#i’ve written a fic about this like. three times but i keep losing the final draft bc i get too nervous about posting it

[brittlebutch]

never going to get past matrix resurrections choosing to make neo someone with a distorted perception of reality being gaslit and manipulated into compliance by his therapist, i’m so normal about it

[karalovesallthegirls]

Some Q's for youuu:

8. How slow is a slow burn? 🕒

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it. 📝

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again? 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing? 🤓

30. Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't. 🪦🙀

I appreciate your dedication using the emojis, they enhanced the experience greatly!!!!

8. How slow is a slow burn? 🕒 

The hottest slow burn 2 me is one where they can barely even make eye contact for a solid 15k, let alone touch lips. I want them to go through every possible option and do every possible thing to avoid getting together for so long they’re practically pulling their hair out in the frustration of it. Their desperation for each other needs to be so unbearable that they truly genuinely lose their minds, and they then need to stay apart for a little while after that.

19. Share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it. 📝 “Alien…” she whispers, eyes wide with a terror so painfully familiar to Kara. “Oh, God.” “Miss Luthor, I’m not going to hurt you, okay? I just need the hard drive. That’s all," Kara says.

She tries to keep a soothing tone, but she’s so tired of this. She wants to be done. She’s so close to being done, too. The Luthor's eyes are intense and focused, studying Kara back just as deeply as Kara studies her. She’s beautiful, Kara thinks, and she’s scared. Everyone is always scared of the alien. The woman holds the device out with one hand and Kara can see the slight shake to it. “You won’t hurt me?” she asks again, and Kara smiles. “I promise,” Kara says. She grabs the drive but feels some resistance as she tugs. The other woman isn’t letting go. Kara looks at her again to find her smiling. “Funny,” Lena Luthor says. “Because I’m going to hurt you.” Kara’s head whips back with the force of the hit, blood splattering from her mouth as she falls.

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again? 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏻

For me I fucking LOVE a multiverse like what do you mean they will find each other in every form, in every world, in every time??? What do you MEAN if there’s a version of one that exists the other must be elsewhere waiting for the chance and not knowing it?? What do you MEAN quantum entanglement?????

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing? 🤓

Don’t try to write it correctly the first round, just get material on the page. 

Write out your story concepts like you’re writing a transcript of your brain. You’re not editing or correcting or explaining meaning, just conveying exactly what is there as it is. My preferred method is just a big stream of conscious paragraph with no punctuations and often times looks like I’m describing drama to a friend via text - “[…] and then Lena was like Lex what the fuck!!!!!! bitch!!!!! and then Kara freaks out and grabs […] - and then just leave it for a little while. Come back to it later and divide them up into fragmented sentences and concepts and build from there. When I spend ages trying to think of the right way to write out my ideas more often than not I find I’ve written nothing, and the things left unwritten have faded away from my memory like they’d never been there at all.

30. Describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn't. 🪦🙀

I have a fic concept I flirt with sometimes where Lena is head of security for Luthor Corp distribution, which handles art and artifacts for hundreds of museums around the world, and she is forced to handle the chaos of some masked thief that keeps stealing things and returning them to their original cultures. Lillian is breathing down her neck to fix this, but no one ever seems able to even get more than a glimpse of the crook - until Lena does. 

And Lena realizes three things when she finally sees the masked Robin Hood rip-off:

1.) the thief is a woman, and somehow able to handle such massive robberies alone.

2.) The thief gets sloppy when Lena is there, nervous and bumbling and chatty. She acts like she’s never seen a pretty girl before. Like she wants to impress Lena just as much as rob her.

3.) Lena might not be able to stop the robberies with her wit, but she sure as hell can with her tits.

[rosypenguins]

🖤Glass Hurts❤️

*+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+

Synopsis: Drew first day of school after losing Jake.

A/N: This is probably the longest fic I’ve written, so I’m dividing it into 2 parts. Have fun watching Drew self-destruct.

Contains Swearing, Panic Attacks, Very Slight S-H

*+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+ *+

Drew woke up to the sound of his alarm with possibly the worst headache of his life. His eyes felt heavy, and it took almost all his energy to roll over and check the time.

7:00am. 49 unanswered messages. 6 missed calls.

Drew hit snooze on his alarm. School didn’t start until 8:30 anyways. A few more minutes of sleep couldn’t hurt.

…

He didn’t wake up for almost another hour, sleeping straight through the second alarm.

So much for a few minutes…

He rolled himself out of bed, and knowing he only had about ten minutes, he decided to just do the bare minimum.

He threw on his black hoodie and a pair of sweatpants, before making his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He kept his gaze fixated on the sink as he did so. He didn’t want to see himself in the mirror. He knew what he looked like.

He hadn’t once bothered to brush his hair over the weekend. He was barely able to sleep or eat. And he’d spent that whole weekend in front of his PC, keeping himself distracted so he wouldn’t dwell on… what had happened that Friday.

He hadn’t once checked his reflection. He saw no need to.

Once he’d finished, he made his way downstairs, grabbing an energy drink before heading off to school.

*+*+*

Drew was barely able to make it to school on time, only having a minute or so to stop by his locker.

He kept his gaze fixated on the ground as he made his way over, the sounds of conversations nothing more than a dull buzz in his mind. His headache had only gotten worse.

“Drew! You’re alive!” Drew glanced up when he heard Henry’s voice, and noticed him standing with Liam beside their lockers. The shorter man ran over to him.

“You scared us, Drew! We thought something happened!”

“The fuck are you talking about, Henry?” He asked, shrugging past him to reach his locker.

“You- you didn’t answer either of us at all this weekend.”

“I was busy.” Drew said, but it was clear Henry didn’t buy it. He was about to say something, but the sound of the schoolbell cut him off. And without another word, Drew left for class.

*+*+*

And the minute Drew entered his first period, a grave realization washed over him.

…Jake assigned seat was still right next to his.

Drew glanced away before Jake had a chance to notice him, and made his way over to their shared desk, sitting down as far away as he could while still having some room on the desk.

He couldn’t tell if Jake was staring at him or not. He couldn’t bring himself to look. He didn’t want to look.

He didn’t let himself think about it. He tuned out the lesson. Tuned out the voices. Tuned out everything he could.

Because he wasn’t sure how long he could hold himself together if he allowed himself back into reality…

…

Drew remained unfocused for the first three periods of school. Because all those periods were ones he shared with Jake.

And despite trying to keep his gaze on the desk, every so often, he’d glance up at the blonde, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on through his mind.

Compared to how Drew must’ve looked, Jake looked… nice. His hair still looked soft, his eyes awake and his outfit well-planned. There wasn’t a single sign of stress Drew could identify.

…But why would there be? Jake never cared about him. He’d only ever used him to keep himself safe.

…It wasn’t fair.

…

Finally, lunch came around, and Drew sank into his usual seat. He couldn’t bring himself to order anything. But as he scanned the lunchroom, waiting for Henry and Liam to arrive, he noticed Jake, walking with Hailey by his side.

The two were laughing together. Talking about something Drew couldn’t quite distinguish.

They were gone a moment later, but the damage had already been done.

Drew felt something twist inside his chest. Seeing Jake smile so easily without him…

Why did he still care? Jake sure as hell didn’t, so-

Drew left the table before Liam and Henry even had a chance to arrive. Who gives a fuck about what those two think anyways?

Besides, it wasn’t as if he was going to eat anything.

Drew locked himself in a bathroom stall for the remainder of that period.

*+*+*

Drew had never felt more relieved to hear a school bell in his life. His 7th period was finally over. He could finally go home.

He didn’t have to keep trying anymore…

Drew was the first to storm out of the classroom, stopping by his locker for only a brief moment to throw his folders inside. He slammed it closed, not even bothering to wait for Liam and Henry before leaving. He just wanted to get the hell out of there. He was sick of seeing-

“Drew?” Drew stopped almost immediately. He recognized that voice all too well.

And Drew made possibly the worst mistake of his life.

He looked up.

Caramel eyes met his own. And they were just as warm as ever.

Drew hated how desperately he wanted to lose himself in them.

He could already feel tears burning behind his eyes as Jake looked at him.

“The hell are you looking at, freak?” The words left his mouth without thinking, almost on instinct, and before Jake could respond, Drew shoved past him, leaving him behind in that hallway.

Drew swallowed, and he kept his gaze low. The words he’d said ringing loudly in his head. Years of memories, reduced to ash.

*+*+*

Drew swung the door to his house open, and was immediately greeted by the sound of silence. After a heavy sigh, Drew entered, kicking off his shoes before making his way upstairs to his bedroom. He sunk to the floor beside his bed, pressing his back against his mattress as he buried his face in his hands.

It was all over…

…

Drew thought for a moment, lifting his head slightly when a realization clicked in his head.

This was his life now… This was how everyday onward was going to go.

Everyday, he’d have to see Jake, and everyday, he’d have to hear his voice. Everyday, he’d have to witness him smile, laugh, and live his life as if nothing had happened.

Because he’d gotten everything he wanted, and took everything Drew had left.

The tears burned behind Drew’s eyes again, and he wrapped his arms around himself, bringing his knees up to his chest.

Everyday, Jake’s words and lies would echo in his mind. Everyday, he’d relive those memories formed on that fateful day.

And everyday, he’d witness that filthy liar thrive.

…

Drew allowed the first tear to slip from his eye, followed by another, then a few more.

Why did Jake lie to him for so long? Was there some sort of sadistic pleasure Jake got out of this? Did he find amusement in Drew’s suffering? Did he enjoy watching the life fade from his eyes as he tore Drew’s heart from his chest?

He really led Drew to believe he was doing everything right…

The tears began to fall faster, rolling down his cheeks and dripping onto his jeans. Despite his best attempts to wipe them away, they just wouldn’t stop.

Drew knew he shouldn’t be crying. There was no point in wasting tears on someone who never cared. So why couldn’t he calm himself down?

He wrapped his hands around his head, curling into himself further, trying to hide himself from…

…He didn’t know anymore.

He felt so pathetic. So weak. And so unbelievably stupid. He got used twice now…

He lifted his head, trying to keep the tears from escaping as he choked back a sob.

But his efforts were useless, much like he was…

And he began to wonder what he could’ve done to deserve this. To deserve any of this… He knew wasn’t perfect, but did he really deserve a life of constant loneliness? Did he deserve to lose everything the moment he finally got comfortable?

But if his own parents couldn’t even be bothered to stick around, what made him think anyone else would be willing to?

…

His breath caught in his throat, and his hand grazed his neck, a heavy lump lodged in his throat.

He couldn’t breathe.

He couldn’t breathe.

He pulled himself from the floor, hands grabbing at his hair, his hoodie, anything he could reach. His heart was pounding in his ears, vision blurred with hot tears.

His thoughts were racing, messy and conflicted. They crowded his mind. He couldn’t make sense of any of them.

His body was moving before his mind could process, pacing his room and covering his mouth with his hand, desperately trying to get himself to stop.

He needed something. Something that wasn’t darkness, or silence, or his racing heart and shaking breaths. He needed a sound, a feeling, a distraction. Anything.

Nails dug into his arms, scratching at exposed skin. Yet Drew could barely realize what was happening.

Another sob tore from his throat, leaving him coughing and gasping for air.

And he looked up, only to find his mirror facing towards him. And he was met with the reflection of… someone he could barely recognize.

Someone with messy hair, and hot tears streaming down reddened cheeks.

Someone who was lonely, and desperate for someone to stay.

Someone who was broken, and tired of everything…

Someone Drew despised with every fiber of his being.

Without thinking, Drew slammed his fist into the mirror, shattering it with a deafening crack. Shards of glass scattered to the floor, and the figure once standing there became fragmented.

Drew didn’t even realize his hand had begun to bleed. He couldn’t tear his gaze from the broken mirror.

Drew fell to his knees, burying his face in his palms, and giving up entirely on pulling himself together.

Who would it be for, anyways?

[alfgifu]

Fic analysis 7. Hands to the wheel

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47188921/chapters/118896205

Word count: 70,497

Chapters: 16

First posted: 16th May 2023

Last chapter up: 6th July 2023

Summary: 

The Last Emperor of Astandalas asked for peace. Cliopher Mdang travelled half way round the world of Zunidh to broker a ceasefire for him.

He may have, just slightly, exceeded his remit.

How and why this came about

The list of short follow up stories with a ‘where are they now’ theme included one for Lady Angusta and Lord Oriaz, a pair of bosses I had invented entirely to be bad at communicating with one another. I had in mind that this would be the Examination Scandal that’s referred to in the books, and I had also mentally joined the dots to a reference to Cliopher firing the entire Upper Secretariat.

Originally I’d planned to do a very short piece from Lady Angusta’s pov of her being fired. I thought I could keep it to one chapter, tick it off, and get on with my life.

By the time I got the blank page in front of me, though, I found that I was more interested in Cliopher’s view on the Examination Scandal. And Cliopher’s view on the aftermath of Littleridge. And also, how do you go from being the emperor’s new secretary to effectively running his government? That’s a big leap!

As an aside, the head of the UK civil service is the Chief Secretary to the Cabinet, and those appointed to it often have worked as Principal Private Secretary (PPS) and head of the PM’s Private Office before they get the appointment, but these are distinct roles. Victoria Goddard’s reference points would presumably be Canadian, where the head of the civil service is the Clerk of the Privy Council and is also described as secretary to the Cabinet. I’ve just been down a wee rabbit hole of recent post holders’ career histories and it looks like the pattern is a little different there. They’ve more frequently had ambassadorial and foreign policy experience.

Cliopher, Sayo Normal Man, seems to take on all these jobs at once.

Anyway the question of what might lead him to fire all of the Upper Secretariat - to even be in a position to fire all of the Upper Secretariat - was the real spur for this fic.

Then of course I went back to figure out how that started. I did at least this time have a reason for backtracking to do more build up - I really wanted to show how big the shift in power and authority was, and to fit in some of the early moments of recognition that must have happened between him and HR.

This was also written before Game of Courts which gives Conju’s perspective on some of these events, so like all of Embers it’s somewhat AU now on the friendship between Cliopher and Conju.

What worked and what didn’t

I was finally beginning to lose faith in my ability to judge how many chapters remained in a longer fic, in that I was still saying ‘probably three more to go’ but by this stage I was saying it with some uncertainty.

I made a list at the start again, this time of all the things that needed to happen or be resolved over the course of the fic. That was much better than a list of jobs Cliopher could have that I made at the start of Embers, because from the start I could think about how all those things related to one another and how I could bring them in together.

It wasn’t long before I realised that the real shape of the fic had to be everything hitting Cliopher at once until he cracked and took charge. I also realised fairly early on what the major twist would be, and I was pleased with how it landed.

I wasn’t expecting this to be so much fic-as-therapy but it worked.

It was also fun including little bureaucratic in-jokes like Inkstone (tip o’the hat to UK government cat Gladstone) or naming a chapter after an economics treatise (Cliopher is a Keynesian, bite me). 

There was definitely a stressful point mid-story where I wasn’t sure what shape would come out of all the pieces I was wrangling, but the experience of writing Embers gave me the confidence to push ahead anyway and it did all come together despite the total lack of a plan.

What I learned from writing it

This is a better fic in every way than Embers was - better titled, better shaped, tauter and punchier and more structured. What’s interesting is that so little of that was intentional. Perhaps the lesson should be that if you pile enough things on top of a character and work a way through them, the plot weaves itself.

I also found that things that felt self-indulgent to me often added depth and were worth including. Again, having the confidence to relax and write what I wanted was rewarding. It was important to me to show the shape of the achievements Cliopher would need to land before he could practically run the government, be the emperor never so enamoured with him, etc. But it was also important to show that relationship developing too and the growing trust between them, while staying true to the level of uncertainty Cliopher still canonically has several hundred years later. Having all of these things in the back of my mind actually made it easier to write each scene - I didn’t think each time ‘how will this fit into those narratives?’ but the themes naturally came through in the way they informed the progression of events and the characters’ reactions each time I asked myself ‘what happens next?’

