bothering her instead of relying on street knowledge.

It’s a nice feeling.

****

Ever since she was young she wished that they had more money, she wished Bellmère would stop looking so tired. But when she had finally voiced her concerns she was met with a sacrifice and a gun bullet.

Even then she wasn’t free, no, she had to serve this godamned bastard, but, if it means she can free her village then she will suffer through the pain and live for her mothers sacrifice.

And then Luffy and Zoro come around, changing whatever thoughts she had ever had of pirates overboard. Luffy was naïve, too trusting and Zoro was a directionless overprotective idiot. Somehow the three of them made it work.

And then Usopp came along and the Going Merry.

But she knew she had overstayed and took off.

But she should have known that Arlong was a twofaced bastard. She hated it, but then Luffy, stupid, but oh so brave and loyal Luffy had kicked his ass and taken back her village.

Now she had a purpose, the navigator and treasurer of the Straw Hat pirates.

And she remembered taking down a criminal organisation for their nakama. She remembered the hopelessness she felt when Vivi’s voice failed to reach any of the fighting citizens, she wished to take the face of heartbreak away.

But Vivi was no longer sailing with them, she still was a Straw Hat through and through but she had to run her own kingdom.

(She knew that Vivi’s father was slowly dying and her heart went out to the Queen of Alabasta)

And then Kuma had happened and Nami was so terrified that she would never see them again. And between Impel Down and the War of the Best Nami was crying over her captain who was so alone.

She had sworn to protect those godamn idiots and now look what happened.

After her training she had shown up to Sabaody secretly hoping for the same captain from two years ago (now who was the naïve one?). And thankfully he had been the same blundering fool, but there was also a new protective edge to him that Nami saw in battles.

Sure he trusted them with their own fights but sometimes he seemed to go to another place and suddenly his punches were ten times more furious and sometimes he simply knocked their enemies out.

Nami wasn’t really surprised but it also left a scar on her heart that he had changed so drastically in the heat of a battle.

She wished that he had never changed like this.

****

Zoro had many scars, ones he had inflicted, others by complete accident.

There were no scars on his back (scars on the back are a swordsman shame).

On his front he had on diagonally going down his chest from his left shoulder to right hip. This one was inflicted by the greatest sword in the world, he was proud of it but at the same time ashamed.

And since it he had made a promise to his captain, he would never ever lose again.

His feet had two large scars that practically looped all the way around his ankles, they were self-inflicted in the hopes that he could save at least two of them.

But then his captain had come and saved them (along with Chopper and Usopp).

He has a few others on his legs that come from the result of almost lost fights with humandrills. Perona had scolded him but nonetheless cleaned him up and bandaged him unfailingly.

He had also lost his vision in his left eye as a result of a mishap with Mihawk.

(“Kenbunshoku haki is one of the easiest to master however you have to see.”)

****

Zoro liked to think that he was emotionally strong. Sure he had days where an irrational fear of stairs popped up suddenly but that was occasionally and it was more based off of what stairs represent.

Life is unfair and can take someone away with one misstep. He knows that Luffy knows that as well as he does, after all his brother was insanely strong.

And that hurts him more than he would care to admit. He had been barely holding onto his life while his captain, his friend was stuck in hell.

It was part of why he trained so much, he needed to be as strong as Luffy so if anything would happen then he would be prepared.

He carries the weight of several promises.

To be the greatest.

If you get in my way…

I will never lose again!

Admittedly, the second one needs to be rectified, he will never ask Luffy to do that now, it’s why he keeps Thriller Bark a complete secret because Zoro’s terrified that Luffy will go through with his promise.

He is terrified of losing the rubber brained idiot more than he cares for his own life.

****

Luffy only has two scars on his body, he stopped scarring after eating the gomu gomu no mi and only something extremely powerful could damage his body to the point of scarring.

Well, the scar underneath his left eye is proof that he was a man, even after Shanks and everyone else scolded him for being so damn reckless. He didn’t care because he felt so happy that he showed his worth, maybe now he would be able to become a pirate?

There’s another scar that he shows every day, the one that is a painful reminder of that day. Not that he’d have it any other way, it was a reminder that he had to keep growing stronger and stronger to protect all that he cares about.

It hadn’t hurt at first probably because he was already exhausted after…

After the entire war but he sure as hell felt it after Torao fixed up his wound. It had been itchy and he was scolded by Rayleigh to not pick at it, not that he couldn’t stop, he just didn’t want to.

****

Emotionally Luffy was always a cry baby, he knew that even before he had met Ace.

It was just a part of him, he was very open about his emotions.

He remembered the feeling of being alone most of his life, Makino was nice company but Jiji was hardly ever there to play with and none of the kids liked him very much. So loneliness was his only company until Shanks came along.

Shanks and his merry crew of pirates who talked to him even though he was just a dumb kid.

And then the man he adored and loved like a family member sacrificed an arm for his safety. He understands now that he has his own crew, the wish to anything in his power to protect them is strong.

