#now that i've seduced you with sweet little fics and stories

[freuleinanna]

trials (and errors)

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 AO3

Chapter 3: Lovers

Love is not a static force. It needs a vector, and god help lovers whose vector is rage.

Masriel reunion (derogatory)!

Also, am I going to push my Marisa and Father MegaFail being besties (worsties) agenda? Yes, yes I am.

The crowd parts before the sinner.

No, to correct that: the crowd parts before a man of church who, in his turn, is followed by the sinner.

Either way, Marisa walks past lawmen and clerics hardly recognizing ones from the others in their black attires. The comfort of isolation has now scaled off of her entirely: after roaming endless stuffy rooms, the air feels too fresh to swallow, too brisk against the skin. Not unlike tiny cold burns. Her dress – the only moving spot of color – cuts through the pool of black drawing unreserved attention from all angles. Makes for an easy target. Whispers and looks hit it equally.

Oh, the prudes. A year back they'd stare even worse. Of course, a year back she was still a respectable, well-married lady they didn't mind eyeing occasionally as an indulgence, not a whore dragged out of exile. Maybe not the exact words she'll hear today, but surely the prevailing sentiment.

Marisa keeps her face neutral and wishes them all dead.

Another corridor, less packed with people.

'You'd profit from looking more sorry,' her guide mutters, finally slowing his step to walk side by side. 'Repentance will go a long way.'

He seems a bit nervous, but then he always does, that's the most Hugh MacPhail trait Marisa could think of. Heaven forbid people notice them frivolously conversing, today of all days. He throws lots of quick, alert glances around. The lizard daemon on his shoulder scans the space and gives him a little tap whenever someone gets too close – a note to drop his voice, or pause.

Marisa's tone, when she leans closer to reply, is a heartless mockery of his hushes.

'I think you underestimate how sick I am of acting sorry.'

Without fail, a frowning look follows. He recoils from her touch, but in a manner that speaks of habit rather than resentment: Father MacPhail, always so diligent in his priestly ways. On some level, Marisa applauds him for not falling victim to her beguiling nature. On all others, she knows that statement lacks a great big ‘yet’. She scoffs, bemused.

'This is serious,' MacPhail snarks, clearly misinterpreting the sound.

Doesn't she know.

'I'm not sure... Yes, Father Jamison,' a shoulder tap – Hugh greets another cleric with a nod and waits until he's far enough behind them before continuing. 'I'm not sure you see how serious it is, Marisa.'

He appears genuinely concerned. There’s evidently an affection, except the why of it remains as elusive to Marisa as his goals. She’s twenty-three, Hugh is bearing on his forties. She would have understood physical desire, what woman of her looks wouldn’t, but it’s not all there is.

Hugh encourages her ambition. When she’s denied academic growth, Hugh suggests she takes advantage of her husband’s status, along with his access to the sacred libraries of the Magisterium, and puts her brain back to work. Hugh even writes to the Saint Sophia’s board and inquires about a place for a prominent young scholar to give her grounds.

It’s not exactly a patronage. She’s not exactly his protégé. Should the concept of friendship be more familiar to Marisa, she’d probably recognize the similarities, but the thought never visits her. Fits of spite do, though. Spending weeks locked up in a house, wallowing in rage and a mind-numbing lack of anything to do, certainly didn’t help her moods, but it wasn’t when it started. She’s always pushed away, and one time she didn’t, look what happened.

'What do I care if I’m done for anyway,' she hisses.

'Stupid girl,' MacPhail hisses back–

–and shoves her into a narrow passageway, making a sharp swerve. It would be wonderful to break his neck for calling her stupid, but she ambles angrily along in her heels until Hugh grabs her ‘round.

His eyes are transparent-green and heavy. Perhaps, the best precaution against sin: Marisa can't imagine them offering compassion. Better not sin at all than confess to those eyes.

'Now listen to me.' The lizard slides down his sleeve to the crook of the elbow and peers at the golden monkey, him staring up with a scowl. Hugh’s hands are crushing Marisa’s shoulders. 'They want to hear from Asriel – oh, don't make that face. They want to hear from him, and they will. But it's to determine his fate, or the child's. Yours is pretty much decided.'

'And what did I just say,' she breathes out, barely unclenching her teeth.

'They can easily make it worse.'

'Oh, I doubt that.'

'Want to try them?' Hard stones bump against the back. Why does everyone insist on shaking her today? 'Go ahead. See if you like being sent to a convent for the rest of your days.'

It’s so easy to dismiss. For the longest beautiful moment, threats are just threats and words are just words, mere noises they exchange. Silly, even. Marisa opens her mouth to say exactly that, venom already rising to soak up the tongue and every word it forms, when it hits her. It hits her good.

Raw, animal fear.

'No.'

'Oh, yes.'

Splashing all over, on her face, in her guts. Inches away, Hugh is being needlessly cruel, hammering in the point that’s already reached her with sternness one can only expect from a man of god.

'Maybe you'll get to Saint Sophia's still. I hear they offer a place for women in your position, setting them back on the path of righteousness. Repentance and prayers, all day, every day.'

'No!'

This time literally, Marisa pushes away with all her strength. Hugh takes a hard step back, the green of his eyes sparks up with fury. It only takes him a heartbeat to charge at Marisa again but as soon as he does, a painful grimace twists his face – his daemon falls from the sleeve. Kneeling hastily, distracted, he stretches an arm to the floor. The lizard climbs up quicker that the monkey can reach her, leaving black paws to crush air between them.

The four of them freeze, riled up and panting. Someone once said that tragedies caught mid-action always make for the most comic statues, and well, they weren’t wrong.

Marisa breaks first.

She groans in disgust, feeling ill. Serene hallways and dull clothes, never a spark of hope, or a new idea, or an interesting conversation, forever and ever, until she's dead. She'll go mad. She’s half there already.

'I will kill myself. I will kill myself if they do that, Hugh.'

And she means it.

Hugh straightens up, smoothing his clothes, his daemon once again on his shoulder.

'Then don't tease them,' he reasons sharply.

Then, perhaps seeing her distraught face, a little kinder, 'You're very young, Marisa. Think of the future. Don't dig yourself a grave.'

