#i kinda forgot about some fics i wrote this year so looking back at all of them made me really happy (and surprised with how much i wrote!)

[unclewaynemunson]

✨ Fic Writing Review 2023 ✨

I was tagged by @heybluechild for this one, thank you my love this is such a fun way to look back on the year that's almost behind us <3

rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

words and fics: 140,561 words in 17 fics

top 3 fics by kudos:

Not my type - 1618 kudos - Wayne tries to set Eddie up with Steve. Eddie is, however, one hundred percent convinced Steve is not his type.

I'll bring you flowers (in the pouring rain) - 666 kudos (hehe) - Steve has changed a lot since high school, but is Eddie aware of that?

Roses & Sunshine - 665 kudos - the homoerotic guitar lessons AU ft. Steve's little sister

my fandom fic events of 2023: of course Lex's amazing seasonal challenges AND idk if this counts as a fic event buuuut Lex's wedding fic challenge was definitely a highlight of this year! Another thing I loved doing was making covers for the angstflayer's greatest hits collection :D

upcoming projects for 2024: not planning anything huge, but I would love to actually finish the edancy siblings saga (and maybe write that hallmark christmas movie au that has existed as nothing but vibes in my head for over a year). Other than that, I haven't been writing as much lately, so I mainly hope to keep finding motivation, because writing has honestly given me a lot of joy and I would hate to lose that.

reflections: I've never before been as active in a fandom for such a long time. This means I got to try some stuff I wouldn't have thought to do, which has been super exciting! I'm very proud of The difference between a poem and a love letter, because I wrote a version of Steve I'd never have envisioned myself, but it turned out working very well! I'm also proud of some stuff I wrote that doesn't shy away from heavier subjects, like I will love your shadow, Out of the prison cell and into the ocean, and Until you face the rope.

I also want to reflect on the fics that have just been A LOT of fun: And suddenly we're Thelma and Louise has been one of the fics with the most amazing vibes, and Not all of us can afford to be romantic was a very short pride & prejudice au nobody asked for but had me giggling kicking my feet like no other!

Tagging: no pressure ofc but I'll tag @thefreakandthehair @henderdads @withacapitalp @stevethehairington @shares-a-vest @pizzaqueen @flowercrowngods and @frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe

[mxnhoo]

mwah! (k. sn)

ˋ "just bored, nothing else" ࿐ྂ ⁀➷ kim sunoo x reader genre : bro is your bestfriend, bestfriends to lovers (kinda..), inspired by that one sunoo live LOL, not proofread, kiss kiss kiss w/c : ~2.1k cly's note : finally back with something! god guys i'm so fucking sorry for being so inactive. i know i promised that i'd release my hyunjin fic very soon but i just had to write something else to get me back to writing altogether yknow? i hope you guys like this one, im insanely rusty and my kissing scenes are NAWT IT, but regardless hope ya'll enjoy it. wrote this all in one sitting, my ass hurts, if you enjoyed it, please do reblog like and comment! ANYWAYS GN.

border isn't made by me, credits to cafekitsune

The doorbell rang and you raised your eyebrows, looking at everything in sight as you patiently wait for the door to swing open. And it does after a while, and your bestfriend was heavily panting, his posture slightly slouched as he processed that you were here. "You're.. here," he managed to voice out through his heavy panting and you give him a small smile while your eyes lit up at him, "I am".

"Come in, kept you waitin', sorry," he spoke in short sentences, his voice still breathless as he stepped aside from the door, making space for you to walk in and you nod, stepping foot into his house and now being hit with the unfamiliar scent of his apartment. His new apartment. Sunoo had recently moved, and he invited you over because he wanted to show you around his house, catch up with you, y'know, stuff like that.

He was your best friend for a while, a few years, and as much as you admire him as a friend, you also wanted him real bad. Like reeal bad. He has stolen your heart since the first time you saw it and the boy's completely clueless about it, everything he does to you leaving you to question if he did it on purpose to hint something or if he was just being clueless.

He'd always invited you over to his house to hang, play games, stuff like that, but with him moving and his academic workload accumulating, he had been busy and had lesser time to see you, and today was finally the day you could see him after a few weeks. You glanced at the boy who watched you walk in and took the opportunity to ruffle his golden hair, voicing out a "How have you been?".

He smiles at you and slowly closes the front door behind you and locking it. "Good, just been a bit stressful lately, 'bout you?". You turned back to the sight of his new apartment, the same paintings that were hung on a different wall and old furniture that blended in with some new furniture you've never seen before.

"Great. Seems like you've finished moving in, how's it like so far?" you question, walking in more towards the living room, now setting yourself on the couch and looking at the light that was hanging above you.

"Been amazing so far! It gets tough without mama sometimes, but I can cope," he follows you but stands in front of you instead of sitting himself down, "Could I get you anything? Apple juice, orange, water". He remains silent before continuing, "Probably an apple juice right? Your favourite."

Your gaze fixates on him from the hanging lights, the image of him in your brain being refreshed as you took view of his facial features, his blonde hair slightly messy and his lips looking plump and kissable as ever. His lips slightly agape as he eventually started to catch his breath and his eyes looking down on you. You gulp at this sight of him, you almost forgot how beautiful looked and before you could go into a daze about how attractive he looked, you slowly nodded your head, a small smile forming on your face as he recalled your favourite joke, even if it was normal for best friends to remember these types of things.

"Okay, gotcha." was the last thing he said before walking towards his refrigerator. Your eyes followed his every move, the way he opened the refrigerator door, the way he pulled out a carton and closing the refrigerator before pouring the drink into a glass up that was conveniently placed on the counter near him. Your eyes lingered onto the magnets on his refrigerator when he closed it, recognising a photo that was nicely placed in the centre with 2 magnets at opposite corners.

"You still have that?" you pointed at the photo, and Sunoo turned his head over his shoulder, glancing at you before following where you were pointing to, and his eyes land on the photo. The corners of his mouth curl up before he placed the carton down, "Yeah, why wouldn't I?".

It was a photo of you and him in a party, sitting on a couch while posing with peace signs on both hands. It was when you two had first met when people had introduced you to each other or when you practically begged people to introduce you to him . The way you two clicked so fast is quite scary, and from then on you two were quite inseperable.

"I just think it's surprising," you reply, "Out of all the photos we have, you decide to put that one, y'know?".

"It's a special day," he instantly replies, turning his back with a cup of apple juice in his hand. He made his way to you and you raise your eyebrows at his response, "Special?". Your heart fluttered at the thought of him considering a day with you special, and you almost gave it away by putting the most stupid smile on your face, but it took every ounce of self-control inside you not to do so.

"It is the day we met after all," he sat beside you, offering you the cup of apple juice that you had requested. Your eyes slightly widened, and a small smile creeping onto your face as you register what he said. You hastily took the cup into your hand, "You care about those types of things? Like, first days, first meetings, stuff like that?". Everytime you meet him, he always seems to surprise you with something new with no fail, and that's one part you like so much about him.

He hummed, his approving sound accompanied with a small nod and you took a sip of the apple juice. The sweetness immediately hit your taste bud and you quickly swallowed, voicing out a quick 'Ahh' after the refreshing sip. Your eyes look at him and you realise he was already looking at you and it made your heart skip a beat.

"Why're you looking at me like that?" you chuckled, lowering the cup from your face as you flash him a grin. He quickly looked away, a faint smile on his face, "Just missed you".

There he goes again, saying things like that. Is he doing that with a purpose? Like to flirt with you, or is the boy just being genuine? Clueless?

You choked on your drink, his response being the last thing you expected and you shot him a bewildered look. He laughs at you choking, probably enjoying how he managed to get a reaction out of you and you glared at him.

"Are you just teasing me or what?" you questioned, placing your glass cup on the small coffee table in frornt of you.

"I am," he giggled, "I'm kinda bored so it's quite funny to tease you".

Oh yeah?

"Hey," you call out to him, your tone suddenly serious and his laughs die down, his eyes slowly moving to you "I'm bored too".

His eyebrows raised, feeling confused as to where this was going.

"Since we're bored, should we kiss?"

He chokes on the air, his hand flying to his mouth as he looked away from you. You gently patted his back as if you weren't the one who just dropped a 'let's-kiss' bomb on him, a smirk forming on your lips. Once he stopped coughing, he looked back at you, his cheeks a bright tint of pink and his eyes slightly widened, "W-what did you say?".

You looked at him with an amused expression, "I said, let's kiss." You honestly have no idea where this ounce of confidence came from, but if he wanna tease you, he can only get the taste of his own medicine right?

He started to stutter, his gaze being everywhere but on you as he started to scratch his neck, the way he was so flustered being so painfully obvious as you chuckle.

"I'm just kidding," you said. As much as you wanted to kiss him, your intentions were only to tease him back. Upon hearing you, his eyes shot to you, his eyes showing that he was slightly disappointed, "Why?".

"What do you mean?" you questioned. "Why were you 'just kidding'?" "What, do you want an actual kiss or something?" "Yeah.. Yeah, I do."

Now it was your turn to be flustered. You looked at him with widened eyes, your jaw quite literally dropping as you stared at him, taking a moment to process his reply. Sunoo wanted a kiss? And he just openly admitted it?

"Sunoo, quit the teasing, it's not funny at this point." "Who says I'm teasing? I'm being serious, Y/N".

Fucking hell, no fucking way Sunoo admitted that he wanted to kiss you. "O-okay wait, so you're serious about wanting a kiss from me, right?" you questioned, wanting confirmation and that you weren't just dreaming.

"Yes, I want a kiss from you, a kiss from your lips Y/N".

You blink at him repetitively before unconsciously standing up to your feet from the couch, your eyes still fixated on him.

"This feels so wrong," you nervously bit your lip and he sat up and reached out to gently hold your wrist, slightly pulling you towards him, "It isn't, don't worry".

"Do you really want this, Nu?" you spat out, suddenly feeling doubtful about everything and anxiety grew inside you. He gently tugged at your arm, causing you to look at him and he replied, "Been wanting this since forever".

If you said that your heart wasn't going to explode, you'd be lying. Your breathing rate picked up as your chest rises up and down hastily, and your gaze fall on his lips that were slightly parted. You looked back up at his eyes and you immediately notice his eyes on your lips. Your free hand cups his cheek, and you quickly voice out "Me too, Nu" before leaning in and closing the distance between the two of you.

His hand immediately released your wrist, his hands immediately finding comfort on your waist as he pulled you closer. The kiss was slow, passionate as both of your mouths moved in the same rhythm. You could feel him smile during the kiss and you slightly tilt his head to help you get more access to his mouth. Butterflies filled your stomach as you finally process that you were kissing your bestfriend, you were kissing Sunoo. The kiss was so passionate, and it was now evident that you two have been dying for this moment. The longing for each other added fuel to the fire, and your hands gradually make way to his hair, lightly pulling on it.

The surroundings around the two of you slowly start to seem non-existent as you both increasingly melt into each other. At this point of time, only you and Sunoo mattered, nothing else. He nibbled on your bottom lip, causing you to gasp and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside your mouth, exploring your mouth as much as he can. Both of your tongues fought a fiery battle for dominance, and to no surprise, he won. The kiss was becoming so heated and intense, and before things could escalate, your hands quickly trail down to his chest and you slightly push him backwards, pulling away from the kiss.

Both of your chests rise up rapidly as your foreheads rest on each other. Eye contact was maintained as you both looked into each other's eyes. "Did.. did that just happen?" you question, still trying to catch your breath as you remain in shock as to what just happened.

"Fuck yeah, been wanting that for so long you don't even know," he confessed. A smirk forms on his lips as his eyes quickly flicker to your lips then back to your eyes. You chuckle as you close your eyes, your head leaning on him even more.

You pull away completely to sit on the spot beside him on the couch, your eyes still on him and you shook your head, "How long exactly?"

"Since I first met you." he responded, his answer once again never failing to surprise you.

"Mutual feeling then," you confessed, your breathing slowing down as you finally manage to catch your breath. He seemed shocked by the fact, but he definitely wasn't complaining.

"Since you care about first's so much, then consider that our first kiss, yeah?" you chuckled. "Sure thing, just know it won't be our last."

[saryasy]

tagged by @butchdiaz for a 2024 fic roundup but I'm copying them and adding my edits in there too 🥰 this is the most I've written in a year (and by a huge margin) by virtue of me writing my longest two fics ever back to back. so hopefully next year goes similarly because I already miss writing 😭😭

May:

sounds like forever (5k)

No, he doesn't remember falling. He just remembers looking at his best friend one evening, cooping up a sleeping Christopher into his arms, murmuring ‘I got this’ to a half-asleep Eddie who'd made to carry his own son instead. He'd watched as Buck walked quiet but confident steps to Christopher's room, depositing him in bed with a whispered ‘goodnight’, and thought, in his sleepy haze, I love him.

my very first buddie fic!! wrote it a few days after finishing the show for the first time. was still finding the characters voices but it'll always be special to me

August:

Season of Hope (After the Flood) (58k)

Eddie's summer of missing his son, unrepressing more than just his sexuality, and realizing that somewhere along the way he's fallen in love with his best friend and forgot to fall out of it.

And maybe that's okay.

I genuinely still can't believe this fic exists. and the fact that it does is all thanks to @livingincolorsagain. my longest fic ever yet I wrote it relatively quickly. and I still think back on the writing process fondly. getting to figure out where the story's headed. the chapter titles. all the lovely feedback. it was such a lovely journey even the parts where it fought me lol

September:

slow motion, double vision in rose blush (20k)

Eddie has kissed a man.

Eddie Diaz. His friend. His Eddie. Has kissed a man.

Which is strange because Buck is sure as hell he'd remember kissing Eddie. OR Buck is very normal about his platonic friend's kissing habits.

this one was literally a haze. I had an idea for them watching their first kiss through the screen and absolutely ran with it. I think that one scene in there is 12k on its own which is kinda insane. also only realized after posting that's it's my first published E rated fic

November:

merry christmas please don't call

MY VERY FIRST EDIT. my baby. I'd been thinking about getting into editing for a bit back then. but was way too intimidated to take the first step. then I heard this song on tiktok and was possessed by the ghost of shannon. and here we are

my heart is buried in venice

I still don't know how I made this one in such a short period of time. but also not complaining. loved putting the opening montage together so much

futile devices

I do. love you. yeah

December:

drawn to the blood

okay this is the first idea for an edit I ever had! idk how close I got to what I had in mind. plus it gave me hell. but it's out there now so!

What do you do about a haunted house.. (600)

a little tumblr ficlet I wrote half asleep because I was so happy I finally felt like writing again I couldn't let it slip through my fingers and risk forgetting it in the morning

so you are tired

my last edit of the year!!!! wasn't gonna post it but a told me to lol. initially it was more buddie focused. but the song is so buck I had to make some adjustments. absolutely loved cutting the song as I please lol

not to get too sappy at the end here but getting into this fandom and getting back into creating and getting to create new things and making new friends has been so so fun. thank you so much to everyone who's read and watched and said a nice thing in the tags and comments 💕💕💕💕💕

no pressure tagging @livingincolorsagain @sibylsleaves @buick118 @userbuddie @confessionseddie @chronicowboy

[misc-obeyme]

Hi! I hope you're well. I'm sending you a request for Headcaons for Simeon, if it's still possible, rather Hurt/Comfort on the theme that Simeon's become human. I loved the text you wrote for him for the 500 followers event with the word Fear. I really wanted to get into the fic to give him a hug and reassure him. Take care of yourself and have a nice day!

Hi there, anon!

Oh wow, I kinda forgot all about that little scene I wrote! It's right here in case anybody would like to read it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

So okay, I really tried to do this theme justice. I have a lot of feelings about Simeon and him becoming human. I hope it turned out okay! I think I could write quite a bit on this theme and never tire of it. There's just so much potential.

Thank you for participating!

COZY COMFORTS EVENT

GN!MC x Simeon on becoming human

Warnings: spoilers for season four of OG

Simeon will never forget how it felt when he became human. The reassuring warmth of his angelic power dissipated, leaving him feeling empty and incomplete. Throughout the many years of his existence, that power was always within him. It defined him, heralding him as an angel, giving him the means to survive in all three worlds - places where magic and demons also thrived. The second that power left him, it was replaced by an endless barrage of questions. Who was he without it? Who was he without his wings? What did it even mean to be human? Would he ever feel like he knew himself again?

He can't tell you. Whenever he looks into your eyes, he thinks about sharing this new truth with you. And yet every time, he holds back. He's too full of the need to protect you from the burden of it. It's the only way he has to protect you. Once he could watch over you, he could be your guardian angel. Now all he could do was keep his secrets.

He can tell that you're aware that something has changed. He wants to confide in you, but just thinking about speaking to you about it makes his gut twist. He's sure some of the others already know. He's noticed how Solomon and Lucifer seem to be watching out for him more than usual. Will you catch on? Will you guess what has happened without him having to say it? Is that better or worse?

Simeon had given up so much to stay in the Celestial Realm when Lucifer and his brothers fell. Deliberately standing on the sidelines so he wouldn't be ousted himself, but unable to join the fight on the side of the angels he cared so deeply about. A demotion to archangel was only a small sting in comparison to the guilt of knowing he had left Lucifer and the others to fall without him. This time he couldn't stay out of it. This time he had made the choice to help Lucifer. This time it had cost him more than just his angelic rank. Without his wings, he could never go back to the Celestial Realm. He had lost more than just his understanding of himself. He had lost his home, too.

Simeon thinks perhaps he should feel guilty. Perhaps he should be ashamed. But though he maintains his calm and collected exterior, inside he knows that he would make the same choice a million times over. And beneath that there boils a secret rage. His choice saved the worlds, his choice kept you safe. Despite everything, Simeon knows he did the right thing. He did it for you, but he did it for the state of the three worlds, too. Maybe he deserves this punishment, but he can't bring himself to regret his decision. Every time he sees your smile, his conviction strengthens.

