#now off to sleep or write the lardo with dex as her muse fic

[likeshipsonthesea]

an Idea

it’s a few years after samwell, everyone has kept in touch, maybe not as much as they’d like but they meet up once a year at least all together, and then out of the blue with no warning they all get invitations to a wedding

you are invited to the wedding of connor whisk and chad white

they are all surprised but they knew whiskey was still with chad from college and it’s been a few years now so a wedding isn’t out of the question, but still, he never mentioned it. tango says he’s known for months and wasn’t there something in the gc??? he could’ve sworn connor said something

anyway, they all go, because they love whiskey despite his weirdness and once you win a ncaa cup together there’s no going back. it’s awesome to see everyone again, as it’s been a few months since their last reunion. bitty is (in his southern way) a lil peeved that he and jack weren’t the first wedding of the group but IT’S FINE also who made the cake?? oh, well, it looks lovely. when I make a cake, you know... yes, yes, bitty we know.

tango is the best man but no one else is in the wedding party and that’s fine. they all get there around the same time, sit in the same row during the ceremony. shitty holster and ransom sit at one end glaring at the lax bros on the other side of the aisle and at the reception they’re all sat together, drinking and reminiscing and telling good whiskey stories while whiskey and chad look all moon-eyed in the background

and dex, sat between nursey and chowder, begs off and gets up to go refill his drink only to be approached by none other than Sean the LAX bro.

sean, who dex may or may not have had a Thing with in college.

sean is friendly, says hi, asks how dex is doing, and dex is a goober but he’s not a dick so he responds, asks in kind, and they start chatting and it’s really nice. back in college, they had a Thing that was sort of dating, sort of wasn’t bc it’s hard to date someone you can’t be seen with in public, and maybe sean makes a joke-- really, just a joke-- about how if things were different they might’ve really been something

and dex-- well. it’s been years, and he liked sean and enjoyed what they had, but since then he’s come to understand the real kind of love he can feel for another guy in a way he wasn’t prepared for when he was with sean (frog year, for dex) and dex agrees, says maybe, and sean smiles (crinkly eyed, the way he always did) and begs off to go to the bathroom.

“i’d invite you with me for old times’ sake,” he jokes, referencing a time when they may or may not have done something in a bathroom stall during an alumni meet-n-greet for samwell athletes, “but i doubt you could hold me up that long again.”

dex, affronted at having his strength questioned, says, “i definitely could.”

sean laughs and walks away and dex turns back to the bar to re-refill his drink and finds Nursey on the other side of him.

nursey, who despite being dex’s roommate and best friends for several years at this point, never knew about Dex and Sean the LAX bro.

nursey walks away without saying anything and, once dex has his drink, he follows, and it’s tense. dex isn’t really sure why-- he’s awkward at having nursey know this secret, but really nursey should be chirping him right now, not sitting there sullenly and refusing to eat the extra croutons dex gave him in exchange for some of nursey’s tomatoes.

the night goes on in much the same way as before, except now nursey and dex aren’t talking, and the other guys notice it-- chowder for sure-- but they’re not in college and they don’t interfere with nursey and dex’s relationship (they all had a meeting at one point and said we don’t get involved and despite drunken antics at christmas parties and rambly phone calls they might get from nursey or dex about how pretty he is and how i love him so much they refuse to get involved)

there’s drinking, dancing, cake that’s good even if bitty didn’t make it, and they all get back to the hotel (the wedding’s in whatever city whiskey’s playing hockey in now but i can’t really decide where, may be the coyotes bc i’m p sure whiskey’s from there, may be the bruins idk) and they all go to their separate rooms, which leaves nursey and dex in the double-bed room they reserved together

and it’s tense in the room, tangibly, as they take off their fancy clothes and get into sweats and t-shirts and, look, they are not teenagers anymore, they’re adults with jobs and a lease and their very own menagerie of plants ( i know menagerie means animals but the plants are pets to them) and so when nursey curtly says, “do you mind if i turn out the light” dex very calmly and maturely says

“what’s wrong”

in a voice that is Not higher than his normal pitch Nor is it laced exceedingly with Emotion

“nothing”

“nursey”

“dex”

“nursey.”

nursey sighs. “nothing’s wrong. it’s stupid.”