I also reached the end of Hands to the wheel entirely done with grinding out two updates a week to build out the Embers narrative. This was where I finally felt confident enough to start picking things up on a whim and writing what I wanted to write - which would include a couple more Embers pieces but would also include a lot more experimentation and [jazz hands] drama from this point on.

[softspiderling]

softspiderling masterlist

collection of EVERYTHING I’ve written so far. Everything that is on this blog. the fandoms are chronologically ordered, most recent are up top.

drabbles

fics

we always find a way (to make it out alive) | read here beacon hills holds a lot of bad memories for you. you’re still not sure how you let yourself be persuaded to go back.

fics

boy you write your name (I can do the same) | tba

series

1989

drabbles

how you first met (and how you became more)

you're dating (but no one knows)

you're married (but in secret)

you pick him up from the airport

fics

songs about girls (like you) | read here Jake has finally returned from his mission.

how do you love somebody else? | read here the one where you and Jake are exes.

get like me | read here the one where you defend Jake's honor.

five kisses | read here five kisses with Jake

never knew (that I could fall so hard) | read here You and Jake are friends. Just friends

wingman’s best friend universe

all the fics below are part of the same universe, but can be read as stand-alone fics!

hooked from hour one | read here the one where you share a mutual friend, but are unaware of it

baby, you down? | read here your best friend is a naval aviator, but apparently so is the guy you've been dating? Yeah, funny how life works.

cruel existence | read here you get hurt at work and Jake spirals

drabbles

you're married (but in secret)

fics

summer days (drifting away) | read here Bradley bumped into you at the beach and then just keeps doing it

speak now (or forever hold your peace) | read here it’s supposed to be the happiest day of your life.

cross my heart (hope to die) | read here it’s easy to fall in love with Rooster. It’s a bit harder to be in love with him.

drabbles

natasha "phoenix" trace

you're married (but in secret)

pete "maverick" mitchell

he likes you (but in an annoying way)

fics

pete "maverick" mitchell

do you believe in love at first sight (or should I walk by again) | read here the one where you keep running into Maverick.

bradley "rooster" bradshaw x jake "hangman" seresin

period troubles | read here their daughter gets her first period and Bradley and Jake lose their minds

spinning out (waiting for ya) | read here the one where Kinsley gets stuck at school and Bradley struggles trying to calm Jake down.

fics

you mocha me crazy | READ HERE Summary: an encounter at a coffee shop leaves you with more than a cup full of coffee

summer days | READ HERE Summary: it’s just one of those rare summer mornings. They were Tom’s favorite

five signs you’re too close to your boss | READ HERE you liked being the personal assistant of the CEO of Holland Enterprises. But sometimes you wondered if you were too close to your boss.

dance your worries away | READ HERE Summary: when you signed up for a beginners ballroom dancing class with your boyfriend, you hadn’t expected to be standing without a dancing partner. But then again, life has a funny way of working out

things you left unsaid | READ HERE Summary: having casual sex with Tom despite having feelings for him? What could go wrong?

put in love and don’t give up | READ HERE Summary: honestly, you never pegged Tom for the kind of guy that ghosts people, but here you are. Ghosted.

will you find me (afterlife) | READ HERE Summary: the five stages of grief start with denial and it didn’t seem like Tom was going leave that stage anytime soon.

honest feelings and bad timing (COMPLETE) | Teaser | One | Two Summary: It’s always been you, Tom and Harrison. A package deal. But sometimes things change.

series

swanky fortune (in progress) last updated on 31st of October 2019

Teaser | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight| Part Nine | Part Ten | Part Eleven

Summary: When you clicked the ‘donate’ button on the GoFundMe page, you never would have expected to actually win. But are you going to take advantage of the opportunity or will you embarrass yourself in front of your celebrity crush?

of broken promises and heartbreak (COMPLETE)

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR

Playlist (with songs including: Crazy To Love You, Rescue Me, Sucker and Never Really Over)

Summary: It’s been six years since you and Tom broke up, six years since you’ve last seen each other. A lot has happened, Tom got insanely famous, making countless billion dollar movies, attending one red-carpet event after the other. But now he was attending one event, he wasn’t sure he was ready for. Your wedding. And he wasn’t attending as your groom.

fics

need a ride? | READ HERE Summary: just because you were at a country club, doesn’t mean you had to behave well

Talk To A Stranger! | READ HERE Summary: you liked talking to strangers. Well, when it’s not in real life, that is.

no air | READ HERE Summary: Short breath, panic flooding through the veins, sweat trickling down the sides. Peter knew the symptoms of a panic attack just all too well after a fight with a certain villain from space. Didn’t mean he knew how to prevent them, though. Luckily, you were by his side to help.

series

heavy burden (Silk/MCU AU) hiatus

Teaser | Part One | Summary:you liked to live your life like you want it, but there was always someone who stood in the way of that. Always.

[safaiagem]

Covers for some of my fanfiction series and stories that I've made recently while putting off doing other things:

No Definition: A series of Inception fics following Arthur and Eames and their relationship from the beginning of the Dream program to events beyond the film.

Ten Years Gone: My Teen Wolf Hunter and Demon AU that I worked on for a very long time. It's now complete with eight fics in it.

(Take Away This) Ball and Chain: First fic in the Ten Years Gone series - "When Derek Hale was sixteen years old he lost everything he loved in the fire. Desperate to his family he tried make a deal with a crossroads demon named Stiles. Stiles turned him down and Derek reluctantly tried to move on with his life. Six years later Derek is a hunter and when he receives word that Stiles might have known more about the fire than he let on that night Derek decides to hunt him down. What he finds when he finally captures Stiles is not what he expects and that the two of them might have a common enemy.

Revenge is a Wild Justice: Part one of two monster Game of Thrones fic - An alternate universe where Arya overheard Beric and Thoros talking to Melisandre about selling Gendry and they have enough time to get away. They eventually decide to help and protect the smallfolk during the war as a team. However, their deeds do not go unnoticed by their enemies and, eventually, Arya and Gendry find themselves pulled back into the game of thrones and the fight for the future of Westeros.

Rebirth Is Born of Neither Flesh nor Blood: The last fic in the Ten Years Gone series finished four years after the previous fic was written and eight years after the series was started - Following the incident in Beacon Hills, Derek Hale has started traveling with his sister and with Stiles even though they don't get along that great. His instincts and Laura's are a little messed up after nearly losing each other. They are planning on going on some hunts as a group until things settled down, but Stiles seems uneasy but won't say about what. Stiles is a demon, he often keeps things to himself, but as they move further north along the western coast, Derek begins to get the impression that they are heading into something that could be their biggest test so far.

Needs of the Many: The Old Guard 5 Plus 1 fic technically part of a series I haven't been able to actually start the other parts yet - “A fine justification. I’ve heard it so many times before” were the words Nicky spoke, and they were words he had heard so many times. From Kings claiming that the world would be better if they ruled to murders justifying the mass slaughter of people, evil will use the concept of the greater good as justification for their own horrific actions. While The Old Guard had seen that play out throughout history, this wasn't even the first time someone justified hurting them in the name of the greater good. [5 times someone used changing the world or the greater good as a justification to hurt The Old Guard]

The Saddest Thing About Betrayal: The second and final[?] part of my James Bond/Q Crime AU fic, a sequel written nine years after the first fic - It's been five years since criminals Q and James Bond escaped MI6 and Agent 007, Eve Moneypenny, and they have been hard at work. Now the two of them are focused on breaking down drug cartels, terrorist cells, and trafficking rings and robbing them blind, then leading Moneypenny to round up the stragglers. Moneypenny continues to focus on trying to bring in the notorious criminal duo. However, something comes along that disrupts the careful game of cat and mouse the three of them are playing and is going to change all three of their lives forever.

Sleeping Wake/Waking Sleep: My fic Sandman-verse fic that I actually sat in my drafts for over a year because I didn't like it Johanna Constantine and Hob Gadling separately navigate the complexities of stumbling into a relationship with a traumatized godlike being who is only at the beginning of his journey of connecting with humanity. Needless to say, it isn't an easy road for anyone involved.

The Hour of Separation: Technically takes place in the same universe as Sleeping Wake, but can be read as a stand-alone, my entry in the Dead Boy Detectives fandom, which spun wildly out of control - The problem with solving big, flashy cases and going international is that you become well-known. Word came down about everything the Dead Boy Detectives managed to do in Port Townsend, and they have never been busier. The problem with becoming more well-known is that you don't always draw the kind of attention you want. You might jump onto the radar of someone with a grudge just looking for an excuse.

[steddieunderdogfics]

Our first writer's spotlight feature is: @anthotneystark! With seven works on Ao3 in the Stranger Things fandom (for ao3 users only), they've written five works with the Steddie ship tag!

Nominated by @thefreakandthehair, they recommend the following works by mywarisalreadywon:

Fools in love (Is there any other kind of pain?)

But when it's your brother (Sometimes you look the other way)

I will stay one night beside you, never go back to the sea (I will stay and be thy husband though it be the death of me)

My wounds cry for the grave (My soul cries for deliverance)

Sold your soul (Built the higher wall)

Kat is an absolute treasure and such a wonderful writer! Her ideas are always so fresh and so interesting, and I've never read anything from her that doesn't just hit. All of her works are so well-crafted and well-written, characterization is always on point, and I can't say enough about how much I genuinely enjoy every single thing she posts! - @thefreakandthehair

Below the cut, @anthotneystark answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I just find them so compelling, and there’s so many ways to shift the story around a bit or put them in different universes, like the options are just endless in a way a lot of the ships I’ve loved can’t be.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’m such a sucker for hurt/comfort, but I feel like that’s such a broad range, right? More specific would be the trop of one or both having insecurities and getting that “I love you and I will choose to keep loving you” moment.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Probably the breakdown moment of finally finding a safe harbor, or realizing that people love you, and it just hits you like a freight train and you can’t do anything but fall apart, and that can go hand in hand with found family, but that’s my specific gut-punch feeling that I want to put in every fic.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

Oh this is so hard! I have so many that I go back and read time and time again, so many that I absolutely adore! God, just picking one is so nerve wracking, I’m too indecisive, so I’ll say my top three (in no particular order): Sanctuary by SpicedSage, I’ve seen your face before, my friend,but I don’t know if you know who I am by HMSLusitania, and The One in Which a Time Loop is Fucking Exhausting by badpancake

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Oh for sure! I’ve had a rom-com idea bouncing around in my head for a while, I just have to figure out a good starting place for it!

What is your writing process like?

The majority of the time, I start writing out my stories on paper. I scratch it down at least enough to get me started and use that kind of as a springboard. When I can get to a point of typing it up, having that and editing as I go helps me to really build momentum and then I can just let it flow, but that initial momentum is the hard part between getting the story out of my head and onto a page. If I’m stopping and starting, I reread and edit what I’ve typed up as my springboard, so by the time I’m finished, I’ve reread it all enough times that I’m sure I’ve got everything in the order I want.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I’m very sure that I do! I start a lot of sentences with conjunctions and I try to write, at least in some parts, so it reads like a stream of consciousness without entering first person. For me it’s almost like I type how I talk and sometimes I get a little too far into that and have to reel it back.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

 Oh definitely when it’s finished. I lose motivation for periods of time and have to rotate between projects, so I feel much better about stuff when it’s all just done and I don’t have to worry about being stalled for too long.

Which fic are you most proud of?

I’m kinda torn on this one! Like I’m super proud of all the heart and the emotion I felt and tried to express in But when it's your brother (Sometimes you look the other way), but My wounds cry for the grave (My soul cries for deliverance) was huge for me because that’s my biggest single chapter fic that I’ve ever written. If pressed, I think I’d have to go with the former just because that one in particular was so heavy for me on a more personal level.

How did you get the idea for But when it's your brother (Sometimes you look the other way)?

This fic is honestly so full of my own personal feelings that I get a little choked up thinking about it too much. I’m a younger sister, so I’m constantly in this cycle of making fun of my older sister and calling her names but having this deep love for her. My family isn’t one that really talks much about feelings, but there’s so much love there and I’m finding myself constantly thinking back on my own life about so many moments where neither of us was prepared for what we had to do, but I looked at her and thought she was invincible and I feel like that’s the core of Dustin and Steve. The “that’s my brother, he’s so tough and grown up and he’s always okay” and then the sort of devastation of realizing that this person you’ve always seen like that has a lot of moments where they’re scared and hurt and struggling but not showing it. There’s just a lot of me in that fic.

When writing I will stay one night beside you, never go back to the sea (I will stay and be thy husband though it be the death of me), what was something you didn’t expect?

I don’t know that there was anything I didn’t expect, because I try not to really push expectations onto my work, I try to just let it flow and figure it out from there. But something that felt right that I hadn’t initially planned for was the moment between Steve and Joyce. We haven’t seen them interact really, and I’ve seen a few different takes on them and how they’d see each other, but I honestly loved the thought of him having this moment of trying to hold it all together because there’s so much weight on his shoulders and the moment he sees someone who’s safe, someone who has been judged so much and wouldn’t be judgemental of him, he breaks.

What inspired Fools in love (Is there any other kind of pain)?

This one actually started as a “haha what if Steve was born on a holiday” and then I made it a little angsty. Because I do like the born on a holiday and your birthday gets overlooked vibe, but then it was just a moment of thinking about what if it gets overlooked not because it’s a big holiday, but because people just don’t believe him and how much that would hurt year after year.

What was your favorite part to write from I will stay one night beside you, never go back to the sea (I will stay and be thy husband though it be the death of me)?

Definitely the bit about Steve begging for Eddie to keep him, with that warring feeling of not wanting to be restrained but wanting to be chosen. Feelings are so often multidimensional and that was something that just really spoke to me.

How do/did you feel writing But when it's your brother (Sometimes you look the other way)?

I cried so much. Like I said, there’s so much personal feeling in there, so much of the way that I am with my siblings is there, and we didn’t have any life or death situations, but that sort of love, it just sticks with you forever. In equal moments I’m Steve and I’m Dustin in there, being a middle child and all I’ve got both experiences, so I definitely had a few moments where I needed to step back and let my own feelings settle again.

What was the most difficult part of writing Fools in love (Is there any other kind of pain)?

This was actually my first fic written and published in over three years. So the hard part for me was actually just working up the courage to post it. I’ve been dealing a lot with depression and anxiety and burnout for years now and just the general dissatisfaction with my own writing, so the love I got after posting that was really just so special to me and I can’t fully express how much it means and how encouraging it was knowing people liked it.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

My favorite line is either this one from My wounds cry for the grave: “But right now, he just leans over, laughing with his favorite person ever, his heart soaring and matching hers, beat for beat.” Or this moment: “He drops right there, like a puppet with its strings cut, like a stone in water. Like Atlas being crushed by the weight of the world. Dustin is the only one close enough to make sure his head doesn’t hit the ground; he’ll be grateful for that later. In that moment though, surrounded by people who love him, sprawled on a cold tile floor, willing Eddie to be alive with his whole being, Steve Harrington’s heart stops once more.” Both of these were things I had rotating in my head for so long that I go back to those parts over and over just to feel them again.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Oh I have so many things that are half done, but none that are near finished enough to try and hype them up yet. I literally have a running list of ideas I’m adding to here and there and I just follow the inspiration!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

The only thing I can think to add is that I’m just absolutely so flattered and tickled about someone liking my work enough to nominate me for this! I’ve always tended to be more of a lurker in just about every fandom I’ve been in so this is such a surprise and it means the world that my writing touched someone enough for them to think of me. 

