#thank you kate!!! i hope you enjoyed this can of worms <3

[alethiometry]

what's this aco himym fic huh!!

kate i don't know how much you know about ac odyssey from whatever the hell i or anyone else you follow has posted about the game in the last however long it's been since it came out, so i am very very sorry if none of this makes any goddamn sense.

OKAY FIRST OF ALL i need to say that i have literally never in my life watched a single episode of himym and i do not intend to and i know nothing about it except i'm aware that people have Opinions on how it ended. it has barely fuckall to do with this fic, except that i just cannot think of a fitting title.

the short summary is that this is a kassidas fic where for some reason (have yet to figure this out) brasidas ends up with custody of elpidios and tells him all about how he and kassandra met, how their relationship developed, and how they came to be where they are now (hence the filename).

the long summary is i got WAYYYYY too ambitious with this fic and it mutated from being like a cutesy little wish-fulfillment love story to a full-blown fix-it fic where i want to address most if not all of my most vexing plotholes in ac odyssey, ranging from plot points that make no sense, to character interactions or lack thereof that had zero closure, to a complete rewrite of the very bad no good comphet dlc. and although i hated how the game handled the forced romance between kassandra and natakas, i do think there is/want to see if i can find a way to make their relationship more complex and messy and interesting by removing the romance of it but just making him a more fleshed-out character. part of my worry is that the dlc is so reviled (with good reason) across the fandom that this premise is dead on arrival anyway and no one will like it, not even myself. but at the same time, i still want the endgame of this fic to be kassidas-focused, because they are my everything and to me there is no ac odyssey without them*, and so i have to figure out a way to write some kind of weird love/parental triangle between the three of them even though i fucking hate triangles**

i waver back and forth between the himym-ness of it being due to the fact that for whatever reason kassandra is no longer in elpidios' life (thus bringing it closer to official game canon), or just waving a gigantic middle finger to ubisoft and letting kassandra actually be a mother to her son whom she loves so so much and barely got to spend any time with, but she's understandably pretty tight-lipped about her past because she's aware of the heaps and heaps of generational trauma that's plagued her family and wants to break that cycle, so it's up to brasidas to spill the tea.

another layer of complexity/difficulty in writing all of this is that i imagine elpidios to be around 7 when the story starts, because that's the same age kass was when she lost her family, so then that age becomes sort of symbolic as a milestone. which means there's also the issue of not a whole lot of ac odyssey being appropriate for a kid of that age. like, graphic violence and dark themes aside... i can't really have it be like "yeah and after decapitating korinth's biggest meanest crime lord your mother flipped me over and pegged me six ways to [whatever the ancient greek equivalent of sunday is]" and just... yeah. i don't know. i still think about what i want to do with this fic often, but i think there's a very good reason why i have barely even opened it in almost 2 years.

*this made me giggle as i typed it out bc actual historical spartan general brasidas has like 15 minutes total of screentime in a 100+ hour game. but it's also not a joke because despite all that (and also getting fucking killed at the battle of amphipolis) he still had more chemistry with kassandra than any of the other like 15 actually-romanceable characters in the game.

**another tongue-in-cheek joke/double entendre because it's revealed in the game that pythagoras who did all that triangle math equation stuff is kassandra's biological father and an absentee, deadbeat one at that. fuck that guy fr

[yelenasdiary]

hello :D can i request kate bishop x vet!reader where kate always bring lucky to the clinic for "check ups" but she really wants to ask r out?? thank you! <33

Lucky's Check-Ups

Pairing: Kate Bishop x Vet! Reader 

Summary: Any excuse to bring Lucky in for a check-up is a good excuse in Kate’s eyes.

Fluff | 1.6K | No Warnings |  

AC: I love, love, LOVE this idea!! This is by far my favourite works I’ve done for Kate. I hope you enjoy it!! 

Walking into the waiting room a smile instantly took over your lips as you saw your regular client, Lucky, waiting for his monthly check up. He wagged his tail excitingly as you approached him and his owner, Kate. “How’s the Lucky boy today?” you greeted you gently patted the golden boy. “He’s good, we’re just here for his cheek ups and nail trimming as usual” Kate smiled as she held tightly onto his lead. “Just give me a second, I’ll grab his file and we can get started” you gave Kate a soft smile before making your way behind the reception to the filing cabinet. 

“Okay boy, this is it! This is the day, I’m gonna do!” Kate whispered to Lucky who tilted his head at her words, “I know I say this every time, but I mean it this time” she adds as if Lucky truly understands her words. “Just do what you do best, be a cutie” she scratched behind his ear before you returned. 

“Come this way” you smiled once more before leading the two down the small hall into an examining room, closing the door gently after them. Kate sat on the provided chair with Lucky sitting at her feet while you glanced at his file. “So, I hope we stopped giving him full serves of pizza?” you cocked a playful brow at Kate. She shyly smiled, “of course, he’s down to 3, 4 if he’s super hungry” she chuckled. You playfully shook your head, chuckling with her. “I’d like to hear that he’s at none but that’s improvement” you dotted down in your notes. 

“We’re trying but pizza is just so good! Isn’t that right lucky!” 

Lucky barked in response. 

“Oh, is that right Lucky?” you cocked your brow at him with a smile, “is there anything you’re concerned about? He’s taking his monthly worming tablets and he’s up to date with his vacations” you looked down at your notes once again. 

“He has an itch but I’m sure it’s not fleas. We keep up with his grooming regularly” 

“Mmm” you hummed before putting his file on the countertop then kneeling to Lucky’s level to give his coat a look over. “How often do you bathe him?” you asked. 

“Once a week” 

“You should only bathe him once every four weeks unless he’s really in need for a bath” you explained with a friendly smile. “Noted” Kate returned the smile, “he’ll like that, he hates bath time” she chuckled. You looked up at her while patting Lucky softly, “I’m sure he does” you said. “Now, let’s have a look at those teeth of yours” you looked to Lucky before gently lifting his lips to check his teeth. 