And Shanks had left, leaving behind his very treasure with him.

That speaks more words than he could ever speak.

He will always remember the desperation he felt in the days following the Gray Terminal fire, the days where he wasn’t sure whether Dadan and Ace would ever come back.

And then… and then Sabo had died, shot by a fucking Tenryuubito, Luffy had never felt the desire to kill someone (okay, maybe he had felt that Higuma had deserved what he got). But instead he cried and cried and cried some more until Ace found him on that cliff.

He made a promise to never die.

And then Robin was gone…

Gone to protect them and he will remember the pure rage coursing through his veins at the thought that she sacrificed herself.

And when he sees her up there he understands, no one wanted Ace to live either so he would give her the same comfort he had given to the angry boy a long time ago.

Merry was another of his nakama he had failed to protect, in the end she was the only reason why they made it out of Enies Lobby in one piece.

And yet she still died and he couldn’t save her, set to wait at the bottom of the sea by herself.

And then…

Kuma destroyed their crew, utterly annihilating them.

And then Ace, Bon Clay, Iva, Jinbe, everyone helped him out and he wasn’t sure whether he deserved it. For he couldn’t even stop his brother from being brutally killed.

The training is hell but he knows that he deserves it and he must become stronger.

And then Dressrosa breaks him once more because Sabo isn’t dead. And Ace’s fruit is going to another brother and he couldn’t be happier but he also felt remorse for Ace would never know that Sabo was alive.

****

These are the scars that the Straw Hat pirates carry, both on their bodies and in their hearts.

[hrrytomlinson]

so i’ve been making monthly fic recs for a full year now! that’s so insane to think about honestly. thanks for all the support! my first monthly fic rec was for april 2016 and it had 10 fics on it. now they have upwards of almost 30 fics. that’s character development. anyway...

here are a bunch of fics I’ve enjoyed and loved reading throughout the month of march. I recommend that you read these great fics in april, if you haven’t already. 

(all fics with a star are my favorites and if there are two stars then it was a favorite favorite)

1. Perfect Storm (80k)*

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding.

Harry and Louis choose the latter.

2. The Night Sky is Changing Overhead (124k)**

Harry is a tattoo artist, Louis is a drama professor, and they meet during an argument at a café.

3. All I Wish Not to Remember (71k)**

What happens when all you had, all you loved, all you held dear is viciously ripped away from you? When your inner core, once filled with love and hope and light, blackens to raw, dark hatred?

What happens when your soul is hopelessly consumed and no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you attempt to shake yourself out, to rid your tormented mind of the opaque feelings that plague you, all you can see, all you can feel, all you can want is...

Revenge.

A modern adaption of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. A tragic tale of timeless undying love, merciless revenge, and selfless sacrifice.

4. I Sam Therefore I Am (4k)

Louis and Harry are both creative souls but they aren't friends, not by a long shot.

This is the Rival Slam Poets AU that no one asked for.

5. Use Your Words (6k)

College AU where jock!Harry always serenades flowercrown!Louis with love songs in their music class. What nobody knows is that Harry actually kinda means the words he sings.

But instead it's Louis as the jock and Harry as the flowerchild because I do what I want.

6. We’re Going Down Swinging (21k)

Everyone knows that revenge plots never work. Liam, Zayn, and Niall have told them as much, but Hell hath no fury like Louis Tomlinson scorned. His new friend Harry takes a bit of convincing but, once he agrees to help, Louis is sure his ex will regret the day he decided to cheat.

That is, if Louis can stick to the plan and stop falling for his co-conspirator.

Or, the one where Louis and Harry fake it til they make it, so to speak.

7. Looking in the Dark (With an Empty Heart) (25k)

In a perfect world One Direction is not interviewed by idiots. In a perfect world Harry doesn't have to defend his relationship with Louis.

Harry and Louis are out, and the whole world loves their love story, until an interviewer takes hints that they're together for a very long time now, and their libido must have changed since they were young. They don't say anything, until the media turns against them, saying their relationship must be very dull after all these years.

The only thing the media doesn't know, that Louis is asexual. His biggest fear is that Harry will leave him because of it, even though Harry grabs every chance to comfort him how perfect their relationship is, and he wouldn't want to change anything.

So when in an interview the host directly calls them out on their sex-life, Harry snaps at them without thinking, outing Louis.

8. It’s All Brand New Because of You (17k)

It’s nearing six o’clock in the evening, and despite the fact that it’s summer, the aquarium has emptied out considerably and it’s quiet as Louis wanders the exhibits. A few people try to ask him questions as he wanders, but Louis knows less about the creatures in the tanks than they do, so he keeps having to apologize and explain that he’s just a counselor, not a biologist.

AKA, Louis starts a new job as a summer camp counselor at the local aquarium and Harry is a biologist who really likes teaching people about the ocean.