Thank you to our author, @anthotneystarkm and our nominator, @thefreakandthehair! See more of @anthotneystark's work featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer's Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[fantastic-nonsense]

🌀

🌀Post the fic summary for a fic you haven't written/published yet. It can be hypothetical or something you really plan on releasing.

Congratulations anon, for unlocking the summary I wrote up at some point for my Six of Crows Horse Racing AU, a fic whose creation is far off in the distant future but I've thought quite a lot about:

“No woman’s ever won the Derby, Brekker. You’re a fool to even consider it.” “You’ve seen the Wraith on the track, Haskell. If we enter Crow and let her jockey, she’ll win. You and I both know she’s the best investment I’ve ever brought to you, sir.” Haskell grunted, and Kaz clenched his teeth to keep from snapping at him and losing any chance he had of the old man saying yes. Finally, he nodded. “I’m risking a lot of money here. It’s on your head if we lose.” “Don’t worry, sir. Come this time next year, we’ll all be richer than kings.” Kaz Brekker, Per Haskell’s favored trainer, seizes on an opportunity to win the racing world’s biggest prize and the funds to start his own farm. His favorite jockey prefers the shadows to the limelight, but the lure of enough money to win a plane ticket home overrides her desire to stay hidden from her dark past. Meanwhile, two top breeders send their best up-and-coming agents to sabotage their rival’s barn operations, a famous owner’s runaway son lurks in the background, and a college dropout just wants to lay low and avoid a visit from immigration officers. It will take all of them to pull off the longest odds they’ve ever faced. But there’s nothing Kaz likes more than a good challenge, and if he can find a way to undermine Pekka Rollins along the way, so much the better. Three races. One chance to make history. Welcome everyone, to this year’s race for the Triple Crown.

Anyway, me thinking about and beginning my research for this fic: "for someone who doesn't usually like reading SOC modern AUs I sure am thinking quite a lot about this one." Maybe I'll get around to writing it someday.

Ask me a question about one of my WIPs!

[nyoomfruits]

23 for the fic writer asks?

23. share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. what about it was challenging? are you happy with how it turned out?

the first thing that came to mind was this exchange from you'll be alright

(under a cut because this answer got a little long lmao)

“Fuck,” Charles says, falling down on the couch. “There’s just so many things you have to know and do and I feel like I’m just doing terrible at all of it.” Max sits down next to him and shrugs. “You’re doing the best you can.” Charles feels that same annoyance he felt last time, when he’d found Max folding Julie’s baby clothes, bubbling up to the surface again. “That’s easy for you to say, isn’t it? Mister ‘I’m perfect at fucking everything I do’?” Max frowns. “What do you mean?” “What do you think I mean?” Charles says, desperate to get under Max’s skin the way Max has consistently gotten under his these past few weeks. “Three time WDC winner and now guess what! He’s good with babies too!” It’s unfair, especially after Max came over here to help Charles, but Charles is tired and stressed and frustrated and it’s all pouring out of him in the worst way possible. Max squints at him. “Why do I have a feeling it’s less about me winning, or me being good with babies, and more with you not.” Charles simply glares at him, and Max sighs. “Listen, you’re a good driver, and I’m being dead serious when I say you absolutely could have won, you’ve just had some absolutely shit luck and, admittedly a few terrible team fuck ups. But you have to stop looking backward and start looking forward, otherwise all that overthinking is going to eat you alive. As for the baby thing; I have nephews, Charles. Baby nephews. So yeah, I’m good with babies because I’ve actually been around babies. A lot. Also Victoria talks about them all the time, so there’s that.” Charles shifts in his seat, and Max deflates a little. “What I’m trying to say, with the resources you have, you’re doing fine, okay? Yeah, you don’t know everything there is to know about babies, but there’s people in your life that do. Maybe stop beating yourself up over not knowing everything all the time and start accepting help. That’s not a weakness. That’s not you being shit at something. You’re not losing when you have to lean on your support system every now and then. They don’t say ‘it takes a village’ for nothing.” “Fuck,” Charles says, letting his head fall back against the pillows, covering his face in his hands. “Fuck, god damnit, stop being so sensible.” He pulls his hands away, and finds Max looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face. “Jesus Christ, I’ve been a terrible host, haven’t I? I call you for help, and then when you do, I just yell at you, fucking hell.” “It’s fine,” Max says, waving him off. “I get it, you must’ve been stressed as hell when Julie was so upset. Anyway, I should go, leave you to it. I have-“ “Stay,” Charles blurts out. Max, who was halfway getting off the couch, freezes. “I mean, uh, I’m. Fuck, stay for lunch? Let me make it up to you. I uh. There’s salad?”

what i wanted from this scene, and what i hope it eventually delivered on, is just an exhausted out of his debt charles snapping at max because of well. the exhausting and out of his debtness. but a lot of the earlier version of this scene charles was much more personal about his struggles and not as angry? or annoyed? and it didnt really work for what i wanted this scene to be. so i ended up rewriting it like five times lmao

fun fact!!!! i kept one line that i had originally written from this scene, and later used it in the scene where julie calls max dad. it's this line:

“I just keep thinking.” He pauses. His hands have found their way to Max’s waist, somehow, and he grips the hem of Max’s shirt, desperate to cling on to something. “What if I’m just not cut out for this? What if I’m just a bad dad?” The words sound loud in the small room, in the intimacy of Max’s embrace.

although obviously in the original scene they weren't like. hugging.

[netherfeildren]

hi vic! i was wondering what your first fanfic was and what got you to make the decision to write and publish your work? also what are your favorite books/authors? i’m in love with your writing and the personality/liveliness you give your characters are you an english major by any chance?

hi there! fear of god was my first fanfic ever ever! i’ve always written a little here and there, i’ve kept a journal most of my life but that was the first ever like full length, plot focused story i’d ever written.

hmm i’m not really sure what got me to put it out tbh. i’d known of tlou peripherally before the show but the show reallyyyyyy sucked me in. i watched hours and hours of the game play after the show premiered and i wanted to write something but i’m a huge procrastinator and i was kinda putting it off in my mind until the story just got too loud to ignore. i guess also, and not to get too vulnerable™️ on here but i went through a pretty bad time last year and i’m not the sort of person who can just talk about things… like ever haha so i guess i needed to write about them instead.

favorite books/ authors (phew big question) i’ve read everything anne carson has ever written. no one writing today is doing what she’s doing. my favorites of hers are autobiography of red (top three favorite books of all time) the beauty of the husband and norma jean baker of troy. donna tartt’s the goldfinch actually changed my life when i read it this is no exaggeration i love that woman so much (there are rumors her new book’s pub’ing in june and i’m LOSING MY DAMN MIND) i’ve read a lot of nabokov i like his sort of very wordy complex style bc i feel like i can lean that way sometimes and let my sentences just run away from me and he just gets right to the heart of things but like sort of like a puzzle to me? if that makes sense? hmm lisa kleypas (the hathaways) greatest romance author of ALL TIME no i will not be taking differing opinions. those books are my all time comfort reads. aaaand right now i’m working through anaïs nin’s backlog and i’m quite enjoying it. i like her very concise style. everything is right there plainly on the page (especially the sex and violence) and i like that it’s a little strange and grotesque sometimes.

thank you so much for saying you enjoy the personalities i give them!!! everything i touch on in these stories is in some way personal to me and it does make me worry occasionally that i’m making them too specific or zeroed in. after all, these are reader insert fics, and i understand that part of the allure to them is the anonymity of it all, but the thing is that after living with these characters in my mind for so long and so closely as i write them they in some way become real people to me. so it’s hard to keep them just this nameless vessel without any discerning personality traits if that makes sense

and finally, yes, one of my degrees is in english literature, and i did a focus on romanticism so lots of shelley, keats, love me a byronic hero (JOEL!!!)

again sorry the answer’s so long winded but if there’s one thing i like to do it’s run my mouth and i really enjoy these questions so thanks for sending them in guys 💗😊

[fowlblue]

fic writer asks!

🥳 Why did you start writing fanfic?

😎 What fics do you prefer on a scale of canon compliant to wildly original?

🔮 Any advice for writers working through burnout or writer’s block?

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

Alrighty!

🥳) I’ve just always kind-of done it? When I was a kid I watched Lego shows like Ninjago, and played out stories with the actual figures. That transitioned to writing stories in cheap little composition books about them. Then by the time I was a teen I learned that fanfiction was actually a thing that existed, so I wrote some for the hell of it, and once I discovered the Fowldom, I finally worked up the nerve to take it (slightly) more seriously, post it online, and share it!

😎) Ooo okay, that’s tricky… in terms of canon-compliant, I haven’t actually written that much- I’d say my fic “we used to be three, and not just two” about the Fowl Parents’ reaction to Artemis’s sudden death post-TLG. I think it turned out really well and I feel like it was something that was just asking to be written, I hadn’t seen anyone else really touch on it before.

As for wildly original… man, that’s tough. I’d say “and our eyes gleamed mean”. It’s a Daemon AU fic focused on Jon Spiro infiltrating a Fowl party alongside his daemon, a white rattlesnake named Baliss. I have never read His Dark Materials and I don’t really plan to, but this fic was pure self-indulgence and I really like how it turned out! I need to bring Baliss back especially (does that count as an oc?) she was so delightfully mean.

🔮) This one’s tricky too! My best advice is to humor every little bit of an idea you have as long as you can, and drop it like hot coals once you lose interest. Keep them handy for later! In the meantime, embrace other hobbies to give your brain a break, especially if you write a lot for your job or the like. Play a video game! Read some books! Hell, read other’s fanfiction! Make note of any styles or plot lines you find interesting, and return to writing when your brain is good and ready. Sometimes a little rest is all it takes!

💌) There’s lots of tropes I really enjoy, though my most favorites are any sort of creature/animal-centric AU, or “domesticating” a villain. That’s always fun. The more bittersweet the better!

Hope you’re having a good day, Mouse!

[numerousbees1106]

Answering this in numerical order:

1. 70 works! (And more on the way, eventually)

2. 387K 😳

3. These days, I write exclusively Star Wars, mostly the prequel trilogy with a little bit of the original trilogy. I used to write a bunch of marvel stuff, too, but I’ve kinda edged out of that fandom.

4. Top five fics by kudos are, in order:

Shuri Squad Plus Like Everyone (Marvel, 2019, 837 kudos), Cracks in the Wall (Star Wars, 2020, 810 kudos), He Swam Through Black Foam (Star Wars, 2022, 806 kudos), On The Wings of Yesterday (Star Wars, 2021, 556 kudos), and finally Quote Midas, “The Past Comes Back To Haunt” (Star Wars, 2022, 556 kudos)

5. I always do my best to respond to comments, for a multitude of reasons. One, it feels amazing to interact with people who read and enjoyed your fic. Two, it’s good to answer questions or respond to predictions that readers have, as it makes the reader feel more connected to the work and more likely to enjoy it and return to it. Three, it boosts the reader’s perception of you as a writer, giving them the impression that you are an approachable member of the community who will gladly interact with anyone who wants to, which generally makes you more likable and more recognizable in your fandom/community. And finally, and a little selfishly, if you’re responding to every comment, that makes the number of comments go way up, driving engagement and making it more likely that someone new will stumble upon and read your fic.

6. Honestly, I don’t think I can answer this one. Angst is kinda like my bread and butter, my staple storymode. Almost all of them are really angsty in different ways. Some of the especially angsty ones are Wastelands, Falling so Slow and its partner piece Like Fragile, Tiny Shells, On The Wings of Yesterday, I Always Lose No Matter What and its sequel Rabbit Teeth, Claimed By The Greedy Jaws of Fate and Time, and pretty much the entirety of my Leaves From The Vine series.

7. It depends on ‘happiest’. If you’re speaking in the traditional sense, then probably AO3 Shitposting. If you’re speaking in the “NumerousBees’ idea of a happy story” I.e very bittersweet and leaving you in tears by the end of it, then I Cannot Give Anymore and I Fear What I See are the fics that immediately come to mind. I suppose He Swam Through Black Foam is also technically a happy ending, but honestly I wouldn’t call it ‘happy’.

8. No, I’ve found that the community on AO3 is very kind, welcoming, and supportive. Even when I was just starting out (all the way back in 2018! I’ve grown so much since then!) everyone was super nice and supported me as I progressed in my skill. I’m truly honored to be a part of this community, and I’m super lucky to have been able to take my baby steps on a site full of amazingly wonderful people who encouraged me to keep writing even when I was awful at it.

9. Yes, I do write smut, though recently I’ve started putting the more explicit stuff on my pseud, LavenderGhost.

10. If you’re talking about fandom crossovers, then no - I’ve never really been a fan of those. The one exception was the RotTMNT x AtLA crossover I read a few months ago, that was fucking baller. Hope it updates soon.

11. Not that I’m aware of, no.

12. No, unless I’m having a Moment and am forgetting, but I’m pretty positive that I’ve never had a fic translated.

13. No, I’ve never co-written a fic, though i had briefly negotiated with someone to see if that was something we wanted to do, but ultimately we realized we had our own ideas and went our separate ways.

14. Honestly, Vader x Piett snuck its way into my heart when I wasn’t looking. There’s so much POTENTIAL. There’s so much TENSION. It’s great :)

15. I should probably finish On The Wings of Yesterday at some point, but unfortunately I’ve kinda written myself into a corner with that one and might just end up abandoning it, but I might come back to it someday. My Leaves From The Vine series has been on the back-burner for a while now, and so has Lavender. I have a bunch of WIPs in my docs to work on, and I’m currently working on this one piece that I’ve been writing on and off since 2020. Hopefully that will be coming soon.

16. My biggest strength is probably my creativity, followed by my very stylistic approach to writing. One of my friends told me that I exemplify why writing is considered an artform and I’ve been riding that high since.

17. Actually finishing a story. I’ve found that if I plan too far ahead in my story I’ll lose the motivation to actually write it (because it already exists in my head, why would I write it down, or something like that). I have to let it come naturally and just let it write itself.

18. Fun in theory, stressful in practice.

19. Marvel, specifically Spider-Man

20. Hard to choose, and it varies depending on my mood. I’m very proud of how Wastelands turned out, and of my more recent works I Fear What I See is pretty good. Some of my other favorites are This Sick And Twisted Jealousy, Quote Cain, “I Didn’t Mean For This To Happen”, and It Will Never Be Worth It. My favorite work that never really got any traction was Follow Blind Determination, and my favorite Marvel work is probably In The Pines.

@husborth

If anyone wants the links to any of these works, just ask and you shall receive. I’m on mobile right now and it’s a pain in the ass to embed a link otherwise I’d just do it now.

20 Questions For Writers

Wow, thank you so much for the tag @fanfictasia !! I've wanted to participate in something like this forever!! 🎶✨️✨️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Right now? 66.

"Yes, as a star wars writer, I am very proud of that. No, I do not intend to change it anytime soon."

I really need to focus on (and finish) some of my WIPs, and that mean trying not to disperse my energy amidst one shots (no matter how much i love monthly challenges and fic exchange events). Also I'm very proud of that 66 count and want to appreciate it xd.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

321k words!!

(More or less 100k / year 🎶 little me would never believe that 0.0

My school exam results sure don't, with how they are dropping 🤣)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star wars mostly (Vaderkin or my OC Sinvulkt), then Marvel (Dr Strange), Dream SMP (Dream), Le Visiteur du Future (Renard) and more recently Batman (Bruce Wayne) as well as Avatar: the last airbender (Zuko).

Plus the original stories I am supposed to write but almost never end up doing xd (the engagement in fandom compared to original stories make the switch hard xd).