Marisa’s mind scatters, as wild as it was this morning, fingers fumbling with the dress in search of something to torture. Tugging at her consciousness, her daemon's presence. He is raging because she is. He is scared because she is. As if they haven't been horrible to each other all day (and many, many exiled days before that), he's offering support. Marisa cannot bear that any more than the horrid idea of a convent.

Her feelings are too big; that’s the issue, always has been. Swelling up beyond control, they’re threatening to crush this wormhole of a corridor – and they are not for the audience. She’ll feel them later, she decides, analyzing the way her skin stretches, as thin and unreliable as the membrane of a soap bubble; she’ll feel them when she has the space, or power to withstand them. Despite the deal tasting like bile at the back of her throat, making it for the hundredth time comes slightly easier. If only her soul would quit pushing her into emotional pits, always hanging about, always wanting to connect when she can bear it the least – if only he would just quit.

Weakling.

With a sharp headshake, Marisa folds her arms for composure and walks past him, ignoring the way his beautiful gilded tail falls and twitches, tucked between the legs. One day, she’ll walk far enough.

Hugh follows her, resuming the role of a silent guide.

It takes them a few more passages, each narrower than the other, to untangle themselves from a poorly lit cobweb and reach a more familiar part of the building. There are once again people in the corridors, so whispers and looks make their return. Hugh must have taken a longer route to avoid those, for her sake. For what it’s worth, it’s a gesture.

The path ends, as all merciful things do, far too quickly.

'You can wait here. They'll summon you.'

'Will you be there?'

A pause.

'No.'

To think, she had actually hoped.

Hugh leaves.

Anxiety doesn't.

The monkey almost gets jammed by the door because Marisa doesn't care enough to hold it. She hears a loud chatter, rushed steps – and fails to be touched. A golden lightning zings around as she presses her palms tightly to her ribs and takes a few hard, shuddering breaths. Her lungs are spasming. She’d very much like to throw something at her daemon to keep him fucking quiet because it’s all too much. All around, it’s all too much, it’s all…

'I thought you'd wear black.'

Ripping through her, a familiar voice.

Of course, now the monkey shuts up. The only sound bombarding the room is her own gasping for air. Marisa cuts it immediately, then breathes again, quieter, and opens her eyes. Invisible hooks are already pulling at her flesh in multiple directions – what's another one.

Asriel is standing a bit away, as sure as a death sentence: half-turned, cradling a glass at his chest. She doesn’t have it in her to be surprised. Whatever monstrosity they’ve committed together on a cosmic level must have been grander than murder and adultery combined because it’s bound them, pulling at the threads at the worst possible moments. Inside, a morbid feeling rises, about as gentle as a flood that breaks the dam: they won’t ever leave each other alone. She could climb the highest mountain of the farthest north, and he’d still be there.

Marisa gropes for the door handle, fully set on leaving; then doesn’t. Her eyes, for some reason, fixate on that drink Asriel's holding: something pleasantly amber, warm, leaving trails when swirled. A thirst that’s been tormenting her since the morning parts her lips – alcoholics have more will, for heaven’s sake. Marisa can't move. She doesn’t even blink, just holds herself perfectly still. Prey always does.

Asriel chuckles, noticing.

'Need a drink?'

She could kill him. She’s an open wound in indigo, and despises Asriel for seeing it. For mocking it, too. It takes an actual, physical effort to move her eyes up to his face, but finally – there he is, the bastard. Hard jaw and a five-day stubble. She also despises herself for knowing what his five-day stubble looks like.

He nods an invitation: a bottle on the table, some empty glasses.

'Don’t drink alone. Never ends well, especially for women.'

Every word – a taunt. Between the grown hair and the shirt sleeves he, for once, didn’t roll up, it is the same man Marisa knew, yet as soon as the haunting spreads, the image falters. Something fundamental in him has changed, sending a sting of sharp loss right to the heart. It’s not in the stance, or in the voice, or the clothes; more subtle than the line of his cheekbones, less obvious than a grey streak falling on his forehead. His eyes are different, she thinks. The way Asriel is laughing, it only makes them darker with hard, grim triumph. Like he’s playing a game that he knows to inevitably end in a massacre.

Still, it is him.

It is him.

Marisa tries out different phrases in her mind. I hate you. How are you. Are you well.

She says none of it.

Out of nowhere, a long silvery shadow moves across the floor, causing her daemon to perk up in what feels like acidic burns in her lungs. Stelmaria brushes past Asriel’s knees, and for a moment, Marisa loses her god-given, natural ability to breathe. It feels murderous, hope. Whoever invented it must have been a sick brute.

The monkey glances over for permission he knows he won’t have, but the sadness in him. Sadness and excitement, beating somewhere so deep in her own heart she's choking on it. Marisa clenches her fists, pushes it down, and glares a warning. It isn’t a conversation, those have withered between them like flowers on a fighting arena until nothing remained but orders: chisels and scalpels, to carve, to mold. With the same woeful expression, her soul ignores her. Never been mellow, this one, yet now he turns away, treading a few careful steps to sit before the leopard, quiet and mesmerized.

It’s so different from the way he sat this morning, aiming for a strike across Marisa's face. He's looking. He's admiring.

Stelmaria lowers her big head. A touch more–

At the same time, Marisa and Asriel jerk their chins, and the daemons instantly return, yanked back, looking ashamed and scolded. Just before Stelmaria hides behind the table again, she finds Marisa’s eyes. Fresh burns sizzle with guilt. It shouldn’t be possible to hate one part of the same soul, yet love the other.

Asriel seems shaken, too. Conflicted even – he who has always been as one with his daemon. Get used to it, Marisa wants to say but locks her lips for fear of saying something else entirely.

'Well.' He rubs his eyes.

'Well,' she echoes.

Well, first words poorly spent. Should have been something eloquent and scathing.

'She speaks,' Asriel smirks from across the room and just like that, he’s back at it. That first glimpse of a man he’ll become, unparalleled in strength and coldness, goes unnoticed by Marisa at the moment, but will scratch her memory for years to come.

He waits for a reply. With every second, his face falls a little, until finally he just shrugs and starts walking around the table. Wanders mindlessly, deeper into the room. It's someone's study, must be. A giant desk is set on a podium at the far wall. Asriel sips from the glass going shamelessly through the papers lying around, so uninterested in her presence it fires Marisa's insides right up. Oh, she speaks. She will maim you with words as soon as she decides what to say.