You learn the truth eventually, of course. And when you do, Simeon is blown away when he sees your eyes fill with the deepest love. He's baffled by your reaction. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. Disappointment? Confusion? Outrage? And yet, you're all softness and warmth. You encompass him, a light he didn't realize he was missing until that very moment.

It takes some time. Simeon has to learn what it means for him to be human now. He has to find his purpose again, find himself. You stay by his side, a steady presence, a gentle comfort, and a reminder of what a human can be. You're stronger than him now, protecting him where he can longer protect you. And yet, he finds he doesn't mind. You're an inspiration to him, MC. You are something special, something he can never become, but perhaps he can learn to be something new, too.

A day comes when Simeon looks at you and realizes that you have filled the empty hole where his angelic self once was. Your smile, your patience, your endless love, how you accept him no matter what. And he sees that he would rather have you than all the angelic power in the Celestial Realm. He had been confused and frightened for so long, not knowing his place in the world any longer. It was an ache so wide within him he didn't think he could ever move past it. Now he sees he hasn't lost his home. It's always been right here, with you.

cozy comforts | masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[kairithemang0]

Could you write SMTH with Curt and DMA going out on a date and DMA actually wanting it to go right but it turning out kinda shit anyway?? If you want, I mean. Tbh I will devour whatever you give me, I love your fics a lot.

ooo hmm... this is a good one i like this a lot

i know you've mention that they are sorta fluffy sometimes, i don't remember when you mentioned it BUT I SWEAR YOU DID- so I think DMA attempting to do this date right and actually make Curt happy is really interesting, he's trying so hard but even then, it turns out like shit

poor guy

I didn't intend for things to end up somewhat ok at the end, but i did get to write Owen being a jealous prick again so that was fun

I honestly don't know how I feel about this one after finishing it. I mean, I enjoyed writing it and I wrote it fast, but I'm still torn on it

Under the mask, Owen was terrified. He didn't know what he was thinking when he asked Curt to go to a bar with him, when his now partner gave him a look of almost confusion because the Deadliest Man Alive was asking him for a drink. Curt had raised his eyebrow and asked if Owen was going to be the one paying, to which Owen replied with a soft laugh, before celebrating the small victory later, as if it was some accomplishment. To him, it was.

He didn't know why their relationship was so hard now, maybe it was the mask, maybe it was Curt's worry that the man he reluctantly called his partner would kill him in the night if he held him for too long. Owen never realized how cuddly Curt was, how much he clung to him. Maybe it was because Owen didn't hate Curt back then, or maybe 3 years of loneliness made him desperate for any human connection at all.

Owen hated Curt still, he sometimes forgot that. Curt left him, how could he possibly not feel anything but pure hatred towards the ex-American Spy, his ex-partner, his ex-friend? And yet, he still asked him for that drink, and now as they went to the bar, he held out his pinky finger for Curt to hold, subtle enough to where the busy DC street wouldn't notice, but enough contact to fill Owen's once empty heart with enough light to remake the universe.

They made their way towards the bar Curt frequented, a bar he had taken Owen to only once, where they didn't even finish their drinks until they made their way to the bathroom and went home without paying for their drinks, which caused Curt to get an earful from the bartender the next time he came around.

The two of them sat down at the counter, the bartender instantly recognizing Curt's face and starting to make him a whiskey, before turning towards Owen, "He'll have one too," Curt told him, the man behind the counter nodding his head slightly, before Curt turned towards Owen, "I've spent way too much time here over the past few years," Curt chuckled, eyes wandering the all too familiar walls, recognizing places where he had nearly past out from drinking too much, the walls where he clung to them attempting not to vomit.

"Oh yeah? So they know you well?" The bartender slid over their drinks, Owen catching his and holding onto it tightly, swirling the top of the glass with his finger.

"Pretty well. Tony and I go way back," Curt ushered his head over to the bartender, who let out a soft laugh and turned his head to Curt.

"I wouldn't say way back," he watched as Curt took a sip of his whiskey.

Curt placed the glass down on the coaster he had grabbed for himself, "C'mon you took me home once, that's gotta mean something."

"You were blackout drunk and vomiting in the bathroom until we closed, I didn't have much of a choice but to bring you out," he rolled his eyes slightly, crossing his arms.

Curt turned back to Owen, "If you're the Deadliest Man Alive, he's the Kindest Man Alive," he said in a hushed whisper, as if it was a secret, although he heard them anyways.

Tony wiped down the spot next to them, where a man had just left, "I wouldn't say that. I was just being a decent human being."

Curt hit his arm lightly, "Go make someone a drink."

Tony let out a laugh, leaving them both alone, "He seems nice," Owen spoke softly, making note of the bright smile on Curt's face he hadn't seen in years. Something about it made Owen want to punch something, if he had the choice he'd punch Tony.

"He is. He's one of the only reasons I'm still here at this point," Curt finished off his whiskey, resting his hand on his cheek as his finger swirled the rim of the glass, "He's probably one of the only people who know even a little bit about Owen."

Owen's ears perked up. While Curt talked about Owen a lot, he never said his name. He never even muttered it, other than when he was crying from nightmares in the middle of the night, or curling up in a corner after one of their fights looking for guidance. Owen had become used to not responding to the name, but every time he heard it from Curt's untouched lips it made him want to rip the mask off and show Curt who he really was.

"Oh yeah? You don't even talk to me about Owen," he spoke softly, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Are you jealous or something?" Curt laughed slightly, before noticing the glare on Owen's face as he finished off his glass of whiskey, "Oh," Curt turned his head away from him, letting out a laugh, not one of humor but one of slight annoyance, "I never saw you as the jealous type."

"Well, you should get your eyes checked," Owen let out a laugh, matching the laugh of his partner, "Sorry."

Curt rubbed his eyes slightly, reaching out to touch Owen's wrist, his fingers slipping under his sleeve slightly to touch his skin, pressing his fingertips into it too delicately, too softly. Curt watched Owen's fingers, he gently swirled circles into Owen's skin as he did with his glass of whiskey moments ago. "It's fine."

Owen pressed his free hand to his face, letting out a gentle sigh, "We should head back."

"One more drink, you're paying after all," Curt waved his hand over to Tony, who took his glass and refilled it, before sliding it back over to him.

Owen let out a soft laugh, "Fine, fine."

I don't know what I was doing with this I'm not too proud of it but eh it exists. I need to write more for these two I love their dynamic

[letters-to-rosie]

Questions for fic writers. I'm curious.

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in talk revolution to me / heir (ap)parent, what would it be?

&

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

hellooooooooooo~

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in talk revolution to me / heir (ap)parent, what would it be?

my writing style involves a lot of writes and rewrites. for those fics in particular, I had a document where I just kinda threw stuff at a wall for several tens of thousands of words before I published anything lol. so we'd be less likely to get missing scenes than deleted scenes

these could include (I forgot about some of these lmao): -Ekko and Powder having sex in his car and talking about not wanting to get caught for public indecency (their sex life in general was different lmao in the old version they spent much less time as friends so they both are unsure about each other in various ways) -an earlier version of the gym scenes (chapter 39) where they were not yet dating and Powder is angsting all the time because she doesn't know what Ekko's feelings for her are -Silco making a grand charitable gesture trying to get Ekko back on page with him and Powder being extremely pissed

for heir (ap)parent, I'm lame and have to publish chapters in order, which means I don't have the next two in order done but I have a handful of other ones mostly ready to go after that lmao. but the whole format of the fic is basically missing scenes and Ekko's backstory with the Beaumonts. one thing that's missing that I really want to add in the future is about how Ekko gains the reputation he has in the city at the start of the main timeline!

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

COWBOY BEBOP AU! for Arcane. I came up with the idea for one and wrote a bunch of notes. I started talking about it two years ago, but the idea for a story to go along with it just evades me.

I also have a couple AUs I started but never got enough on the page to publish. one is a CaitVi modern high school mystery story; one is a Hunter x Hunter "hey look we found this kid by a dumpster now we gotta adopt him" with Leorio and Kurapika taking in a runaway Killua (overdone but I can't help myself); and another is a post-canon Fullmetal Alchemist story that would be about worker uprisings in Xing and Ling and Lan Fan dealing with all of that. with drama!

writer ask game

[teetle-time]

We Always Imagine We'll Be Stronger If It Happens To Us, But…

Leo and his family are taking Mikey out for a night on the town to celebrate his 21st birthday.

It just kinda sucks that, for all his planning to make sure none of his family was someplace they couldn't get backup in case something went screwy, he forgot that he might be the one who wound up needing backup.

(or, i was sexually harassed a week or two ago so i'm making leo go through The Horrors so we can both get The Catharsis.)

〜

wrote that venty fic about The Horrors i've been puttering off and on about on my main since i experienced The Horrors. it's on ao3 now :) TW for harassment of what I'm like 95% positive is the sexual variety and also transphobia. luckily for leo, he is never alone.

〜

Hindsight was 20/20, and Leo had already had that particular lesson beaten into him years ago by a chewed-up-bubblegum-ass alien and a kid about his age or so who'd grown up in the apocalypse. It was all said and done, and he'd already made sure that he'd stay on his toes so nothing like that could ever happen again.

So why in the name of Pizza Supreme he was stuck in a less-than-great position, despite how he could very easily think of several points in time that he could have used to avoid said position, he had no idea.

It went something like this: he, his brothers, April, Sunita, and the Caseys had decided to hit the town. Well, the Hidden City, at least- topside NYC was still a bit jumpy about nonhumans from the invasion. They'd decided that Mikey's 21st birthday was as good an excuse as any to go explore, and if Mikey decided to dip his toes into drinking alcohol, they'd make sure nothing bad happened.

Leo could have insisted they pick a different bar in their lineup, but he didn't, and so they didn't.

Strike one.

Then they'd been distracted by a group of street performers doing a startlingly bopping a capella rendition of several songs from both human and yokai history, all melded together into a series of medleys that had Donnie tapping his feet and bouncing to the beat. Leo had offered to stick with Donnie for some of the performance, then the two of them would catch up to the others at the bar. It was just down the street, after all, and they were the family who'd kicked the Krangs' asses right back into the prison dimension. What could go wrong?

Leo could have pushed Donnie to just grab a photo of the board with the troupe's name on it for later googling, then ushered him along to the bar with the others, but he didn't.

Strike two.

Then, after the troupe's set seemed to finally be over- and wow, Leo hadn't even known some of those songs existed, let alone how fun they were to listen to- Donnie had turned to Leo and told him in no uncertain terms that "I will not be leaving until I get their autographs, Nardo." Leo had chuckled and given him a shove towards the troupe.

Leo could have gone up to join him in asking for the autographs, but it was something Donnie wanted more than Leo did, and he wanted to make sure everybody else was still at the bar down the street. The crowd that had gathered around the troupe was still there, after all, so it wasn't like he could really see the place at the moment.

So he didn't.

Strike three.

Leo was scrolling through his messages on his phone, chuckling to himself at a photo Mikey had taken of a tipsy-looking Raph blubbering over Casey Sr.'s phone with the caption "bro forgot cats existed and just found out they do 😂😂😂" and going to respond-

-and an arm fell over his shoulders as a voice he didn't recognize exclaimed boisterously, "Oh my god, there you are! My mom and I have been looking everywhere for you! C'mon, if we hurry we can get to the water fountain in time for the light show tonight!"

Leo did not flinch.

He'd made sure to train himself out of it after the failed invasion.

It didn't stop his spine from going cold as ice as he grimaced and slipped out from under the arm, turning to look at the stranger with a grin faker than he'd used in a good long while. "Sorry, bub, I think you've got the wrong turtle."

The stranger looked like a tortoise yokai, which made the earnest expression on his face come across that much more easily to Leo. An older tortoise sitting in a hovering, mystical-looking version of a power scooter watched their younger companion tiredly, but made no moves to intervene.

"No, I've got the right one! C'mon, don't you recognize the hat we agreed I'd wear?" The stranger gestured to the goofy-looking hat on his head, a pattern of cartoony rubber ducks running across the entire thing.

Leo subtly stepped back a short ways, red flags going up in his mind. "Whaaat are you talking about?"

"Oh, c'mon, you remember me!" insisted the stranger. "Rubb3rducky6969? Eddie Gates?" He lifted his arms as if to cross them in front of his chest, but he just held them parallel to each other as a mystic tattoo under his scales lit up, displaying his name along his forearms in bold, gothic lettering.

"Not ringing a bell," Leo said shortly. "Look, I'm just here for-"

"Our meetup, yeah!" Eddie smiled and nodded fervently, shifting on his feet like some kind of fully-grown schoolboy. "I've been dying to meet you, y'know, and, well, I don't wanna say anything that could get misconstrued, y'know, but you've talked so much about your womanly figure and…wow."

Steel shot through Leo's spine, and he only barely managed to keep from grinding his teeth together as he took another step back. "Dude, I'm a dude."

"Well, yeah, I mean, I guess," and ooh, if the flippant reluctance of that phrase didn't set some distant, not-already-creeped-out part of Leo's blood to boiling, "but-b-but I just…oh c'mon, you seriously don't remember me?"

"Absolutely not," Leo said without hesitation. "I'd say this has to be one of those things, like, how human society has that whole 'statistically, 7 people on the planet look exactly alike despite not being related at all' thing or however that goes, but…"

Eddie frowned thoughtfully, then smiled and nodded as if remembering, "Ohhh, right, you did mention you tend to get blackout drunk."

Thinking very much of how alcohol tasted like whatever gas stations had going on in the air around them, and thinking very much of how Splinter only ever kept a few bottles of sake in the house, which Leo had never really enjoyed the taste of, Leo scowled. "I don't drink."

"R-right, right, you don't drink often," backpedalled Eddie, though he immediately un-backpedalled with a, "but when you do, you drink a lot."

Leo shifted on the balls of his feet, reaching ever-so-slowly for his swords to portal the guy directly into the nearest yokai hospital, propriety be damned, but Eddie just kept on babbling.

"I just-! You mentioned your greatest turn-on is 'feeling rushed,' and you were insistent on it, too. All caps, the whole shebang, haha," Eddie chuckled.

Leo found himself suddenly thinking about an episode of a show Splinter had fallen asleep watching, back when he was only about nine or ten. The characters in the show used their skills in manipulation, trickery, and deception to lie tastefully to their marks and get them to reveal information about themselves- information that the main characters could then use to set right the wrongs that their marks had done.

Kid-aged Leo had imprinted on the idea of being able to tug at people's emotional states to get them where they needed to be.

Teenaged Leo had tried to do exactly that when he'd first had leadership dropped on his head, only for it to backfire in such a spectacular fashion that they'd needed time travel to avert the ensuing disaster.

Present-day Leo had the stark realization that Eddie What's-His-Nuts was trying to do exactly that to him.

This realization fled his mind almost immediately, however, because the next thing Eddie said-

"I said to myself, I said, 'Cmon, Eddie, Nardo seems like such a sweet girl-'"

The swell of ringing in Leo's ears drowned out anything else Eddie said.

Leo hadn't given this complete and total stranger any part of his name, least of all the Donnie-specific-

DONNIE!

They'd stuck together in case something happened and they needed to bail the other out, and Leo had been pretty sure Donnie would be the one in need of bailing, but-!

"I don't know you!" Leo managed, louder than he meant and stiffer than he'd thought he could be. "Don't call me th- I don't know you!"

And he spun on his heel and lurched through the crowd, making as close to a beeline for Donnie as he could manage without being able to actually see him.

"Wh-Nardo, wait-!"

But Leo just shoved through strangers with equal parts "sorry" and "I don't know him" falling from his beak, and ooooh he was hyperventilating now, that wasn't gonna be good for his unshakeable cool guy image-

"Leo?!"

Leo looked up at Donnie and the members of the troupe, frozen mid-autograph (from Donnie, funny enough- did they recognize him from someplace? Did Donnie already get their autographs?) and visibly confused, and he tried to explain what had just happened.

All that came out was more of the same "I don't know him, I don't know him" and shaky gesturing back in the vague direction of Eddie What's-His-Nuts.

And heavy breathing too quick to be healthy.

Couldn't forget that.

Donnie's expression hardened, and he gave the troupe a curt nod. "Apologies, but I believe I must cut our interaction short, gentleyokai. It was truly a pleasure-"

"Who's this, Nardo?" asked fucking Eddie from behind Leo.

Leo most definitely did not jump a foot in the air and yelp, "I don't know him!" before dashing into the space just behind Donnie.

"Oh, goddammit, Eddie, what are you doing?" groaned one of the members of the troupe, slapping a tentacle to their face as they slumped.

Donnie scowled deeply. "Yes, I believe I would like to know that as well, especially if you all do know him. Our family will also want to be informed of this incident, if it was enough to cause such a bad panic attack in my-"

"I-? You didn't say you already had someone, Nardo," interrupted Eddie, sounding hurt.

"He is my BROTHER, you cretin!" snapped Donnie.

"Wh-? No, she's got those marks on her eyes-!"

That was all Eddie got out before Donnie was up in his face, what looked like half the US Military's arsenal hovering all around them and glowing a downright furious violet. "You will leave my brother alone. You will stay away from him. If you so much as sneeze in his direction-"

-one of the spidery legs in his battle shell unfolded for just long enough to smack a sticker on the back of Eddie's neck, one in Mikey's artstyle that showed a crab puff snapping crabby claws-

"-I will know." Donnie grinned toothily. "And you don't want that. Got it?"

Eddie nodded hastily and scrambled away as fast as his legs could carry him.

"No subcutaneous tracker for him?" Leo tried to quip, though his voice was still a bit too strained to come across as completely natural, goddammit.

"Family members get the tracker," Donnie said lightly, dismissing his ninpo with a wave of his hand. "Dum-dum creeps who refuse to back down and cause immense mental distress, but who can't physically harm us, get a completely normal sticker that is definitely not sending location information to the authorities, he said convincingly."

Leo managed a disbelieving snort. "You're siccing the cops on him?"