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Dreamt of a Never Ending Sky (Dream SMP)

669 kudos

2. To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars)

480 kudos

3. On the Edge of Twilight (Star Wars)

380 kudos

4. Scales of Embers (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

353 kudos

5. Crash Landing on Space Australia (Star Wars)

319 kudos

I'll never know how my Dream SMP fic got so much engagement. Good timing at a moment the fandom was in effervescence, I guess. Scales of Embers scoring so high is also a surprise 0.0. I discovered it had that many kudos today. It’s a shame the Dr Strange fandom is small because I think my Dr Strange WIP What If Doctor Strange Lost His Humanity ? would have deserved a place here. It definitely does in my heart.

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

I try to! As a reader, I always feel super happy when the author shows that they’ve read and appreciated my comments. I know that personality an author who answers make me more likely to want to drop a comment.

As an author, I absolutely want to show how much I love every single comments, so I try to answer them all. But I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, bcs lots of other stuff going on irl or another reason. As such, it can happen that I don't feel the energy to answer a comment on the spot. And if I don't answer it on the spot (using the power of the wiggy dizzy nice happy feeling of getting a comment), I don't necessarily have the energy to answer later on. I currently have something like 60 unanswered comments I think? TT.TT

But rest assured that whether I answered or not, I absolutely adore and cherish every single ones!! Comments are amazing! ✨️.✨️

(This kind of engagement is one of the only reason I managed to settle into such an active rythm of writing after years of trying then dropping the hobby~)

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Glance at my fics.

Uhhh... This is a hard question here... Many of them have angsty endings XD

Mostly the ones at the beginning (the worst written ones xd). I wonder why~

Also a lot of them don' have endings yet XD

I'll say amidst the 'old' fics from 2021, Day 8 - Screaming (Star Wars) would be the angstier one (or most horrible one ig xd).

But as far as recent fic go... While I haven't finished writing it bcs its wordcount exploded in my face, I already plotted / drafted it a few months ago and I know the ending, so I'll choose:

Batman’s Downfall (To Stand Alone) (Batman)

I noticed my kind of angst doesn’t have much success around these parts 🫠🤣. Oh well. I cherish it all the same :3.

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

Sometimes I think I wrote too many fics. It's hard to select one.

Uhhh... My fluffiest works are one shots in Of Feathers and Freedom serie, but they are part of the series so it’s not really an 'ending'.

...

I'll answer for the crackiest story rather than the happiest ending bcs all my finished fics ending are ominous open ending at best xd.

The Blob Adventures Of Excentrics Jedi (Star Wars)

Because it's cute blob drawings of our crazy team of OC in taaoej, and I love them (although we are all angst lovers in taaoej, so it's more crack-angst, and we don't know the ending bcs there isn't really one. Not yet at least. Hopefully never).

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Just my own innervoice as far as I'm aware. But then I've always been rather clueless when people tried to 'hate on me'. The message usually just got lost somewhere in dreamspace immensity, never computing.

I've found the fandoms communities really welcoming at the very least!!

9. Do you write smut?

No.

I don't really enjoy reading smut. Nor romance for the matter. I don't think I'd enjoy writing it.

But maybe I'll try one day, for the sake of experimenting all genres.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I never did. I don't know why. Maybe I just never felt the need to mix characters and universes. There are amazing crossovers out there though, so who knows, maybe one day I'll try one.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of. In all honesty, I don't think my works are nearly popular enough to get stolen xd.

My writing style isn’t that good yet, and my dislike of romance when the majority of the fandom community is ship-powered means I end up in a corner quite niche. (A corner I love, that being said. Yay Crack, Angst and Gen~)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but maybe I'll translate some of mine in french someday. Be it only so that I do write fiction in my native language from time to time.

Anyone that wanna translate my fics, feel free to!!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yes, To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars)!!

I’m still waiting for my co-author @purpleopossum to come back to me / get back in star wars mood to continue that one. 🫠

Can’t say my hopes are that high up after all this time, but it’s the redemption | healing part of the serie and I don’t really have fun writing alone redemption | healing part... i prefer doing the whole mayhem that create the injury in the first place. And with how long some of my fics hiatus are (and I got no excuse for those xd), it’s only fair for me to wait. (I did write more other works for the dragon Vader serie in the meantime xd).

I made an oath to myself to never leave a work unfinished though, so we’ll see. If in several years purple still doesn’t wish to continue it, or if she inform me she is dropping the story, I’ll try to make some kind of ending. It’s part of the game i guess.

Alternatively, the The Amazing Adventures Of Excentrics Jedi universe is a group of star wars OCs that we made together with @pat-the-togorian , @asteral-feileacan , @ct2002-rema and Xylian. I don’t know if that count as co-writing? We usually write our OCs pov.

But in all cases, co-writting is very fun and I’d definitely do it again if other opportunities arise in the future.

14. What‘s your all-time favourite ship?

The absence of ship is my all-time favorite ship. Otherwise, "main character / digging their own grave" would be my 'favorite ship' since I tend to synch with idiots snarky jerks disasters.

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

To Fly Free Under The Morning Sun (Star Wars) that I mentioned for question 13? 🤣

More seriously, I'll answer On the Edge of Twilight (Star Wars)

Because it's my vent fic. I know the main plot line, I vaguely know the current arc, but no one can predict where the next arc will go. It's all pure impulse and while I have a vague idea of 'ending', I refuse to plan a path towards it. This fic specifically, I want to keep pure impulse. So I'd love for it to become some kind of "The NeverEnding Story". :3

16. What’s your writing strengths?

I write.

No seriously, it's not something I did four years ago appart from vent poems here and there. Writing is in itself a huge writing strenght!

Otherwise I'm also a bottomless well of idea. It's pretty neat.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

... romance?

Or dialogues. Lastly I have a lot of frustration around the transition from dialogue / transition / dialogue. I feel like I'm crap at properly timing that.

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

It's fun. I do it for games sometimes. Since apparently writing normally is not chllenging enough for my brain sometimes. It did teach me bits of mando'a.

Recently for Sēċan (Star Wars) I decided last minute to put the whole droid dialogue in morse, and I regret none of it.

I'm usually only doing it for one shots though, and never 'official existing' languages until now.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Star wars :p

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Now that's another hard question, how am I supposed to select one.

I'm gonna answer the whole Of Feathers And Freedom (Star Wars) serie. Bcs wings. :3

Tag time~ (if you wish to)

@purpleopossum @pat-the-togorian @cinderfeather @beguilewritesstuff @purple-iris @dreaminghour @ravenite-void @trickstress333 @bluntblade @doctorgeekery @stewardofningishzida @jenae-0 @trickstress333 @kittonafoxgirl @pastelcourage @salparadiselost @kefalion @charlottevader @ravenstakeflight @starr234 @aelaer @sarcasticfirefighter @mckiwi @linzerj @sonderwalker @exomal @tonhalszendvics @nephilimswitchlight @firejay112 @only-here-for-the-star-wars @ajedilikehisfather @makaronik @chickadeechickadoo @dirtkid123 @numerousbees1106 @akizumy @25centsoda @udekai @wendingways @silvereddaye @in-company-of-misery @wisechaosglitter @kuraiarcoiris @alright-anakin @wyvunn you're more than welcome to join on the interview fun!! (Or to ignore the tagging if not interested xd).

I know I tagged. I lot of people. Some of you may recognise my pseud, some may not. But I thought it would be interesting to hear the answer of the various authors with whom I interacted on ao3 over the years, so I went and digged up those with tumblr I could find from my inbox 🤣

(Hopefully I didn’t bother any of you >.< - otherwise I apologize. Same for if I accidentally tagged a non-writer.)

I'd love to hear your answers! 🎶

[joesburrows]

“Keep talking shit and I’ll show you the other things I can do with that mouth of yours.”

SUMMARY: Joe and the Bengals lose to the Browns yet again on Halloween night and he needs an outlet to get his anger out. You just happen to be the one he takes it out on.

PAIRING: Joe x reader

WARNINGS: Smut (18+, minors DNI), lots of swearing, choking, unprotected sex, dom!joe

WORD COUNT: 2,136

A/N: This is my first ever fic I’ve written about Joe so please be easy on me! I had a slew of prompt requests come in, so I managed to throw in three of them in one! The prompts are bolded and italicized. All of them were requested anonymously but I thank each and every one of you that sent one in! Enjoy. xo

------

On any given day when the Bengals lost, Joe liked his space. But tonight was different. He wouldn’t leave you the hell alone. They played like utter fucking shit. Joe knew it, you knew it, the entire team knew it. He could never figure out why he was so incapable of beating the Browns; it was a thought he had lulled over since the very first time it happened. You knew you wouldn’t hear the end of it tonight, so you started to prepare yourself for it ahead of time.

“What the hell is wrong with me? What the actual fuck was that bullshit out there?” Joe scolded himself, pacing back and forth in the hotel room you two were sharing for the night. His pacing was beginning to dizzy you while you sat on the edge of the bed, fingers rubbing your temples because you could already feel a headache forming.

“We played one of our best games of the season so far last week, how did this even happen? I thought I had it all under control—”

“Joe, stop fucking pacing. You’re giving me a headache,” you scowled at him, interrupting his rant.

But he didn’t stop. He kept going. And he wouldn’t shut his mouth. You were growing sick of listening to him. So much so that you let out a loud, dramatic groan and flopped back against the bed, reaching for a pillow and shoving it over your face, so that you wouldn’t have to sit there and continue listening to him. Or watch him continue to pace back and forth.

“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one playing out there. Not the one everyone is relying on.” Joe scowled right back at you, even if you couldn’t see it with the pillow over your face. You rolled your eyes and chucked the pillow over at him as hard as you could, hoping it would help in finally getting him to stop fucking talking.

“Ow,” he said, but it came out more like an offended question because he was annoyed at you for being annoyed with him. “Just please shut up for one minute. One fucking minute, Burrow. That is all I’m asking of you.”

Joe’s eyebrows quickly shot up at the anger you spewed at him. He stopped pacing, put his hands on his hips and walked up to the edge of the bed where you had been previously sitting.

“Keep talking shit and I’ll show you the other things I can do with that mouth of yours,” Joe retorted.

You wanted to laugh at him, truly. Because it was incredibly ridiculous how fast things could change between the two of you in the blink of an eye. One minute, he was angry with himself and the next minute, he was angry with you for talking back. You sat up straight again, crossing your arms over your chest to display how annoyed you were with him and his stupid need to be controlling all the time. “Fucking bite me, Burrow.”

You could barely even finish your sentence before he was reaching for your ankle and forcefully yanking you down to the edge of the bed, taking you by surprise that a gasp fell from your mouth. You swallowed hard, instant regret clouding your mind because you knew where this was going to go. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Joe was going to take his anger over the game out on you. It happened every fucking time. Only this time, you knew it was going to be intense because it was after a game that they absolutely could not afford to lose. You hesitantly looked up at him, his normally pale blue eyes now darkened with desire and something more sinister as your gaze met his. Joe’s large and calloused hand splayed across your throat as you sat there and continued to look up at him with the most innocent look in your eyes. As if anything you had previously said never happened. You bit your bottom lip from his touch, the faintest smirk on your lips as you pressed your hands into the mattress to keep yourself upright. You could already feel the warmth and wetness between your thighs, and you had to press them together to stop it from dripping down your legs.

“You don’t have anything to say for yourself now, do you?” Joe let out a deep, dark chuckle as he tightened his grip around your throat. Your eyes almost rolled back into your head from the feeling of the added pressure on your throat. Restricting your blood flow was always one of Joe’s favorite pastimes, especially when you were acting out for no reason. You quickly shook your head, parted your lips to say something, but nothing came out except for a choked gasp. His hand was so tight around your throat, it was becoming difficult to breathe. But you loved it, you loved every fucking second of it and so did your sadistic boyfriend.

Joe finally let go of your throat and pushed his sweatpants and boxers down in one go. He couldn’t be bothered to take them all the way off because he needed your mouth on him now.

“Open that pretty mouth for me.” And you immediately obliged with no questions asked. As soon as your mouth was opened wide enough, you could barely find the time to blink before Joe’s cock was protruding your mouth and the tip hitting the back of your throat with ease. Your first initial reaction was to gag around him because it was so unexpected to the point that it had your eyes watering already, but you sat there and took it, anyway.

Joe began to fuck your mouth and you pressed your hands flat against his thighs for some support even if it wasn’t much. The pace in which he bucked his hips into your mouth was to a dizzying degree, your eyes already rolling into the back of your head and your mascara running down your reddened cheeks in long streaks. You really needed to learn how to invest in some waterproof mascara at this point in your relationship with Joe.

“So good,” Joe groaned under his breath as he somehow fucked your mouth impossibly harder. You dragged your fingernails down his thighs in attempt to get him to stop because you needed to pull back for a breath of air. He took the hint and ended up removing his cock from your mouth entirely and you could hear him let out another low groan at the sight of your saliva leaving a string behind that connected to his member and the corner of your mouth. You practically choked for air once you finally had it and lifted one hand to start stroking his shaft, gathering the wetness your mouth caused into your palm. With your unoccupied hand, you brushed your long hair to the side and looked up at your boyfriend with a shit-eating grin.

“You want to fuck your anger out of me, don’t you?” You teased, your words dripping with seduction. You bit down on your bottom lip again as your thumb gently teased the tip of his dick, smearing around the pre-cum that had begun to form. You then pulled your hand away and pushed your thumb into your mouth, groaning at the taste of the salty secretion as it hit your tastebuds.

Joe said nothing, only staring at you with a look in his eyes you had never seen before. You raised a curious eyebrow and your grin faltered, waiting for him to finally make the move. You began to count down from ten in your head, but before you could even reach five, Joe was flipping you over onto your stomach and pulling you up on your knees, on all fours. He still refused to speak as he pulled your jeans and panties down in one go, yanking them all the way off and carelessly discarding of them somewhere across the room. You swallowed hard, preparing yourself for what was about to come next.

“Joe, you know we should probably talk about this after. I—”

You couldn’t even finish your sentence before you felt a harsh smack to your now bare ass, nearly sending you tumbling face first onto the bed, but you quickly grabbed onto the sheets before you could fall. The smack elicited a delicious whimper from your mouth, and it only made Joe’s cock harder. “Joey, please…” You whimpered again. You were desperate for him to fuck you and to hear his voice.

Next thing you knew, Joe plunged his cock deep into your pussy until he was balls deep. Your eyes immediately rolled into the back of your again from the contact. Connecting as one with your boyfriend was nothing new, but it never failed to surprise you every time. Being full of him almost always had you wanting to fall over the edge right then and there.

“So warm, so tight, so wet…” Joe trailed off just as he had finally started to move, giving you barely any time to adjust. You let out a piercing cry from finally being able to hear his voice again and had to cover your mouth from your hand because you knew other players from the team were on your floor. And God knows the hotel walls were thin. With each snap of Joe’s hips against yours, you could feel yourself slowly inching to a delirious climax already. It never took long for you to do so because he knew how to hit all the right spots that drove you damn near insane. You could faintly hear Joe grunting between each thrust he gave while his fingers dug into the skin on your hips and knowing him, he’d be leaving behind bruises. But you let him because he needed this more than you did.

Just like you expected, seconds later, your walls were trembling around his throbbing dick and your orgasm ripping through your whole body. But Joe didn’t dare to stop even if you came. He was going to continue until he got what he wanted. Until he felt like his anger was gone.

“Joe—”

“You can give me another one, can’t you, baby? For me, please?”