Fists and hair, she marches up to him. Asriel doesn’t even fully turn, just looks at her sideways: walls and walls and walls behind storm-cloud eyes. She forgot he was tall. Beginnings of a rough beard make him older in appearance, but that’s the thing. That’s the thing. He is young, and so is she, and youth is violent.

'You have ruined everything.'

Asriel raises his eyebrows, dully unintrigued.

'Exactly what?'

Her emotions are a swarm of foul bugs rubbing wings. Exactly what, he asks. How to even formulate it.

Being thrown back so far, the road she'd taken seems but a vague thread near horizon, completely out of her reach.

Exactly what.

Every door that's now closed, every victory clawed out in battles turned to ashes. All scarcely accumulated freedom, taken.

Him offering her marriage without even realizing how that would be the last shovel of dirt into her grave of public acceptance, and then acting so offended about her refusal.

Exactly fucking what.

The crippling, boiling fear of living out her life among brainless clucks interested only in talking of sin and salvation, because one damned reckless man fired a pistol and did not have a decency to miss, blowing it all out of proportion.

'You killed Edward.'

'Ah,' Asriel exhales throwing his head back, and Marisa feels deranged enough to go for the jugular with nothing but her teeth. Then he looks down again. 'You must have loved him so.'

Massacre.

…massacre.

A slap rings through the air. Immediately, Marisa’s palm stings, stunned from the impact, Asriel's sharp inhale lingering on the skin. His posture, if only for a second, changes to resemble that of an animal ready to chase its prey. Marisa half-wishes he did, because the alternative is watching him slowly straighten his shoulders and sneer in a way that drops the temperature in the whole room.

She hears Stelmaria growl behind him. That, for some reason, feels like an even bigger betrayal because she's never growled at Marisa before.

Asriel touches his cheek. Nods pensively as his eyes wander to the table. Something long and silvery finds its way into his hand – a letter opener, with a thin blade and a richly incrusted handle. A piece of value, it seems. Asriel keeps turning it in his fingers.

'That's right,' he says at last. There's nothing right about that. 'That is exactly why we're here. Let's cut each other's throats and be done with it.'

He doesn't mean, of course, literally – although Marisa wouldn't exclude it. When he looks up, it's like stepping under the waterfall, except instead of water, there's resentment hurling its rushing weight off the cliff. It breaks Marisa's bones a little, just so she can barely stand, but not much else. She wonders where her fear went. As she explores every last corner of herself, she only finds white-hot rage.

Marisa doesn't mean it either, of course, even when she forces his hand out of spite. A silver blade – not too sharp, but sharp enough – presses against her neck: move it sideways, and it will leave a cut. Asriel's palm is wrapped around the handle, warm in her grip.

'You'd like that, wouldn't you?'

They're standing so close you’d think them lovers. Swallowing, Marisa feels the metal scrape her skin with intimacy only sharp edges possess. Asriel stares at the motion with a truly horrible expression. On his face, hunger is bleeding into hatred and contempt has a tinge of admiration to it, all feelings rooting so deep in each other it’s like excavating ancient history from ice. Ice cuts your hands, parting with secrets.

His chest rises, Marisa can feel it with her own.

'You're insufferable,' says he, a man who made her a widow in her twenties when she had plans for life.

Way behind, the monkey lets out a loud hiss – always closer at their worst. Up dart Asriel’s eyes, above Marisa’s shoulder, and she suspects her own eyes looked about the same when she saw Stelmaria. Full of longing. There’s a lot about connecting with someone’s daemon: for one, it doesn’t often happen. For all else, and that’s a nuisance if you come to hate the person, the connection doesn’t break.

No, that’s not it. Connection leaves room for all kinds of things twisted into it, when in reality, you’re specifically unable not to love.

She wakes disoriented, dizzy from the gentlest aching in her heart, only to find Asriel asleep with a ball of golden fur curled comfortably under his arm, the memory flashes and fades in a second. She’d never felt weaker. She’d never felt happier. She’s holding a knife to her own throat and doesn't know how to tell Asriel that she wants to crawl inside his chest. Slither between the ribs, and nestle against his giant pulsating heart, and stay there for a while before returning to her normal size and ripping him up from the inside. A payback for every good thing she still remembers.

'I hate you.'

Asriel blinks. Looks at her again. His hand is very steady, tangled in vines of Marisa's fingers.

'I've taken the child,' he says a little hoarsely, 'just so you know.'

Oh, that is low. And somehow even worse than I hate you, too.

That one time, when they were fighting, Asriel asked, 'Would you rather I’d let your goddamn husband kill our child?' Well, not asked; he was shouting like a madman. Doesn't matter. 'WOULD YOU RATHER I’D LET YOUR GODDAMN HUSBAND KILL OUR CHILD?!' And Marisa thought, yes. Yes, you idiot. Children are replaceable. You know what isn't? Reputation.

Her reasoning hasn't changed much over the days of isolation. Ignoring every reason, her body keeps exploding with the need of a child she doesn't want. There’s not a chance Asriel could have guessed, but pushing random buttons seems to be just as efficient as inflicting pain on purpose.

Another hard swallow.

'Is she safe?' Marisa strikes the perfect dry, pragmatic tone despite the most vicious yearning building underneath.

'From you? Yes.'

'Good.'

It is good. She doesn't know what her body could enslave her to do if there existed the slightest chance of getting near that child. It is very, very good that Asriel hates her enough to spare her the turmoil. She’s almost grateful.

'I'll fight you to death.' It’s not a warning, not a threat, he simply states the fact. They say all the wrong words. Come to think of it, they're both really bad at saying the right ones.

'Mine on yours?'

Oh.

Right there, it slips away from her: yours, with a trill, throat slightly vibrating against the blade. She blinks. That unexpected soft rolling from the language Marisa only spoke in childhood, and still it creeps into her voice whenever her heart is turbulent enough. Maybe it's stuck. Maybe she's stuck. Just an emotional child who's used to mumbling excuses in French, drowning in chamomile.

But she isn't excusing herself now.

Asriel's eyes narrow – of course, he knows that little thing about her, that little sign of her weakness. What an inconvenient thing for lovers to share everything. He'll wander off to the world holding that knowledge above her head like a sword, and Marisa couldn't torture it out of him if she tried. There are parts in her that to Asriel, by Asriel, will never be un-known. The thought is dooming.