“Everything is perfect as should be, keep giving him his daily dental chew” you smiled once again before washing your hands in the skin, “now, let’s clip those nails, shall we?”

Lucky wagged his tail causing you to chuckle, “I’ve never known a dog to be excited to have their nails clipped” you commented, grabbing the nail clippers from the drawer. Kate watched in awe as you placed Lucky onto the bench, he instantly laid on his back expecting a belly rub, “after your nails cutie” you cooed at him before clipping his nails with care. 

Kate smiled softly at how gentle and caring you were with Lucky, “he’s such a good boy! You’ve trained him well” you spoke as you continued to clip his nails. “Oh, I found him like that” Kate replied as she brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

“And we’re done! You’re a very good boy Lucky, let me get you a treat” you grabbed the treat jar and gave him a beefy treat and one for his travels. “Don’t tell the boss I gave you two” you winked at him before allowing him off the bench. 

“Thank you so much!” Kate smiled. 

“It’s what I’m here for” you washed your hands once more, “is there anything else I can do for you today? We can book Lucky in for a reclip in a couple of weeks at the reception before you go” 

“Actually” Kate paused as she stood up, “there is one thing” she smiled, her cheeks flustered in red as she brushed down her coat from Lucky’s fur. Lucky looked between the two of you still wagging his tail, “What’s that?” you asked kindly with a smile. Kate froze, Lucky wiggled move closer to her feet, “S-sorry, it must have slipped my mind” her eyes dropped to Lucky, “thank you for today! We’ll be back in a few weeks for his nails again” Kate smiled before quickly hurrying out of the room leaving you slightly confused. 

----

Only a couple of days later did you walk out to the waiting room to see Lucky and Kate again. “Is everything okay?” you asked Kate. “I hope so, uhm, there’s this thing I noticed on Lucky’s leg, and I just wanted to see if you could have a look at it for me? If you have time” Kate replied as her eyes circled the busy room. “Sure, let’s have a look, which leg?” you kneeled down to Lucky, patting him gently as Kate pointed to his front right leg. 

“It’s like a mole or something” Kate added as you moved around Lucky’s fur, you smiled softly when you found what she was talking about, “nothing to worry about, it’s just a skin tag. He’s fine” you stood back up, brushing fur off your knees. “Oh” Kate chuckled, “now I feel stupid for wasting your time” she added. “Don’t be, you have every right to be worried if you think something isn’t right. No question is a stupid question in here” you smiled. 

Kate’s eyes dropped to Lucky once again, leaving you concerned even more. “Kate, is there something else? You seem worried or concerned” you spoke as you took the open seat beside her, “Lucky is in perfect health” you added for comfort. 

“Oh, I know, I just” she paused for a moment, gripping Lucky’s lead tightly, “I worry about him, he’s family” she added. Gently you placed your hand on top of hers and look into her eyes, “Kate, he’s very lucky to have you as his owner. I can assure you that he is healthy and living his best life. You have nothing to worry about yet, he’s still very young” you smiled softly when nodded at your words, “thank you! And again, I am so sorry for wasting your time” she spoke quickly, rushing to stand to her feet. “You didn’t waste my time, Kate, it’s okay” you replied. Before you knew it Kate and Lucky were out the door in a rush, you brushed it off and moved onto the next client. 

----

“Don’t look at me like that, I freaked out! Their hand was touching mine!” Kate looked at Lucky as she sat down on the nearest bench, “Got anything else you need checked over?” she cocked a brow at the pup who only wagged his tail at her words. “Anything would help” she adds but no reply from Lucky just a lick of his lips and a wag of his tail. 

The next day you were working the reception desk while your co-worker took lunch, you greet everybody with a smile and filled out their forms and requests. You weren’t paying much attention to the desk as you looked at the computer screen to make sure all bookings were correct, “just a second” you spoke, eyes never leaving the screen. 

“It’s okay, take your time” the familiar voice caught your attention, you looked up from the screen and smiled, “Kate, what can we do for Lucky today?” 

“Actually, I’m n-not here for Lucky today” Kate spoke nervously, Lucky’s lead in her tight grip. “Oh okay, is everything okay?” you asked, your brows turning into a worried frown. 

“Would you” Kate paused when she looked into your eyes, “I’m sorry…you…you make me nervous” she admits to your surprise. “I do?” you asked. “You do and I like it…I mean, it’s sometimes hard to talk to you because you’re just so chill and beautiful and sometimes I don’t know what to say because I’m scared I’m going to say something stupid and yesterday I just made the exc- “ 

“Kate, slow down. Take deep breath, I can barely understand you” you kindly stopped her from talking a million miles per minute. She took a deep breath and exhaled, “w-would you like to go out for dinner sometime?” she froze as the words left her lips. At first you were a little taken back but then it slowly made sense, the words you couldn’t quite understand. 

“Sure” you smiled, “I’d like that” you replied. 

“I’m s-sorry, what?” Kate looked confused at your answer, you chuckled lightly. “I’d love to go to dinner with you” you repeated. Kate’s cheeks turned rosey, “oh, right, well, great!” she smiled softly, you could tell she was shocked and nervous. “How about tomorrow night?” she asked. 

“Suits me, do you want to just meet here, or I can meet you somewhere?” you suggested. 

“Lucky and I can meet you here when your shift ends if that’s easier, he comes with me everywhere…I hope that’s okay” Kate’s thumb twirled with his lead, “I’d be upset if he didn’t join us. I’ll see you here tomorrow night” you smiled. 

“Great, I’ll be here” Kate returned the smile then turned to walk out the door, your co-worker coming in just as she left. “What was that about?” she’s jumping up and down like a child” she chuckled. You smiled at the image, “She just wanted to re-book Lucky’s nail clipping appointment” you lied. 