"What? Of course not, scoff!" Donnie crossed his arms. "You remember those yokai that Raph ran into that one time we all came down here and went off to do our own things, only for all of them to blow up in our faces so Dad and Mikey had to bail us out of a place that was definitely not jail? And how they've been skirting just a little bit closer to the straight and narrow lately?"

That got a full-on wheeze out of Leo.

"I am so sorry about Eddie," said one of the higher-voiced members of the troupe. "He's always given us the creeps, but we've never actually seen him act on that whole situation until just now."

"We're absolutely firing him, right?" asked one of the basses.

"Oh, that wasn't even in question," answered someone whose voice fell a bit closer to Leo's in pitch. "Hey, Wanda, your aunt's still in the music business, right?"

The one who'd apologized for Eddie nodded. "I'll call her once we're back at the hotel." Then, to Leo and Donnie, "You dudes good to get wherever you're headed?"

Leo scrubbed at his face to loosen up the muscles trying to lock him into a rictus grin, then smiled a bit more genuinely. "I've got mystic portals, when I've got the presence of mind to use 'em. We can just portal to the others, right?" He glanced at Donnie.

"I will send them a text to ensure we have enough space to arrive, but if they don't read it, that'll be on them." Donnie grinned, this time with only the mischief of brotherly shenanigans in the expression.

"Good." Wanda nodded and started putting mostly-emptied water bottles in a backpack sitting next to her. After a moment, though, she paused and turned back to the two of them. "And, hey, I told your brother here already, and I'll tell you… my aunt was wearing a cloaking brooch in Metro Tower that day."

She didn't need to specify which day.

"She only survived because you guys fought off the Krang quickly enough that the healers were able to reverse the damage," continued Wanda. "So…thanks. And you're welcome at any of our shows, whenever, wherever. That goes for all of you, too, so tell your friends."

"More welcome than Eddie, amirite fellas?" called the bass with a sharp laugh.

Leo bit back a snicker. "Thanks. I…I kinda needed that, to be honest. After…y'know."

Wanda's face didn't really lend itself to humanoid expressions, but her posture softened all the same. "No prob. Stay safe, yeah?"

"Yeah." Leo grinned.

He and Donnie stepped closer to each other, and with barely even a flick of one sword, a portal opened beneath them-

-and they were in the bar.

Casey- both Caseys- seemed to have gotten into a drinking competition a short ways away, and April and Sunita were enthusiastically cheering them both on. At the barstools, Mikey sat and sipped from a fancy-looking drink that smelled more of fruit than anything else, and Raph seemed to be pouting in a booth off to one side.

At Leo and Donnie's arrival, though, Mikey lit up- literally, when it came to his spots, but also with normal relief on his face. "Oh, thank goodness you're here! Raph's been on stage three of turtle tipsy basically the whole time!"

"How fortuitous," said Donnie mildly, and oh son of a-

Donnie bodily picked Leo up and chucked him at Raph, yelling, "RAPHALA! HUG THIS MAN!"

"DONNIE, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON Y-!" Leo started, only cutting himself off when he landed against Raph's plastron with a grunt.

Raph perked up right away, and almost before Leo knew it, he was wrapped up in a bear hug and vibrating with the force of Raph's churring.

Vaguely, he had the impression that his and Donnie's flashy entrance had caught the others' attention, and he was pretty sure that they were gonna be asking what had happened any second now, but Raph just tucked Leo's head under his chin like they were little kids again and churred louder.

Explanations could be Future Leo's problem.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I love you guys?" Leo mumbled, the leftover tension draining out of his body at record speeds as he let himself sink into his big brother.

Raph was too far gone into this stage of turtle tipsy to respond with words, but he still shifted Leo in place until he was more secure, then smiled blissfully and started rocking Leo ever-so-slightly from side to side.

Leo felt his eyes start stinging with tears at the sheer safety of it all, but the sleep of the exhausted claimed him before he could do anything about them.

[frogiwi]

HIIIII KI ✨🥰🫡 7, 18, and 27 pleas for the more fic writer asks !!!

HI HIDEY ILY

7. your preferred writing fonts

OUGH. SORRY I KNOW U ARE TYPEFACE ENTHUSIAST. HOWEVER I JUST USE GDOCS DEFAULT ARIAL..............

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic

DO I KEEP THEM? pause while i go look through some docs LOL

OK I FOUND SOME. i found a lot actually but i got bored of rereading them so i'll go with the first one i found which i had entirely forgot about, deleted from my first makichi fic, right in front of my eyes

“Do you trust those guys?” Chihaya blinks. Sure, he does. Loathe as he is to admit it, Kiyomine is as much of a monster as ever, and Kaname improves at a pace far beyond any true novice could. Todo’s performance had been questionable in their last game, but Chihaya’s willing to give him another shot to prove himself because he’s shown results before. Yamada is as reliable as ever, even while they iron out the kinks in their lineup. They have good senses, and what some of the group lacks in skill, they make up for in enthusiasm. They’ve settled into a good routine, and they’ll only get better from here. “Outside of baseball,” Makita tacks on belatedly.

so.... i wrote this fic back in july, so i don't really remember any of my thoughts outside of the notes i have in the doc. but these lines happen during a conversation chihaya and makita have after the second round of the summer tournament in first year, when makita asks chihaya to meet up. the fic is about, like, exploring how the shitty things makita said to chihaya came from a place of hurt and rejection rather than from hating chihaya or resenting him, and about chihaya learning that makita didn't resent him but just wanted to be friends with him. it's about reconciling, to put it simply. it's a short and sweet one too. i think the reason the above passage got cut is twofold

a lot of my early bouba wips have this thing where i. have the narrating character (chihaya or todo, p much) kinda... reflecting on the composition of the team and thinking a nice (and/or snarky) thing about each person. idk why i did it so much. we get it, the team is full of earnest weirdos who are great at baseball or are learning to be great at baseball. the show told us that already, move on. i think the reason this came up in this fic is bc makita has noticed that chihaya is actually friends w his high school team while he wasnt friends w anyone on his and makita's old team, and makita wonders why they weren't good enough. so chihaya thinks about his team and why he's friends with them. i think this paragraph just didnt feel like it really added anything by going specific though. none of these things are like, things makita or others on the old team didn't have tbh. but then to my second reason

"outside of baseball", now that i think about it, doesn't make sense at all in a fic about chihaya. bc 1) we know that one of his biggest problems is trusting people, which is presented to us through the lens of baseball and how he would only rely on himself in crucial moments, rather than being presented to us in terms of his social life in general, and 2) makita doesn't care about things that aren't baseball, and he wouldn't care about whether or not chihaya trusts his team outside of it. he WOULD care so much about whether he trusts them in baseball, bc he didnt trust makita or the rest of that team. but i dont think ANY of this occurred to me when i cut it. but now that i reflect on it i'm glad i did LOL

ok anyways idr what i was talking abt. i found a TON of cut stuff for the todochi/makichi cheating fic too but it was all boring. no wonder it was cut AHAHA

27. your favorite part of the writing process

HM.......... i think..... ok, i don't have much of a "process" other than: write whenever my brain and hands allow me to until either i get hopelessly stuck, or i finish it. if i get stuck i go to some trusty friends and gather thoughts and i discuss deeply with my beta (THAT'S YOU!). and then i work on it more and finish it. editing is generally minimal.

so that said, i think my favorite parts are

when i have an idea take hold so strongly that i spend a day writing multiple thousands of words and end up with a solid chunk of really good shit, ESPECIALLY if i was just endlessly rotating it in my head before but never writing words other than notes. what's better than coming back to ur doc the day after a writing fever like that and seeing all this shit that wasn't there before. IT SLAPS.

actually, having beta discussions is probably my favorite part. it's so fun every time to absolutely dissect the shit out of the plot, or a character, or a paragraph, or even just a sentence. i feel like how i think about writing has transformed so much in a short time bc of this part of the process and it's also made me better at identifying my own goals and intentions etc. it's really fun to really get into it for hours and come out of it with a page full of notes to start plugging away with. i've never stayed stuck after we do this so it really is the best thing ever

ok this got rly long as always but these ones were interesting and took some thought (other than font....) so THANK U ILY

✍️ fic writer asks

[sweetorangepoptart]

Year-End Writer's Roundup: 2024 edition

Thank you @pikapeppa for tagging me!!!

It’s that time of year, writer friends: time to take stock of what we’ve been up to this year! Tagging to literally ANY AND ALL WRITERS who would like to participate — seriously, if you write and you see this, please take this as an invitation to fill it out!

@starshinemaiden @kingbadgermole @deerstalkerdeathfrisbee @creampuffqueen @korrasamibottles @ozais-lobotomist @appalesbian @gaybd1 @kjthenbee @lokfeedsthegays @mellyoraa I know I forgot some of you just do this if you've written anything this year!!!

Words written (published or not, WIPs totally count too!!):

I'm not even going to try to count my WIP so we'll just go by AO3 wordcount which is... 335,514. Not too shabby.

Smut scenes:

Looks like 9! Two pwp oneshots and the rest in my longfics.

New things I tried:

Korrasami in Love, Asami!! I was really nervous about that one. I've been kind of questioning my gender for a while, and writing from the perspective of men felt really good. So shifting back into a woman's voice, especially one as nuanced and complex as Asami, was kind of jarring. But I'm glad I did. She was so interesting to write.

I also tried out a darker AU in You'll Be the Death of Me. I really love this one.

Mystery/political intrigue adjacent stuff in Security, too.

Original characters 😭 I've been so worried about my original characters and how they'll be received. But it's been fun to play with them! And the response has been positive.

Fic I spent the most time on:

Probably Windswept. The word count plus the amount of time I spent rewatching season 3 and researching various topics, it's definitely taken a lot of my time.

Fic I spent the least time on:

Probably my pwp Relax. That one came really easily (no pun intended) and I think it's my second lowest word count

Favorite thing I wrote: 

A Friend of the Avatar! Korra's perspective was fun and all the details I include were so fun to write: Mako telling Korra about Wu's allergy, Korra telling Mako to put Wu's letters on the fridge, Wu very smoothly being like "yes I like girls very much" when he was trying to cover his ass after all the brainwashing business was over and Korra was apologizing to him for leaving without him, Asami dissecting Wu's letter for a threesome proposition... Ahhhh I just had so much fun with that one!!! I even had fun coming up with the title (A friend of the Avatar=a friend of Dorothy. See what I did there???)

Favorite thing I read:

I don't want to play favorites because I read A LOT of good stuff, especially from @starshinemaiden @deerstalkerdeathfrisbee and @korrasamibottles submissions for Wuko week. So instead of playing favorites here, I'm going to go off to a different fandom.

Surface Tension , a Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time fic. Pairing: Princess RutoXSheik/Zelda. OH MY GOD. I replayed OoT this year and I had an EPIPHANY that Ruto was in love with Sheik after he saved her life, and that Sheik returned them considering how he spoke about her to Link. I held my breath and searched for the Ruto/Sheik tag on Ao3... TEN WORKS. 10. ONE-ZERO. I was like about to cry wanting to read a good Ruto/Sheik fic... I scrolled through the 10 works and Surface Tension caught my eye for the 14k word count alone. I was HOOKED from the beginning. I was on the edge of my seat. The author did AMAZING and captured their voices and characterizations perfectly, and it was beautiful and funny and romantic and suspenseful and it had action and it was SOOOO well written. And it was written 14 years ago. Did I leave a comment? You bet I did. it was a loooooong comment too. And the author replied and said it made their week 🧡 the moral of this story is read old fics and comment on them.

Writing goals for next year: 

I need to finish my three in progress long fics. I feel very confident that I'll do it because of how good I felt finishing Secret, but I do admit juggling all 3 of them kinda sucks, just because I want them all to be finished already and I hate that each one goes like 2 months between updates. But I'll do it and if you can all stick with me and keep commenting it will make it way easier!!!

I, unfortunately, also have an idea for another longfic that was inspired by an ask about the fire nation princess... Something something Mako becomes her bodyguard, something something Wu pining as he watches them grow close and presumably fall in love the way Wu wishes it could have happened with him... I think I'll sprinkle in lots of misunderstandings and see what happens lol. I've started outlining it but I'm going to wait until my other three longfics are done before I get started with it so I can focus.

I also really want to write a Wuko fic from Bolin's perspective. I love Bolin and his voice so I really want to get in his head and see what I can do with his reactions and thoughts to his brother dating the Earth King.

And... To those of you who are only acquainted with my Wuko work, this might sound out of pocket, but I reeeeeeally want to write some hardcore BDSM too. I don't know how I'll do that because I'm endlessly obsessed with writing Wuko and in my head, Mako and Wu would never be into it (I can't even picture them doing a little light spanking 🤣). So I'll need to write a completely different pairing possibly a different fandom if I want to do that. But BDSM is probably my favorite flavor of smut to read and I used to have a lot of fun writing it. I've grown a lot as a writer so I'd love to take a crack at it and see what I can come up with.

Also WukoWeek is around the corner and I definitely need to write for that.

[coldsandfluff]

The B/old Type Sickfic (F contagion, Jane, Sutton & Kat)

A soft & sweet sickfic filled with contagion, banter, fluffy care-taking and denial.

Kinda forgot that I was in the middle of migrating my old fics to Tumblr, and that I even wrote this fanfic from The B/old Type years ago. I don't think I've ever seen fics from this TV show before, so it might be too niche, but just in case some of you have seen it and would love it, I'm leaving it right here to be found.

THE STORY: Jane catches a cold and accidentally passes it around to her best friends. It's a mix of platonic care-taking between the girls as well as romantic care-taking with the Jane/Pinstripe and Sutton/Richard pairings. The story happens a few seasons into the show, so there are a bit of spoilers in there, just in case you care.

Enjoy!

The Cold Type

Jane Sloan loved New York. There was nothing quite like taking a stroll down a busy street, watching people go by in a hurry, surrounded by buildings so tall they could kiss the sky. New York had always felt like home to her.

But if there was one thing that she hated about the city, it was winter. Especially when it lingered well into spring, blowing freezing winds through thin coats until every single hair raised in shivery protest.

It wasn’t that Jane didn’t own warmer coats—quite the contrary: she owned many, many coats. It was just that New York had moved on to spring fashion weeks ago. It was officially trench coat and bomber jacket season. Sure, Jane could have checked the weather before leaving her apartment in the morning, but then she might have missed the next train, which was a big no-no. Sometimes, the easiest choice was the worst one, and when you’re battling a low-level morning headache, there’s just no way around it.

And that’s why Jane cursed herself as she trudged down the street, wrestling the wind and struggling to keep her military green bomber jacket closed against her chest. When she finally reached her office building, she gratefully slipped through the door and welcomed the comparative peace and quiet of the atrium. Sure, there was the usual morning bustle as everyone made their way to their floor to start their workday, but it was nothing compared to the whistling of an insistent winter wind.

Jane sniffled, her nose running from the change of temperature. And, of course, she hadn’t brought tissues either. Tissues were for winter jackets.

“Jane!” called Kat at the top of the escalator leading to the lobby, waving two to-go coffee cups. Sutton stood next to her, flashing Jane a smile. They both looked fabulous, as always, and Jane was hit by a surge of love for her best friends.

After a quick ride up the escalator, during which Jane tried to get her shivering body under control, she lurched forward towards the coffee cup that Kat held out for her. Holding it with both hands, Jane took a sip, hoping the steaming liquid would warm her from the inside.

“Well, hello to you too,” said Kat with a raised eyebrow.

“Cold,” said Jane in-between sips. “So cold.”

Kat put her arm around Jane’s shoulder, bringing her closer. “You should have worn something warmer, silly.”

“Can’t. It’s spring,” mumbled Jane as the three girls headed towards the elevator.

“So?” asked Kat.

“You can’t argue with fashion,” said Sutton. “But you can accessorize better,” she added, removing her large pale blue scarf and wrapping it around Jane’s neck. “This is called ‘fashion smart.’”

“I could have used some of your ‘fashion smart’ this morning, but you were gone before I even woke up,” said Jane, arranging the scarf with her free hand. “I don’t even know how you’re functioning with so little sleep.” Her voice caught at the end of the sentence. She cleared her throat, wincing.

Sutton sighed, pressing the elevator button. “We’ve got so much work to do before Paris fashion week. I’m basically working 20 hours a day at this point. I don’t even know why I go back to the apartment at all.”

“I have a tent you can borrow,” said Kat with a teasing smile. “It’s a pop-up tent. You just put it on the ground, pull a little, and SURPRISE! It’s a fully assembled tent. It would work great in the office.”

“Amazing,” said Sutton with mock enthusiasm.

Jane felt a prickle in her nose, burning like wildfire through her sinuses. A quick, squeaky gasp escaped her lips as she turned away from her friends, her breath catching in her throat. “Hhh—Ihh’TSCHheew! Ehh’TSCHheew!”

“Bless—“ started Kat.

“NN’TSCHheew! Excuse me.”

“Bless you!” said Kat and Sutton almost in unison. Kat examined Jane’s face, as if seeing it for the first time today. “Are you getting sick?”

Jane shook her head. “No.”

Sutton narrowed her eyes. “You do sound a little… scratchy,” she said, wriggling her fingers in front of her own throat.

Kat nodded, leaning towards Jane for a better look. “She does. And she’s a bit pale, too.”

“Guys, I’m not sick.” Jane sighed. “It was just a sneeze. Calm down.”

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The three girls stepped in, along with a few other employees.

“It was three, actually,” said Sutton, pressing Scarlet’s floor button.

“Three pretty strong sneezes,” added Kat, biting her lips to repress a smile.

Jane knew the more she reacted, the more they would tease her about it, but for some reason, their accusation really irritated her. So she’d sneezed and was a bit tired. Big deal. She was not sick.

“Guys, just stop. Can’t a girl sneeze in peace in this world anymore? Sheesh.” Jane had tried to spin her reply in a carefree, fun way, but it had come out a lot harsher than she’d intended.

“Whatever. Just don’t get me sick,” said Sutton, matching her seriousness. “I don’t have time to get sick.”