Asriel is watching her, their hands entwined over the handle of a knife pressed to her neck. That's probably the best description of what he is to her.

'Have courage, Marisa Delamare,' he says finally, butchering her maiden name into a vague pronunciation of its meaning: de la mer – of the sea. Thorold, for some reason, was ecstatic to learn it, and Asriel...

You're a sea creature through and through.

He never called her anything but Delamare in private.

I love you, sea creature.

'Have courage to hate me.'

He hugs Marisa then. She fights back on instinct, only there's no space between his arm pulling her close and the blade that the bastard doesn't even lower. She reaches for Asriel’s shoulders to push him away. She ends up clinging to him. Nothing about it makes sense, except that her heart is slowly shredding itself to pieces with longing and hatred. That makes perfect damn sense. As they stand in this monstrous embrace, Marisa thinks that if it's always going to be like this, them meeting by chance and instantly wanting to be whole, she'd rather just step forward and slit her throat now.

She also plans on never forgiving him for kissing her hair: after all, she is young, and youth is full of always' and nevers, among other things that rarely stand the test of time.

Asriel's hand is unresisting when she takes the knife from it; silver clanks back on the wooden table, and then it’s quiet. Still close, they stop holding each other.

'Right,' Marisa exhales, taking a step back before meeting his eyes again: storm-blue and sapphire-blue, on the same spectrum, yet irreconcilably different. 'So, let's go kill each other. It'll make a great show.'

She turns to leave. Asriel grabs her wrist.

'I won't spare you, Marisa.'

'I don't need you to.'

His lips are dry and angry, then wet from hers. No fight this time. Resistance takes a coherent line of thought from the impulse to the action, and Marisa is not in possession of such a treasure anymore. Her impulses and actions are all over the place mixing, overlapping, clashing to the point of disaster. It’s all too much.

Somewhere close, their daemons are grumbling in the softest voices. Opening her mouth to Asriel’s tongue, she imagines them playing: gleams of silver and gold, small hands curled around a thick neck, caressing the spotted fur. Noses pressed together; slightly out of breath, because they are. Kind, kind. The sheer need for the same kindness twists Marisa’s insides, leaving her vulnerable, malleable like a piece of clay in Asriel’s arms when all he’s giving her is rough. Not at all like a lover saying farewell, just rough – merciless even, scratching her with a beard, grabbing her, squeezing so hard that her hips are already anticipating the bruises, and soft like bruised skin, she takes it.

Her daemon whimpers in pain in Stelmaria’s claws, and only then, mid-kiss, Marisa chokes on understanding. They’re not lovers, and they aren’t saying farewell. Whatever she’s doing is her fault entirely because Asriel is sealing a deal they made, a deal to crush each other, stealing her breath and lips to sign on the horrors. Only forward with it now.

He leaves abruptly without giving Marisa a second look, just a slight push as he lets go of her, the slightness of it delivering the worst insult. Stelmaria shadows his step across the room – the leopard’s head hangs low, but it’s not enough to matter, let alone change anything – and out of the door.

There's nothing else.

Except – the monkey racing around.

Except – Marisa's own hot gasps and the furious tears she blinks away. That’s what you get for remembering good things, that vile feeling of being killed in a very precise, specific way. She should have stuck with rage. She should have put another promise into her kisses, a violent one. The regret of giving away tenderness slashes at her stomach with full ferocity of a too-late realization.

She tries to rub Asriel's hands off. She rubs, then rubs more: her palms fire up immediately from the dress, but the handprints persist. At least in the process she disturbs a sore spot from when the maid pinched her this morning. It's better to focus on that. Focusing on honest physical pain, Marisa finds, mostly helps.

She allows herself one sip from Asriel's forgotten glass.

Then downs it.

[moonheavens]

moonheavens' (wolfstar) fic recs, Nov 24

hello! since my last list of fic recs is now over a year old (Aug 23), I figured it's about time for a new one, especially on the back of the recent discourse about shouting about work you love, which I'm always happy to do.

so without further ado, here are some fics I have "recently" read and loved and whose praises I'd like to sing, very loudly. please do note this only includes wolfstar or multi-ship Marauders fics.

authors, if you want to be untagged, have your fic removed or have the one line summary changed, just message me.

all recs with ao3 links below the break <3

WIPs

All's Fair in Love and Trivia, by @cancerravenclaw ~75k, Explicit, Muggle. exes to lovers years after a huge, painful break-up. I've been eating this up with a spoon and re-read multiple times so far, it's soooo good. really hot ex-sex, yet also handles the complex emotions beautifully, and I love the group dynamics.

The Labyrinth, by QuillNib ~45k, Explicit (check tags), AU. Sirius is forced to sign a contract with an A/B/O breeding facility. really interesting take on omegaverse dynamics, very handmaid's tale vibes. great writing and plot, and keeps you on your toes constantly.

How To Jeopardise Your Friendship With Remus Lupin, by @amberlink ~200k, Teen, Hogwarts. everything you could ever want from a Hogwarts-era best friends to lovers fic. beautifully written, amazing characterisations and also just super funny and sweet. I love this Remus dearly, and this is one of those fics where you drop everything else when the update email comes in.

A Song for the End of the World, by @wannabelilybriscoe ~200k, Mature (check tags), AU. zombie apocalypse wolfstar!! amazing plot so far that really keeps you guessing, with great links to canon yet entirely fresh and inventive. wonderful friendship dynamics and writing, and I would die for this Sirius (but also lowkey steal his man).

Shorter finished works (<30k)

back to the old house, by @saintlupin 20k, Explicit, First War. Sirius, Regulus and Remus get stuck in grimmauld place and have to deal with the tension between them. absolutely beautiful, and painful in all the best ways like only saintlupin can achieve.

Sirius Black and the "mystery girl", by Anonymous 30k, Teen, Hogwarts. the marauders try to guess who Sirius is mysteriously dating. this one is so much fun, really light-hearted and joyful and a great twist with the Lily POV.

What I Heard, by fishcommuter / @fishpilgrim 28k, Explicit, Hogwarts. definition of idiots to lovers; wolfstar acting like a couple and having to be told they're basically dating. light-hearted, sweet, and a lot of fun.