Taglist: @red1culous | @bentleywolf29 | @natasha-belova | @kiwiana145  | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @mmmmokdok |  @wackymcstupid | @kiwiana145  | @valiantmugcowboyscissors | @shin-conan-kun | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @musicinourlips | @apollo2907 | @marvelfan98 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight |

[justherefornothing1]

@mcytblrholidayexchange gift for @mizmothree !!! Slimecicle, JuanaFlippa, AND Elmariana for the New Year!!! Hope you enjoy :)

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!” 

Charlie rolled his eyes and looked behind him at Mariana, who was trying to level him with a glare. “Well, I was planning on it, bitch.” He bit into the word, trying to get a reaction out of Mariana. Of course, it did, with the other man scrunching up his face into a scowl and giving Charlie the finger. Charlie, satisfied, slammed Mariana’s door as hard as he could. Separated by a wall, he sighed.

 “Well. 3 weeks.” He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets before walking through the alleys connecting Mariana’s apartment complex to Main Street. He began to mumble to himself. “That has got to be a record. I don’t think he’s ever contained his nagging for so long before.” Charlie kicked a concrete pebble, watching it clank against a metal garbage can. “I mean, why do I even keep trying? I know that it can’t last. I know that. Instead, we’re like that fucking Taylor Swift-no wait I think it was Kate Perry-song.” Charlie turned onto the street, joining the scattered people walking under a darkened sky. “Maybe this should be it. Maybe I should just forget his fucking face. Maybe I actually block his number this time. Maybe-” The sky suddenly thundered, cutting off Charlie’s self-pity session. He looked up, managing to mumble out an “Oh shit” before the sky poured down rain. 

The small crowd around him suddenly got smaller as people scurried into stores. Charlie himself really wanted to crawl into a store and order something hot, but reasoned that his house was only a short walk away. So he flipped up his jacket collar and walked faster down the street. Between the breakup and the rain, it wasn’t shaping up to be a good day. 

Charlie decided to short cut through a back alley to his apartment, nearly tripping on his shoelaces while turning the corner. He caught himself on the brick wall, steading himself with his hand. “Thank god”, he muttered. “I really didn’t want to eat it in a puddle.” Saying that, he righted himself, stretched out his right foot to start walking again, and felt something furry on his foot before tripping over it.

He crashed into the pavement, shoulder first. He yelped and skidded a bit before crashing into a garbage can, which unluckily was full with trash. It dumped its contents on Charlie, then clanged onto the pavement with no ceremony. 

He groaned, rolled over onto his back, cringing at the way whatever was beneath him squished and squelched. “Fuck, man, my bones...” He pushed himself upright to his elbows and looked around. “Alright, who did this?” he shouted at the empty alley. “This isn’t funny. I sorta like this jacket!” He scanned the small area, and saw a small worm- no wait, a tail?- behind some different garbage cans. Charlie got back on his feet and crept towards the…thing. It didn’t move, so he kept creeping, creeping…

WHAM! He grabbed onto the thing and immediately felt something sharp dig into his skin. He sucked in his breath, but didn’t let go as he brought the trickster up to eye level. It was…

“Oh. My. God.” Currently nipping at his hand was a cat, with ears that were too big for its head. It twitched and swung unceremoniously, only stopping to meow indignantly. 

Charlie’s frown grew into a small smile and he chuckled. “A cat. I got tripped up by a cat.” The cat tilted its head sideways, and trilled in a tone that Charlie imagined meant Can you please put me down?

 “Ok you rascal. I’ll put you down.” He gently placed the cat down on the ground. It chirped thankfully and began to rub against Charlie’s leg. His smile grew even wider. “So you’re sorry? Is that what you’re saying?” He leaned down to scratch the cat behind the ears, which elicited purring from the small creature. “Well, I accept your apology. But you’re not getting away unscathed.” He studied the cat as it continued to lean into his hand. Its fur was light brown, but appeared to have bits of darker colors speckled within. However, it was extremely matted and filthy. Suddenly, he got an idea. Charlie turned to face the cat. “You don’t like baths, do you?”

—•—•—≽^•⩊•^≼—•—•—•

Charlie found out 3 things about bathing a cat that day.

You’re supposed to brush the mats out of the fur before bathing.

Human shampoo is NOT the same as cat shampoo.

It’s a good idea to cut their nails ahead of time.

Number one was found out after looking up “how to give a cat a bath” into Google and scanning through the first article he found. According to some doctor of veterinary medicine, mats would only hinder the effects of the bath, so it was best to comb them out beforehand. He managed to improvise a specialized comb with a small metal one he found stashed in the back of his bathroom cabinet. Thankfully, the mats weren’t anything major, and Flippo (as he was now calling the cat) actually seemed to enjoy the experience. 

Number two was in the same article as number one. Apparently some shampoos would harm cats more than they would help, and Charlie did not want to hurt this newfound friend of his (did the cat consider him a friend though? He had no clue). But outside it was still pouring, and Charlie did not want to go out in the rain, in his dirty jacket, to buy cat shampoo. “Well, my friend, you’ll just have a bath without shampoo. Shouldn’t be that bad,” he proclaimed. Frontflipo (just Flippo wasn’t working out) chirped in response. 

Number three wasn’t mentioned in any article or video that Charlie watched. In fact, he didn’t realize it until he was putting a band-aid on the 9th scratch. He turned to look at the cat. “JuanFlippo, you really have it out for me, don’t you?” he asked the cat. 

JuanFlippo (Frontflipo was already a mildly famous stunt act somewhere in Oklahoma, Charlie learned.) meowed in a low tone. You’re the one who thought giving a bath to a cat, who hates water, was a good idea.

“Yeah, but at least you’re clean now,” Charlie retorted.