“Not a problem. ’Cause I’m not sick.”

~~~

Jane sat in the conference room, nursing her second round of coffee that morning. The first one hadn’t made a dent in her fatigue. She wondered if Kat had accidentally gotten her a decaf latte. This time, she’d chosen a dark roast and had forgone milk and sugar; a pitiful attempt at tricking her body into thinking the coffee was stronger. She’d written an article about the power of the placebo effect during her recent stint as a freelancer, so this would be an interesting experience. At the very least, the disgustingly bitter taste would be enough to keep her awake during the pitch meeting. She took another sip, grimacing.

Jacqueline C/arlyle waltzed into the room, ready for business. Everyone around the table, including Jane, immediately sat straighter. It wasn’t that Jacqueline intimidated them—although on some levels, she did—, it was more that she inspired them to be better. The editor-in-chief emanated an aura of confidence and self-control, enveloped in just enough warmth to nurture and encourage growth. Jane aspired to be even half the woman Jacqueline was when she reached her age.

“Alright everyone,” said Jacqueline, standing at the end of the table, a cordial smile on her lips, “let’s hear your pitches for this week. I’d like us to extend our theme of powerful women hiding within the workplace. We’ll also need a few light pieces and a quiz for this month.”

Jacqueline went around the table, listening to pitches and guiding writers in the right direction. Jane watched her work, transfixed. Soon, her mind started floating around the room, her eyes unfocused. However, when one of the writers proposed a piece about women in the White House, Jane snapped back to reality. Her heart dropped to the floor.

That was the pitch she was going to propose when her turn came.

Panicked, she crossed it off the page in her notebook, but there was nothing else to fall back on. She’d been so confident that Jacqueline would love it that she hadn’t come up with a plan B. And sure enough, Jacqueline gave the writer the green light for the piece. Great.

There were only two more people before Jane. She had to think fast, but her mind was blank, her thoughts dry. Awakened by the rush of adrenaline, Jane’s nose started tickling again, adding to her distraction. Women in hiding, women in hiding, she mumbled under her breath, trying to jolt her brain awake. Her nose twitched as the tickle turned into a sparkle, making her eyes water. She tried to control her breathing, but the brewing sneeze wasn’t going to give up so easily.

“Jane?” asked Jacqueline, looking down at her notebook.

Jane didn’t answer, struggling with the tickle. She brought up her elbow and turned towards the side, getting ready for a sneeze that suddenly didn’t want to come out.

Jacqueline lifted her gaze. “Jane?”

“Hhh—Ihh’TSCHhheew! So sorry, I��’TSChheew!”

“Oh, bless you! You alright there?”

Jane sniffled quietly, sitting upright in her chair. “Yes. Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. So, what do you have for me this week?”

Jane stared at the elegant older woman, trying to throw out an idea. Any idea. Or even form words with her mouth. Any word. “Um…” She saw her boss’s features transform from an open smile to a puzzled raised eyebrow. “Uhhh…”

“Do you want me to come back to you?”

“No! I just…” Jane cursed herself internally. Why hadn’t she said yes? What was wrong with her? “I was thinking about…” Finally, an idea hit her. “Pseudonyms!” she practically yelled, raising halfway in her chair. “Women authors using pseudonyms or initials in order to make it in the book publishing industry.” She saw Jacqueline’s eyes light up, which spurred her forward. “I could interview authors and agents to find out if and why it’s affecting how readers choose books to purchase.”

“That sounds great Jane! Let’s go with that.”

Jane smiled and relaxed in her seat. But her elation was short-lived. She didn’t actually know anyone in the publishing industry.

Where would she even start?

~~~

“You look terrible,” said Kat as she leaned on Jane’s desk. Her friend was slumped in her chair, her eyes glazed over as she stared at the screen.

There was no doubt in Kat’s mind that Jane was sick, no matter how much the brunette denied it. It was kind of adorable how much Jane argued about it, right up until the point where she could no longer hide it. Kat wondered if it was because Jane hated appearing vulnerable, or if she was actually trying to convince herself that she was healthy.

Jane sighed, rubbing her forehead as if to calm a nagging headache. “I’m just tired.” She grabbed her empty mug and peered into it. “Wanna grab coffee downstairs?”

“Sure! I was actually going to ask if you wanted to get some lunch.”

Jane scrunched up her nose. “Not really hungry. But I’ll come along. I can use a break from… doing absolutely nothing except panicking.”

Kat pouted, resisting the urge to say something about Jane’s lack of appetite. She already looked miserable, and Kat didn’t want to irritate her even more. Plus, it wasn’t as fun to tease Jane without Sutton around.

Kat linked her arm around Jane’s as they headed downstairs. “What’s going on?”

“Just got my assignment for the week,” Jane said, her voice cracking at the edge. “Actually, I assigned myself a piece without any leads and I just spent the entire morning trying to figure out my angle. Do you happen to know any authors or agents?”

Kat shook her head. “Not personally, but I can poke around my contacts on social media if you need. What’s the piece about?”

“Women using male pseudonyms to publish books.”

“Oh, kind of like L. M. Montgomery?”

“Yeah, but I want the opinion of women currently in the industry to see if the new feminism movement has changed anything. Except I don’t know where to start.” She laid her head on Kat’s shoulder and sighed.

Kat frowned. It wasn’t like Jane to feel so defeated over something as simple as finding contacts. There were multiple ways to approach it, and Jane had done it before. Kat knew it was a sign that her friend wasn’t feeling well. It broke her heart.

“Let me know how I can help. If you think of anyone, I can try to reach out. You know the six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing? I’m like three degrees closer.”

Jane laughed, which triggered a small, pitiful cough. Kat cooed and squeezed her friend closer. She wondered how long it would take before Jane gave in and finally agreed to rest. Last time, it had taken a good three days and a lot of convincing. And some yelling.

Kat was grateful that her immune system was basically indestructible. She hadn’t been sick in nearly four years, and couldn’t remember how it felt to have a cold. She attributed it to a good sleeping routine and her daily morning smoothie. All that vitamin C was paying off, baby!

As soon as they reached the ground floor, the pair headed for the coffee shop in the center of the lobby. Midday light filtered in from the two-story windows covering the outside wall. People milled around, drinking coffee, sitting with their laptops at the many tables scattered around the open space. Kat smelled the aroma of coffee and fresh bread wafting around, her stomach grumbling. Maybe she would get a sandwich at the café. She didn’t really want to force Jane to go out in the cold if she didn’t need to.

“Sloan!” a man called behind them.

The two girls turned around. Pinstripe, a.k.a Ryan, a writer who used to work upstairs at Pinstripe magazine, walked towards them with a big grin on his face. Beard stubbles, short haircut, leather jacket over black t-shirt and tight black jeans—he looked like he had just jumped out of a romance novel about a reformed bad boy with a heart of gold. Kat still didn’t quite know what to think of him yet. Or even what Jane truly thought of him. The two had dated very briefly until Jane had realized that he wasn’t ready to commit.

“So we meet again,” said Jane, her voice dripping with sarcasm. That was their thing. Sarcasm. Kat didn’t really get it, but she always enjoyed watching it unfold.

“It’s equally lovely to see you,” said Pinstripe. His smile faltered as he examined Jane’s face. “Rough party last night?”

Kat bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. She felt Jane tense next to her.

“No. It’s Monday. This is my Monday face.” Just as she said it, her nose scrunched up. Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth hung open for a moment. She turned to her side and sneezed into her elbow. “Ihh’TSCHhheew! Ugh. Ehhh… Ehh—TSCHhheew!”

“Bless you, Sloan!” said Pinstripe, a hint of surprise in his voice. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sneeze.”

“Well, congratulations, you got a two-for-one deal. Hope you enjoyed the show.” Jane’s voice was strained and exhausted, void of her usual liveliness. Even Pinstripe seemed to notice it.

Kat tried to change the subject. “You know, for someone who doesn’t work here anymore, you sure hang out in the lobby a lot.”

“Oh, Sloan didn’t tell you? I got a book deal upstairs. I’m just meeting with my editor.”

“Congratulations!” Kat said, then turned to Jane. “Wait, Jane, weren’t you—“

Jane’s face lit up. “Oh my god, how could I even forget this? Of course!”

Pinstripe stood in silence, looking back and forth between the girls with a confused look.

“I’m writing a piece on the publishing industry,” explained Jane, suddenly a little more alive. “Do you think you could hook me up with a few contacts?”

Pinstripe smiled. “Sloan, if you keep asking me for favors, you’re going to owe me for eternity.”

“Hey, you said I was the one who pushed you to write this book. You owe me!”

Pinstripe chuckled and bowed his head. “Good point.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a meeting in a few minutes, but let’s meet up tomorrow afternoon at our usual spot?”

Jane nodded. “Sounds good. See you then.”

Kat watched him walk towards the elevator, silence stretching between Jane and her. She held it in for as long as she could, but it was too much to bear. “’Our usual spot?’” she asked in a sing-song tone.

“It’s a coffee shop,” said Jane with a warning look, but a smile on her lips. “Don’t you start.”

Kat shrugged. “Just sayin’! You’re kind of playing with fire here, Jane.”

“Speaking of fire, let’s get some coffee. It’s freezing in here.”

Kat nodded. It wasn’t really that cold in the lobby, but she could see the goosebumps on Jane’s arms. She wondered if she could get her to wear the wool cardigan she kept in her office for when the AC blasted frigid air in the summer. The trick was to figure out a way to offer it to Jane without making it obvious that Kat knew she was sick.

She decided it would be her challenge for the day.

~~~

The next morning, Richard H/unter jogged to the elevators, suitcase in hand. “Hold it please!” he yelled, making it just in time to prevent the doors from closing. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed that none other than Sutton stood in the center of the elevator, alone.

Her eyes widened when she realized it was him. Richard finally stepped in with a polite smile and stood next to her, his heart beating out of his chest. It always did that when he ran into Sutton at work. It was excruciating.

“Good morning,” he said.

Sutton smiled and nodded without looking straight at him.

As the elevator rode up, Richard stole a glance at her. Frowning, he noticed that she looked pale, and her nose was a bit red. Had she been crying? His heart dropped at the memory of the last time he’d seen her cry, when she’d put an end to their secret relationship.

Sutton sniffled. A quiet little noise that caught Richard’s attention.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his professional front disintegrating.

She looked at him, then looked down. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

But Richard heard it. A bit of congestion in her voice, a slight croak. She’s sick, he realized. Just as he was about to say something, the elevator doors opened. People filed in, splitting Richard and Sutton apart.

Suddenly, Richard heard a tiny gasp, followed by a dainty sneeze. He turned his head in time to catch Sutton bent to the side, her hand over her mouth. His “bless you” got lost in the few other well wishes around, and soon enough, Sutton stepped off the elevator onto her floor. The door closed shut behind her, leaving Richard concerned, and yearning to see her again.

He shut his eyes for a moment. Sutton had made her choice, and so had he. There was no going back.

~~~

Sutton brought a tissue to her nose, wiping it in anger as she rushed to Oliver’s office. She hated sneezing in tight crowds, and of course it had to have happened with Richard two feet away. Her face was still hot from embarrassment. Not only did she have to deal with this, but now she’d have to face Oliver’s wrath for being late. All because she’d slept through her alarm.

And all because she’d caught Jane’s stupid cold.

Her head was swimming, her sinuses were hurting, her throat was scratchy. She’d slept like a brick under the effect of Nyquil, so much so that she hadn’t heard Jane leave. Why hadn’t she woken her up?

As she rushed past Jane’s desk, she leaned towards her roommate and whispered, “You got me sick AND you didn’t wake me up?!”

Jane’s surprised gaze met hers. “I’m not sick,” she whispered back, “and I left early to work on my piece!”

Sutton grunted, resuming her speed walk. She didn’t have time for this. As soon as he saw her from behind the glass walls of his office, Oliver called out to her with his booming voice, earning a few glances from the writers.

“Red!” he yelled. “Where the hell were you?”

Sutton rushed towards him. “I’m so sorry Oliver, I—“

“I don’t have time for excuses,” Oliver interrupted her. He glanced up at her from the portfolio he held in his hand. His expression softened a bit. Did Sutton look so bad that even Oliver pitied her? “Don’t be late again. Especially before Paris. Got it?”

“Got it,” said Sutton, nodding.

Her boss proceeded to list about a thousand tasks he needed her to do, including retrieving a few missing pieces for the collection they were bringing to Paris. Sutton took note of everything, her handwriting becoming mere scribbles as she tried to keep up.

Her nose started tickling. She bit her tongue, hoping to ward off the sneeze, to no avail. She held her breath, still writing, until the burning in her sinuses took over and she could no longer control it. She brought her wrist up to her nose and stifled an exasperated double. “Hhh! KSCHhh! Ihh’KSCHhh!”

“Oh and Red?” said Oliver when she was done.

Sutton sniffled. “Yes?”

“Please keep your germs contained.”

Sutton’s face caught fire once again. She wished she’d just stayed in bed and hid from the world underneath her covers, but the fashion department was under stress from the preparations, and they were already understaffed. There was no way Sutton could take a sick day without jeopardizing the schedule—and letting Oliver down.

She turned around, ready to leave, when Oliver added, “Make sure to bundle up, too.” He kept his gaze on the pile of forms on his desk. “It’s cold outside.”

Sutton smiled to herself. At least he wasn’t too mad.

~~~

“Ehh—Hhh’TSCHheew!”

“Bless you, Sloan,” said Pinstripe, offering her a napkin. “This is the fourth sneeze in half an hour. Are you ready to throw in the towel and admit that you’re under the weather?”

The two sat in their usual spot, a typical hipster coffee shop filled with plants, mismatched chairs and handlebar mustachioed men. The sound of quiet chatter and keyboard typing filled the room around them, and Jane probably would have been able to smell the familiar scent of freshly roasted coffee beans if it wasn’t for her deeply congested nose.

She grabbed the napkin from Pinstripe and groaned. Admitting that she was sick was already hard, but doing it in front of Pinstripe was just the rotten cherry on the expired cake. But there was no denying it. Her symptoms were ten times worse than the day before. She battled a constant tickle in her nose, on top of a sinus headache, a runny nose and chills.

“So I’ve caught a bit of a cold, what’s the big deal?”

Pinstripe gave her an empathetic smile, which sent Jane into a confusing mix of irritation and gooey warmth. “I mean this in the best way possible, but you really don’t sound good, Jane.”

“Don’t you ‘Jane’ me,” she said, rubbing her temples. He only used her first name when he was being serious.

“Isn’t your boyfriend a doctor? Can’t he magically cure you of this cold?”

Jane rolled her eyes, taking another sip of coffee. “He’s really busy at the hospital this week. Tonight is his only night off.” She regretted saying this immediately. It sounded needy, like she was complaining that Ben wasn’t available enough. It hadn’t been a problem until yesterday evening when she’d felt like crap and wished he could have been there to keep her warm. She knew it was just the cold making her feel vulnerable. It was a horrible feeling.

Pinstripe leaned over the table, looking at her straight in the eyes. “You should go home and sleep. You have more than enough time to write your article.”

“I don’t even have a lead yet,” Jane whined.

“I’ve got one for you.” He passed her a Post-it note with a few names and phone numbers written on it. “I’m sure at least one of them will be happy to meet with you. When you’re healthy.”

Jane made a face at him, which quickly morphed into a pre-sneeze expression. She unfolded the napkin and sneezed into it, away from the table. “IIHH’TSCHhheew! Ugh, this is get—getting o—’TSCHhheew!… old.”

“Bless you,” said Pinstripe, his voice modulated by a hint of tenderness Jane didn’t know he could muster. “Go home. Take care of yourself.”

She smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

~~~

Sutton pushed the heavy door of Safford’s building with her shoulder, her hands full of garment bags. Grunting, she slipped through the small crack she managed to open for herself, careful not to get the bags stuck in the door. Why was it that the entrance was always crowded when she was in a rush, making it impossible to get through, but when she needed help with the door, the place was deserted?

She gave a short, polite smile to the security guard at the badge station, and managed to swipe her badge on the scanner without dropping anything. She took a deep breath, looking at the escalator as if it were an insurmountable mountain. Her arms were so tired of carrying such a big load that her muscles were shaking.

She had spent the entire day running around the city, picking up clothing and jewelry requested by Oliver. Running in and out of overheated offices into the cold New York streets had done a number on her sick body, confusing its temperature regulation. Sutton felt both hot and cold, and didn’t know if she dreamed of a hot bath or an iced cold lemonade at the moment.

She’d blown through three packets of pocket tissues and had been blessed by at least four different Uber drivers. As she walked through the atrium, she avoided looking at the huge decorative mirror on the wall. If she looked anything like she felt, she’d be mortified that anyone had seen her like this. She’d rather not know at all.

She sniffled, her nose tickling like crazy. With no hands to grab a tissue, all she could do was wiggle it and hope for the best. The tickle vibrated through the bridge of her nose, making her breath itch. She didn’t stop, fumbling forward as her eyes closed.

“Hhh’KSCHhh!… IHH’KSCHHh!”

The sneezes were desperate and powerful, bending her at the waist, which was all it took for her to lose her balance. She yelped, feeling herself fall forward, but a steady hand grabbed her at the last moment.

“Easy,” said the man as he helped her right herself.

Sutton’s heart flipped in her chest. She’d recognize the voice anywhere.

“Richard! I—Hhh’KSChhh!”

Richard tightened his grip on her arm, steadying her. When she met his gaze, Sutton noticed Richard’s eyes were filled with concern. Her heart ached with a desire to press herself against his chest and feel his arms envelop her. But she couldn’t. She’d made her decision—she’d chosen her career over Richard. And now he had a girlfriend.

“Bless you,” Richard murmured, his warm hand still against Sutton’s arm. When he realized it, he took it off. “Are you alright?”

Sutton nodded, trying to pry her eyes away from his. His brow furrowed as if to say, “No you’re not.” It was a look he’d given her before, when they’d sneak into each other’s apartment at night to be together. She knew his body language like the back or her hand, and so did he.