The Barista, the Burglar, and the Sofa, by orphan_account 21k, Explicit, Muggle. summary reads "the story of how Sirius tries to seduce a man by slowly furnishing his flat" and.. that totally checks out. absolutely hilarious and very sweet, and I too would fold if Sirius Black bought me a bookshelf.

Wishes on Stars, by Quietlemonhush and @theresthesnitch 19k, Explicit, AU. Remus makes a wish upon a star and gains a friend. without spoiling too much, this one is a wonderful journey - so sweet, so beautiful, so poetic, so heart-warming.

A Good League Hence, by @eyra 15k, Teen, Muggle. a country hotel in the wintertime. I could put eyra's entire bibliography here as they're incredible, but this is one of my favs. sweet christmas fluff with animals and eyra's ever-incredible writing, just perfect.

June: or how Sirius finally figured himself out, by MarigoldWritesThings / @marigold-hills 15k, Explicit, Hogwarts. does what the title suggests, and wonderfully so. I adore this version of pining yet oblivious Sirius, and the writing here is stunning. tender and heart-warming.

Just a Little Bit of Magic, by @cancerravenclaw 25k, Explicit, Muggle. music journalist Remus falls in love at first sight with model Sirius at a club. flirting ensues. one of my favourites ever - sensual, delicious, beautifully written. the kind of fic I'm grateful exists, and secretly wish I could write.

Tear My Chest Open, by @puuvillaa 22k, Explicit (check tags), Post-Hogwarts. Remus never goes to Hogwarts and meets Sirius, who is taken, in a writing class. complicated feelings ensue. this one was painful, but beautiful. a beautiful expression of care and tenderness.

nothing sweeter than my baby, by damagecontrol 7k, Explicit, Muggle. wolfstar dads on a date night at a Hozier concert, except it's mostly sex. ridiculously hot and sexy, yet sweet and fun. one of my favs if I want something nsfw.

Match Point, by @billspaid 14k, General, Muggle. wolfstar as husbands who are both tennis players, inspired by Challengers. exactly what you want from it; ridiculously fun. competitive yet sweet as they go head-to-head. a blast.

lunch poems, by aeridi0nis / @steelycunt 5k, General, Muggle. tourist Sirius bothers bookstore employee Remus into adoration. aeridi0nis and their gorgeous gorgeous writing never disappoints and this was so much fun. swotty Remus my beloved.

Three Card Monte, by @enjambament 14k, Teen, Muggle. I love heist AU's and this is one of the best ones out there. tensive and exciting the whole way through, and this wolfstar... I want what those bitches have.

The Right Reason, by softsilkentofu 11k, Explicit, Post-Hogwarts. wolfstar get married (as friends) to evade anti-werewolf laws. incredibly funny and heart-warming, with great writing, and a fun twist on fake dating.

Longer finished works (30k+)

Dunes and Waters, by MarigoldWritesThings / @marigold-hills 36k, Explicit, AU. curse breaker/convict Sirius is forced to work with ancient Egypt researcher Remus on a riddle. I loved the mythology aspects of this and the twist on canon, and it was beautifully written.

The Road to Sweetwater, by @euripidestrousers 57k, Explicit, AU. Wild West AU, with outlaw Sirius and bounty hunter Remus. I've been yelling about this one a lot recently - one of my all time favs, beautifully written and so brilliant. I'll be coming back to it for a long time.

The Spy Who Loved Him, by OptimisticDinosaur / @mostlyoptimisticdinosaur 35k, Explicit, AU. James Bond AU, with spy Sirius and 'man in the chair' Remus. intensely exciting and tensive, and so much fun. I really had a great time with this one.

an endless sky of honey, by @colgatebluemintygel 35k, Mature, AU. Greek mythology inspired; Sirius is a God, Remus is a mortal. that's all I'll say, you gotta go into this pretty blind, but it's just. incredible. toothpaste never misses and this one is really special.

through the gaps of sunlight, by grumposaur / @pancakehouse 48k, Explicit, AU. victorian era exes to lovers wolfstar with aristocrat Sirius... this one was so much fun, the yearning! the pining! the longing glances! I ate that shit up with a spoon.

The Waste Land, by afieryfox / @a-fiery-fox 51k, Mature, AU. Remus is a resistance fighter for the Order; Sirius joins the fight. brilliant wartime-wolfstar characterisation and a really tense and engaging plot, plus amazing writing. one of my favs of 2024.

love finds a way, by @littleoldrachel 60k, Mature, AU. Jurassic Park exes to lovers... who doesn't love dinos? Rachel always delivers with her writing and characterisations, and I'm obsessed with these nerdy, mopey versions of R & S.

Lie to Me (Another Secret), by Whoops_e 151k, Explicit, Hogwarts. Sirius is expelled from Beauxbatons and joins Hogwarts late. beautiful fic with a focus on mental health, with amazing dialogue and super tender wolfstar (one of my favs). the bathroom scene in ch40 is everything to me.

back when we were dinosaurs, by epicblueblanket / @kaaaaaaarf 37k, Explicit, Muggle. Remus and Sirius meet at their workplace, a museum in Toronto. paleontology!!! nerd Remus!!! sexy Sirius!! this has everything you want, just a perfect fic in every way.

Bonus recs that you've probably already read, and if you haven't you absolutely 100% should

Harry Potter and the Dog and the Wolf (series), by thewholeofthemoon ~605k overall, Mature. a retelling of canon (starting from POA) but with Peter captured and Wolfstar taking care of Harry, aka how we all wish canon had been. beautifully written and super original take on the story. it's long, but it's worth it for the wolfstar alone.

Hey, Sharpshooter, by @tortoisebore 200k, Explicit, Muggle. college, basketball player Remus meets figure skater Sirius. recently finished, and I couldn't not include it as this is in my top 5 most re-read and loved fics ever. it makes me want to pull out my teeth one by one (affectionately). they're engraved in my memory at this point.

on another ocean, by @colgatebluemintygel (WIP) ~133k, Explicit, Muggle. recently dumped Sirius drags Remus on a holiday across through Europe. if you haven't read this, please, please do. it's literally my favourite thing in the entire world. like, no competition. I would sacrifice my firstborn for this fic, and like, raze the city of Troy for this fic (my Helen).