“if it’s making you be a dick it’s probably not stupid.”

nursey glares.

dex stares back without remorse.

nursey turns away. “you had a thing with a lax bro.”

dex squints. “really? this is about that dumb rivalry?”

“no.” nursey crosses his arms over his chest. “no. it’s-- i don’t know.”

“nursey, why does it matter than i had a thing with a lax bro more than half a decade ago?”

“i don’t know--! i--” nursey shakes his head, ducking his chin to his chest. muffled, he says, “i don’t like it.”

“what? nursey--”

nursey picks up volume, words tumbling out alcohol tinged and hurt. “i don’t like that you never told me, i don’t like that he was there tonight, i don’t like that he was flirting with you, i don’t like that you were flirting back, i--” he softens, unfolding his arms to pick at the seams in the comforter. “i know i can’t get mad about stuff like this. it’s not fair. i guess the whole thing tonight just made me--” he shrugs. “i mean, whiskey. emotionally stunted whiskey’’s got fucking monogrammed bath towels with a guy from college and i’m still here in unrequited love with my best friend.”

dex stares from across the space between the beds. the comforter is too heavy in his lap. his mind swims with alcohol and confusion. it somehow decides that saying the following is a perfectly good response to nursey’s proclamation of love. “the towels aren’t really that impressive,” he says, “they already had the same initials.”

nursey, half drunk and half to tears, bursts into laughter that sounds like it hurts.

dex gets tangled in his bedsheets pushing the blankets from his legs but manages to stumble over to nursey before the laughter turns to tears and he collapses on nursey’s bed. “nursey, i--” dex shakes his head. “i don’t want sean. i haven’t wanted sean since i was 18.”

nursey glances up, face awash in self pity and sadness and--

“i--i haven’‘t wanted sean since i started wanting you,” dex says. nursey looks up, sad eyes widening slowly. “it’s been you for years, asshole. i thought you knew.”

and then there’s kissing and crying and a little bit of lamenting time lost but mostly just elation for the time to come and it’s a wonderful night all around.

a few weeks later, in a nice apartment in whatever city whiskey plays in, a little envelop with the return address for derek nurse appears in the mail.

whiskey frowns down at the thank-you note. “they’re all so weird,” he complains, reading through nursey’s explanation of what whiskey’s wedding did for him and dex.

“it’s sweet,” chad says, pressing a kiss to whiskey’s frowning cheek. he plucks the card from whiskey’s hand and puts it on the fridge.

[musinglymuse]

This list is dedicated to the rare pairings in this fandom, celebrating ships such as Holster and Bitty or Shitty and Jack. Some of these pairings may even surprise you! These rare pairings epitomize the possibilities of fandom and its creativity, something worth treasuring.

I’ve compiled some of what I consider excellent fanfics that feature rare pairings although it does not contain all of my recommendations. They are listed in no particular order. I plan on creating more recommendation lists down the line, especially for other pairings in this fandom. You can find other fic recs tagged in my blog.

As a reminder, please make sure to check the tags and any warnings before reading. Take care of yourself!

make you laugh by orphan_account Bitty/Holster // ~3k // PG-13

He doesn’t know how Holster manages to be so friendly about offering.

quote unquote boyfriend by orphan_account Bitty/Holster // ~7k // PG-13

A month after Bitty came out, his mother asked, as casually as she could, if he was seeing anyone. He couldn’t believe that this was a question he didn’t have to be afraid of anymore, and that after so many years of saying no, no, not seeing anyone, as if he were some kind of failure, he could finally say something.

He blurted out, “Yes,” because he’d started hooking up with Holster week before last.

Bend Me, Shape Me (Any Way You Want Me) by sysrae Nursey/Ransom // ~5k // NC-17

“Your type,” Nursey repeats. His arm is a warm line against Ransom’s own, pressed close in the night air. “You said Holster doesn’t do it for you, so what are you after?”

Ransom smiles, pulse quickening as he lifts a hand and gently grips Nursey’s chin, thumb smoothing across his plush lower lip. He leans in, his other hand on Nursey’s knee, and moves his mouth to Nursey’s ear. Low and rough, he murmurs, “Guys who know how to dance, what they want and when to move on it. That’s my type.”

we call this fixer upper home by the_one_that_fell Bitty/Shitty/Jack // ~30k // NC-17

It starts with Bitty assuming Lardo is a 6-foot-tall white dude and ends with something beautiful.