9. Zero to Sixty in Three Point Five (2k)

Harry bumbles himself out of a bind...and into a boyfriend. It's Niall's fault, of course. As it always is.

10. Wings to Break Your Fall (102k)*

“I’m glad you like my clothes,” Harry whispers, sliding his arms further along the couch until he’s speaking directly into Louis’ ear. “Would you like me to take them off?”

Or Strip Club AU. Harry’s work and family are keeping him busy. He really isn’t looking for a relationship, doesn’t want one. He just wants Louis. Problem is, Louis has other plans.

Featuring: spilled drinks, meddling mums, accidental insults, a pivotal plot point masquerading as a private dance, Harry with wings, slow morning sex, a secret relationship, and tea that fixes everything.

11. For the Sake of Propriety (52k)

Louis Tomlinson is the caretaker of an estate that is not truly his, and when his Uncle calls upon him to take it back, Louis knows he will soon be out on the streets with four overly zealous sisters to care for. His only solution: wed the eldest two off and pray for the best. When an even better solution unexpectedly presents itself in the form of the charming Mr. Styles, Louis is faced with a difficult choice. But as with all things in the regency era, reputation very well may threaten to outweigh the fleeting matters of his heart.

12. Feels Like Coming Home (60k)**

The last thing Harry Styles expects when he's hanging out at the Someday Cafe in Somerville one rainy October day is for his ex, Louis Tomlinson to walk through the door, but that's exactly what happens. After a spectacularly ugly break-up three years prior, Harry hasn't heard one word from Louis, and he's moved on. Gotten over him. But having Louis back in his life, not to mention working at the restaurant where he's a chef, isn't easy, and the feelings that Harry thought he'd left turn out to be not so easily forgotten.

This is a story about love and the power of forgiveness, and how the hard choices we make define us, and change our lives.

13. Love Is a Kitten From Hell (8k)**

Louis Tomlinson passes himself off as an arrogant prick at his new school to hide the fact that he's terrified of being bullied again. Just when he's getting tired of putting up walls, he finds himself in a local pet shop where he finds a sanctuary playing with the kittens in the front window.

Harry Styles is the popular football player who works at the pet shop, secretly watching the boy he thought was utterly unlikable prove him wrong.

Partnered together for a class project, Harry gets more and more hints that Louis is actually someone worth getting to know. But the real question is, will Louis let Harry in?

14. Our Garden Grows (5k)*

Harry lives a rather mundane and dreary life, full of the same sorts of routine day in and day out.

One terribly dull and rainy day, a letter arrives from an L.T. who would very much wish for Harry to write back.

Too bad Harry can't figure out how.

15. I've Been Wandering Round (But I Still Come Back to You) (27k)

"Harry had always been beautiful, but lately he’d blossomed into this tall, sexy, man and Louis was having trouble dealing with it. And so, it seemed, were his hormones."

OR The one where Louis and Harry are best friends and co-stars on a popular television series and Louis inconveniently discovers he's in love with him in the middle of a press tour.

16. When We Were Younger (76k)**

About a week after Harry started visiting this particular chat room, he was watching some kid argue with the whole room about football, personally disinterested as he tipped a bag of crisps into his mouth. He happily chomped on the crumbs, taking a swig from a glass of Ribena to wash them down, glancing at the screen and very nearly spat the squash back out again.

His heart was pounding wildly. The display icon of the argumentative newcomer had caught his eye, and not in a good way. He gulped as he clicked the picture, and when it popped up in full resolution, his heart nearly fell right out of his arse.

Sixteen year old Harry Styles’ world turns upside down when he logs on to gay teen chat to discover somebody has stolen his photos and used them as their own.

17. Can't Start A Fire Without A Spark (22k)**

Louis Tomlinson is the pop sensation with his first new single out since taking a personal hiatus from the spotlight. Harry is a paparazzi hired to photograph him during promo. Louis hates paparazzi with a passion, but there’s just something about the pretty young pap with wide green eyes and chocolate curls that Louis can’t shake from his head.

18. ‘Til I Tasted You (14k)*

Louis is Harry Styles' biggest fan. It doesn't matter that Harry is famous for being a food blogger and Louis can't cook to save his life.

At least, until Harry offers to give Louis a cooking lesson. Then it matters just a teensy bit.

19. Life Was a Song, You Came Along (37k)**

It's embarrassing how long it takes Louis to recognize his own song. Niall had sung it as a bright, hopeful love song, and that’s honestly how Louis had always assumed it should sound. But this new voice, slow and rough, stripped of any backing instrument, has infused the lyrics with just the tumultuous mix of fear and defiance that Louis can remember so clearly from the night he wrote them.

It’s not a comfortable thing, to feel like someone is singing all your secrets back to you.  

Louis is a songwriter trapped in a lie that could ruin his best friend's career. Harry owns a record store, distrusts everyone in the music industry on principle, but loves Niall Horan's newest album. A modern retelling of Singin' in the Rain.

find my other monthly fic recs here