And it was true. Despite the lack of soap, JuanFlippo was significantly cleaner. Currently he was in the process of grooming the rest of his coat, which turned out to be more beige than Charlie expected. All in all, a win for the cat. 

Not so much for Charlie. 

“Now I’m gonna go get clean. And if you wreck my apartment, I’ll…I don’t know. Throw you out the window. Or something. Just don’t do anything.” Charlie turned to go shower away the banana split in his hair, and sincerely hoped that JuanFlippo was well-behaved. 

Surprisingly, he was. But he was also (as Charlie so kindly put it) “a spiteful little shit”.

“Really?” Charlie was once again holding JuanFlippo, but in a sort of “air jail”. “You behave yourself for a full 30 minutes, not moving a paw, but the minute I step out of my shower you decide to tip over my mother’s heirloom vase.” He frowned at the cat. “You better thank your lucky stars that I thought it was ugly.” JuanFlippo chirped happily and contorted his face into something Charlie suspected was a smirk.  “Very funny, you little fucker,” he replied. 

•—•—•—≽^•⩊•^≼—•—•—•

That night, Charlie went to bed with a cat on his chest. It was a bit weird, but comforting. Sorta like the time Mariana laid his head on Charlie’s chest when they were watching TV, and they were close and warm and Charlie didn’t want to get up and he had “I love you” on the tip of his tongue and-

Oh god. He was thinking about him again. 

Charlie covered his face with his pillow. Try to forget, he told himself. You need to forget. 

Forget his name, forget his face, forget his favorite color and which shows he likes. Forget his address! It’s not like you pass by there often. It’s out of the way, hidden, secret, easily forgettable. Forget the way he laughs when you tell a funny joke. Forget the way he looks at you when you try speaking Spanish but you fuck up the pronunciation. Forget. Forget. Forget.

He let out a groan. This wasn’t working.

JuanFlippo woke up and stretched himself before slipping his nose under Charlie’s pillow. He found Charlie’s chin and gave it a lick before chirping softly. Are you ok, Charlie?

“Y’know what, goober? I’m not alright.” Charlie sat up gently, letting the cat settle down on his lap before he began to scratch behind the ears. “I keep thinking about my boyfriend. Well, he’s sorta my boyfriend. We have a weird on-again off-again relationship. Like that one song? ‘You’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes then you’re no, you’re in-‘” JuanFlippo suddenly meowed. Charlie cut off his singing and stared at the cat. “Was it really that bad?”

JuanFlippo simply stared. I’ll forgive you if you keep scratching.

Charlie sighed before beginning to pet the cat again. “But you get the idea. We can’t go for more than a few weeks before we get in a big fight, and I say something stupid, and then we curse a bit and I slam the door in his face. Wait a minute.” Charlie looked at JuanFlippo. “I’m the problem, aren’t I?” 

JuanFlippo did a bit of an eye roll. Isn’t it obvious?

“No JuanFlippo, it was not obvious before. It took talking to you to figure it out.” Charlie paused again. “And that’s the other issue, isn’t it? I don’t talk to Mariana about this shit. I talk with a cat who’s only here for the head scratches.” JuanFlippo purred in response, and Charlie leaned back to lay his head down. “I need to fix this. Figure out how to mend a broken relationship. Because despite everything I try, I can’t forget him. I-” He paused. “Dare I say I love him?” JuanFlippo trilled and rubbed his cheek against Charlie’s stomach. “Oh, I like you too goober,” he chuckled. “And I would appreciate your help in the morning. I’ve got a plan.”

•—•—•—≽^•⩊•^≼—•—•—•

At precisely 11:26 am, Charlie rapt his knuckles on Mariana’s front door. No one answered. At 11:28 am, Charlie tried again. The bag he was carrying meowed. “Shh. Be quiet,” he whispered. At 11:29 am, he knocked again, and a few seconds later he got a text on his phone.

Elmariana: go away pendejo

Elmariana: i’m crying 

Me: Give Me Five Minutes. Por Favor?

At 11:31 am the door opened. Mariana was in a bathrobe, holding a cup of black coffee in the hand that wasn’t on the door. His eyes were red, and he looked like he hadn’t slept since the breakup. “What, Charlie?” he said, sounding almost on the verge of tears.  

Charlie took a deep breath in, and out. “I recognize that I’ve made you upset multiple times in the past over some issues. I am sorry, lo siento, that I did those things and didn’t apologize for them later on. I thought that I was in the right, but in reality you were right most of the time, and you were the one working on fixing it. And I didn’t realize it, so every time we got back together I took it for granted. I’m really sorry, and I’m going to work on fixing it. I swear.” 

Mariana stared at him. Charlie stared back. Mariana exhaled. Charlie exhaled. Mariana spoke. “Why?” 

“What?” 

“Why? Why-” Mariana motioned wildly with the hand not holding his coffee. “Why…why now?” Charlie pursed his lips, then reached into his bag and pulled out JuanFlippo. Mariana gasped and put his coffee down on a side table. Charlie handed the cat over to him. JuanFlippo immediately began to rub against the fluffy part of Mariana’s bathrobe. Mariana smiled and began to stroke his back. “Hola gato. ¿Cómo se llama?” JuanFlippo chirped and looked over at Charlie. Yeah, what’s my name? 

Charlie cleared his throat and said, “It’s JuanFlippo.” 

Mariana looked up and chuckled. “I think it’s-uh, how do you say?” He fumbles with the word for a bit, until Charlie figures it out. 

“Female.”

“Yes, that,” Mariana replied, and held JuanFlippo belly-out to prove it. 

Oh. Oh shit.

“Well, uh, I guess it’s JuanaFlippa now.” Charlie smiled sheepishly. Mariana threw his head back and laughed. It made Charlie’s heart pound against his chest, but he chose to ignore it in favor of continuing his mission. 