There was no way you could. You already felt fucked out even if he had hardly done much to you. Joe somehow held that kind of power of you and you still couldn’t figure out how no matter how much you wracked your brain for the answer. But instead of disobeying him or talking back, you obliged and slowly nodded your head. And as soon as Joe got your approval, he picked up the speed of his thrusts. So much so that it had you falling onto the mattress face first which you had tried to avoid earlier. You buried your face into the comforter and squeezed the sheets between your fingers again as you laid there and took what Joe had to give you. Moan after delicious moan came out of your mouth as you listened to the sound of Joe trying his absolute best to get the both of you there at the same time. Even if he had nothing to say, just hearing his beautiful groans and grunts was enough to satisfy you.

Finally, you were coming undone again just as you felt Joe release his warm seed inside of you. You wanted to lift your head to praise him for how good it felt, but you were so tired that you couldn’t. So you didn’t dare to move. You just laid there and continued to listen how satisfied Joe sounded at the moment. There was nothing better than the sound of hearing him cum because of you.

Slowly pulling his cock out of you, you let out a quiet whimper and he gently flipped you over onto your back, crawling over your body. His soft lips met yours for a rather tame kiss before he buried his face into the crook of your neck. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you kissed the top of his sweaty head and cleared your throat to speak. “Do you feel better, baby?”

“A lot better. But aren’t you gonna thank me?” He chuckled at his own remark, kissing your exposed neck.

“Joseph Lee Burrow, I am not thanking you for letting you fuck the anger out of me. You are such an idiot. If anything, you should be thanking me,” you retorted right back at him.

“Thank you, baby.”

You could practically feel his wicked smile against your neck as the two of you continued to tease each other until you eventually drifted off to sleep in one another’s arms.

[erodasfishtacos]

I fucking love mlb!harry and ceo!harry

Ur so talented

Erm i had an idea (pls feel free to ignore, i know u hv a busy schedule and life outside of tumblr) but what if mlb!harry played badly in a game (or less than how he expected he wld perform) and y/n makes him feel better

Or

Ceo!harry loses an important deal and y/n makes him feel better

CRAMP

i write for FREE - so if you would like to support my work, you can donate here. ($15+ is guaranteed blurb written for you).

if you liked - pleasure support me by reblogging, recommending, liking, commenting, and come talk to me about the fic!

warnings: smut; 18 +

YN knew it wasn’t going to be a fun time when Harry came home that night.

All four babies were fast asleep in their respective rooms and she was lounging on the couch, some cooking show on after she watched her husband play a rough game on ESPN.

He got hit with a fastball to his calf during the second inning and after that, his performance went downhill and he couldn’t get back on track.

He threw three homeruns and only made a few mediocre hits, trying to ignore the shooting pain in his lower leg.

In a typical Harry move, he refused to do the end of game handshakes with the opposing team and stormed off the field.

An interviewer chasing after him to ask him a question and Harry give her a dirty look before muttering, “Get away from me. I’m not answerin’ any questions,” before he disappears down the stairs.

YN knew just the thing that will cheer him up.

-

Harry trecks into the house with heavy feet and tense shoulders, his eyes are tired and frustrated as he drops his duffle on the ground carelessly.

“Hi,” YN murmurs when he steps into the living room, she was all curled up in a fluffy blanket with a surprise underneath.

“Hi,” He says back blandly, the frown unmoving from his face - almost like a pouty little kid.

“Can you come rub m’back?” She asks, feeling herself dampen a little bit with the excitement of what’s to come.

Harry scoffs, obviously in a sour mood, “I just finished a game, walked in the door, and tha’s the first thing I get is a demand?”

“Okay? And I just dealt with all four of your babies all day today. Ezra refused to be put down for more than five minutes straight,” She tries to bite down the smile, she shouldn’t find it funny when her husband’s bent out of shape.

That makes him melt a bit though, voice soften minutely, “Were the babies good today?”

“I’ll tell you about it after you rub my back.”

Harry grumbles, kicking off his trainers with a irritated edge, and heavy-footed as he makes his way to the couch.

“Take off the blanket and move on y’belly then,” He mutters, eyes boring into hers without reflecting the amusement that she has - if he was in a better mood he would have helped her along.

When she slips off the blanket and quickly moves on her stomach, burying her face in her arms when she hears him sucks in a breath.

“Wha’ are y’naked?” Harry demands, obviously trying to stay irritated because he deserved it for having such a shitty game.

YN makes sure her voice sounds airy and coy, “Just got hot is all.”

“S’fuckin’ freezin’ in here,” He rebukes but sits on the side of the couch with only a little room on the edge - his large hand coming to massage at her back muscles.

“Mmm,” She agrees noncommittally, feeling Harry’s hand wander curiously, further down her back to the lower curve before her bum.

“Y’trying to cheer m’up with sex,” Harry accuses, bent out of shape because he just wants to sulk in his poor performance but also he has the most beautiful woman in the world in front of him - bare and wet for him.

“I didn’t offer sex,” YN smirks, her husband falls into her to tricks every fucking time, no matter how much of bad mood he’s in.

Harry’s voice gets lower, more dangerous and gravely, “No? Just flashin’ y’ass at me for fun now? Decided for absolutely no reason to be waiting for m’to come home naked?”

“No reason at all,” She agrees, excitement building when his gentle massage turns rougher, hands kneading a little deeper into her muscles.

He shakes his head, eyes glued onto her backside where her cheeks are round and hiding what he really wants to see, “So if I dip m’fingers down between y’pretty thighs, your cunt won’t be soaking f’me?”

Harry’s skin prickles when his wife lets out a feathery, delicate moan at his words, he’s desperately trying to hold onto all of his negative feelings but he’s struggling because of the beauty that’s squirmy underneath him.

“Dry as the Sahara.”

It makes Harry finally break a little, letting out a belly laugh, and smacking her bum hard enough to make her squeak in delight.

His fingers travel down between her puffy folds, slipping into the heavenly heat of her where she is soaking his fingers.

In a filthy move, he pulls them back up and rubs them on his wife’s lips, “If y’not wet than what’s on y’lips, darlin’?”

Harry’s cock twitches when she lets out a quiet whine, pink tongue tracing her bottom lip before she laps at her husband’s thick fingers.

“Fuck,” He grunts, pressing down on her tongue,“Y’gonna let m’hit it from behind?”

When she can speak, she shakes her head, “No, want it on m’back.”

“Spoiled thing,” He murmurs, giving her one more smack before helping her flip back over, “Supposed t’be all about me, not you.”

YN’s eyes are sparkling, hand coming to tug lightly at his locks and pull him down into a kiss, her other hand wriggling his shorts down.

“All I had to do was take m’clothes off, didn’t even have to ask for it,” She giggles sweetly, teasingly, “Doesn’t matter what mood you’re in, always want to give it to me.”

“Best I’ve ever had, mama,” Harry replies against her lips, mumbled a bit as she grips him and leads him right to where she needs him most.

“Only one you ever had, only one you ever will have,” YN remarks confidently before throwing her head back when he bottoms out.

“Y’so fuckin’ hot when you’re possessive. You already know y’own me, darling. I bought you this big ole’ house, got four of m’babies sleepin’ upstairs, and got y’under me every night. I’m fucking yours. I have been since we met.”

“Harder, H,” She demands, nails digging into his strong shoulders as he fucks into her at a steady pace.

“Be quiet, let m’do it how I want,” He chides, keeping a slow but hard rhythm as he ducks down the suck at the hard peaks of her breasts before grazing them with his teeth.

“Do it how I want,” YN moans with an arrogant tone, it just drops with how confident she is that her husband is whipped for her. (He is).

But he’s already in a less than great mood so it has him flipping her, putting her onto all four as he wants, and slamming back in.

“We’re gonna do it ‘ow I want it,” He grunts in her ear, his hand gripping her cheek roughly enough to dimple and his other wrapping in her messy hair, “Y’absolutely soakin’ me, pet.”

“Oooh, fuck!” YN hisses but it doesn’t sound like a normal moan from her - Harry knows every sound his wife is able to make.

“Mama? Y’alright?” Harry checks, slowing down but not completely losing momentum as he loosens his grip on her hair.

“Cramp, I’m cramping. Want it on m’back,” YN whines, trying to shake out her leg and Harry obliges, helping her back down to their original position.

Again, Harry isn’t stupid.

As soon as she is back where she’s moaning lowly and with an airy hitch as she goes to pinch at one of her nipples.

“Y’such a spoiled brat,” Harry shakes his head in disbelief, “Y’didnt have a leg cramp, y’just wanted to be a pillow princess.”

“Lies,” YN giggles, eyes bright and happy as she peers up at her husband who is looking down a her like she hung the fucking moon and stars.

No one would ever be able to convince him that she didn’t.

“M’the one who had the shit day. I’ve just spoiled you so fuckin’ rotten tha’ y’just a desperate slut,” He laughs meanly but it sends a full body zip of electricity through his wife and he knows it.

“Harry,” She chokes out, gripping his biceps hard.

“Hands to yourself,” He snaps, taking her hands and pinning them above her head with just one of his hands.

The other comes down and lands a smack right on her puffy folds, once..twice…three times before YN is coming on him.

“Easy f’me,” Harry hums with satisfaction, leaning down to kiss her moans quiet as he fucks in hard a handful on times before he’s filling her up, “There y’go, hm? Marking y’up as mine, all full of me.”

“Yeah, baby,” YN agrees dazed, dated as he comes to a halt as he softens and pulls out - wiping her down with his shirt as she whines, “Sensitive.”

“M’sorry, mama,” Her husband apologizes, trying to be careful around her nerves.

After, they lay on the couch - talking about their day until Briar’s monitor lights up from the side table with high pitched cries.

“Mama, mama, daddy,” The thirteen month old sobs as she sits up in her crib - unable to find her binky in the dark.

“I’ll go get the bub,” Harry offers, sitting up and tugging his briefs and shorts back on.

“Okay, she missed you a lot today. I’m going to go shower.”

-

When Harry steps into the room, Briar is looking expectantly at the door and her eyes widen when she spots her father.

“Daddy, dadada,” She babbles happily, standing up to clutch the railing of her crib with anticipation.

“Oh, there’s m’lil mama. Hi darling,” Harry coos softly, gathering her up into his arms and taking a step over to the rocking chair.

He pops her pacifier back between her lips and she looks up at him with heavy-lids, it doesn’t take long before her blinks get longer until her eyes shut close.

Harry doesn’t know what he did to deserve such an amazing life but he was sure fucking grateful.

[lemonjoonah]

The Garden Thief (M)

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader Word Count: 9.3K Genre: Hybrid AU, romance/drama/comedy, enemies to lovers Warnings: Unprotected sex, oral sex (fem. rec.), they get down and dirty outside but no one else is there to see them, cum play? (just a little), there’s also a bit of mud (sorry, but also not sorry, they’re outside what do you want from me?!?!), referenced hybrid neglect and oppression (hybrids are wrongfully deemed as pets by law and the majority of society).  

Summary: Your beloved vegetable patch has once again been victimized by a hungry thief in the night. The prime suspect? Jeon Jungkook, your neighbour's rabbit hybrid. But when you finally confront him, he pleads innocent, and proposes a plan to clear his name.

A/N: I wrote this fic’s premise and opening scene for the ‘A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Game’ that I played oh so long ago and now I’ve finally finished the tale!

...

“Oh for fuck’s sake, not again!” You swear upon seeing the leafy green remains of several carrots lying in your garden, inches from where they used to be buried. This maddening mystery of the vanishing vegetables has been playing out all summer. You’ve set out deterrents for every possible garden pest, rolling out chicken wire and spraying natural remedies to repel anything from bugs to small rodents. Yet you still wake to find that your garden has been robbed in the night. The only possible suspect you haven’t been able to protect against resides just next door, in fact—

You squint up at the boarded fence, spotting a pair of long dark ears peeking out over the posts. “Jungkook, is that you?”

The ears immediately disappear, ducking down behind the barrier. The sound of his hurried footsteps trailing away are followed only by the slamming of a door.

You rush into and through your own house carrying the wilted carrot greens. Exiting out the front, and over to the house next to yours, where you repeatedly press the bell.

The entry whips open on the fourth ring to reveal Jungkook. His face is flushed, beads of sweat racing down his brow, and a shirt that one would normally use to cover their chest, is instead thrown over his shoulder. “Something wrong neighbour?” He asks with a carrot stick in hand. Bringing it to his mouth, he taunts you with a bite and crooked grin.

“Is-is your caretaker home?” You stutter trying your best to swallow your nerves. Concentrating hard on his face, you plead with your eyes not to wander down. That’s exactly what he wants, a reason to put you off your mission, to make you so flustered that you have to walk away. He’s always trying to use his allure against you, and you hate how often he succeeds doing just that...  

“No, he’s at work.”

“When will he be back?”

“Not sure, maybe a week, or two? He’s on a business trip.”

Your gaze falters in it’s determination for a brief second as a drop of sweat descends from his neck to his chest. Holding your breath you watch it’s path, tracing the valleys between his muscles. When Jungkook finally wipes it away your brain catches up and scolds you for your weakness. “And he left you here, alone?”  You ask, while trying to recollect your dignity, reminding yourself of how much grief he has put you through.

“Of course.” Jungkook’s smile grows. “I’m not just some common pet. I know how to behave myself.”

The statement makes your brow twitch, enraging you enough to overcome his tactics. “I know you haven’t been here long, but you should know, people typically don’t like it when someone steals from their yard.” You lecture him, waving the carrot tops in front of his face. “So stop treating my garden like your own personal snack bar!”

“Now why would I take from you? I have plenty of food here, even got another delivery this morning.”  The hybrid kicks at a box next him filled with a vibrant collection of fresh produce and grains.

“I don’t know why. I just know it was you.”

“Prove it.” He prods, while taking the last bite of the vegetable from his hand.

The loud crunching gnaws on your composure, stripping you of any patience you may have had for the hybrid. “This all started when you moved in, and I’ve ruled everything else out!” You shout, but as good as it might feel to finally vent your anger, you feel as though you’re somehow playing into his hand.

“That doesn’t seem like very good evidence. It’s circumstantial at best. If you want to find out who the real culprit is you should have a stake out.”

“A stake out?”

“Yeah, you know, watch over the garden for the night, catch the criminal in the act. I could even help if you’d like.”

You scoff at the ridiculous notion. “You really think I should invite you over to guard my crops?”

“I do, so I’ll come over tonight? Say around seven?” You open your mouth to object, but the rabbit hybrid jumps from one statement to the next casually inviting himself into your own home. “Perfect. See you then.”

“I didn’t-no wait, that was sar-” The door closes between you before you can finish. Leaving you baffled and alone on the doorstep. You ready to knock but stop just before your knuckles hit the wood. Trying again right now is a lost cause, it’ll just play into his game. So why waste your breath when you know it’ll just end the same way? Tonight then, as he suggested, that’s when you’ll be ready to hit him with some hard evidence that he won’t be able to refute.

Admitting defeat for now, you retreat back to your garden to pick the surviving vegetables and contemplate the encounter. You wish your could have just spoken to Jungkook’s caretaker—fuck what was his name again? You’ve only seen the man a couple times since they took the house, but at least he doesn't give you a nervous knot in your stomach, or leave you confused and speechless like his hybrid does.

It’s been three months since they moved in. You were excited at first, to have new neighbours in your almost vacant cul-de-sac. Buyers don’t seem to be interested in the old houses with large lots in your area. Too much work to maintain, and not enough good job prospects to go around. So when you saw the sold sign go up you were beyond thrilled. Greeting the new residents with a fruit basket and a smile.

The rabbit hybrid you now know as Jungkook appeared rather shy at first, you did your best to welcome him. Always greeting him when he was outside, trying to engage him in small chat, but the first time you caught him during his workout everything changed. Until that point you had not considered him as anything but a prospective friend. You were stunned to see him in such a confident state, throwing around his weights like they were nothing. In that moment, with you too nervous to admit that you found him attractive, you became the anxious and blubbering fool in his presence, and he, unfortunately, took note. The once quiet and cute rabbit, became a flirtatious and bratty bunny.