She gave a short, pitiful laugh. “I’ll be OK. I just… I caught a cold. From Jane. It’s nothing.” He cast another doubtful, protective look upon her.

“Sutton!” yelled another voice nearby.

Sutton looked up to see Kat jogging down the escalator.

“Are you OK?” Kat asked as she reached Sutton and Richard.

“Yeah, Richard saved me,” Sutton said with a sad smile.

“Amazing.” Kat briefly nodded at Richard. “Here, let me help you bring these up,” she said to Sutton, grabbing most of the garment bags. “I haven’t seen you all day, where have you been?”

“Getting all of these,” Sutton said. She looked back at Richard again. He seemed uncomfortable and awkward, something she’d never witnessed before. It was odd to see such a professional, put-together executive suddenly feel small and out of place.

“I should probably go,” Richard said, pointing towards the elevator. “Take care of yourself, alright?”

Sutton smiled and nodded.

When he was a few paces away, Kat whispered, “Wanna wait until he’s gone so we’re not stuck in the same elevator as him?”

Sutton scoffed. “Uh, yeah!”

Once the coast was clear, they headed back to the office.

“So you caught Jane’s non-existent cold, huh?”

Sutton rolled her eyes. “If only she’d admit it sooner, maybe she wouldn’t spread it to everyone around. Although I guess I’m no better, sneezing all over the place. I’m probably going to get you sick.” She took a few steps away from Kat.

“Nah-ah!” said Kat. “I don’t get sick. My immune system is impenetrable.” She raised her fists under the garment bags. “Come at me, viruses! Adena says I’m going to jinx myself if I keep saying it.”

Sutton shifted her pile of garment bags under one arm and used her free hand to fetch a balled-up tissue, having no choice but to re-use it. She wiped her nose gingerly. “How is it going with Adena and the whole ‘open relationship’ thing?”

Kat deflated a bit. “It’s… alright. It’s not bad.”

Sutton raised an eyebrow.

“I just... On the one hand, it’s fun to explore my sexuality with different girls and see what I like, but on the other hand, it just feels… empty? And I’m starting to miss Adena. We don’t see each other as much.”

“Maybe you just need to take a small break and spend time with her?”

“I would, but she’s at a retreat right now. I’ve got a date tomorrow night, actually. Might as well use up the time when Adena’s gone.”

Sutton could tell the novelty of the experience was waning, and Kat wasn’t having that much fun anymore, but she didn’t know how to help her friend. She had no experience with open relationships and was worried that she’d give her the wrong advice.

“Well, I’m here if you want to talk or hang out.”

Kat smiled. “I know. And I’m here to rescue you from evil garment bags. And Richard.”

Sutton sighed. “Sometimes I don’t know if I want to be rescued from him.”

~~~

Jane sat on her couch, burritoed into a blanket while her boyfriend read the thermometer he had just plucked out of her mouth. She couldn’t believe that the only night she got to spend with Ben this week would be completely ruined by a stupid cold.

“Just a low-grade fever. You’ll be fine. Rest and drink plenty of fluids.”

Jane groaned and buried her face under the blanket. “I feel so gross.”

Ben smiled and patted her on the back. “It’s just a good old regular cold.”

The only answer she could muster from underneath the blanket was two exhausted sneezes. “Hhh’TSCHheew! Hhh—TSCHheew!”

“Bless you.” His Australian accent managed to make even a “bless you” sound sexy to Jane. If only she didn’t feel so rotten. “Need more tissues?”

Jane mumbled a “yes” before coming up for air, sniffling. After spending the afternoon on the phone scheduling meetups with Pinstripe’s contacts, her condition had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer focus on the screen. She’d spent the evening on the couch, feeling sorry for herself.

The door to the apartment opened and closed. Jane watched as Sutton stepped into the living room, looking worse for wear. She glared at Jane, then shuffled to the couch. “Move,” she told Jane, flopping dramatically between her and Ben. “I feel like death.”

“You too?” said Ben, unable to repress a smile. “How about I make you guys some tea?”

Both girls nodded. As soon as he got up from the couch, Sutton grabbed the blanket he had been sitting on and buried into it. “You’re already admitting that you’re sick and it’s only day two. Impressive,” said Sutton, her voice heavy with congestion.

“I didn’t have much choice.” Her symptoms had hit her so hard so fast. She was used to a slow build, which sometimes turned into a false alarm, but this cold was feisty.

Jane looked at her friend, noticing the flush high on her cheeks and her poor irritated nose. She felt terrible about passing on her germs to Sutton, but then again, they lived in a one-bedroom apartment. Sutton slept in the living room, and they shared a tiny closet of a bathroom. It was impossible not to spread a cold in such close quarter. She’d be worried about getting Ben sick too if she didn’t know he’d built an amazing immune system from years of working in a hospital.

“I’ll get my revenge somehow,” mumbled Sutton, as if reading her mind.

Jane pushed gently on Sutton’s thigh with her fuzzy sock-cladded foot. “Come on, I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” She pouted at her roommate, but Sutton shook her head. Jane tried again. “I’m really, really sor—Eh… Ihh’TSCHheew! Sorry—’TSCHheew!”

“God, it’s impossible to be mad at you when you sound so mise—miserable—Hhh’KSCHHhh!”

The two girls burst out laughing, passing around a box of tissues. They were quiet for a bit, lulled by the sound of ceramic cups clattering in the kitchen and water rushing out of the tap.

“I fell into Richard’s arms today,” said Sutton, mid-blowing her nose.

Jane’s mouth fell open. “Nooo! What happened?”

“I guess the correct way to describe it is that I sneezed myself off my feet, and he prevented me from face-planting on the marble floor.”

Jane grimaced. “How did that go?”

“My head is intact, but my heart is in pieces.” She threw the used tissue in a nearby overflowing bin. “How long will it take before it stops hurting?”

Jane bit her lip. Sutton had had a hard time letting go of Richard since she’d put an end to their relationship, and learning that he had a new girlfriend had only made it worse. You only know you love someone when you let them go, thought Jane, but she didn’t say it aloud. There was no need to rub salt in the wound.

“I guess heartbreak is just like a cold. Only time and rest will heal it,” Jane said.

Sutton laughed. “That should be your next article.”

“Oh yes, because I’m sure Scarlet’s readers would love to hear all about the intersection of runny noses and missed opportunities.”

Sutton laid her head on the armrest, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. “No but think about it. The scratchy throat is like small issues that pop up in the relationship. And if you don’t do anything about it, it turns into a sore throat, which is when you start yelling at each other. When you grow apart, you start feeling chills because you’ve lost the warmth of the other. And the headache is pretty self-explanatory.”

“I think your fever is higher than mine,” mused Jane, laughing. “You’re not making any sense.”

“Excuse me? It makes perfect sense.”

“OK, what about sneezing? What does it mean?”

Sutton remained silent for a few seconds. “Sneezing means… Uhh… Sneezing means that—Hhh’KSCHhh! Alright sneezing means nothing—it just sucks, and being sick sucks, and metaphors suck.”

Jane burst out laughing, and Sutton soon joined in, until they both started coughing from laughing too much. Ben walked in with two steaming mugs, telling them to settle down and have some tea to soothe their throats.

Sutton sat up and grabbed her mug. “Can’t you just give us some kind of pill or shot to cure this?” she asked Ben.

Ben shook his head. “I’m afraid not. All you girls need is rest, which neither of you seem too keen on getting.”

His remark was met with the deafening silence of two stubborn career-driven women.

~~~

The next morning, Richard took the elevator down to Scarlet’s office for a meeting with Jacqueline. As the floor number decreased, he caught himself readjusting his tie as if it was too tight. He forced his hands down and clenched his jaw.

He hoped he would see Sutton, but also hoped he wouldn’t.

Things had been rocky with his girlfriend in the past few weeks. He wasn’t sure anymore if she was right for him, though he hadn’t been able to express why. Now he was starting to get a clearer picture: She just wasn’t Sutton.

Richard recalled his last run-in with Sutton the day before, when she’d almost fallen in the atrium. How lucky for him to have been so close to her when it had happened. Touching her had sent a jolt of electricity through his veins.

She’d looked so exhausted. He hoped that she was at home resting today.

As soon as he stepped into Scarlet’s offices, Richard looked towards Oliver’s atelier, his eyes searching for Sutton. He spotted her immediately. She had her back to him, leaning over a table filled with accessories. As Richard approached Jacqueline’s office, Sutton turned her head, giving Richard a better look at her face. She seemed even sicker than the day before, her skin pale and her nose bright red. She stood a little slumped over, as if her body didn’t have the energy to stay upright. Richard’s heart ached for her.

“Richard?” called Jacqueline, standing in the doorway of her office. “Everything alright?”

Richard plastered a smile on his face and forced himself to walk towards Jacqueline. “Yes, sorry. I thought I saw something.”

Jacqueline glanced towards Oliver’s office, but had the grace not to ask any more questions. Richard forced himself to focus on the task at hand and sat down with Jacqueline to discuss business.

Towards the end of the meeting, Richard noticed Sutton walking towards the kitchen, stopping midway to sneeze into a tissue.

“Well, I think that about covers it,” said Jacqueline, following his gaze once again.

Richard smiled. “Great. I’ll bring your concerns to the board and see what I can do.” He stood up. “Was there anything else?”

“No, you’re free to go!” Jacqueline gestured towards the door. “Have a great day, Richard.”

He could almost hear a hint of teasing in her voice, but he didn’t know if he was imagining it. His relationship with Sutton had been a secret. No one in the office except for Kat and Jane were supposed to know, but maybe his body language had been too obvious, and Jacqueline had picked up on it. He really needed to work on that.

Richard walked out of Jacqueline’s office, heading for the restroom, but made a sharp turn into the kitchen at the last moment. Sutton stood by the coffee machine, trying to choose a coffee pod from the selection on the counter. She stifled a cough in her elbow, then cleared her throat.

Richard moved towards the sink and opened a cupboard, picking up a packet of tea. Sutton had seemed to notice his presence but didn’t say anything.

“You should really be drinking this instead,” Richard said, handing her the tea sachet.

Sutton smiled and took it, turning it into her hands. “That’s what everyone has been telling me, but I could really use the coffee.” Her voice was a wreck, almost gone.

Richard winced. “You really don’t sound good.”

Suddenly, Sutton’s face fell and her eyes half-closed. Her button nose scrunched up. She turned to the side, her body jerking forward under the force of the sneezes. “IHh’KSCHhh! HHh’KSCHHhhh!”

“Bless you,” Richard said, handing her the handkerchief from his breast pocket. He didn’t care if anyone wondered where it went, or even if they saw Sutton with it. He would have before, worried about keeping their relationship a secret, but now it didn’t matter.

Sutton took it, wiping her nose delicately. “Thank you.”

“Sutton, you really need to go home. You have to rest, or you’ll keep getting worse.”

Sutton’s eyes filled with tears. “I wish I could but I have so much work. I can’t just leave.” She blinked the tears away before they fell, shaking her head lightly. “I’ll sleep as soon as fashion week is over.”

Richard just wanted to hold her and make it all better, but all he could do was put a hand on her arm. He noticed she looked flushed, and her body was giving off unnatural heat. He furrowed his brow, his lips a thin line. “Do you have a fever?”

Sutton shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she whispered, avoiding his eyes.

Richard placed his hand on her forehead without really thinking. For a second, he’d managed to forget that they weren’t intimate anymore, his concern clouding everything else. Sutton closed her eyes as if his hand felt nice against her skin, relief washing over her face. Richard kept it there a little longer. She was burning up.

Then he heard footsteps and conversation coming their way. He quickly removed his hand and took a few steps back, crashing down to reality. Sutton frantically spun towards the coffee maker to act busy. Two HR employees came into the kitchen with empty mugs.

“I would recommend the arabica. It’s pretty nice,” Sutton said to Richard in her professional, yet broken voice, a fake smile plastered on her face.

Richard nodded and thanked her, playing along. He watched Sutton fill her mug with hot water, the bag of tea still in her palm. She left the kitchen, shooting him one last parting smile.

He hoped the tea would make her feel at least a little better.

~~~

“And then he just put his hand on your forehead?” asked Kat, a mix of astonishment and giddiness in her voice.

She sat on the pouf in the fashion closet, surrounded by lavish designer clothes. Jane and Sutton laid on the carpeted ground, passing a box of tissues back and forth, looking like two miserable messes.

Sutton nodded. “Yep.” She’d called an emergency meeting in the closet after her encounter with Richard.

Kat couldn’t tell if Sutton’s red cheeks were caused by her cold, or Richard’s tender move. She bit her lip, torn between feeling annoyed that Richard kept popping up in Sutton’s life and acting so concerned for her, which inevitably sent Sutton into a downward spiral of regret, and secretly hoping that it meant they were on the way to reuniting again. Deep down, she felt like they were meant for each other.

“How do you feel?” asked Jane, blowing her nose.

“Like hell.”

Jane scoffed. “I mean about Richard.”

“Like hell,” repeated Sutton. “It was… so nice. I could feel actual sparks when his hand touched my forehead. I don’t know. Maybe it’s just because his hand was cold and my forehead is basically molten lava.”

Kat slipped down on the ground and placed her hand on Sutton’s forehead. “Like this?” She frowned. “My god, you are burning up. You really need to go home.”

Sutton closed her eyes. “People need to stop telling me to go home. I wish I could go home. I dream about going home. I just can’t.” She sighed, then opened her eyes to look at Kat. “Also, this is super nice, but there’s no spark.”

Kat moved her hand down Sutton’s neck in small, soothing motions. Suddenly, Sutton grabbed her wrist, moving it away from her face. Her nostrils flared, her eyes unfocused. “I’m about to… snee—“ Kat leaned out of the way. “Hh’KSCHhhh!”

“Bless you,” said Kat and Jane.

Sutton groaned, her hand over her nose. “Tissue me.” Jane handed her the box, and Sutton pulled out a couple of tissues to blow her nose.

“I wish Ben was a little more like Richard about my cold,” said Jane. “Like… tender, you know? I mean, it’s not that he doesn’t care, but… He’s just so medical about it. It’s all about ‘fluid intake’ and ‘simple respiratory infection’ and ‘healthy people recover from colds in a few days,’ yada-yada-yada. I get it, I know I’m not going to die from this, and he’s dealing with actual serious issues at the hospital, but a little more fussing would be nice.”

Kat laughed. “Jane the Queen of Denial now wants people to fuss about her cold. You are one contradicting woman.”

Jane grabbed the closest clothing item lying on the ground—a beret—and threw it at Kat.

“No but I get it,” said Sutton. “Honestly, I thought I was going to burst into flames when Richard touched my forehead. The way he looked at me, the way he touched me. I felt important and cared for. And he didn’t even care that I look repulsive.” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m so confused. He has a girlfriend. I already made up my mind. What am I going to do?”

Kat stroked her hair. “Well, first you need to get better.” She looked around the closet, balls of tissues littering the ground around the two girls, almost like a chalk silhouette in a murder scene. “And then we need to call the CDC and have them decontaminate this room. Or just… burn it down.”

“I don’t even know why you’re hanging out so close to us,” said Jane, clearing her throat. “You’ll end up catching it, super immune system or not.”

“Nope, not gonna catch it. Still no signs of it.”

Sutton gasped. “Don’t jinx it! You have a date tonight.”

Kat smiled. “I’ll be fine. You worry about yourself.”

~~~

Later that evening, while Jane finished up the first draft of her article, someone knocked at the door. She tightened the blanket around herself and shuffled to the door, ignoring the mess that had become her apartment. The area around her couch was littered with dried-up tea bags in empty mugs, piles of magazines opened at random pages, take-out boxes filled with cold noodles. And tissues. Tissues everywhere.

When she opened the door, she let out a small gasp.

It was Pinstripe.

Of all the people Jane had expected to see standing there, Pinstripe hadn’t even crossed her mind. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d set foot in her apartment. Probably the very last… “fun time” they’d had. God, how long ago was that?

“Sloan,” Pinstripe said, almost as surprised to see her in this state as she was of seeing him on her doorstep. Jane now wished she’d had checked the peephole before opening the door. Maybe she’d have tried to look more presentable.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, the wintery wind drifting in from outside making her shiver.

“May I come in?” He took in her small, shaking body. “You shouldn’t be standing in the doorway like this. I wouldn’t want you to get worse.”

Jane stepped aside, letting Pinstripe walk in. He made sure to close the door behind him. “I asked Kat if you were doing better today and she said you’d gotten worse.” He gave her a sad smile. “Sorry you’re not feeling well.”

“Don’t come too close,” warned Jane, shuffling back to the couch and crumpling back on it. “You don’t want to catch this.”

“I’ll take my chances,” said Pinstripe with a grin. He walked over to the couch and sat down next to Jane, putting a grocery bag he’d been carrying on the ground between his legs. Jane cracked a smile as he looked around, obviously trying very hard not to mention how messy the place was.

“So you just came to check up on me?” mused Jane. “I guess you do have soft side after all.” A fresh tickle grew in her nose. Knowing better than to try to fight it, she leaned over the coffee table and grabbed a few tissues. “Hold on… I gotta—Ehh’TSCHhhheew!”

“Bless you.”

“IHh’TSCHHhheew” Jane groaned.

“Bless you again.” Pinstripe looked at her, a mix of concern and mischievousness in his eyes. “And apparently you have a vulnerable side after all. I guess we’re both full of surprises.”

“What’s in there?” Jane pointed at the grocery bag.

“Oh. I wanted to get something to make you feel better but…” He took out a gallon of apple juice and three chocolate bars.

Jane laughed. “So you have no idea how to shop for sick people.”

“Look, I knew you’d be covered medicine-wise since you’re dating a doctor. And you can never have too much chocolate.” He eyed the apple juice. “The juice was just a panic move.” He looked around the apartment. “Is Sutton not home?”

Jane shook her head, wiping her nose with a tissue. “She’s still at work, the poor thing.”