“Anyways, I found JuanFl- JuanaFlippa, and by talking to him, no, her, I realized that I was the one in the wrong.” Charlie looks directly at Mariana. “And I also realized that if this thing,” he gestured between him and Mariana, “is going to work out, I need to learn to communicate with you.” He reaches into his bag and pulls out a book with a bold black title. It reads, How To Communicate Effectively With Your Parrot (And Other Living Things) by G. T. W. Ska. “I found this book at the library. Apparently the author’s well-known for transforming the way people communicate and think. So I was hoping it would help.” 

“Is there- uh- in Spanish?” Mariana asked as he pointed towards the book. 

“There should be,” Charlie replied. “According to the back cover it’s been translated into 15 languages.” 

Mariana smiled, gently dropped JuanaFlippa in Charlie’s bag, then took Charlie’s hand and started dragging him in the general direction of the library. “Then we go now,” he stated, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Charlie let out a laugh. “What about your clothes?” Mariana suddenly stopped, and Charlie ran straight into him. Mariana caught him by the upper arms, stabilizing both of them. He looked down at himself, then back at Charlie, and smiled.  “I forgot. Lo siento.” 

They ran back to the house. Mariana grabbed his remaining coffee, chugged it, then slammed the door behind him (consequently, in Charlie’s face). Charlie managed to make out a “¡cinco minutos!” from behind the door. 

JuanaFlippa poked her head out of the bag and chirped. “Yeah, he’s always like this,” Charlie chuckled and gave JuanaFlippa a pat. She trilled in response. Lovely. Another crazy man to deal with. 

Mariana jumped out of the house again, this time suitably dressed. He once again grabbed Charlie’s hand and started running. He let out a whoop of joy. “¡Vamos, mi amor!” Mariana cried. Charlie giggled before yelling back, “I love you!” Mariana looked back with a smile, and oh that smile could kill Charlie. He loved it. He loved Mariana. He loved JuanaFlippa. He loved, and loved, and- oh no-

Charlie’s foot got caught in a crack in the pavement, and he fell onto his face. Mariana let out a cry. JuanaFlippa leapt out of the bag and started nosing for Charlie’s face.

Charlie let out a groan. “Fuck man, my bones…” Mariana reached out with his hand to help him up. Charlie took it gratefully. “Are you okay?” Mariana said before cupping Charlie’s face in his hands and looking it over. Charlie waved him off. “I’m fine. I just…fell head over heels I guess!” Mariana gave a chuckle before planting a small kiss on Charlie’s forehead. “Don’t forget JuanaFlippa,” he said, motioning to the cat. JuanaFlippa meowed as she was placed back into the bag. Charlie grabbed Mariana’s hand, and together the dynamic trio walked towards the future. 

Together.

[skloobles]

what are Skloobles?

this question gets asked all the time by no one. so i thought i'd do an intro post! it's been long enough without one anyway.

i'm skloobles (plural, the singular is sklooble), i'm so gay, i'm from wales, but that's not all! my pronouns are mainly he/him, but i'm giving she/her a go to see if it fits.

i'm mainly a fan of hazbin hotel for the time being at least, but i'm also interested in (in no particular order) eurovision (which is a whole can of worms actually and mainly for my twitter which has now been deleted), history (no specific topic in particular but i'm fascinated by the inner workings of the weimar republic), public transit, the sims (specifically 2 and 4), and a whole host of other stuff. i like to write from time to time (i'm not that good at it), and i love to sing (which i'm also not that good at)! this blog is the dumping ground for all these interests! wahoo!

in terms of music? i tend to float from genre to genre, but i love a bit of abba and a little kate bush from time to time. i love songs that aren't in english and am currently looking for more welsh stuff so if u know any good ones lmk!

i don't really have any specific dnis. just no racists/transphobes/homophobes/general bigots. thx!

and now to list out some random things. i love halloween (i'm devising costume ideas rn. last year i went as the statue of liberty and the year before as drag margaret thatcher which was funny), my birthday's on 15 may (save the date), i'm about 5'8, i LOVE brian david gilbert he is an icon, i'm allergic to proper capitalisation, i think autumn is overrated, i love snow but live by the coast so we don't get it much (i also love storms but not all the time), i love both sir pentious and vox and i have to come to terms with the fact that my 2 favs hate each other, i can't keep up with internet slang, my favourite song from the 1970 musical company is barcelona closely followed by company and not getting married today, i really like vanilla ice cream, and i'm not sure how to end this list.

thanks for stopping by! hope you enjoy your stay <3

[buckybeardreams]

Loss

Chapters: 1/16

Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Brock Rumlow/Sam Wilson, Clint Barton/Brock Rumlow/Sam Wilson

Characters: Clint Barton, Sam Wilson (Marvel), Brock Rumlow, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes, Lila Barton, Cooper Barton, Nathaniel Pietro Barton, Kate Bishop, Harley Keener, Darcy Lewis, Rebecca Barnes Proctor

Additional Tags: Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Minor Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Past Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sappy, Happy Ending, Kid Fic, Grief/Mourning, Depression, brief alcohol abuse, Brief suicidal thoughts, Separation Anxiety, Insecurity, Misunderstandings, Protective Brock Rumlow, Sam Wilson is a Saint, non-sexual nudity, Soulmates, Mates, Non-Explicit Sex, Anal Fingering, References to Knotting, Bonding, Claiming, Claiming Bites, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, Breastfeeding, Co-Sleeping

Summary:

After Clint lost his soulmate he didn't think he'd ever love again, then he started to hook up with Brock. At first it was just a nice distraction but after a while he thought that maybe it could be something more, that is until Brock met his own soulmate. Clint was sure that would be the end of things, but now Sam and Brock both are flirting with him and he doesn't know what to do with that.

This is the 2nd part in a 3 part series, second chances, but they can be read as stand alone fics so it's not necessary to read the first one to enjoy this one.