And since then, whenever you would work in your garden he’d be on the other side of the fence grunting and panting. Staying close to the gap in the divider, a missing panel you had yet to replace. On days like today you would often look up from your radishes and accidentally lock eyes with the hybrid, drenched in sweat and showing off his skills.

Out of respect and self preservation you tried your best to not to pay attention, to keep your nose buried in your garden, but as the weeks went by the vegetables under your care started to disappear. The ample crops you tended to in the evening, lessened by morning, with only the refuse remaining to indicate it’s former presence. You didn’t want to point fingers immediately, but today was the final straw, and tonight no matter how hard he tries to distract you, you will find him guilty.

After harvesting the choice crops for the day and watering the rest. You dust yourself off, settling inside and in front of your computer; opening the visitors page for your place of work, the city's greenhouse conservatory. To help promote the centre in the community the staff all take turns writing articles revolving around their own projects or home gardens, and you’re up next in the rotation. You stare at the blank document for several minutes trying your best to concentrate on the task, but you are unable to think of anything other than the mischievous hybrid next door.

Embracing the topic of your aggravation, you start the post off with a title sure to catch the eye of any reader, ‘Garden Thieves.’

‘We’ve all been there, finding a tomato just about to reach its peak ripeness. We give it another day to grow into perfection, only to find it missing later on. In your absence something else has taken it into its own clutches. I myself have been dealing with a vegetable thief for several weeks, so if you are struggling like I am, here are a few things that might help. ’

You proceed to outline several garden pests uploading photos of their damage, along with quick remedies to deter their presence. Netting to block the sparrows, raised beds and fences to keep out most rodents or mammals, and a caffeine solution to stave off slugs.

‘I hope this may help you all in your efforts to keep your plants safe, but I must add a disclaimer. Unfortunately nothing here is completely foolproof. Even if you do follow all of these steps you still might lose some of your crops to a crafty critter. But I wish you the best of luck on all of your backyard battles. I myself plan to face off with my own long-eared menace tonight.’

You finish your post with a smile. Sending it off to your coworker Namjoon to get his approval before you make it public.

He calls a few minutes later, his laughter carrying through the speaker. “That was easily the best article you’ve written all year. You should definitely post it.”

“Thanks.” You chuckle, hitting the submit button. At the very least feeling a bit relieved to have one less task weighing on your mind. “I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. I take it you’re still having trouble with that hybrid neighbour of yours?”

“Yeah,” you groan. You’ve complained to Namjoon about the issue several times in the past month. It must have been all too easy for him to read between the lines and see what set you off to create this specific entry.  “But he refuses to admit it was him. It’s like he’s trying to make me question my skills as a gardener and I hate it! I went over to talk to his caretaker but he’s away on business for a couple weeks.”

“He left him alone for that long? What about food?”

“He’s been getting deliveries. By the looks of it, he has a healthier diet than I do.”

Namjoon pauses on the line giving you only a simple, “Huh...” in a long break.

“What?”

“Well it’s just-” A loud buzzing sound erupts through the phone line cutting off his answer. A noise you know to indicate someone is at the back door. “That’s weird. I didn’t think we were supposed to get anything delivered today. No one else is here.... did you have anything scheduled to come in?”

“No.” You double check the calendar sitting on your desk. “I shouldn’t have anything until next Monday.”  

Namjoon puts you on hold while he checks on the reason for the interruption, returning only a minute later. “It’s a delivery all right, but are you sure these aren’t yours? I’m seeing a lot of tropical species on the invoice. Combretum rotundifolium, Heliconia angusta, Myrciaria dubia-”

You mouth a swear as Namjoon carries on with his list. It’s obvious they are indeed the specimens of your expected batch. You're in the process of redesigning one of the tropical habitats. The lead director was adamant that the conservatory host a butterfly exhibition in the next coming year, and in order to support the grandiose endeavour you are required to introduce a vast amount of new flowering species over the next few months. “How many in total?”

“About two dozen. Looking pretty rough from the journey too.”

You’re not surprised by their current state. This summer is already one of the hottest and driest on record, and all the stock you had received this season was excessively wilted and near death because of it. “Do we have any holding houses with humidifiers available?”

“Not at the moment,” There’s a clatter in the background as Namjoon sorts through what must be the slack of clipboards. “But I’ve got the inspection chart here and your last delivery did just finish it’s quarantine. No signs of pests or illness, so they’re clear to plant. That should free up some space for you.”

“That’ll have to do. Thanks for checking.” Standing up from your desk with a sorrowful sigh. You mourn the loss or your afternoon off as you start to dress for a day of hard labour. Throwing on your work-issued overalls over your t-shirt and shorts. Unfortunately you can’t just leave the new stock to sit out under the beating sun. With little humidity outside and no protection they’ll be burnt to a crisp if you delay too long. But the worst part is that your planting staff isn’t scheduled until later in the week, and that volume of work will put you well into the middle of the night before you complete it. “I’ll be in soon to deal with it.”

“That’s a lot of planting to do on your own. I can help if you-”

“I can’t take you away from your trees, isn’t there a bonsai exhibition next week you have to prepare them for?” He’s been agonizing over this showcase for so long you couldn’t possibly inconvenience him now with your own troubles. “It’s fine, really. I’ll call to see if anyone else is willing to come in today.” You hang up letting Namjoon return to his tasks, and work your way down the contacts for the gardening staff as you prepare yourself to leave. Though as expected, all of those who answer have prior commitments and won’t be able to assist.

Grabbing your badge and plans for the updates to the garden you slip back out into the noon-day sun, so strong it’s turned your car into an oven on wheels. You’re just about to pull it into reverse when you spot the blinds shift in your neighbour’s window. Prompting you to recall the plans he had made for tonight.

With all the work you have, it’s doubtful you’ll be back home for seven. You return to Jungkook’s door to give him the news. He has it open before you can even knock, his usual smirk crawling across his face as he greets you.  

“About tonight... something has come up at work and I really don’t know how late I’ll be.”

His ears perk up. “You’re going into the conservatory?”

“Yeah,” you respond, somewhat shocked that he remembered where you work. It’s been a couple months since you mentioned it while introducing yourself to him and his caretaker. “An order came in earlier than expected. I’ll likely be planting all day and night.”

“I can help,” he offers, already stepping out to join you, and locking the door behind him.

“You want to help?”

“Of course, isn’t that the neighbourly thing to do?”

“Yes, but I wouldn’t want it or expect it from someone who terrorizes my own garden.”

“Allegedly,” Jungkook corrects. “And wouldn’t you rather have me with you, under your supervision, than here, all alone with only a measly fence between me and your impressive bell pepper harvest?”

“Stay away from my peppers!” You scold, pointing your finger at him. “Even if I wanted to take you, what about your caretaker? Don’t you need his permission to leave and work?”

“He’s never paid attention to my whereabouts before, and it’s not work if you don’t pay me. I’ll just be a volunteer. You have people volunteer all the time right?”

“Yes but-”  

“I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

“Alright, fine.” You finally agree though with a heavy dose of reluctance. Namjoon often brings his own hybrid in so it shouldn’t be a problem. “But if I see you nibble on even a single leaf, you’re coming straight back here.”

“Deal.” He rushes past you straight to your passenger seat and buckles himself in. Practically bouncing with excitement beside you as you pull out and head towards the conservatory.

The minutes pass and you try your best to focus on the road but you’ve never been so close to Jungkook in such a small space. And with his built frame taking up most of the car, he’s hard for you to ignore. His ears folded against the roof and his shoulders so wide they brush repeatedly against yours.

“Ever been to the conservatory before?” You ask, trying to divert your mind from the battle which builds inside you. A wavering war between frustration and attraction, with the former trying it’s best to pin down the latter, a move which only arouses the latter more...

“No, I’ve wanted to go ever since you mentioned it but my caretaker hasn’t had the time.”

“Oh.” A sense of pity joins the ranks of your emotions, nudging at you as you pull into the lot. “Sorry, I didn’t-”

“Why are you sorry?” Jungkook asks in a low whisper, snapping back to his flirtatious behaviours. His mouth turns up at the corner as he leans into you, so close that his drooping ears graze the top of your head.  “Would you have taken me earlier if I had mentioned it?”

“N-no,” you choke out. Placing your hand on his solid chest, you push him back and away. As tempting as his advance might be to accept, you know his forwardness to be nothing more than an act to make a fool of you. Why else would he try to both seduce you, and steal from right under your nose?  “You’re only here today because I am in desperate need of help, and I can’t trust you to be alone.”

...

You lead him through the unoccupied greenhouses. The conservation is closed to the public today (as it is every Monday and Tuesday); which usually allows for some time off, but at least now it’ll give you a chance to work unimpeded by visitors. Your own curated section is located in the most humid of all the houses, set in such a way to mimic the tropical environment you are attempting to represent.

The first stop is the holding house where the carts of new stock wait just outside.  Grabbing an empty trolly you enter and start to load up those that are ready to plant. Jungkook following your actions does the same, easily lifting the heavy planters that you yourself struggle with. “Thanks,” you whisper as he relieves you of a particularly burdensome tree. To which he smiles in return.

After making the switch, by placing the recent delivery in the house for it’s quarantine, you lead him to the supply closet. Where you collect a couple shovels, trowels, and two pairs of gloves. As you continue to scan for anything else you might require, Jungkook pops in behind looking at the shelves with a sense of curiosity. He reaches up and over you to a spray bottle labeled ‘slug repellent.’

“We won’t need that, it’s for the outdoor gardens,” You explain. “It’s just a mixture of ca-”

“Caffeine and water?”

You snap your gaze to him. “How do you know that?”

He bites his lip as a snicker starts to escape. “Just a bit of morning reading. I found an interesting article with that particular tidbit. One which also happened to reference the exploits of a long-eared menace.”

“Y-you read the conservatory blog? You read my post? No one reads that, there can’t have been more than ten views!”

“Which is such a shame.” He goads you. “I’ve found your work to be both informative and comical. You really have me rooting for you in your quest to catch your thief.”

You groan in utter fury. “Why must you be so-so-”

“Handsome? Funny? Caring?”

“Antagonizing!”

“Because you seem to take more notice when I am.” Jungkook answers, with a turn of his heel, his tail poking out from under his shirt as he starts to walk away with the cart. “And I like seeing that perplexed look of yours. Your nose is cute when you scrunch it up like that.”

You remain in the shed, your traitorous heart beating erratically over the fact that he called a part of you cute. While your more sensible side grabs your nose and smooths out the wrinkles he referenced.

“Should we get to work?” He calls out after you. “The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home and expose that bandit of yours.”

You roll your eyes and follow him out, before taking the lead to your tropical glasshouse. The air sticks to your skin the moment you enter. Jungkook lets out a long exhale behind you tugging on the collar of his shirt. “Is it always like this in here?”

“It’s a bit warmer today, but not by much. Are you already regretting your decision to help?” You tease him.

“Nope,” he answers, slinging a shovel over his shoulder. “Show me where to dig, and I’ll get to it.”

Pulling out your plans for the new exhibit arrangement, you select a couple species placing them on the empty plots of garden as directed, careful to allow for future growth. Jungkook follows behind digging out their new homes faster than at least three of your staff members combined.

You stare at him for a second, unable to believe the pace at which he’s going. “Something wrong?” He asks, pausing to lock eyes with you.

“No, I just didn’t think you’d be so quick at digging.”

“I’m part rabbit, what did you expect?” Jungkook boasts with a chuckle and a raised brow. “I share their strengths. Especially when it comes to burrowing and fu-”      

His words are cut short when a fresh breeze from the outside washes over the both of you, a  sure sign that someone must have entered the greenhouse. Your neighbour goes rigid, his nose lifts into the air and his ears fall back flat against his head. “Jungkook what’s-” Leaping up he closes the gap and grabs you. Tucking you into him with his chin resting on your head, where a  warm and earthy scent envelopes you.  His breaths are quick and deep, causing his chest to rapidly rise and fall against your back.

Namjoon’s voice calls out to you. “... are you in here?”

“Over here!” You yell out in reply, before turning back to the hybrid who still has you locked in his clutches. “What the hell Jungkook? Let me go! Now’s not the time for your games.” Sure it might feel nice to be wrapped in his arms, to get lost amidst his aroma. At any other time you might even consider taking a moment before chastising his boldness. But here? Now? And with Namjoon coming to greet you? No, this is too much.

You try to push him away like you have before, but this time it’s as if he’s set in stone, and not registering you at all. He focuses only on the direction your coworker's voice hailed from. “That scent, he smells like-”

“There you are.” Namjoon interrupts stepping around a flowering bush and into view, looking surprised by your guest. “Oh, hello there.”

The point of Jungkook's chin rubs against your head as he grips you even tighter. Embarrassed and confused by the hybrids embrace. “Jungkook, this is Namjoon.” You introduce your coworker while delivering an elbow to Jungkook’s gut. He finally snaps out of his trace and lets you go though he continues to hover behind. “He works with the bonsai of the conservatory.”

“You must be the neighbour I’ve heard so much about, it’s nice to finally meet you.” Namjoon extends his hand to the hybrid, but Jungkook ignores the gesture, choosing to glare instead, with his nostrils flared and his ears pinned back.

“Jungkook?” You whisper trying to chase him from his mood.

Namjoon gives him a nervous smile. “You probably smell my hybrid, on me don’t you?”

“A hybrid?” Jungkook confirms, his eyes narrowed at Namjoon.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t intend to scare you. I’m sure the scent of a predator, especially a tiger, is a bit of a shock. He’s harmless, I promise.”

“Is Taehyung here?” You ask, hoping to see his affectionate part-feline companion.  

“Nah, he’s with a friend today. I needed to get some work done and he’d be more of a distraction than a help... but it would seem that didn’t stop him from scenting my shirt before I left.” Namjoon explains, and then turns to your neighbour again. “Jungkook would you mind if I borrow her for a second? I need help with one of my tropical species.”

Jungkook gives a solemn nod. For the first time since you’ve known him, he looks frightened, and somewhat hesitant to release you over to your coworker.

Worried by his current disposition, you reassure him with a squeeze on his arm. “Just keep digging where I’ve placed those pots and I’ll be right back.”

Namjoon leads you into the adjacent greenhouse where you can continue to keep watch of Jungkook through the pains of glass. But the instant the doors close between you, Namjoon starts bombarding you with questions. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long has it been going on? ”

You take a step back having been caught off guard. “Tell you what?”

“About you and Jungkook! Is the feuding neighbours just a cover story?” Namjoon’s eyes are wide and hopeful as he carries on, not letting you fit a single word in. “Don’t worry, I won’t inform anyone you're together. I know it’s not easy having a human-hybrid relationship out in the open. But I think you should be careful about going out into public because he’s far too obvious about it.”

“We’re not- we’re not a couple. Why would you think such a thing?”

“Because the way held you, he looked like he was marking you with his own scent. That’s what rabbits do isn’t it? They rub their chins on what they want to claim as their own.”

“They do what?” You ask, stunned by the possibility, before the realism settles back in. It must just be Jungkook’s idea of a joke. “No, that’s not what he’s doing, our connection is nothing remotely like that. Don’t get me wrong he’s very attractive, and he knows it.” You mutter the last part under your breath. “But-”

“But you really are having trouble with him. It's not a cover?”

“You think I would keep something like that from you?” Namjoon over the years has come to be your closest confidant. A good friend and coworker, you would never dream of hiding something like that from him.

“I suppose not.”

“Is that why you brought me back here, to question my relationship status?”