“Look who’s talking. You’re the poor thing,” he teased, but his face grew serious as he examined her. “You’re all flushed,” he mumbled, almost to himself. “Do you have a fever?” Pinstripe slid closer to Jane and put the back of his fingers against her cheek. His brow furrowed, and he moved his hand to the other cheek.

Jane’s insides instantly lit on fire. So this was the spark Sutton had talked about. She felt the coolness of his hand against her burning skin, electricity buzzing from his touch to the tip of her toes and back. Pinstripe stopped moving his hand and kept it on her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. Time slowed down, the air thick with desire.

After what seemed like an eternity, a tickle deep in Jane’s sinuses shook her out of her trance. She wiggled her nose as her mouth fell open. The sneeze progressed as fast as lightning, and Jane barely had enough time to move away from Pinstripe to sneeze into her blanket. “Ehh—TSCHhheew!”

Pinstripe chuckled, letting his hand fall on his lap. “Bless you, Jane.” He looked around, dazed, as if he had also been enraptured in the moment. “I should probably go and… let you rest.” He got up, a hint of awkwardness to his movements, and walked back to the door. “Call me if you need anything, alright?”

Jane nodded. “Thank you for the chocolate. And the apple juice.”

Pinstripe grinned. “Feel better soon.”

~~~

Kat sat on Cammy’s bed, biting her bottom lip. Cammy laid seductively against the pillows, all curves and luscious hair. She was gorgeous. Things had gotten steamy very quickly at the bar where they’d agreed to meet after work. It hadn’t been long before Cammy had invited Kat to her apartment.

It was to be expected—the dates were, after all, only meant to be sexual. She wasn’t looking for a loving relationship. She already had that with Adena.

Kat closed her eyes. Thinking of Adena while making out with another girl was against her rule. It made her incredibly uncomfortable, no matter how many times she reminded herself that Adena had been the one to propose an open relationship.

“Everything OK?” asked Cammy.

Kat nodded. She rolled her shoulders, trying to relax, then resumed kissing her date. Cammy smelled divine, a mix of jasmine and woody, earthy notes. But somehow, something felt off. Kat tried her best to be in the moment and enjoy it, but truth be told, she just wasn’t.

Fatigue had hit her like a ton of bricks towards the late afternoon. It had been a whirlwind of a day at work, with tons of meetings and social media storms. Still, Kat wasn’t usually this tired even after the craziest days.

Cammy grabbed the back of Kat’s head and tried to pull her down, but Kat resisted.

Cammy broke off the kiss, confused. “What’s wrong?”

Kat shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just not—" Suddenly, a tickle bloomed in her nose. She sniffed, trying to get rid of it, but it only grew stronger. She gasped and covered her nose with both hands. “EHP’TSChhooo!”

Kat sat on the bed, shocked. She almost never sneezed.

She gasped again, the tickle returning with a white-hot vengeance. “IHP’TSCHhooo!”

She especially never sneezed twice in a row.

“Bless you,” Cammy said, not quite understanding what was happening.

“Oh no,” Kat said with a short laugh.

“What?”

Kat swallowed, testing her throat. Sure enough, there it was. A scratchiness that she hadn’t noticed. And a small headache threatening to grow behind her eyes. The signs had been there most of the afternoon, but Kat hadn’t paid attention to them.

She sniffled, her nose now runny, as if the sneezes had officially unleashed the virus.

“I think I caught a cold.”

~~~

Kat knocked on Jane’s door, shivering in the cold night. When the door opened, Jane greeted her in her trusty blanket.

“I thought you had a date?” Jane said, moving aside to let Kat in.

Kat looked around the place, wondering if a tornado had landed in there. Sutton laid on the couch with a thermometer in her mouth. This was the very picture of Kat’s near future. Soon, she would be the one with a thermometer in her mouth. She was not looking forward to it.

“Is something wrong?” asked Jane, concerned.

“I caught your cold,” said Kat in disbelief.

“You did?!” said Sutton, taking the thermometer out of her mouth.

“Sutton! Keep it in your mouth until it beeps!” scolded Jane.

Sutton made a face, but put the thermometer back in her mouth.

“And you,” Jane said to Kat, “come in here.” She opened her blanket wide, and Kat nestled in there, rearranging it so that they both could fit in spite of their significant height difference. They shuffled awkwardly to the couch and joined Sutton.

“Are you sure you caught it?” asked Jane.

Kat nodded, unable to answer as a tickle took over. She gasped and crumpled down on her lap. “EHHP’TSChhooo!”

“Never mind,” said Jane, laughing. “Welcome to the club. It’s miserable.”

The thermometer beeped and Sutton took it out. “At least we’ve got each other.”

Kat smiled. That was the reason why she’d come straight to Jane’s apartment after apologizing to Cammy and running off. She knew she could always count on her friends to be there for her, in sickness and in health.

She grabbed the box of tissues, peering into it. “We might run out of tissues.”

Jane shook her head. “No worries. If we need more, Pinstripe will deliver.”

Kat looked at her, confused.

“I’ll tell you all about it, but first, we need to decide who’s going to make tea.”

“Not me, I still have a fever,” Sutton said, pouting as she read the thermometer.

“And I’m new to this whole ‘being sick’ thing,” said Kat, exaggerating the sad eyes.

Jane rolled her eyes and got up. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

Kat stretched out over Jane’s spot, making herself comfortable. Maybe this wouldn’t be too bad after all. “Guys, we should all call in sick tomorrow and do a movie marathon.”

“I’m definitely calling in sick tomorrow,” said Jane from the kitchen. “I’m in.”

Kat looked expectantly at Sutton. “Come on Sutton, you know you can’t keep going to work like this.”

“It could be arranged,” said Sutton. “Oliver told me to stay home tomorrow if I don’t feel well. He said he’d rather be without me for a day than without everyone else in the team because I infected them all.” She smiled. “I think he meant that he wanted me to rest because he cares about me.”

Kat laughed. “If that’s what you got from it, sure.” She did a little dance. “Yay, movie marathon tomorrow! We haven’t done that in ages. Oooh we can rewatch all the Harry Potter movies!”

Sutton scoffed. “Leave it to Kat to find joy in being sick.”

Jane brought out a tray with three mugs. Kat managed to push around part of the mess on the coffee table to make room for it. Each girl grabbed a cup.

“To feeling like crap,” said Jane, lifting her mug in the air.

“To losing our voice,” added Sutton, raising her own tea.

“And sneezing our asses off,” said Kat.

The three clung their mugs together, and the air filled with honey-lemon scented laughter.

[itsmistyeyedbi]

2024 writing roundup

Thank you for the tag @wayhavenots and @serenpedac! This was fun to do, especially since I genuinely forgot some of the things I wrote in 2024 lol.

words posted: 16 200

additional words written: 1 000 words of Zuri and Bobby finding a little comfort in each other after the events of book 3.

grand total of words: 17 200

fandoms: The Wayhaven Chronicles

highest kudos: the man in the mirror, the woman in the mask

highest hit oneshot: bare your teeth, blunt as they may be

*checking for these reminded me that I reminded me that I still need to post my Farah fics on there! Can't believe I forgot

new things I tried:

I wrote from Farah's point of view for the first time! Writing from Unit Bravo's point of view is always daunting to me. I can have plenty of thoughts on a character but when it comes to depicting in them in writing, I struggle - and that's without writing from their perspective. But I feel a little more confident about that now.

I tried writing a fight scene, though it's mostly Zuri being thrown around more than anything. It's not a bad start to writing more action scenes in my humble opinion.

I started writing in the present tense lol. I've written in past tense for so long and it somehow didn't occur to me that I haven't really tried anything else. Hopefully I get to shake of the rigidity I didn't realise I had about my writing.

fic I spent the most time on: bare your teeth, blunt as they may be if I'm remembering corretly

fic I spent the least time on: of plants and dresses, a little something I wrote for the happyhauvillebday event!

favourite thing I wrote: It's gotta be pulse - I haven't written smut in a long time, and I think I this was the perfect way to get back into it. I adore Farah and writing her thoughts throughout made me kinda giddy lol. Here's an excerpt (nsft):

She watches all of it the way she asked her to, even though she didn't need to. She didn't want to look at anything or anyone but her. She looked for her when she wasn't around and couldn't tear her eyes off her when she was. And she definitely isn't going to miss a second of this. Not when she's teetering on the edge again, trembling and barely coherent. Farah leans down until her forehead almost touches hers, biting her lip as her bare chest brushes against her and her breath fans her face. “You're so beautiful like this.” Zuri’s heart skips a beat before continuing its loud and frantic pace. Her lips curl into a small smile, eyes shifting away before meeting hers again, pupils blown. She still gets shy when she says that.

favourite thing(s) I read:

There's so many, but I think I'll try to stick with 6 for this post. I'll be showing my appreciation for a lot of people's writing throughout the year.

father's eyes, mother's rage by @/thelionheartedo3 - what a heavy hitting exploration of the relationship between Ely and Rebecca. I don't even have the words for how much I love this, just brilliant.

featherstone by @/serenpedac - this was published on my birthday and it absolutely made my day, the banter and the mounting tension between Adam and Nate? Whew.

come apart and sweet tooth by @/nat-seal-well - their writing is gorgeous, they capture the years between Ava and Nat so incredibly well! A master at writing yearning and longing for sure.

The Debutante's Guide to Saving a Spinster by @/wayhavenots - I love Jenny and Farah! You can really feel the pull between them. I can't wait to see where this goes, it's already such an interesting regency au!

Always For The First Time by @/serially-wayhaven - I adore the dynamic between Kat and Mason and Nate. You can feel the history there, the tension building and the feelings bubbling up, and they are all so filthy together I love it!

writing goals for 2025:

I want to try out writing something other than one shots. I would have ideas for long fics and never be able to get past the first chapter lmao. Hopefully I can do that this year.

new works:

the man in the mirror, the woman in the mask

bare your teeth, blunt as they may be

late night courage

of plants and dresses

pulse

[atmilliways]

Wrong On The Money (32)

part 32 of ?? | 1207 words | Teen+

Blackmail fic on Ao3 | on tumblr

Summary:

Steve bursts through the door like some sort of floppy haired, athletic puppy. “Hey Eds, look who I found!”  He’s dragging someone behind him by the wrist, and a very nonplussed Jeff waves hello.

(cw references to Billy's racism)

32.

Eddie has finally moved up from bed rest to shuffling around the house sometimes as long as he takes frequent breaks. Which he’s happy to do, because his PT exercises always kick his ass right into nap time. The new couch in the new living room is actually comfortable, and it's a relief to escape from his now over-familiar bedroom.

Steve bursts through the door like some sort of floppy haired, athletic puppy. “Hey Eds, look who I found!” 

He’s dragging someone behind him by the wrist, and a very nonplussed Jeff waves hello. Mouth dropping open, Eddie raises one hand for a weak wave back. 

“I have to go back to the store,” Steve says, all but bouncing on the balls of his feet as he circles back to the door. “I kinda forgot about groceries for a minute there, so, still need to get those. But you two should catch up!”

“Uh, okay?” Eddie says, and Steve flashes him a grin and two thumbs up before disappearing again. 

“What,” Jeff starts, sounding shaken, “just happened?”

Eddie shrugs. “Steve Harrington.”

“He knows where you live? He calls you Eds?”

“If it helps, the nickname is new. And, uh . . . he kind of lives here too. Loooong story.”

Jeff shoots him an incredulous look. Then he asks where the PBR is, shaking his head when Eddie admits that he can’t drink on his meds so there's none in the house. (“I can have one beer,” Eddie has whined many times, but always gets a blunt no from Wayne or Steve in response. He’s given up on sulking about it.)

First, they sit on the couch with a can of Coke each and catch up. 

Jeff’s family did leave Hawkins, but only until it was declared safe again. They’re staying with his aunt on the outskirts of town—and Eddie doesn’t know her number, which is why his calls never went through. Jeff’s actual house is still undergoing repairs before they can move back in. He’s taking a year off before college to take some of the financial pressure off his parents.

Gareth and his mom are camped out in a hotel, taking advantage of the government’s emergency subsidies for families whose houses were totally leveled. They’ll probably stay in town and buy new. 

“Frank’s folks had to move, though,” Jeff admits. “He’s on the other side of Roane County now. The high school over there doesn’t even have a D&D club.” A pause. “Oh, and I wrote to Margaret, she’s coming to visit next month to, and I quote, ‘take in the ineffable shitshow that is Hawkins, Indiana.’ I think New York is getting to her, man.”

And shit, it’ll be good to see Margaret again, same way it’s good to see Jeff and it’ll be good to see Gareth. Frank too, whenever he can swing by. Because the thing about being suddenly folded into a new friend group of monster hunters is . . . Eddie still misses his old gang. One is silver and the other’s gold, and all that bullshit. 

Eddie, for his part, gives a perfunctory explanation of the house (“Government restitution for our old place and my criminal record going through the meat grinder”) and Steve’s presence (“We talked it out, the past few months he’s just been . . . paying rent in advance”). 

Silence creeps in. Eddie sips at his Coke, slurping it in little mouthfuls as if that might continue to delay the inevitable. 

It doesn’t.

“So . . . what the hell happened, man?” 

Eddie tries not to look directly at his friend. “You mean to Hawkins?” He’d signed a shit-ton of NDAs while high off his ass on painkillers, but that still feels like the easier question to answer. 

“Dude, everyone knows about the earthquake,” Jeff scoffs. “I mean with Harrington. If you talked it out with him, why is he playing the Alfred to your Bruce Wayne?”

Thinking back to the demobats, Eddie snorts. If only Jeff knew. 

He doesn’t tell him, though. Not because of the legalities—fuck that shit, this whole mess was the government’s fault to begin with, he’s pretty sure. It’s just that, Eddie wishes he didn’t have to know. He’s not going to inflict that on a friend. 

But he does explain about Steve, more or less. 

“Okay,” Jeff says finally. “So you’re telling me that gas leak a few years ago killed Barbara Holland actually in his backyard, and the government covered it up but he still felt guilty for some reason, so he started making up for it by being less of a douchebag.” Pausing for a moment, Jeff frowns as he goes over it in his head the same way he would a campaign, ticking unspoken points off on his fingers. “The timeline works, I guess. . . . I don’t remember him causing much trouble for anyone after that fall. Hagan got worse, and Hargrove was a fucking nightmare, but the worst Harrington did was not be quite popular enough anymore to keep them in check.” Jeff looks up at Eddie. “And then . . . he started babysitting nerds? Our freshman nerds.”

They’d literally seen Steve pick the kids up from Hellfire games all school year—from a distance at first, and then close up once the blackmail had been set in motion. But Eddie gets it, because he hadn’t understood it at first either. 

“Dustin’s got him wrapped around his little finger,” he confirms. “All the little shits do. Remember when he came to school with his face all rearranged by Hargrove? Asshole was gunning for Lucas.”

That makes Jeff’s eyebrows twitch together and his mouth set in a grim line that Eddie doesn’t often see. Eddie can practically see his opinion on Steve going up based on Jeff’s own run-ins with Hargrove. “Christ.”

“Yeah.” Eddie plays with his now empty Coke can, pushing the aluminum sides in and then popping them back out again. “And then I fucking blackmailed him.”

“Not very successfully, though,” Jeff points out, scratching at the side of his jaw. “Not if his real motivation for giving you money was wanting to help out and work off some of his guilt about Barbara. Actually, he’s the one who led you on, and nobody was being intimidated by anybody. Which—I’m not going to say I told you so, but I definitely called it.”

Sputtering, Eddie tugs the tab off his can and flicks it at him. “Dick!”

“And are you still crushing on him hard?”

This time, he throws the whole can, but Jeff ducks it. 

“That’s a yes.”

“We’re friends now,” Eddie hisses, pulling hair across his face to hide his embarrassed flush. “He saved my life, and based on his cooking alone I think he’s slowly becoming Wayne’s favorite son. I can’t—”

“You said Steve was the one who brought up living with in the first place,” Jeff points out. “He knows you were both at that club for the same reason, maybe he’s . . . you know, interested. Did you ever think of that?”

“No,” Eddie grumbles, lying. “Look, Steve didn’t want to live under his asshole parents’ roof anymore. That’s it.”

He refuses to read anything else into it. That way madness lies, and too much seeing what he wants to see rather than what’s actually there. 

[offtopic-enjoyers]

i need murder duo pls (Ted and Schlatt)

It's a need. Romantic or platonic. I don't care.

guys,, Quesabo spent the last two days obsessively writing this on call and I really hope you enjoy it!! minors DNI!! this is an 18+ post

(EDIT I FORGOT THE CUT!! ITS THERE NOW)

Ps: Bo is praying that god doesn't exist because they're going to hell after writing this

alcohol changes people - a murder duo fic

Here are the Bo-mandated tags-> (its a lot) (bird note here - hopefully the formatting isn't too bad because Bo decided not to add them!! I did it for y'all though.)

Schlatt/Ted, Don't Like Don't Read -), Naked Cuddles, Transmasc character, Trans, Ischlatt, Ted Nivison, Trans Schlatt, boypussy goes crazy hard ngl, interrupted sex, schlatt keeps getting nervous and has to calm down, there is angst, quite a lot actually, the fluff covers it up tho, this is technically smut but I had to get some angst I can't live w out it, trans angst to be specific, they are pretty drunk, dubious consent, consent is cool kids do it, Ted is kinda mean but like in a hot way right? Right, Schlatt is insecure, author is projecting cause it's their coping mechanism, me/your mom, friends to lovers, cause I said so, fuck you, no beta we die like drakes career, I wrote this listening to Kendrick Lamar, I wrote his ALSO listening to Chappell Roan, Schlatt is a canon Charli XCX enjoyer, Tucker Keane mention!!! Lowkey amped up the smut then blueballed not just y'all but myself too wtf is going on, planned rough sex, now it's just actually loving soft sex, its giving mille and moxie, author abuses the shit out of ellipses, fuck show don't tell, using bro/dude/man lovingly, virgin ahh schlatt, cock slut ted canon, they stammer. A LOT

-

Neon lights graced Ted's shin as he moved around the dance floor, occasionally bumping hips with his friend who he dragged here against his will. Schlatt, however, wouldn't budge, despite his intoxication. He swayed slightly, only tapping his foot when Charli XCX came on, and those moments were few and far between. "Cmonnn, dance! It's what we're here for," Ted pleaded. "You wouldn't catch me dead doing that," Schlatt retorted, arms crossing. The music was blaring, so it was hard to even make out what was being said, relying mainly on lip movements to understand, Still, Ted persisted. "Dude.." He began, slinging his arm around the shorter's shoulders, "Not even for me? You're best friend?" Ted gave a short laugh. Online, people thought they were best friends. They, though having known each other for years, weren't actually all that close, but Ted was actively trying to fix that. 