You can find part 1 on tumblr or on ao3.

I'm not gonna be posting the full chapters for this fic here after this one, but you can read them on ao3. I'll be updating every Mon, Wed, and Fri.

Words: 1,890

Tony grinned when Brock opened the door, Harley strapped to his back and a bottle of sparkling apple cider in his hand.

"I brought non-alcoholic beverages!"

Brock laughed and pulled him in for a hug.

"You still doing that attachment parenting thing," Brock teased.

"Yeah, you?"

Brock nodded.

"Yeah, Sam's got Sonny right now. He took him for a walk in the park so I wouldn't strangle him."

"Oh no, is it teething?"

Brock raised a brow.

"What? No, not Sonny. Sam. He's driving me crazy. Sonny's a perfect little angel. He gets that from me."

"Uh-huh, sure," Tony indulged, passing the sparkling cider to Brock and following him into the kitchen.

"How's the restaurant? Running smoothly?"

"Smooth enough anyway. Running a business is no easy task, but I manage."

"I'd hope so, seeing as you are the manager," Brock teased as he grabbed the bottle opener and opened the cider before pouring it into glasses.

Tony rolled his eyes at the lame joke.

"At least the transition from a bar into a family restaurant by day, bar by night went smoothly. Everything else is just icing on top now. With the renovations done and the remodeling out of the way, now all we have to do is manage the staff. Well, then there's the paperwork and finances and whatnot, but Steve handles all of that."

"Yeah, I gotta admit, as much as I love hanging out with your baby daddy, I do miss you at all the mommy and baby classes."

Tony hummed, shrugging.

"Not really my thing, but Steve says Harley loves the baby ASL. He's not a fan of the swim lessons though."

Brock nodded in understanding.

"Sonny hated those ones at first too. He doesn't really care too much about the ASL, but the messy arts class is right up his alley. Sam says it's because I insist on having a sparkly clean home. He acts like it's a bad thing. A home can't be too clean."

Tony just hummed, because his Alpha had a similar need to keep things spotless and Tony definitely didn't care for it. At least Steve was willing to do all the chores for him, because Tony would definitely object if he had to do the cleaning. A place could definitely be too clean, but he wasn't about to open that can of worms with Brock. 

"Yeah, Steve was disappointed that Harley wasn't more into the art classes. He just doesn't like getting messy. He takes after Steve like that, kind of a neat freak, and yet Steve loves painting, which I really don't get. His paintings are fabulous though and his studio is a mess. The rest of the house though? Spotless."

Brock laughed and they headed to the couch to sip their sparkling cider.

Harley started to squirm when his feet touched the cushions and Tony set his glass down, standing back up to remove him from the carrier.

"Hi, pretty baby! Look at you! You're so pretty!" Tony cooed at him.

Harley just giggled and reached out to grab at his curls. Tony scrunched up his face and pried his grabby hands out of his hair.

"Okay, enough of that. Mommy likes his hair too much to let you pull it all out."

Tony set Harley down in a large octagon-shaped playpen. It had pillows and toys in it that Harley immediately made a beeline for. It's what Brock liked to call a yes zone, because pretty much everywhere else in their apartment he had to say no to Sonny constantly, but in his playpen everything was a yes.

"How are things going with you and Sam?" Tony asked, sitting back down.

Brock groaned.

"I'm not sure."

"Uh-oh," Tony said and Harley looked around like he was trying to figure out what was an uh-oh. "Trouble in paradise?"

"I don't know. Maybe? Things aren't bad or anything. Actually Sam's kinda annoyingly perfect. Sometimes I feel like it's hard to live up to that."

"Aw, Brock, I don't think Sam cares so much about that."

"I know he doesn't," Brock groaned. "Because he's freaking perfect and I'm a lost cause."

"No, you're not. You just need to give yourself a break. Trying to be perfect is just going to leave you feeling like you're not good enough."

Brock narrowed his eyes at him.

"When did you get to be so wise?"

"When my firstborn turned one," Tony teased, nudging him with his shoulder. "No, seriously though. Don't worry so much about trying to keep the house perfect and all sparkly clean and worry more about living your life. Spend more time with Sam."

"I spend almost all of my time with Sam."

"Yeah, but Sonny's there too. There's nothing wrong with family time, but when was the last time you went on a date night?"

Brock wasn't even sure. It had been months.

"You need to get yourself a babysitter, or drop Sonny off with us, and then spend some time alone. Remember why you became mates in the first place. It wasn't because you wanted a baby. It was because you loved each other and you fell in love at first sight. So spend some time looking at each other again and maybe you'll find that spark you used to have."

Brock sighed and downed the rest of his cider.

"God, I wish there was alcohol in this."

"Don't we all?"

They could hear the sound of keys in the door before it opened and Sam came in, Sonny strapped to his belly. Brock got up when the baby started saying mamamamama and pulled him out of the carrier.

"Hi, angel, look at how big you are? You want to go see Tony? Show him your new skills?" Brock cooed at his son, setting him down on his feet. "Go get him!"

"Come here, Sonny! You gonna walk to me?"

Sonny took a few wobbly steps before he got close enough for Tony to reach out and snag him up.

"Woah, you're so big! Such a big walker, huh?" Tony praised the baby. "Did you see that, Harley? Did you see how big your friend is? Walking up on his feet like a big boy? You're gonna be doing that soon too."

Harley was already pulling himself up and walking around while holding onto things, so he probably would be walking soon. He was only a month behind Sonny in age, so they played really well together, for the most part at least. Sharing wasn't any baby's strong suit.

Tony set Sonny down in the playpen after they cooed over him for a few minutes and Harley immediately crawled up to him and tried to crawl on him. Sonny shoved him off, but Harley wasn't offended. He just giggled and rolled over onto his belly, so he could push back up and go after the ring stacker. Sam came over somewhat hesitantly. Brock had been pretty irritated this morning, so he wasn't sure if he should give him space or not.