Chimaera & The Wolf (series), by lostmy_keys / @lostmykeysie 337k, Mature, First War. Regulus and Remus work together to find the horcruxes. this one is popular, and for good reason; I devoured this, one of my favourite things I've ever read in my life. so exciting and tense, and the wolfstar is everything to me.

and if after all of these you’re still looking for more, may I humbly inform you I’m also a wolfstar writer myself—you can find my fics on my ao3.

and that's all, folks. this is just a small selection, I have read dozens more so if you want more you know where to find me. love always, Ames <3

[greetingfromthedead]

"It's like you are a missing puzzle piece I've been looking for, that I've crossed the universe for. It feels like a god's plan to cross our paths, to be blessed enough to walk on the same ground, under the same stars at the same time. You drive me crazy, body and soul, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't get it all, I feel like you understand me better than I understand myself, like you can see into my heart and mind."

I'm a bag of mixed feelings and I do blame my manic episode for it. I've been writing 2-3 chapters (~1.8k word per) for 4 days straight now and I feel like I'm losing my marbles. I am really proud of myself for writing so much and I am ecstatic, that at this point, I have reached the final arc of the fic. But at the same time I feel like my writing is stumbling downhill like a wheel of cheese. I don't want to rush anything, but I don't want to add unnecessary shit either cause I feel like the pacing is fucked up enough as it is. Not to mention I am scared I will overwhelm people with my 90 chapter story and they will be too scared to even start it. So I have a question (again)...

Tempest Wind is a 18+ Vash x F!Reader fic with some spice, some gore, a bit of action and a lot of fluff, for added flavor there's a sprinkle of angst too ofc.

Until I have finished the whole story, feel free to indulge in the published DEMO chapters:

Perfect Morning - domestic fluff, intimacy, mild smuttiness, shy Vash

Festivities - delusional bliss on an unfamiliar planet with weird traditions, ice skating and sweet Vash

Burn - basically smuttiness with little actual plot

Keep an eye out for a new demo chapter coming withing the next two weeks. It's gonna be Vash trying to seduce the reader before they get together!

[daedrabait]

⭐️more pleas⭐️

You'll regret this, but who am I to deny the people what they ask for ? Hehehe

Ask template here

So I believe I left off on the relationship between Faelon and Mercer. Their ao3 series can be read here. (Currently a work in progress.)

So, first off. Their initial opinions of each other are funny - Mercer thinks Faelon is captivating, has a ton of potential, and is a cut above most people but typical as he is, he has to be an asshole and pretend he hates him because he's a threat to his own ambitions. Mercer wants to get rid of Faelon so that he doesn't potentially foil his plans. Faelon, on the other hand, hates Mercer for the way he treats him and thinks he's lower than dirt. He wants to remove him and take his place completely.

Faelon stalks Mercer for a time and learns his secrets - and Mercer lets him, thrilled to be chased, regardless of how unwise it is. He can't deny that he's drawn to Faelon, but hates himself for it. Faelon confronts him and gives him an ultimatum - he shares his secrets and riches and they work together toward fortune, or Faelon will tell the guild about his treachery and kill him for it.

They end up working together and develop an intense physical (and eventually romantic) relationship as they scheme together. The canon thieves guild storyline will be diverted quite a bit because of their team-up, and because of the way I personally write Mercer. I won't spoil everything I have in mind, but it's a wild ride regardless.

On to Veris - he's my sweet Dunmer trans man who's still trying to find his place outside of the Windhelm Grey Quarter. Abandoned on the Windhelm docks by his mother who fled Skyrim after deciding that dragging along her bastard child with her wasn't worth the effort.

Growing up as a little Dunmer orphan in Windhelm wasn't easy. The other Dunmer banded together to help raise him - namely an older woman who wanted him to escape the Grey Quarter the most.

Veris hated the injustices and the scraps that he and other dark elves were fed and started lying and stealing from people to fill the void of unhappiness he felt and 'stick it to the Nords'. This often got him in trouble. The lady who raised him was very disappointed in him for taking these actions, which confused him. If she wanted him to be better, to have nicer things, and to escape, she should have known that he would have to get his hands dirty in order to do so, right?

Being trans didn't help his situation at all. No one took him seriously because of the way he dressed and looked, and the way he had seduced so many people to get his way. When he left Windhelm, though, he was able to start hrt and meet people who actually seen him as a person/took him seriously.

One of these people is Balimund. I wrote a fic about the two of them here.

Balimund helps Veris relieve his guilty conscience and work on forgiving/bettering himself after all the suffering he endured. I haven't written much in the way of their story besides what you see here so far and what's in the fic, but eventually I'll expand more on it. I've got so many projects ongoing at once that it's a miracle I get anything done sjdhdj

Thank you for letting me ramble again <3 I'm gonna go work on my silly little stories now that I'm freshly motivated.

[earlgreytea68]

You have lured me into Fall Out Boy fics & I've super loved yours. Can you rec some other authors or fics?

OMG YES HERE ARE SOME FICS TO CHECK OUT: (this is an incomplete list with poor tagging but it’s something!)

AllOur Stars Aligned (Put Love on Hold) by two_ravens and @xaritomene:REGENCY AU. This was the first Pete/Patrick fic I ever read, knowing nothingabout them, and I fell so hard for Pete in this fic that I spent the entire dayafter I read it doing nothing but reading about Pete Wentz and watchinginterviews with him. I love this fic because it’s so deliciously long, it letsyou just descend into it, and it doesn’t skimp on the flirting, you get tolisten in on every conversation as they fall for each other, IT’S THE BEST ANDCOULD HAVE GONE ON FOREVER. 

TheBoys Time Can’t Capture by scarredsodeep: Honestly, readEVERYTHING by scarredsodeep, it’s all incredible, but this one is my particularfavorite. In which Pete is a faerie and somehow it makes more sense than Petebeing a human. 

There’s acategory of fics where Pete and Patrick decide they can totally be friends withbenefits and that’s going to work out great. Here’s one: 

LongLive the Car Crash Hearts by neery

There are alsolots of fics that play around with time travel, which maybe makes sense giventhe longevity of the band and of Pete and Patrick’s relationship: 

SomewhereYou Exist by @leyley09

Good God I Wish I Was Back in My Time by impertinence

singlike silver bells do by the_ragnorak: a sweet ace fic

Graffiti bymegyal: Flirting through graffiti. 