He had admired Schlatt for quite some time, specifically his work ethic. His drive to create, the passion he put into his work, all of it Ted adored. He gave a teasing pout to his friend, his breath thick with alcohol, "You're no fun," he groaned, maybe a bit too loudly, as Schlatt's eyes widened. "Get off me, dude. Just lemme drink and you can dance. I can watch from here," he shook his head, his mess of brown curls cascading over his forehead, beaded with sweat. "Oh, so you've been watching me?" Ted was slightly intrigued by this news. Was Schlatt watching him? Well, he did notice how his gaze always fell to his screen instead of Tucker's when he rambled on about some useless story he had gathered from a road trip. Schlatt's cheeks flushed, barely noticeable under the blue, pink, and purple lights. "N-not like that!" He stammered. Normally, his sharp tongue would have spat back some insult, but he strangely wasn't in the mood to do such a thing. 

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was just the way Ted was looking at him. It was different from normal, his eyes trailing up and down his figure. It was ...Strange, but... Not unwelcome. Ted bit his lip. Has Schlatt always been this good looking? He noted how Schlatt's arms pushed up his chest, how his glasses framed his face just so. The two looked at each other's bodies, but not their eyes, still mulling over thoughts. Thoughts of each other. Newer thoughts, ones that were too embarrassing to say out loud. "I see how you're looking at me, Schlatt..." Ted murmured into his ear, breath hot against his skin. Schlatt's gaze darted to the concrete floor his foot was so nervously tapping against. 

"I'm not looking at you in any of the ways you're thinking, Ted..." Schlatt grumbled, his voice low, maybe with shame, maybe with something else. "Well, what are you thinking, hm? Care to share?" Ted asked with a smirk as his hand moved down Schlatt's back to his hip, pulling him in closer. Schlatt thought for a moment Would he be willing to tell him? Willing to risk their friendship? They were both drunk; maybe it wouldn't matter in the morning. Though, his mother's voice rang in his head. He knew this was a bad idea, but he couldn't shake the thoughts forming in his mind. Of him. Of Ted. Of them. 

"Ted.." Schlatt murmured. "Yes?" Ted's head tilted slightly. Schlatt paused, breath hitching on his next few words. "Can we take this back to the car?" He asked quietly, voice shaking: Ted smiled, glad to hear that Schlatt was thinking the same as him. "Of course, babe," he purred, holding Schlatt's hand as he led him out of the bar and to the curb, calling an Uber. Ted still held onto his hand, squeezing lightly. "I can't believe you're already so flustered...* Ted mumbled. "Okay, fuck you..." Schlatt groaned, head tilting back with his hand on his forehead "We'll see..." Ted stifled a chuckle as the Uber pulled up. He opened the door for Schlatt. "Ladies first!" He teased. 

Schlatt froze up, standing there for a moment before getting into the car, not even looking at Ted. He knew he didn't mean it, hell, he didn't even know, but it still stung. His fingers moved over his knuckles rhythmically, trying to stay calm. His mind raced, filled with thoughts of how Ted would feel. Would he be mad? Turned off? Disgusted? His leg bounced anxiously. Ted hadn't noticed how distraught Schlatt was, only moving his hand to Schlatt's thigh, pressing lightly to stop the movement. "It's okay if this is your first time... It is, right?" Ted tried to recall Schlatt vaguely telling him that he had saved himself all throughout high school and college, but all he thought about was how his hand traced up to Schlatt's crotch, hand stopping when he couldn't feel what should be there. Ted's hand moved back a bit. Schlatt looked at him in horror before burying his head into his hands. Ted bit back a gasp. Luckily, they were at his house now. They stepped out without saying anything, not even to the driver, not until they got inside, that is. 

"Are you.." Ted began. "Trans? Uhm.. Yeah," Schlatt finished, voice wavering. His thighs pressed together; eyes glued to the floor. "I'm gonna... uh... Go...Now. I'm sorry.” Schlatt stammered out, turning to leave before Ted stopped him "Wait, don't-" Ted's hand loosely grabbed Schlatt's eyes locking. "I..You're still. " Schlatt couldn't even form words; he was so emotional. This wasn't how he expected the night to go. His intoxication only added to his emotions. "Dude, we've been friends for years, why didn't you say anything?" Ted's eyes searched Schlatt's, looking for any explanation. "I thought you'd be freaked out! I'm sorry!" Schlatt repeated the last bit a few times, tears running down the sides of his cheeks. His hand pulled away from Ted's to wipe his stream of tears. "I'm not 'freaked out I'm fucking bi, dude. You know I wouldn't be weird about it" Led reassured, moving closer to him. Ted's hands met Schlatt's, pulling them away from his eyes and to his hips. Ted slowly cupped his face, Schlatt's gaze softening. 

"So, are we... Uh...Cool?" Schlatt choked out, face red. "Of course," Ted sighed, smiling. "Can I kiss you?" His gaze shifted between Schlatt's lips and his eyes. *Yes..Yes please. " Schlatt nodded before the two locked lips. The kiss was unsteady at first, but grew more confident as Ted pulled him in, fingers running through Schlatt's soft brown hair. Schlatt's own hands moved to Ted's hips, pulling his body against his own. Schlatt opened his mouth slightly, Ted accepting his silent suggestion, tongues wrapping together. Ted tasted like tequila, Schlatt like Benedictines. After a few moments of this gentle exploration, the kiss broke, a small string of saliva connecting their lips. "You taste good-" they said in unison before breaking out into gentle laughter. "At least you like Benedictines.." Schlatt grinned, chest pressed against Ted's. "That I do," Ted's voice was low and gravelly, sending a chill up Schlatt's spine. "Can we go to your room now...?" He asked, a bit antsy now. He felt the familiar heat between his thighs. "Hell yeah," Ted gestured for him to follow. His room wasn't anything special, just his bed, nightstand, a shelf, and a couple boxes still scattered from his move-in Schlatt pulled off his shirt, revealing his scars. They Formed an aesthetically pleasing "w" shape, and Ted pushed Schlatt down onto the bed, lips meeting the marks. "A-a bit direct, don't you think?" Schlatt giggled.

"Yeah, but you probably are enjoying this, aren't you, you little whore?" Ted scoffed as he continued to kiss. "Fuck you, dude! You're the one who started lookin' at me like that... And besides, I saved myself, you slept around, you cock slut," Schlatt snapped before Ted nipped at him. "You gonna be a little bitch the whole time or are you gonna let me blow your back out?" Ted stood up, arms crossed "The second option.." Schlatt rolled his eyes as he sat up to slip off his pants and soaked boxers. "Jesus... We were only kissing, and that was like for a few seconds.. You got that wet?" Ted looked genuinely surprise, then pleased with himself, a shit-eating grin forming. "I didn't know I had that kind of effect over you. I'll keep that in mind for Chuckle Week..." Ted drawled. 

"I swear to god, if you even try to bang me on set, I will fucking kill you-" Schlatt began but was stopped by Ted pushing him back down onto the mattress below. "Keep talking and I'll have you choking on my cock instead of your own words, got it?" Ted was more dominant than he realized. Schlatt understood that Ted wasn't even joking, and he was kinda into that. He bit his lip, nodding shakily. "Good boy. Eyes on me," Ted commanded, slowly slipping off his clothes. The entire time, Schlatt didn't dare take his gaze off of him He was enamored by Ted's slow and graceful movements as his articles fell to the floor. "What, like what you see?" Ted grinned. "Hell yeah. Jesus, I uh.." Schlatt was at a loss for words as his eyes trailed around Ted's body, his muscles, the other bit... "It's really cute seeing you like this... All flustered; god, you're getting me so hard..." Ted mused, face flushed. "Didn't expect this, huh?" Schlatt joked "Not entirely, but I can't say I'm particularly disappointed." 

Ted made his way over to the bed, going down on Schlatt. His lips moved over his neck, kissing deeply with a deep growl. His hands rans up and down Schlatt's sides, nails grazing lightly. They lefts small, gentle scratch marks, hands deft and precise with their movements. Schlatt was quite small under Ted's frame, their biological differences more obvious now that they were stripped down to nothing. Ted had more body hair than Schlatt, and the hair Schlatt did have was that strange silky kind that never fills in quite right. He was slightly envious of Ted's benefits, especially with how he was teasing him right now, his boner pressed on the outside of his cunt. 

"You're such a bastard, y’know that, Ted?" He spat rather bitterly. He knew it was out of Ted's control whether he was born a girl or a boy, but it still felt unfair that Ted was so lucky to have been born the way he had been. Ted, hearing this, was slightly taken aback. "W-what? What do you mean?" Ted used his arms to push himself up, now locking eyes with Schlatt's still red, glassy gaze. Schlatt moved further up on the bed, now resting on the headboard. Ted moved with him, leaning up next to his friend. "I..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I know I keep returnin' to this, but..." He sniffed, still buzzed. "Uhm... Fuck, how do I word this... Well you were born in the right body, y'know, and I.. Well, I wasn't. I know this isn't even your problem, its mine, but it feels so unfair to see you actually happy in your body. And seeing you having..Uh..Fun... Is even worse." Schlatt's hand moved across his knuckles again, one of his many coping mechanisms that wouldn't destroy his body. His voice wavered with each new sentence he formed, eyes not daring to look at Ted's. He was mad at himself for even telling this to him. It wasn't his fault, why should he care? 

Schlatt brought his knees to his chest, leaning his forehead against it. Gazing down, he could barely make out what he hated most about his body. Every day, when he showered, he'd put a towel over the mirror and close his eyes and hum to distract himself while he bathed his more intimate parts. He hated looking, but at the moment, he just wanted to escape Ted's prying eyes. He felt Ted's arm wrap around his shoulder, and a small lass on the top of his head. It made Schlatt want to cry. He hated being treated like he was lesser than what he really was. He let out a shaky sob. Ted pulled him close, hand rubbing slow, soft circles on his back He could hear Ted quietly shushing him, laying the occasional kiss on his forehead in between his soft breaths. "Oh babe..." Ted took his time finding his next words, choosing them carefully. "I can't uh, say that I know what you're going through, but I know it hurts." He paused, running over his next sentence internally before he spoke. "I don't know if this really counts, but I like your body..." Ted murmured, a bit embarrassed. 

He usually wasn't this genuinely sappy with people. Schlatt just sniffed, trying to stop himself from crying, though he still felt hot tears running down his unshaven cheeks. "Can I pick you up?" Ted asked. Schlatt mustered a nod, too tired to argue. Ted's arms hooked Schlatt's legs, and soon, all of Schlatt's weight pressed against Ted's thighs. He pulled him close, Schlatt able to hear Ted's heartbeat. It was slow, and listening to it, Schlatt tried to synch his own breathing with his. At first, it was difficult His breath kept hitching, and his sobs interrupted his efforts, however, Ted's fingers moved rhythmically through his hair, his lips kissing his cheeks slowly and soft. Ted so desperately wanted to say something along the lines of "I'm sorry," or "I didn't know," but he knew his friend. He knew at times like this, when he got too tired to film, or when he couldn't keep up the persona, the best thing to do was to just stay calm, and let Schlatt rest, which is what was happening right now. 

Schlatt finally got his breath to a reasonable pace, his head now sinking into the crux of Ted's neck. His lips kissed along his collar bone, though the angle was awkward. Ted only giggled at this attempt. "Are you okay now?" Ted murmured, still unsure it he wanted to continue with what they were doing before. "Mhm.. Uh, thanks for that, by the way. I really appreciated it, well, more specifically you..." Schlatt adjusted his body so that now he was facing Ted, legs spread over his. Ted picked up on the subtle mood change, hands running up the sides of Schlatt's thighs and to his ass, squeezing gently. "I'm glad to hear that I helped. Speaking of helping, you mind doin' me a favor, babe?" 

Ted let Schlatt's gaze shift down to his cock, Ted letting out some half-laugh as Schlatt immediately became enamored. "Yeah, I can do that..." Schlatt, still coated in his slick, lifted his body up, and then slowly down on Ted's dick, letting out a low and soft groan as he did. Ted felt Schlatt weakly tighten around him. "Fuck, you really did save yourself... You're really tight, shit..." Ted's breath left him with a shudder. Only a moan leftSchlatt's lips in response, shifting his hips around. Ted let out another deep groan as he pulled Schlatt's lips to his as Schlatt's hands ran through Ted's dark brown hair. They sat like that for a few minutes, just letting Schlatt adjust to being penetrated, something he seldomly did. "Are you ready?" Ted murmured into his ear. "Mhm. Can I lay down?" He asked quietly, as if he was nervous to upset Ted, still on edge, just barely. "Yeah, dude, of course!" He stopped, laughing at himself. "What's so funny?" Schlatt asked. The the fact that I called you dude when I'm about to fucking rail you-" Ted managed to get out between giggles, Schlatt joining in. "W-well-Fuck I can't speal wait-" He struggled to form a coherent sentence between chuckles. "I swear I don't mind, fuck" He only laughed harder, leaning back onto the mattress. "So, bro, you gonna fuck me or nah?" Schlatt teased. 

"Oh okay, fuck you-" Ted rolled his eyes as he adjusted his hips and Schlatt's legs, letting his weight fall on Schlatt's stomach. *This okay. babe?" He asked, prepping himself. "Oh, fuck yeah-" Schlatt was cut off by Ted immediately thrusting into him, rather roughly. "O-oh fuck!" Schlatt moaned, throwing his head back. "God, you are so fuckin' tight, mphf-" Ted stifled a whine as he tightened around his dick. His hands moved to Schlatt's chest, thumbs running over his nipples, giving the occasional pinch. "A-ah! Ngh!" He yelped, ass pressing into the blankets below. "T-that's what I love to hear," Ted half chuckled half moaned, his cute little noises sending butterflies into his stomach. He wasn't about to admit how turned on Schlatt's moans made him. Even on the podcast, whenever Schlatt groaned at some dumb comment, in the back of his mind, Ted was always wishing it was him that could make Schlatt groan like that, to scream even. Thankfully, that day was here. 

His cock moved in and out swiftly, Schlatt's drenched cunt weakly squeezing as he did so. His breath was heavy, barely containing the moans forming automatically with Ted filling his body so well. It drove him mad how good this felt. How long had he been waiting for this? 25 fucking years, and god, had it paid off. His mind was hazy as he was pumped through, unable to form any responses when Ted asked him simple questions like, "are you enjoying yourself, princess?" or "you wanna get louder?" His brain did focus on the "princess" bit though, a groan escaping him. "Y-you like that, princess?" Ted seemed just slightly hesitant to genuinely call him that, especially since it teetered on the line of a joke and misgendering Schlatt, though, he weirdly seemed into it, particularly because of how ashamed he was, but lust and alcohol changes people. "Mpf…F-fuck. Yes-yes!" Schlatt whined hand moving to his clit, rubbing rather sloppily. "God, you're so cute like this..." Ted praised, continuing, "So fuckin' adorable, sp-spread out like this for me... It's a shame I g-gotta wreck this c-cute bod-body of yours.." Ted stammered, feeling a familiar high wash over him, precum leaking out of his cock. 

"S-Schlatt, I'm close..." Ted groaned, Schlatt moaning in response. "Hah-please...." Schlatt moaned "Oh god. pleasepleasepleaseplease..." Schlatt whimpered, voice quavering as he applied more pressure to his clit, back arching into the mattress. "Oh god, Ted, I'm g gonna cum! Please! Oh fuck!" He practically screamed, thighs trembling. M-me too, go on and cum, pretty b-boy!" Ted moaned into Schlatt ear. He obeyed willingly, gasping for air as he did so, chest pressing into Ted's. Tears rolled down his cheeks, some shaky sobs of overstimulation leaving him Ted slowed down, letting him catch his breath before he continued. "Y-you okay..? Did I go too hard?" Ted's hand grazed his cheek, thumb wiping away his tears. He only mustered a small headshake, signaling that Ted was in the clear. 

Once he was sure that Schlatt could handle Ted finishing, he started again, Schlatt crying under him. It was a bit sadistic but hearing Schlatt cry because of him only edged him closer to climaxing, his thighs pushing into Schlatt's. "Oh-oh god I'm gonna cum! Oh god..." Ted's eyes screwed shut listening to Schlatt whine as he filled his cunt. His thrusts finally slowed to a halt, and Schlatt was a mess. His skin was flushed red, breathing rapidly and shallow. "Did I go too hard babe?" Ted let out a shaky breath as he pulled out, grimacing just slightly as cum poured out ofSchlatt and onto his bed. Fuck...." he grumbled, turning to Schlatt. "N..Maybe..." He whimpered, knees pressing together weakly. 

Ted stood up, knees wobbly as he slid his arms under Schlatt's body, lifting him up with surprising ease. He carried him to the bathroom, setting him up on the sink, the rest of Ted's cum leaking into the sink Schlatt gasped at the cold of the fake marble countertop, but got over it quickly when he saw Ted turn on the warm shower water. He lifted himself off the counter, barely making his way to Ted, who helped him into the shower. They both cleaned themselves off the best they could, still inebriated. They shared a few sloppy kisses in the shower, and a few outside as Ted lent him a rather oversized sweatshirt, Schlatt drowsily digging through his bag to find himself a pair of dry boxers. He collapsed on the now clean bed, Ted changing out the blanket.  