"Hey, Tony! It's good to see you!"

"You too! Always happy to come over and eat all of your food."

Sam laughed.

"You doing good, babe?" Sam asked Brock carefully.

Brock nodded, biting his lip. He had been pretty distant and irritable the last few weeks and he felt bad about it. Sam didn't deserve that. He was such a good Alpha and a good dad.

"Yeah, I'm good, Alpha," Brock said, licking his lips.

He patted the cushion next to him.

"Wanna sit with me?"

Sam looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled softly and sat down, looking like he'd just been given the best gift ever when Brock curled into his side and rested his head on his shoulder.

"I've missed you," Sam murmured in his ear.

"Missed you too, Alpha."

 *****

Brock was trying to make more of an effort and Sam definitely didn't miss the signs. He was more affectionate and he even got Sam a gift. It was important to point out that while Sam had felt the strain on their relationship, he hadn't really been upset at Brock about it. It was just one of those things where he assumed Brock would come around eventually and, well, he wasn't wrong.

"What is this?" Sam asked when Brock tossed a water bottle at him.

He caught it thanks to his great reflexes, not because Brock had given him any warning before throwing the metal cylinder his way. Brock rolled his eyes.

"What does it look like? It's a water bottle, Sam."

"Yeah, but why?"

"I got it for you," Brock said with a shrug.

Sam's heart fluttered at the thought of Brock getting him something, but his brows furrowed in confusion.

"I already have a water bottle."

"No, you don't. I threw it away."

Sam pursed his lips.

"May I ask why?"

"No, you may not," Brock said plopping down on the couch.

Sam raised his brow at him and Brock ignored him for a moment, flicking on the TV before glancing back at Sam with a groan.

"Fine, I got you a new one, because I read that the owner of Hydra Flask is an asshole who doesn't support Omega rights. I can't have my Alpha running around sporting that logo on his bottle, now can I? People might think you're a traditionalist. God forbid."

Sam blinked at him for a moment before a fond look fell over his features and he sat down next to Brock, pulling his Omega into his side. Brock blushed when Sam pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you, love."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Brock grunted, but he leaned into Sam's side, turning to press his face into Sam's neck and hide a small smile.

Sam could feel it against his neck, but he didn't comment on it. He just ran his fingers through Brock's hair until his Omega yawned and made a sleepy little whimper.

"Come on, baby. Let's go to bed," Sam said softly.

Brock grunted, but didn't protest when Sam scooped him up off the couch and carried him off to bed. His back hit the mattress and his hands shot out to grab Sam's shirt, whining when Sam gently pried his fingers off of him.

"Shh, you're okay. Just let me undress you, then I'll cuddle with you."

Brock pouted, but let his Alpha do what he wanted. When Sam climbed into the bed he was wearing only his boxers and Brock had on only his shirt. Brock usually liked to sleep naked, but he had whined when Sam asked him to sit up, so Sam had just rolled his eyes, pressed a kiss to his forehead and left his shirt on. 

Sonny usually slept with them, even though he technically had a crib in the nursery, but tonight was one of those rare nights that he actually was using that crib that usually stood around empty like a decorative piece. Brock rubbed at his eyes, turning to press his face into Sam's neck and Sam smiled softly, wrapping his arms around him.

"Night, baby," Sam whispered softly.

"Night, Alpha, love you."

"Love you too, Omega."

Things weren't perfect between Sam and Brock, but that didn't mean they didn't love each other. Just because something isn't perfect, doesn't mean it's wrong.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Heads up that I will be posting a Dad!Spencer fic (The Prodigy Path) tomorrow at 5PM EST. 

Now it’s time for super late Anon Answers!

(thank you so much for your patience)

1. Hi friend! Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here ☺️ I never really close my requests because I find that closing them doesn’t really stop people from sending them, anyway. That being said, please read my Requesting Guidelines before requesting anything. They are also linked in my Masterlist and Bio in case you lose this post.

I look forward to hearing your ideas!

2. This is too complicated of a question! I usually envision Post-Show Spencer when I write because I am one of those people who struggles to change canon events, BUT - I do genuinely love early seasons Reid. If I had to pick my top seasons, I’d say 2, 5, 7, and 12 (in no specific order). I really do love all of his character, though.

3. You’re my favorite. Thank you to everyone who sent me a star! It made my day 🥰 This is also an excuse for everyone to send their favorite blog the same message.

4. Awwwe thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed Play Dates! Also, do not ever worried about me being too good for you. I am a literal fucking worm and I appreciate that anyone is willing to talk to me at all. I often forget that things I say are being broadcast to thousands of people and I would prefer to not think about it 😂

As for the line I’m referencing, it’s up for interpretation. I don’t remember the exact context because I hate that arc and usually skip it, but it is essentially when Spencer is talking to Alex and he confides in her about the last message Maeve gave him. Some people have speculated that Alex’s response (something along the lines of “She used Merton to say goodbye”) was her way of sympathizing with Spencer about Maeve planning leaving him. In the very least, we know that Spencer was worried about her leaving him, which means that he was insecure enough in their relationship that it was a possibility.

Of course, we find out that Maeve didn’t necessarily want to leave him, but was forced into hiding. But I see where some people get that idea. After all, she clearly had no problems with dumping her fiance. Girlfriend barely even cried when he was murdered in front of her. Whack. That part always confused the shit out of me. Why wouldn’t she say she was engaged? Why did they break up? Why did she think this would end any differently? Why was she willing to risk Spencer’s life, but not his? He seemed like a solid dude. I felt so bad for him.

Also - ayyye! Shoutout to my fellow disabled people! You are the best and I hope you feel loved today.