CallIt Enough by joyfulseeker: ugh, silly sweet boys

Full Frontal Assault by ladyfoxxx: silly sweet boys is totally a genre

The Littlest Emo by @druscilla: de-aging fic

Care for anAU? Here are some where they’re still involved with music but not following theFOB story: 

ALittle Infamy by ladyfoxxx: Who’s a soul-voiced singer to turnto when he needs to leak a sex tape? Pete Wentz, of course!

TheTruth About Patrick by ladyfoxxx: Falling in love withPatrick’s voice before falling in love with Patrick. 

ThisSeed Burst and Grown by sena: In which Patrick falls in lovewith an older guy. 

TheFeral by @glitterandrocketfuel: I’m not a huge Omegaverseperson but I loved this one. 

TheAntidote to Everything (Except for Me) by snitchesandtalkers:This is tagged midwestern gothic and that’s a perfect description. 

ThoseWords, That Kiss, That Bottle by snitchesandtalkers: Lovepotion!

When You Wake Up, the World Will Come Around by snitchesandtalkers: single dad AU

If you likeyour AUs farther afield, I’ve got those for you, too!

Tellthe Boys Where to Find My Body by dear_monday and two_ravens:assassin! AU. Wherein Patrick falls for his target, of course. 

BeWentzed bylenore: If you like my devil story, this is the flip, wherein Pete is the Devilseducing Patrick. 

AccidentsWill Happen by @melusina: Bakery AU. 

ClandestineBoys (Have Nothing to Hide) by fictionalaspect: I find that somany fics with sexy premises, like this porn studio AU, actually turn out to bethe sweetest things. 

ThePros and Cons of Skiing by fro_baby: Skiing AU. 

Heavenand Hell Are Empty; This Is Limbo by trickstartmonk: Anotherdemon AU!

LovingHim Was Red by folie_aplusieurs: This is a fairy tale with aTaylor Swift title, be still my heart. 

Hellor High Water by the_chaotic_panda: Kind of obsessed with thispirate AU. 

Clothes Off! by girlpearl, melusina, Pennyplainknits: strip club AU fake news article

bang bang into the room (i know you want it) by endquestionmark and soaringrachel: and more strip club AU

Umbrellas Over Ducks by abriata: arranged marriage

Fivehead and the Velociraptor by impertinence: Beauty and the Beast AU

THIS FANDOMHAS SO MANY FAKE DATING FICS AND THEY’RE ALL FANTASTIC here are a few andhonestly, these are just the ones I randomly chose: 

I 4 U& U 4 Me by @melusina

TheSubstitute Boyfriend by @melusina

SugarDaddy (We’re Goin’ Down) by @jedusaur​

You’re Still Worth Fighting For (No One Has to Know) by Hum My Name (My_Kind_Of_Crazy)

Also so manylovely college AUs, here’s one:  

Wanted:Piano Lesson by emeraldcitydowntowngirl

And one that’s college AND fake dating!

i spend my money on the regular miracles by endquestionmark

Maybe you justwant something a little smutty: 

we’refriends when you’re on your knees by @sceptick​

ThisIs my Pity Party by @secretstudentdragonblog​

Bad Decision Time by jiksa

If, like me,you love a good WiP: 

PowerOn by folie_aplusieurs: Robots!

super!duper!clueless!series by @trickstartmonk: superhero AU!

stuckin the sunshine by @justtothesea: Good Place AU!

StripteaseWith a Difference by Das_verlorene_kind: Kind of fake dating,tbh. 

TheWrong Side of Paradise by the_chaotic_panda: fantasy!

FromNow On We Are by Hum My Name (My_Kind_of_Crazy): also fakedating!

ThereIs a Light That Never Goes Out by Das_verlorene_kind: In whichPatrick has antlers and Pete has a tail. 

[o0o-chibaken-o0o]

Hi! Do you know of any fics where Harry and Draco are both Aurors and have to work together? I've read quite a few but haven't come across one in a while. Either permanently partners or firced together for a single case, both work for me. (Note: I have read everything by l0vegl0wsinthedark so, much as I love reading and rereading What Real Thing, I figured it would better to warn you :D Thank you so much for all of your recs, they are so, unspeakably helpful! :)

(Thank you @celticrose1989​ and @awesomesauceuniverse​ for the requests!! I decided to combine these, since fics in which only Draco is an auror/cursebreaker are pretty rare. I was planning to also combine this with a request for just Auror!Harry (with miscellaneous Draco) to make a giant Auror Drarry list, but it ended up being ridiculously long, so that one will come later this weekend! This one is already super long as-is, so I’ve tried to limit my commentary to 2-3 lines. Let it be known that it was very difficult, hahaha.)

Auror/Cursebreaker Partner Drarry Recs

What Real Thing? by loveglowsinthedark / @l0vegl0wsinthedark (13K)- They don’t cuddle, they don’t talk about their relationship (or lack thereof) and they certainly never fall asleep in each other’s arms.I know you’ve already read it, but you can’t expect me to just not include this amazing sexy pining fluffy piece of wonderfulness in my auror rec list!!! It includes the BEST AIRPORT SCENE (not at an airport) EVER.

Higher and Higher (Temptation) by birdsofshore (28.5K)- Only Harry Potter could manage to put on a magical collar on impulse and find himself unable to take it off again. Now following Draco’s direct orders gives him intense pleasure, and Draco has a whole heap of troubles to deal with, not least the way Potter looks when the collar has him gasping with bliss. The whole situation would test the morals of a saint… and Draco’s no saint.THIS FIC!! EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED. I STILL REMEMBER CLICKING ON IT AND NEARLY ORGASMING RIGHT THERE and it totally does its description justice! Technically Draco is a cursebreaker here.

Two Weeks by shiftylinguini / @shiftylinguini (22K)- If Harry had to guess which out of he or his Auror Partner, and tentative new friend, Draco Malfoy, would turn out to have Veela ancestry, his answer would be: neither, because that is ridiculous. Finding out the answer is actually him, and that his Veela heritage is wreaking havoc on his ability to work, sleep, and above all be in the same room as Malfoy, is a surprise to say the least. But this is fine. Harry’s been through worse, and he can just sit this one out, regardless of how much his body is screaming for the one person he doesn’t want to ask for help. Can’t he?WONDERFUL FABULOUS YES TIMES 96382!! Veela!Harry but like, read it even if that’s not usually your thing. GREAT pining!!! Phone sex. P H O N E S E X.