Ted slid under the covers next to Schlatt who gave him a sleepy smile. "Hey bud, you okay?" He asked, fingers grazing over his mutton chops. "Yeah...God that was so fuckin' good..." He giggles to himself, letting his lips meet Ted's, this time going for a gentle, slow, sweet kiss rather than the more passionate kind the two shared earlier on in the night. "I wasn't lyin' earlier, either... I love you-" Ted caught himself, covering up with another, less vulnerable truth, "your body. I don't mind, I might even prefer it," Ted pulled him closer, wrapping his body around Schlatt's, legs tangling together. "Okay. Well.." Schlatt blushed, burying his face into Ted's shoulder, now covered with a loose t-shirt. He smelled nice, Schlatt noted, basking in the lavender scent that laced Ted's figure. It was very lulling, already tired from his back getting blown out. Ted managed to keep himself from laughing as he heard quiet snores beneath him, as he whispered, though drunk, still honest, "I love you." Schlatt quietly smiled, humming just a bit, falling back to sleep almost instantly.

-

[harringtonstilinski]

hiii ur requests are open??? i read few of your st fics and they’re so incredible and so beautifully written 😍🤭 would u write a steve harrington! x munson!reader fic where eddie dies in the uspide down and if you feel comfortable to write his death scene but also include yn there as she rushes there but it’s too late? and she’d be like no no no no, eddie, don’t leave me here alone…and you have to graduate, remember? eddie please don’t…and it would be just kinda angsty in the beginning but more fluffy in the end? alao if she’d started dating steve during the time like in s4…but she’d drifted away from him and became distant and built big walls all around her so no one could ever get in? not even steve? or dustin who eddie told to look after his sister? she also told wayne to not to let anyone in and she’d keep crying in bed in be in his room for even more weeks until she’d had to go to school. also yn would be in same year as eddie was? but she’d be 2 years younger. also same year as nancy and robin. so she does graduate, eddie didn’t…bc he died. when she’s being called out on the stage she’s shocked and kinda surprised and confused but her friends and steve will push her? this was supposed to be a happy day but actually it isn’t bc eddie is not here and she doesn’t know how to this without him. she’s still grieving. she doesn’t know how to move on. she doesn’t even want to move on? and she’d like break down in tears on the stage as she’d go for her diploma imagining eddie sitting beside dustin and their uncle mouthing well done (or something like that) but then he’d disappear and that’s when she’d broke down in tears. steve would rushes to her and try to comfort her. she tries to tell l steve she saw eddie here, everyone is concerned and wayne is worried so is steve. they’re try to explain her it was just her mind playing tricks on her but she doesn’t want to believe it and she runs away? steve goes after her. he finds her finally sitting in front of eddie’s grief talking to him. she’d jump when she feels someone’s hand on her shoulder, realising it’s steve kneeling down. she’d snuggle closer to him seeking for his love and comfort she’d finally get? steve would also reassure her eddie will always be here with her like not in same way but in her heart? steve knows she needs him more than ever and he’s willing to be here for her? day or night? whenever she needs?

awwww! 🥹 thank you so much!!

babe, i think you wrote this request yourself, lol! BUT, i hope i got everything you asked for! as i was writing this for you, i kept coming back here to add some thoughts, hahaa.

i didn't run away this time, right?

writing thoughts below the cut;

i had it be reader's arm that he dies in, not dustin's because i felt like it would make it angsty.

i gave her dustin's little speech with wayne to make it more angsty and show their relationship.

i changed a couple things in your request, and kinda switch them around.

this might be more angsty than fluffy, hahaa

i kind of forgot about her walls for like half a second, so my apologies.

i didn't mean for this to be as long as it turned out, hahaa!

i had her move in with steve after coming from upside down hawkins, so the end of your request falls into that.

[celeste-fitzgerald]

thou brought this upon thyself.

get to know your fic writer asks:

7, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 34, 37, 43, 45, 46, 53, 56, 59, 63, 64 and 74

:>

Girl you're crazy lmao ily

7) How do you choose which POV to write from?

Oh damn that's a good question! I don't have a good answer to this one, I usually just think about whose eyes it would be more interesting to see through for each fic.

10) Cltr+f "blinks" on your WIP & copy paste the first sentence/paragraph that comes up

Uhhhh. I haven't been doing much writing lately. And the one fic I have been working on, "blinks" isn't in there (and neither is "blink"). So I went back to 2 other wips I haven't added to in a couple months and THOSE DON'T HAVE "BLINKS" EITHER. So I just searched "wink" instead so here's that one. (Unfortunately for you dear rufusrant you've already read what I have so far on this wip, but for everyone else, here's a teeny tiny snippet of the next chap of Learning How To Love You.)

Richard winked and inched toward the seat on George’s right. “Well?” 

11) Link your three favorite fics right now

Oh lord let's see. I'm interpreting "right now" as "currently on my mind," so these are ones that I've been reading and/or have been posted recently. for mutual benefit by thestartofnothing (fandom: JJBA; ship: jotakak) Not Lost In Translation by @007waffles007 (fandom: JJBA; ship: avpol) She Makes Me Smile by @007waffles007 (fandom: ELO; ship: mik/kelly)

12) how does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

Well as with any writer, I love feedback! Though after being in some tiny fandoms (or at least tiny from a fanfic perspective) I've gotten more used to not getting much feedback. All feedback is very very very appreciated of course, but feedback/support from 1 or 2 friends tends to make me very happy regardless of what other kudos/comments I get.

19) What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

To the surprise of literally no one, it is "fluff" (283 fics).

20) Have you noticed any patterns in your fics? Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

Already answered!

23) Best writing advice for other writers?

Write what YOU want to see, regardless of whether you think other people will like it.

24) Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

I honestly can't think of any?

25) What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

I don't knowwwww!! I spent a while looking through my fics to see if any of them fit, but that just ended up being me going "oh I forgot I wrote that, that one was cute!" for 15 minutes haha. I think I'm fine with how things are tbh.

34) Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Man I don't know where I see myself in five weeks XD Mostly I just hope I'll still be posting fluffy oneshots on ao3 and sharing fic ideas with friends.

37) How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Not really a good way to answer this one, just where it feels right. But that's entirely dependent on the context of the fic.

43) Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" kind of person?

😭I'm definitely more of an "I want everyone to be safe and happy" kinda girl. When I make the characters suffer it's usually very mild suffering. Though, fun(?) fact about me, when I daydream about my fandoms, the daydreams often get pretty angsty and rough. But those ideas usually remain as daydreams because it would be too hard to actually write them.

45) Do you want to break your readers‘ heart or make them laugh?

Laugh and smileeee.

46) How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)

Oh emotion-driven 100%.

53) How do you spend your time when it comes to fanfiction? Are you primarily a fic reader, writer, or a perfect 50/50 split of both?

Ooh, that really depends on my mood and how long I've been in the fandom for. When I get into a new fandom, I tend to read tons and tons of fics, then much later I'll actually start writing for it. And I tend to spend less time reading the longer I've been in a fandom. But every once in a while I get hit with an urge to spend all night reading fics.

56) What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

Oh boy let's see...I think I'm pretty good at giving readers warm fuzzy feelings? And I love when I'm able to do that.

59) Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

Yes. A small number of my in-person friends. Plus my parents and my sister. But I'm pretty sure my sister still thinks it's stupid lmao. My dad's great about it though. Oh and my gf!!

63) Something you hate to see in smut.

Huh, when I read this question, I thought "oh boy, I'm gonna have lots of things I hate." But now I'm...struggling to come up with any? There are certain things I like more than others, and things I need to be in a certain mood to read. I guess maybe just when the relationship feels unequal. Don't like that.

64) Something you love to see in smut.

When the characters laugh/joke around/etc. Just anything to show them being really comfy and genuine with each other in such an intimate moment.

74) You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

I have posted a fic anonymously. Try to find it >:) (not you, rufusrant, you already know it's me.) Haha but in all seriousness, probably by me going "ahhhhh thank you" in every reply to every comment lmaooooo.

:>

[bigbadripley]

Chapter 9 - N. Michigan Gospel

Marc Spector/Steven Grant x Female!OC

Summary: Marc never expected to see his childhood friend Simone ever again. To Simone, Marc may as well have been dead. However, when Simone met Steven 15 years after Marc disappeared, she couldn’t help but notice how familiar he was.

18+ | 2kish Words | Third-person omniscient | Dark?fic | AU/AT |

Warnings: Heavy language, OC with religious trauma, childhood trauma, sexual trauma,  the effects of this in adulthood, not much else in this one, just kinda cute.

A/N: I update warnings with each chapter. Only proceed if you can handle the themes included in the warnings. I wrote this entirely as a trauma dump.

Minors DNI, DL;DR, if I miss a warning, please let me know.

Chapter list

"Who do I take my broken pieces to? I don't think I can fix a broken piece of you If I hid away you'd find me anywhere I laid How do I justify my peace to you?" -"N. Michigan Gospel" by 99 Neighbors

 Simone knew only one way to work through her troubles: to push herself into her job. She hadn't spoken to Marc or Steven in a few days, unsure what to do or where to begin. 

Her one o'clock arrived on time, as always. She made sure to start a fresh pot of coffee for them and set everything up how she liked before they showed. 

"How was your week, Jason?" Simone asked with a smile. She only knew it was Jason she was speaking to because of how he sat, spread-legged and hunched over. Jason shrugged,

"Alright, I guess. It's been a little tough." He answered. Simone knew the kind of troubles that Jason had, but she needed to ask, as always. 

"Oh, yeah? What's been going on?" She wondered, crossing her right leg over her left to signify comfort in the conversation and coax honesty and openness from the patient. 

During the brief patch of silence before Jason spoke again, there wasn't a single sound besides the clock ticking on her office wall. She kept meaning to take it down because of how nervous it made everyone, but she always forgot. 

Finally, Jason cleared his throat and began. "Corey's been spending more time with Carrie lately."

Simone knew all the names and ages and didn't need further confirmation of their relationships, but played into it regardless. "Well, is Corey not Carrie's partner?"

"Yeah, but so are Lonnie and me." Jason answered. It was the same thing from Jason every week, and even though he didn't care for their visits, he took advantage of their time together. 

"I suppose Corey doesn't feel like speaking to me today?" Simone wondered. Corey was the system's host: his body, but Jason was the protector. Jason typically takes over the beginning of the appointments due to Corey getting anxious. 

"I guess it depends on if he decides to come back out," Jason said. It was the same event every time, and she knew Corey would come soon enough. 

"We'll give him some time. How do Janet and Killian feel about Carrie?" She brought up the other two parts of the system. Whether her sheet says Corey Klein or not, they were all patients of Dr. Fredrick.

"They don't care for her, 'think she's weird for dating 3 of us at once, but what do they know?"

"Dating a host with four alters can be overwhelming," Simone said as she got up. And yet, I'm struggling to comprehend how to juggle a two-man system. She thought to herself. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please. And I think Janet and Killian's problem is that she only wants us. Maybe if Carrie opened up to the idea of dating the system, we wouldn't have so many problems." Jason suggested. Simone put two sugar cubes in the spare coffee mug she kept in her office that read "Trust Me I'm A Doctor" and stirred it. Black with no cream, just sugar, the way Corey liked it. She tapped the stirring staw on the side of the mug before she added to Jason's point,

"That's one way to look at it, but you also need to think: you just told me that you have issues with how she spreads attention between the three of you." Simone pointed this out as she sat a cup of coffee between them.

Jason stared blankly at the dark liquid on the table, unresponsive for a moment before he sat straight. Corey had arrived. 

"Hey, Dr. Fredrick." He greeted in his normal mild-mannered tone. Even his voice was completely different from Jason's. Simone smiled and retook her seat, 

"How's things with you, Corey?"

"Oh, you know, living the dream of a call center employee. Gotta love it." He joked as he picked up the coffee. Simone chuckled,

"So you're struggling with work?"

"Yeah, I got a less-than-perfect performance eval back, and it was because of my lost time." 

"I'm guessing you don't mean skipping out of work?"

"I mean one of the roadies popping in unannounced while I'm working. Suddenly dissociating while talking with a customer isn't great for reviews... Isn't great when you're trying to have a good time with your girlfriend, either." He explained, referring to the parts of his system as his "roadies."

Simone thought about how this situation differed from Marc and Steven's and how Corey can't tell what happens when the others are present. She imagined how it would be more difficult that way. 

"-I mean, really, Dr. Fredrick, how often do you get patients with this issue?" Corey asked, seeming genuinely curious if he was alone in this struggle. Simone hadn't realized she had zoned out from what he was telling her, but took it back to the last thing she heard,

"Well, I only have two other hosts as regulars, but I can say that they fear putting themselves out there with the stigma behind the disorder and the idea of having a relationship where the other parts are involved," Simone explained. "Do you feel that way at all?"

"I used to but... I've come to realize that I'm blessed, yeah? Carrie's great, and she's so understanding... and I love my system, but if I only had them for companionship? I'd lose my mind! I'd be as good as dead, to tell ya the truth!" 

This struck a chord with Simone. She had been trying to tackle it all week. Begging for some reason to go forward with this awful idea of bringing Marc back into her life and pursuing this relationship with Steven further. Her reasons became clear, but she found herself wanting a second opinion. 

 While Simone was at work, Marc and Steven tried to put something special together for her in hopes of a truce. Steven wanted to take a gift of small things she enjoyed, while Marc wanted to take her somewhere she would like. 

They were both lost in implementing these ideas and were working off borrowed time between the blips of missing time that seemed more frequent these days. 

Marc cursed Steven for getting involved with Simone before they had a better grasp on this, but now they were on a mission to work things out with her, even if it felt selfish. 

"I think if we got a wicker basket and put some nice things into it, that would be fine, yeah?" Steven suggested as they strolled the near-empty market. Marc thought the idea needed to be better and quickly made that known.

"No, no, no! That's too simple. We're trying to pursue a relationship, not play Easter Bunny." He said. 

Regardless of their decision, they knew they needed something unique that wouldn't break the bank. Marc's stash away money was dwindling since separating from Khonshu a year prior, and they had not kept steady work due to conflicting interests. 

Steven wanted to wait for Simone's input for date planning, fearing they might do too much or too little. "What if we dropped the gifts off at the office for her? A nice surprise that shows we're thinking about her."

The idea brought Marc back to when they were in school, and other kids would get gifts from their parents dropped off at school for Valentine's day. Even if the idea was superficial, it would make her happy. "That could work."

 Simone went back to her place on her lunch to chow down on the Chinese takeaway she had put up from the night before. Once she arrived, she was pleasantly surprised to find Joyce in her loungewear, propping her feet up. 

"How was Greece?" Simone asked as she pulled the paper box of rice from the fridge. Joyce scoffed,

"Been there over a dozen times, never gets old." She said. When Joyce spoke again, Simone grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and scooped the food into it for microwaveability. "How's your new man friend? You get some dick yet?" She asked nonchalantly. 

Simone grinned and shook her head as she started nuking the rice. "What does that matter?"

"Because I live vicariously through you! I barely have time for myself, let alone men!" She defended. Simone turned around to face Joyce and braced herself on the counter,

"I did, actually." She admitted. Joyce swung her head forward and sighed,

"About time, innit? Been a dry year for you." 

Simone realized she was in a unique situation where she felt it weird to talk about how it went with Joyce. Still, she realized she might be better suited to get the second opinion she wanted from the woman who not only knew her best but studied psychology for a year and a half before settling on being a pilot. 

Do you mind playing therapist for a moment? She asked, ignoring the beep from the microwave. Joyce put her feet back on the ground and sat up, scooting to the edge of the recliner, 

"I'm all ears." She said. Simone grabbed the rice bowl and sat in the living room on the loveseat next to Joyce. 

"So, you know how I was saying Steven- my man friend, as you said- looked familiar, but I could put my finger on how?" 

"I do remember that, but what does it have to do with your getting laid?" Joyce wondered. Simone took a deep breath and began explaining the events that transpired between her and Steven, then overexplaining how Steven and her old friend Marc were the same. 

Once Simone had explained everything, Joyce stared at her for a long while, and Simone swore she saw the gears turning in her head as she built a diagram of what it all meant before she finally said something. 

"Your first love Marc and your new flame Steven are the same bloke, and you didn't know that until after you slept with them? Red flag central, Simone!"

"I know, Joyce, but is it bad that I'm considering this?" Simone asked, feeling stupid saying it out loud. Joyce shrugged,

"You want two boyfriends? You barely have luck keeping one, no offense." 

"None taken, I know I do, and that's why it seems so crazy to me, but I can't stop thinking about both of them. I just don't know what to do."

"The rational play therapist Joyce wants to tell you that you should let sleeping dogs lie and forget about what you used to have with Marky-Marc, and if you can't have his funky bunch without him, then break it off." Joyce started. The analogy made Simone laugh, even if the context made her heart ache slightly. "But, the hopeless romantic Joyce wants you to go for it and see what happens." 

Simone considered it momentarily as she picked at the mound of rice and veggies, thinking of how her session with Corey went. 

Can I be as patient as Carrie? She wondered to herself. Simone suddenly felt less hungry and more nervous as she thought up how to approach Steven and Marc with this. Instead of stressing, she did the one thing she knew to do best: throw herself back into work. 

When Simone returned to the office, she was met with a gift basket on her desk. The basket contained dark chocolates (her favorite), gel pens (the superior kind), a legal pad (she was running out of new pages), Star Wars stickers (for fun), and a big bag of Haribo's Twin Snakes (her candy of choice when she was a kid) and to top it all off, a card with a pug on the front that said: "Get Excited!" with "Much love, Marc and Steven" written on the inside. 

What a couple of fuckin' sweethearts. She thought to herself as she grinned uncontrollably. Every bit of what they got related to something they knew about her if they paid attention, which they clearly did. 

Simone pulled her phone out and took a picture of the basket where she found it, and sent it to Steven's phone with a caption that read: 

Thank you both! Meet me at mine about 6. 

To Steven and Marc, this meant mission accomplished.