“Not entirely.” Namjoon shakes his head with a small dimpled smile and changes the subject. “I do actually want to get your help with one of my new acquisitions.” He points out an unusual tree on his work bench, much too big for the pot it’s currently situated in. It’s extensive roots spill out over the top and threaten to swallow the pot whole. “A Ficus microcarpa, far from the most sought after species when it comes to reputable bonsai, but I couldn’t pass this one up. It has such good character.”

“What made it grow in such a way?” You examine the plant and it’s container with care, prying between the roots and taking note of cracks starting to form in the terracotta.

“The last owner neglected it for far too long. It sat hidden in the back of a commercial greenhouse, still under the watering and fertilizing system, but since it was confined to such a small space it tried to root it’s way out. If I were to guess, it probably hasn’t seen a new pot for at least five years.”

“It’s a miracle it survived.” You nod impressed by the tree’s determination. “What’s your plan for it?”

“Give it what it wants, let it leach out. I doubt I would be able to pry it out entirely without causing significant damage to the roots that are gripping the sides, so instead I want to put another bellow to catch it and give it the fresh soil and room it needs.” Namjoon lays the tree and pot down on the table, and asks you to hold and support the trunk, while he taps and pokes at the bottom of the vessel with a metal trowel.  Enlarging the cracks, but not breaking the pot fully. It’s a tedious process. The small chunks of clay are removed piece by piece, giving him access to see and free some of the tightly bound roots inside.

While your coworker continues his task, your eyes are free to wonder. You check on Jungkook through the glass, as he kneels in front of the garden bed digging even faster than before.

Namjoon appears to notice your distracted state. “How's he doing?”

“Fine I guess.” You whisper. “He’s acting stranger than usual today though. He stole from my garden again. Invited himself over to my house, then here, and you saw what he did back there.”

“Huh...” Namjoon mutters, trailing off the same way he did on the phone.

“What is this ‘huh’ you keep giving me? You know I don’t like games Namjoon. If you have something you want to say, say it.”

“It’s about what you said earlier, how his caretaker leaves for extended periods of time. Usually if an animal is alone for too long they look for ways to stimulate themselves and resort to their natural instincts, scavenging and such. But he’s a hybrid and therefore part human, so if you were isolated and restricted to your house what would you do?”

“Probably look for the closest person I could find. So he’s acting out in my garden and teasing me, because he’s lonely?”

“I think so.” Namjoon responds as he extracts another root, freeing it from its confines.

“But why?” You ask, worried for the answer to come. “Why wouldn’t he just say something?”

“There could be a number of reasons. He might not understand what he’s doing on a conscious level, or he might be afraid to show any sign of weakness to you or anyone else. Jungkook is part prey animal, and humans are all too often predators.”

“If that’s the case...” You curse yourself for not realizing it sooner. The fury you held for him slowly fades away as you replay every encounter in your mind. He was literally jumping at the chance to spend time with you, to help you with your work, and you were to blind to see it. Your anger over your missing vegetables is so trivial in comparison to what he must have been going through. The loneliness he must have felt, and the inability to admit it, you can’t imagine how he suffered through it alone. “What can I do to help him? I have no legal claim to him Namjoon. What can I do within such limitations?”

He looks down at his work in progress. “The way I see it  you and he, like this small tree, have three options. You could maintain the status quo, leave him be, but how long will he be able to survive like he is? Creeping over the edge but grasping on to nothingness?”

You shake your head vehemently rejecting the idea while Namjoon continues.

“You could report his caretaker for neglect, breaking the container entirely, but that too could be very damaging to him, tearing him away entirely could put him in a state of shock, and in a home that is no better for him, while the legal battle is decided. Or...” Namjoon grabs another container, slightly wider than the one in which the plant is seated. Filling it with substrate he takes the tree clinging to it’s partial pot and places it on top. Pressing the newly freed roots down into the soil.

“You could support him, give him a better home just outside of his own where he can be himself and access what he needs. I personally think it’s your safest option for now.” Namjoon leads over inspecting the bonsai and lowers his voice to an almost inaudible whisper. “Until the day, when it is possible to fully cast the pot aside.”

You nod, though now left to grapple with what you could possibly have to offer the hybrid.  “I’m not sure I would be the best person to care for him.”

“I think Jungkook would disagree. He was already trying to scent you. That to me, implies his desire for something more in the realm of an intimate relationship.” You choke on your breath as Namjoon comes to an additional conclusion. Upon seeing your distress he makes a suggestion. “Of course you could keep it strictly to friendship between the two of you and I’m sure that will improve his situation, but his other needs will need to be met for him to feel completely at home...”

“His other needs? You think he wants to be with me? Intimately?! No! Surely he would have acted differently if that was his intent! He’s done nothing but tease me when he catches me even remotely looking in his direction.”

“So you have been looking at him!” Namjoon taunts you with a massive grin. Apologizing a second later when you proceed to glare at him. “But to answer your question, no, not necessarily. You have to remember most of society deems him a lesser being. He could be feeling a lot of guilt and pressure not to engage with you in that way. Though he might not outright say it, I bet his instincts will continue to shine through. I’ll even prove it to you.” Namjoon takes off a glove and rubs your head. “I bet this rabbit of yours will take less than a minute before he tries to replace the smell of my hand with his own again... trust me.”

You shake your head in disbelief. “I should probably get back to him.” You are just about to step away when your thoughts return to the long neglected plant. “Where do you plan to house that when you’re finished? Ficuses naturally belong in a more tropical location don’t they?”

“They do, especially if I want to give it a better chance. It’s going to need a place far more humid than this space.”

“Was this all your calculated way of guilting me to store it in my greenhouse too?”

“The thought might have crossed my mind.” Namjoon gives you a sly grin.  “But my logic is still sound in regards to Jungkook. He needs someone, he needs a better home... and it would seem he’s chosen you.”

...

You wander back to your greenhouse, still full of doubt. Finding Jungkook to have finished most of the required digging.

“Sorry for leaving you.”

“You-you okay?” He asks, upon seeing the dazed look on your face and then scowling in the direction that Namjoon led you.

“Fine, he just needed help with one of his plants. Sorry about earlier, I didn’t think you’d be affected by the scent of his hybrid, Taehyung is rather sweet though, you’d like him.”

“You trust him then?” Jungkook grumbles as he pierces his shovel into the ground. “You trust Namjoon and his hybrid?”

“Of course, why shouldn’t I?”

“Because it wasn’t just a tiger that I smelled. He’s been around a lot of hybrids. Every scent on him told me to run, all of them put there by dangerous predators.”

“Oh,” you shoot back in surprise. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Taehyung is rather popular, he has a lot of friends and Namjoon often caters them at his place. You don’t need to worry, you're safe here.”

“It’s not myself I’m worried about.”

Jungkook inches closer as you crouch to place the plants in the holes he dug. His nose twitches as he takes a deep breath, his eyes watching while you bury the root ball in the warm soil, firmly securing the trunk of the young tree.

While you are leaning down, Jungkook reaches across to the other side of you. Grabbing the trowel to your right despite the fact that the same tool can be found on his left. The bottom of his chin grazes the top of your head and lingers for a spell. Your heart stops in that moment while questioning his motives. Though Namjoon said he’d do just this, you still can’t be entirely sure that it proves him correct; Jungkook might just not have seen the other option available to him, and he’s never bothered about invading your space. This could be nothing, though there’s a small growing part of you that wants it more and more to be something.

“He’s a good guy,” you promise, returning to the conversation so as to not dwell on his actions. “He even suggested that I should bring you along more often, if you’re interested in spending some of your days here.”

“He did?”

You nod.  A small white lie, but not entirely incorrect, and if it gets him to accept Namjoon easier you’ll all be better for it. “I wouldn’t expect you to work, but you're more than welcome to just hang around. The staff here could always use some company and I’m sure it would beat staying at home alone all day.”

“I would like that. I would like that a lot, but would you want me to keep you company too?”

“If that’s what you want to do.”

“No, I need to know if that’s what you want.” He looks over to you pinning you down in his line of sight.  

“I suppose I would....” You answer and turn your head, unable to bear the nerves that his gaze brings. The both of you fall quiet. Knowing what you know now, being free of your anger for him leaves you vulnerable, open to his persuasion, and now you are no longer certain of how to act. So you start to rely on what has made him comfortable in the past, and interject with a new condition to bring an end to the awkward silence. “As long as you treat this garden better than mine back home.”

Jungkook lets out a long laugh. “I have nothing but the highest respect for your garden.”

...

When planting is finished your clothes are entirely saturated in sweat and your muscles aching from use. It’s hard to believe how much you’ve both done in such a short amount of time. While carting up the supplies, Jungkook’s eyes catch on something behind you. You look around spotting the newly potted bonsai on a back table. Namjoon must have dropped it off while you both were busy.

Looking at it now you can’t help but notice how even the shape of its leaves remind you of the hybrid’s ears, long, pointed, and reaching up to the sky. You consider your friend's words one more time and while Jungkook leans over to inspect the tree. Reaching out to his back, your hand shakes with hesitation before setting down on a spot just below his shoulder. He softens under your touch, a low hum leaving his lips. His attention turns from the plant to you. With your hand still in place, your arm is now wrapped around him, leaving only an inch between the two of you. You stand there fixed and unmoving, but content in the knowledge, that you seem to have left him speechless this time. His eyes darting away from yours, to your lips, your neck, and finally the hand you place upon his chest.  

Only to have the moment broken when you can hear and feel the rumble from his stomach. His nervous laugh follows as he reaches up to scratch behind his ear.

“Hungry?”

He nods in response, his eyes wide as he remains unusually silent.

“Come on, I’ll buy you dinner.” You offer as you turn him around to head to the car.

...

You both settle on a take out spot, and return home to wash up and eat.

After finishing your meal and tearing off your overalls, you both settle down on the hammock in your yard. With Jungkook’s legs long enough to touch the ground, he slowly rocks the seat back and forth.  He’s been near silent since that close moment together. He’s never had a problem with banter and flirtation, but now you’ve come to notice that any attention which can’t be passed off as a joke causes him to flounder.

Laying back in the hammock, both full and content, your eyes threaten to close after the long day as Jungkook continues to sit beside you. The sound of crickets lulling you to sleep. “Keep an eye out for that thief of mine will you?” You may not like games but if it makes him comfortable, and keeps him talking, you’ll continue to play this ruse with him.

“You trust me to keep watch without your supervision?”

“Are you suggesting I shouldn’t?”

“No, it’s just a lot more credit than you usually give me.”

“I think you’ve earned it.” You whisper as you finally drift off.

It feels like only a few minutes of rest before the sun sets and the air turns cool. Jungkook’s chin comes to rest on the top of your head like it did back in the greenhouse. He shifts his weight, burrowing his arms around and behind to cover you as he takes deep breaths. You lean into him seeking the warmth of his chest. No longer restricted by your childish anger to enjoy his company is a welcome relief, you only wish you could relinquish him of any of his own troubles and doubts.  And then, you feel it, a drop of cold rain hitting your neck. The hammock moves again as he adjusts, the back of his fingers running across the damp spot. Another finds your cheek and he wipes that away too, your skin shivering in response.

But when a speck lands your mouth he stops. You wait, a second, then two. Your anticipation grows with face heating up and your chest tightening as you continue to crave his touch. You want him to wipe it away, to touch you, to act on whatever desires he might be keeping. You part your lips with the desperate hope that he will take the hint. Rejoicing when the warm pad of his thumb spreads the drop across the delicate skin.

He comes down on to you, his mouth catching any and all remains of the droplet as he encases your lips. Jungkook places a hand on your neck while the other grabs the ropes of the hammock, his legs straddle your hips. The scattered rain turns to a downpour as he remains fixed to your mouth, even his form isn’t enough to shield you from the current washing down from the sky.

As your hands reach up to his own damp and curling locks entwining your fingers in the strands he moans and nips. But as quickly as it started, so too does it end. When Jungkook snaps up as though jolted from a dream. His ears point back as an apology flows from him. “I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Jungkook,” you call out to him but he ignores you as he tries to detangle himself. When one foot hits the ground. You grab his waist and try again. “Jungkook, you don’t have to be sorry.” But instead of stopping he merely pulls you off and along with him, sending you both to the muddy ground, but this time with you on top of him.

“Are you okay?” He asks the loud pouring of the rain forcing him to raise the volume of his voice.

You chuckle at his concern considering he’s the one flat on his back. “I think I should be asking you that question instead.” You pause as he mirrors your grin. “Why did you stop? Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” He looks up at you, his brow furrowing. “You did nothing wrong. It was me. I was the one acting on my instincts. I shouldn’t have done that when I know how much you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you...” You explain, trying your best not to be drowned out by the water cascading down. “The things you did might have annoyed me, but I get it now. I’m just sorry it took me so long to notice.”

“Notice what?”

“How fucked up your situation is. For not realizing how alone you must have been. How caged you must have felt. I’ve been so focused on my own little world that I didn’t realize what was happening or why you were acting the way you were. I like you, a lot, but I was too wrapped up in my frustration to say how I felt...”

“It’s not your fault.”

You shake your head. “I am not innocent in this. I should have been paying more attention.”

“Then pay attention to me now.” He begs with his round eyes shining up at you.  

“But in what way? As a neighbour, as a friend, or maybe something more?" Your voice cracks in desperation, trying to find his needs while also hoping they are the same as yours. “Is that why you were always teasing me the way you did? You wanted something more?”

“You really want to know?” Jungkook’s tone is low as it grips on to his every word. “I did it because it was the only thing that could distract me from my incessant need for you. Seeing your reactions and having your attention kept me in check. I’m very different from you and I’m aware it could cause a problem. I wasn’t sure if you could ever fully want me because of that.” He reaches to rub around the base of his ears. “But every day that I looked over I wanted to hold you, to claim you, to take you right here on this very spot. So often I dreamed of jumping the fence and coming for you instead of...”

You smile down at him, noting his near admission. “Instead of?”

“Instead of watching from a distance.” He smirks, catching and narrowly fixing his statement. Pleading guilty only to his longing for you.

“Then do it.” You demand of him.

He groans from his position beneath you. “Don’t tease me like that.”

“I’m not. You weren’t the only one peeking through the fence Jungkook.” Reaching up to your collar you tug off your shirt. He follows your lead with his own to reveal his sculpted chest he’s taunted you with so many times. “I don’t care if we’re different from each other. I don’t care if it causes a problem.” You shift back on his body traveling from your seat near his stomach down to his hips, his clothed dick firm and pressing against you. A moan escapes his lips, confirming that you’ve made your point. “There’s no one else nearby, so if you want me so much that you’re willing to fuck me out here, in the rain and mud-”  

His hands come to grip your waist, and in one swift motion, he lifts you off, maneuvering out from underneath, to fall into place behind you. From there he pushes you down to your hands and knees, his body bent over yours. “You have no idea how much I want to.” He whispers with a kiss to your bare shoulder damp from the rain that continues to pour.

He takes off your bra before his face moves down your back, nose trailing against your skin and pausing at your shorts. Unfastening the button he pulls them down, freeing you of your underwear too before they are both cast aside. “I want to smell you, and taste you.” Jungkook takes in a deep breath, wrapping an arm around your legs, and barring your thighs. He buries his face between your legs, his tongue reaching out to deliver a long lick to your folds pausing after every lap.

Your palms dig into the ground, the cool mud coming to the surface to meet them. You buck against his tongue but the forearm holding you remains firm, sending your squirming downward to bury your elbows in the soggy grass too.

Jungkook chuckles as you inadvertently give him a better angle. From behind you can hear the zipper of his own shorts. Rubbing the head of his cock against your damp folds, he covers it with the slick of your slit, and with a long groan he eases it inside. He’s slow at first, letting you savor the girth and warmth of him. So you start to edge back and forward on his cock. Taking the time to enjoy every inch, along with the sounds that leave him. But when he returns to take control, the first thrust is so powerful, his thighs hit your ass with a loud clap, and every jolt of his hips after, drives you further down each time.