Lift Your Open Hand by firethesound / @firethesound (19K)- With Draco Malfoy as his assigned partner for the next six weeks of Auror training, Harry had been prepared for things to go poorly. But getting themselves accidentally bonded to each other in the first twenty minutes of their very first assignment seemed going above and beyond, even for them.What could you possibly need that isn’t in this fic? Includes bonding, domesticity, bed sharing, and Nicolas Cage. Perfection

Sex on Legs in Six-Inch Heels by tessacrowley / @tessacrowley (10K)- Draco Malfoy is a brilliant freelance cursebreaker and the only one who can help the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with a very dangerous case, but more importantly, he’s wearing six-inch heels, and Harry cannot handle it, he really just can’t.One of the first fics I read and STILL one of the hottest! The sex is amazing, as is the fact that Draco wears (surprisingly practical!) heels and women’s clothing in general I LOVE IT SO MUCH

Highlands by Seefin / @seefin (16K)- The tent was a joke, that was basically the only explanation he could come up with as to why the Aurors would send he and Draco on a several-month mission with only their most basic model. Once, when Harry had been on one of the big ones, the kind of mission where there was a little Auror camp out in the wilderness, twenty or so tents all pitched practically on top of each other, he had slept in one with two stories. Actually it was more of a mezzanine level, but still. Their current one didn’t even have a fucking toilet. And if Harry were allowed to communicate with anyone other than Draco then he would definitely be lodging an official complaint right about now.This fic is so sweet and slow (despite being only 16K, idk how she does it!). I love the development of their relationship, and being forced into close quarters is especially w o n d e r f u l.

Little Talks by femmequixotic and noeon / @femmequixotic and @noeeon (11.5K)- Draco’s been shagging the Head Auror for months now, and he’s sure it’s just a fling. Until Harry asks him to a Quidditch match, that is, and things go horribly wrong.AAAH THE SEX. Also the adorableness! And the whatthefuckishappening a real DATE??? But THE SEX! And the fluff! Sorry I’m incoherent, just READ IT!

Something More by thusspakekate (9K)- After a night of heavy drinking, Harry Potter has a love bite the size of Wales on his neck and an unsigned note from the man who gave it to him in his pocket. The only problem? He can’t quite remember who he brought home with him the night before. And what’s got Draco Malfoy in such a strop?OMG pining in this one like crazy. It’s obvious why from the summary, right?? Yeah? Just….you’re already feeling the angst, I know it, just read it and let it be resolved

One Big Misunderstanding by agentmoppet / @agentmoppet (7K)- Draco will be the first to admit that his choices aren’t particularly clever, especially when they involve Potter, but this has to be the worst one yet.OH, DRACO. Poor baby sends Harry and Blaise off on a date together and then becomes a jealous wreck and it’s beautiful.

You Send Me (Honest You Do) by firethesound (37K)- As far as potion accidents go in general, and deaging incidents go in particular, Draco knew this could have been so much worse. Harry only lost about ten years, and all his memories are still intact. But the sight of him looking as if he’s stepped straight out of Draco’s Hogwarts memories has dredged up a whole mess of complicated feelings Draco thought he’d buried years ago, and Draco really doesn’t know what to do with any of it.This is a GREAT use of the deaging trope (without being at all creepy btw, so don’t worry!), and Harry has tattoooooos!! Also more pining pining pining

Tales from the Special Branch Series by femmequixotic (304K so far)- When Gavin Robards asks him to form Special Branch seven-four-alpha, Harry Potter knows they’ll have to work outside the confines of the law–even though they are the law.Are you tired of me reccing this series yet? TOO BAD I’LL NEVER STOP MUAHAHA. This list just wouldn’t be complete without it! Who could ever tire of Draco fucking Harry, his senior officer???? NOT ME!!

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound (150K)- Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.Another fic I’ve recced over and over because IT’S THE QUINTESSENTIAL BEST EVER CLASSIC AUROR PARTNER FIC IN MY OPINION so it literally cannot be missing from this list.

It’s the Love of the Chase (That Created the Ride) by lumosed_quill (14K)- Draco and Harry are new Auror partners. It’s a bit dull. Until they finally see some spell action and things get a lot more interesting (in Draco’s pants).Basically adrenalin rushes from cases make Harry and Draco crave sex and it’s amazing One Harry Potter Please (If Possible, Seduced and Ready) by faithwood (62K)- All Draco wants is Harry Potter’s friendship, just to make his new Auror job more bearable. However, after Harry stubbornly pays more attention to his secret admirer, Draco is forced to resort to drastic measures.So nearly all long-term-auror-partner fics have flangst because how could they not?? But this one stands out to me as being the FLANGSTIEST (this is a word now) EVER. Like an adorable idiot, Draco impersonates Harry’s secret admirer.

The Kaleidoscope Charm, or 50 Shades of Rainbow Magic by Omi_Ohmy (27K)- Getting Draco Malfoy as a boss was not the worst thing that happened to Harry; getting a crush on him was.Auror!Harry is assigned to work with Draco (of the Curse and Lock Breaking Dept). Also he owns a giant angel statue that looks just like him. ;D

Like Diamonds We Are Cut With Our Own Dust by raitala (11K)- Draco has borne the mark of the Dark Lord for over ten years. It is familiar to him, but he pays the price for it every day, and Harry has noticed.This fic is just so cool. It’s based on “that picture” by alekina, which I coincidentally reblogged just yesterday and is amazing and HARRY REMOVES DRACO’S DARK MARK YEP

Whoo Knew? by oceaxe (19K)- Despite having had a crush on his Auror partner for years, Draco’s been biding his time and waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his case. But when Harry subscribes to a new wizarding personals service, Draco gets a wake-up call. With new each message that arrives for Harry from a hopeful suitor, it becomes more and more clear that the time to act has arrived.MORE AUROR PARTNERS BEING RIDICULOUS PINING IDIOTS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE, BUT THEY DO IT ALL SO CUTELY. And with owls this time!!