The Cost of Emotion by alpha_exodus Bitty/Johnson // ~2k // R

Sometimes Bitty doesn’t understand what Johnson is saying, but Johnson always looks at him with a kind smile and Bitty can’t help liking him for that.

Secondary by Thunderhel Lardo/Johnson // ~3k // PG-13

“I feel like I don’t even know myself, you know? Like that sketch I told you about. Like…Like God or the universe or whatever had this idea of what I’m supposed to be and then they just…never filled it in. And now I’ve gotta fill it in myself and that’s bullshit.” She rubbed at her eyes before parting her fingers again. “Do you ever feel that way? Or am I just going insane?”

Johnson moved in what may have been a shrug. “I think that’s fairly common. Especially with secondary characters, like there’s a plot and an end game and you’re a part of it but you’re not the focus so all your details tend to get a little fuzzy beyond the basics.”

Lardo blinked hard, it felt like she hadn’t done that in a while. After a moment of deliberation she sat back up on her elbows to look at him. “I’m a secondary character?”

only a simple fool by blamefincham Chowder/Nursey/Dex // ~6k // PG-13

Dex had been wishing that the universe would save them from this horribly awkward conversation, and as if it’s answering his prayers, Chowder’s garbage bag chooses that moment to split wide open.

“Oh—oh no,” Chowder says despairingly, sinking to his knees to start collecting the garbage. Dex joins him, but then he notices that everything he’s collecting is wrappers: takeaway containers, fast food bags, the occasional TV dinner box…

“Chowder, do you eat, like, any actual food?” Dex can’t stop himself from saying.

Alexis Jacquelyn by Thunderhel Bitty/Tater/Jack // ~12k // PG-13

Jack and Tater are unstoppable duo, both on and off the ice. There is absolutely nothing that can come between the two of them, nothing at all, except maybe a very cute new intern, a year of indecision, and a cat named after themselves.

Muse by the_one_that_fell Bitty/Nursey // ~3k // PG-13

Nursey needs a muse for his writing assignment; he doesn’t expect to find more than that in Bitty.

two weeks by justlikeswitchblades Bitty/Ransom // ~2k // PG-13

The Haus attic gets a little chilly in winter, but it’s not so bad when Ransom has Bitty by his side.

after the raven has had his say by halfabreath Holster/Jack, Bitty/Ransom // Series // ~20k // Various

Adam plays the FRIENDS theme song in the truck on their way to the market in retaliation, because sometimes that’s all you can do when your boyfriend is thoughtful and doles out crucial financial advice to keep your dairy cows from wandering away.

honey, i’d put money on myself by wrishwrosh Tater/Ransom // ~3k // PG-13

Ransom is pretty sure he just ascended. He has left his body behind and moved on to a better place and he must now be in heaven, receiving his eternal rewards for the week Holster spoke only in Michael Scott quotes, because Alexei Mashkov is standing in the doorway of the Haus holding a tray of deluxe nachos from Jerry’s.

Talk It Through For Me by psocoptera Ransom/Dex // ~2k // PG-13

“Hey,” Ransom says, “Come sit with me at my table, maybe we can figure it out.”

Lonely Hearts Club by orphan_account Bitty/Holster // ~3k // PG-13

“Okay, that’s completely different!” Holster argues, sounding offended, “Justin Oluransi is a kind and gentle soul who has never done anything to anyone and who snores like a puppy when he sleeps. Jack is…”

Holster trails off. Bitty bumps his shoulder.

“Jealous of Jack?” He asks playfully, and Holster laughs loudly.

“Obviously.” he replies, “You’re a catch and Jack doesn’t deserve you. C’mere–”

trespass by applecrumbledore Holster/Jack // ~6k // R

It’s a party, so if Holster were talking to one of the boys, he’d ask him to play beer pong, and if it were a potential hook-up, he’d see if he wanted to dance, but Jack is somewhere in between.

I’m On Fire by motorghosts Shitty/Jack // ~15k // NC-17

“This repressed, rich, white, cis-male victim of modern masculinity conventions…this was Knight’s white whale.”

Slice-of-life trek through Jack and Shitty’s blossoming friendship with just a splash of bro-on-bro.