A stuttering groan escapes him as he fills you. Thinking he’s finished you lean forwards and until his cock pulls out, but in response he grabs your waist. Turning you over, back to the ground on top of the discarded clothes and facing him.

He lowers himself pressing his chest against yours. His fingers reach to grab your chin and take a kiss. His cock, despite having come only moments before, is hard once more and poised to enter once again.

“How are you-” You manage to squeeze a few words in the gaps between his kisses as he draws breath. “Ready for more-” Another pass of his tongue. “Already?”

“You have my hybrid traits to thank for that.” He moves to nibble on the side of your throat. “I have more to give you, if you want it.”

You nod unable to emit any noise other than a gasp as his mouth finds a sensitive spot on your neck. His dick forges in again, your slick and his cum dripping out of you as he fills you with himself instead.

You’ve avoided touching him with your own hands as they are patched with mud, but as his thrusts grow more powerful than even before, you’re forced to grab on his arms and chest. Leaving behind streaks of dirt which display the path of your grip. Jungkook doesn’t seem to mind though, in fact looks rather encouraged by your touch, and the marks you leave him.

“What a dirty woman you are, and getting me all messy too.” He scoffs while admiring your handiwork. “Can I return the favour?”

“Help me come first and you can do whatever the fuck you want.” You gasp on the brink of your climax.  

His ears perk up and a grin streaks across his face. “Close are you?” He grabs your calf and wraps your leg around his back, the other follows suit and his hand comes to rest on your lower back pushing you up and into him effectively grinding your mount against him.

You gasp and flinch with the sudden pressure, but he holds you firm as your back arches to meet him.

His hips beat on at a rapid pace, a small whimper escapes him as you reach the peak, tipping you over the edge. The chilling rain can in no way can douse the searing heat that spreads through you. You're still gasping when his jaw clamps down hard, his teeth poised upon your skin. The first pulse of his cock comes inside, but on the second he pulls out to splatter your chest and stomach with the rest. His hand comes to clutch his shaft, spilling more out and on to you with each stroke.

After every remaining drop has been cast on you he smiles, dragging his fingers across the rain drenched mess of mud and cum on your skin. “Never thought I’d ever see you so thoroughly soiled.”

You giggle at his remarks through your deep breaths. “And now that you do, what do you think?”

“I think it suits you, the dirt, the rain, and me...” He lowers himself down onto you, with his head now resting upon your shoulder. “It’s too bad though. Now I just want more, but we’re both far too filthy to carry on like this.”  

You turn to whisper at the base of his ear. “Who says we can’t continue in the shower...”

...

You wake early the next morning with the sun spilling into the room, lighting up your bed, and the hybrid sleeping next to you. His ears and nose twitching as he continues to rest. Slipping out from the covers, and into a set of clean gardening clothes, you exit the room with as little sound as possible.

On the tile floor of your hall, muddy footprints trail from your backdoor to your bathroom.  A smile pulls at your lips as you recall the events which brought them there. Jungkook had been so excited to keep going he picked you up and rushed you inside.

The feeling from the warm water and hands in contrast to the cool rain was enough to bring back the waves of pleasure. He was so thorough in washing you down, you might have to ask him to join you for another this morning and repay the favour.  

Outside in the garden you find all your harvest from the day before present and untouched. You’re pleased by this new development, but it’s not the fact that your crops are intact which makes you happy, it’s the comfort in knowing that Jungkook didn’t feel the need to take them.

A few minutes later the hybrid in question comes up behind you wrapping his arms around your waist pulling with him a blanket he took from the bed to cover the both of you. “Morning.” He mumbles, as his nose finds the crook of your neck where he exhales with a deep and relaxed sigh.

“Morning.” You respond, enjoying the tickle of his breath before you turn around to better see him. “It seems the thief didn’t strike last night. ”

“I guess they found a new garden to plunder and devour?” Jungkook suggests, giving you a sly grin, before he opens his mouth again. It’s easy to see that he’s getting ready to confess, his face shifts to a stern expression as he looks down at the ground, the guilt weighing heavily upon his brow. Placing your index to his lips you stop him. No longer needing to hear those words of admission, you offer a new proposal instead.

“Maybe, but that was just one night. The thief might still come back. So if it’s alright with you I would like you to stay here. Until we can be sure they won’t return.”

Jungkook lets out a satisfied chuckle, pushing aside your finger and pulling you tighter into his warm embrace. “You’re right, I suppose it would be safer if I stayed.” His lips plant a kiss on the top of your head where he then rests his chin. “A temptation as enticing as this, shouldn’t be left alone and unattended.”

...

[thickenmyblood]

fics i think about every single day of my sad little life

Incision by Ccainao3

The Akielon loses the fight.

Sometimes I want to die and it’s because of this fic right here. No words.

Canis Major by Lapin

It starts because Aimeric is a pushy, arrogant, little bastard who has never learned when he needs to keep his mouth shut. His very presence at this party already irritates Laurent in the worst way.

Laurent is only trying to be a good friend to Jord. Damen was never supposed to be a factor.

Okay so this fic is not only VERY WELL written (as in, perfectly) but it also has all the best tropes EVER: pining Damen, fake dating, Auguste as an ALIVE older brother, NICAISE, Damen and Auguste are bros. Amazing dialogue, and the chemistry between Laurent and Damen is fucking BONKERS. And one more thing: THE SEX SCENE WAS SO HOT. IT WAS SCALDING MY EYEBALLS.

Nature by ahdriking

Laurent snorts, drinking in Damen’s horror like it is something to be savoured.

“I have done nothing,” he says, “but aided nature in its course.”

Pain, but the good kind.

before it all burned down by onekingdomonce

It was true that love was nothing like people explained it to you. Growing up, no one told you that you might find it in more than one place. You find your soulmate. Your one. No fairytales prepared you for the feeling of that sentiment being ripped down the middle, figuratively and literally. Laurent didn’t know how to live with it, so he just had to.

You know sometimes I wake up at, like, five am and I wonder how Nikandros is doing in this universe. This fic ruined my brain and we need to talk about it more often because it’s so fucking hard to get GOOD cheating fics and this one is NEXT LEVEL. This is subtle, but fucked up, but sweet, but sour, but Jesus Christ just READ IT. THE CHEATING IS SO GOOD IN THIS, GO ADULTERY! GO! AND THE WRITING JKBGKJBGK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The World's More Full Of Weeping by deripmaver

At thirteen, a boy named Laurent Devere had gone into the woods with his uncle.

What had come out was wrong. He was wrong.

He was not Laurent.

He was a changeling, and he needed to find a way to bring Laurent home.

Petition for derip to stop. This fic is a MASTERPIECE. This was so sad but sweet it sometimes had me CRYING my eyes out and that’s no easy task considering I have like three tears left. No spoilers but the final scene had me sobbing like a fucking child. It is SO GOOD. Best tropes ever too: trauma (lmao, am I calling trauma a trope? yes, this is derip’s fic), AUGUSTE AND LAURENT’S CRUMBLING BUT STILL THERE RELATIONSHIP, angst, the horrible realization that you will never be a child again and that there are parts of you that have died or been killed by life but also that does not do this justice. PLEASE READ THIS FIC.

No Plan by melancholicpie

Laurent and Damen are not bonded by the Red String of Fate. Laurent worries about it.

Loved this concept so much. This was originally posted in 2020 and has now been re uploaded so just take a chance and read it because it’s the best take on soulmates I’ve read in this fandom!

between them, sharp as a knife by Ccainao3

Damen tells Laurent his true identity at Ravenel.

It doesn't go well.

Good Boy by DreamDrop

Auguste wouldn't have suspected the turn his life took after his brother came back from France to live with him. Now he couldn't imagine ever going back to the way it was before. Especially not after meeting Nik. Not after experiencing the stunning sub looking up at him and calling him Daddy.

I KNOW. I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING.THIS PAIRING WORKS HERE. I SWEAR TO GOD IT DOES. Also the porn here is very, very, very hot. Very hot. I think about this at least ten times a month. 

Étude by xlydiadeetz

“The heart has a melody. Once you discover it, there’s no going back.”

Present day, Auguste is dead. The Golden Pianist is gone, and Laurent finds himself completely alone in the world. Haunted by the ghost of the promise he never accomplished, he goes through the stages of grief as he remembers his brother and deals with the return of a high school crush who makes him start to believe once again in the beauty of music.

No words, just pain. Most painful fic of my life. If you’re a Laurent lover this is a MUST READ. No skipping the classics. This is a fandom gem. This is like the Bible but for Capri fans.

Notorious by VeretianStarburst

“You genuinely don’t know who I am, do you?” Laurent asked, tilting his head back to look into Damen’s eyes.

“Should I?”

“I’m rather notorious around here. I have a feeling you’ll find out why soon enough.”

This is so good and the ending was so good and I want more. Mafia AU, baby!

Lose You by Ellies

“I’m pregnant,”

Damen paled as soon as those words left his mouth. Laurent felt vaguely sick himself.

“What?”

This is or the Incision fans. Hell yes, this fic is INSANELY good. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s SO GOOD.

[this is me trying] by ace_assin9

Aimeric would like to say it wasn’t his fault. What happened. He’d like to, but he’s never been much of a liar. Not unless he’s already spitting mad. Lies don’t formulate themselves like prophecies demanding to be spoken, not like they seem to for the others. He blames the fact that he’s never had to lie. He’s only ever had to hide and hope his parents don’t find him when he fucks up. With five older siblings, it had never been particularly hard.

“Aimeric,” Jord said, haltingly. His shoulders were tense. “D’you think you should see a therapist?”

THIS FIC IS ONE OF THE BEST AIMERIC FICS OUT THERE AFTER CHERRY WINE. I LOVE THIS FIC SO MuCH SOMETIMES I WAKE UP GASPING BECAUSE I CANNOT BELIEVE IT EXISTS AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH PLEASE READ IT. PLEASE. GIVE AIMERIC A CHANCE I AM BEGGING YOU.

I Don't Smoke by rmayuscula

He loves Jord, loves him the most. But not enough to let himself be wrecked by him, to be kicked to the curb like a dog, like his parents did to him. To be used by him, like he has been before. He’ll stay here.

“I could wait too. You could come back.”

Everything Leo writes is cool (check out his latest fics btw, he’s DERANGED) bt this fic will always be special to me because it’s the only fic that made me like Jord as a character. YOU NEED TO READ THIS. GIVE AIMERIC A CHANCE. PLEASE. 

all alone by desastrista

Inspired by Green But For a Season. AU - Auguste never discovers Jord and so Jord never joins the Princes Guard. Instead, he finds work at Fortaine, where he is assigned to instruct Lord Guion's fourth son in swordfighting.

Amazing fic. If you’re looking for something that reads like canon and has this tragic feel to it, give this a try. PLEASE. You will NOT be disappointed. Amazing writing.

Works In Progress - Special Mentions:

(Not) Meant For You by Holly_Golightly

With the internet buzzing over Auguste and Damen’s latest fight and Auguste going off the rails a little bit, Laurent was fairly positive now was the worst possible time for him to accidentally send Damen a text meant for his ex. A text asking for sex.

Auguste was going to kill him.

This fic will be my death. I can’t seem to NOT think about it. Auguste in this is so amazingly fucked up. I love him so much. Lamen here are 10/10

All My Words by itallends

Over one quiet summer, Damen becomes enamoured with his son's boyfriend.

UGH my gem, my guilty pleasure, my love. I love this fic even though it leaves me feeling like a gutted fish. Damen is so fucking hot in this. PLEASE READ.

Concordia by Ccainao3

He’d had hope, after those talks, that when the sting of Olympic loss had faded he and Auguste would be able to salvage something of their old friendship. This doesn’t seem likely now. Sorry I gave you a concussion when I checked you is one thing; sorry I beat you out for the gold medal and then had your little brother wear it while I fucked him is another.

Is your fic rec a fic rec if Concordia isn’t in it? GHHHHHHHHGGBJKGJGJGJGJ I hate this author so much, she poisons my brain with her stupidly well written fics and they won’t leave my MIND. Seriously this fic is SO GOOD. Angry Auguste, Protective Damen, Asshole Laurent. ALSO... Erasmus and Damen in this... they’re my OTP even though they’re not together like that in this. 

Pop Stars by silentdescant

Laurent has been famous since he was a preteen, signed to his uncle's label, Regency Records. Damen and Nik front an indie band and signed with Regency for the opportunity to go on a world tour and open for Laurent.

NO WORDS. Groundbreaking. Wonderful. An ode to suffering.

The Firebird Suite by treeprince

Ancel knew the Regent preferred his pets blue-eyed and younger, but he was the best, so he wasn’t too worried that he couldn’t turn the highest head. If nothing else, he knew he’d make a lasting impression and land himself a contract either with someone much more suited to his tastes, or better.

After all, the only person looking out for him was himself, so there wouldn’t be any need to improve his circumstances with his current owner. There was no use in sticking his neck out for those who wouldn’t do the same for him.

WHY WON’T GOD LET ME HAVE GOOD THINGS. WHY. @treeprince just fucking update it’s KILLING ME. Best Berencel fic of 2020-2021-forever.

sanguinary poultice, love charm by Lapin

A different brother dies at Marlas, a king is crowned, and a new prince is born.

In a garden in Patras, Damen meets Laurent.

No, you do NOT understand. Laurent pretends to be a pet and Damen believes it and this fic is literally the most beautiful thing I read all year. You don’t UNDERSTAND. By the time you see this it’ll probably be completed but... Jesus Christ. The chapters are super long and juicy and beautiful. The scene transitions are SEAMLESS. The sex is so fucking good (Canis Major levels of good). PLEASE read this. The writing is so, so, so, so good. DAMEN IS SO OBLIVIOUS AND I LOVE KASTOR’S LITTLE SON. PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS if you love love and pain and jokes and pining.

Sunblind by Folfar

The sun is in Auguste’s eyes when he dies. It is there when he wakes up, too.

Everyone has read this fic. We all agree it’s the best of the best. MOST ANTICIPATED AUGUSTE FIC EVER. Damen and Auguste bonding. Laurent... well, READ IT. 100000000/10

Wait, did you think I was done? Without mentioning my favorite fic of alll time? Surprise, bitch.

The Mannequin Gallery by marrieddorks

Laurent was still standing at the bookshelf, his fingers grazing the edge of one of the shelves near eye-level, seemingly scanning the array of titles like that was what he was here for. As he slowly walked, following the parallel lines of the shelves, the angle of him changed, allowing Damen to take in the neat way his sweater was tucked into his pants, the way the belt there accentuated the waist that Damen knew was underneath all those layers, the waist that was so slight in comparison with the build of his illusionary-worthy shoulders, the wisps of hair escaping the low ponytail his hair was pulled into, dancing around the elegant column of his neck like a nonexistent necklace, and the ridiculous length of his eyelashes as the, however briefly, rested on the apples of his cheeks for a blink.

“I, however, am not my uncle,” Laurent continued, his fingers hesitating over a well-used copy of 'Il barone rampante' by Italo Calvino. “Because of that, I will not make his mistake in my counter-offer to you.”

“Counter-offer?”

“Work for me instead,” Laurent said.

Best fic ever. IT HAS JUST BEEN UPDATED. PLEASE READ IT. Soon we’ll get fake dating and fake kisses that are actually real and I need you to PLEASE READ THIS. I am on my knees. Begging. Crying. Throwing up. Laurent is a model. Damen is an influencer. Together they escape from the Regent lol. Something like that... READ THE FIC.