5. Honestly. I’m so tired of the fridged woman. So, so tired. Thanks for reading!

6. This was just too much work for me to not post for others to see! I definitely agree with everything you said, especially about the fact they consistently tell us that JJ and Reid were besties, but he has more developed relationships shown on screen with Derek, Elle, Gideon, Emily, Hotch, Alex, Kate, Luke, and Penelope. I’m also forever upset they didn’t give us Reid and Tara bonding. They have so many compatible traumatic experiences that I think they really could have been good for each other. But, sadly, we didn’t get to see it.

The two girls you described are Austin and Loker! I wasn’t a fan of Loker purely because I felt like she was written to be a stereotypical autistic person (because we can only like each other, naturally), but I also don’t think there is any real character-based reason to dislike her! She was definitely interesting in the least.

Also, don’t worry about an apology. I love reading people’s thoughts! Thank you for sharing them with me and finding my opinions interesting enough to ask in the first place. It really was fun to talk about (and as you can see above, other people enjoyed it, too)!

[wishingpoodle2004]

A WHOLESOME STEREK REC LIST

(Scroll to the bottom to see my allstar list)

•A Simple Life by Survivah

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12227445/chapters/27777660

Summary:

Derek plans to spend the rest of his life holed up in the woods after Laura dies. Then he meets a stubborn young fox, and the stubborn young fox meets an urn of Deaton's magic powder, and his plans change.

My Rating: 10/10

Simply Excellent

•The Boy and the Beast by Duran Sudis (dsudis)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/751583/chapters/1403203

Summary:

In which events in Beacon Hills go rather differently from the start, and a Beauty and the Beast (ish) story ensues. (Scott is not a teacup and no one sings about their feelings.)

My Rating: 9/10

Great story. Would liked to see the Human! Derek x Human! Stiles develope a bit more

• Good Behavior by theSilence

https://m.fanfiction.net/s/8460571/1/Good-Behavior

Summary

The God Awful Courting Tactics Used to Woo Stiles Stilinski by Derek Hale.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Absolutely hilarious, Stiles and Derek at their finest (not). Only fault is that it’s short and the people need to know what happened after date 3.

• headlong (I’m falling in a) by hito

https://archiveofourown.org/works/295390/chapters/472650

Summary:

Kink meme fill: When Stiles goes to college, for some reason, he has to share an apartment with Derek, which sucks, because Derek still hates him the most. They fall in love.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Love Stlies and Derek learning to share breathing space and getting walked in on by the rest of the pack . Warning⚠️ Lydia is bonkers and power hungry.

• You Feel Like Home by thestreetballet

https://archiveofourown.org/works/383108

Summary:

"Derek, don't bully Mr Stilinski. He's had a bad few days."

My Rating: 9/10

I love love love Harry Potter AU sterek. Young Derek is desperately trying to look out for his newly found mate (young Stiles) while balancing prefect duties, pack life AND trying to keep said mating a secret from everyone including Stiles. This is part of a short series, read it all to get it. Warning ⚠️ Alpha Peter is bananas, lots of interspecies conflict.

• Can’t Take The Heat? by Ilovesocks_24

https://archiveofourown.org/works/810771/chapters/1530771

Summary:

“Hi, I’m Stiles, and what I have for you today is…”

“Stop, just stop.” Grumpy Eyebrows interrupted. “That is honestly the worst looking Pasta Primavera I have ever seen. I don’t even want to eat it, it looks so bad.”

Stiles narrowed his eyes. No one insulted his creamy bacon carbonara without even trying it. And no one insulted his creamy bacon carbonara after they tried it either.

“It’s actually a Creamy Bacon Carbonara, asshole,” Stiles snapped. “And for the record, it’s supposed to look like that.”

Or the one where Stiles is a new sous chef at Full Moon Steakhouse and Derek is the Gordon Ramsay of all head chefs. So of course they fall in love.

My Rating: 8/10

Pretty good. The story was more focused on Stiles journey as a chef so not as many fluffy moments but still pretty satisfying.

• Permanent Fixture by linksofmemories_archive

https://archiveofourown.org/works/518387/chapters/915659

Summary:

Derek is Scott's older brother. Stiles is Scott's best friend. Derek is falling in love with Stiles. This is a bit of a problem.

My Rating: 9.5/10

This story WILL make you CRY. I had a hard time rating this because it’s very slow burn with lots of angst but you can literally feel every emotion in the story so I had to give it the extra 0.5. Spoiler: Claudia called it.

•Fly a Little Faster by mirrorkill

https://archiveofourown.org/works/900839

Summary:

Everyone knows when you go back in time, you shouldn't step on an ant, just in case you accidentally kill your own grandparent or something. But what happens when you go back in time and, uh, accidentally interrupt the one event that apparently made the Grumpiest Alpha in Town into a ball of mindless manpain?

Well, if Marty McFly can do it, so can Stiles Stilinski. All he has to do is get Derek and Paige to fall in love before he gets pulled back to his own time. And before he makes anything worse. That's easy as pie, right? Right?

My Rating: 8/10

Such a creative. I only wish they had gotten to spend more time together in the past.

•Pack Up; Don’t Stray by the_deep_magic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/644874/chapters/1171121

Summary:

AU – Werewolves are an enslaved underclass, collared and tagged by human masters. Detective Stilinski’s on duty the night they bring in an untagged stray.

My Rating: 8.5/10

I like this story because their love was based on trust and respect. Just two people who needed each other, found each other and fought for each other.

•In the Solstice of our Hearts by raving revolution

https://archiveofourown.org/works/971008/chapters/1907773

Summary:

"You're not putting that up your butt," Scott told him flatly and Stiles couldn't stop the pissed off whine he made, but his friend continued. "Stiles, you can't put that up your butt, you know that. Your butt won't be ready for anything to go in it until-"

"Okay, okay!" he said, flailing his hands to stop his friend's lecture. "Message received, no butt stuff until I'm pounced on by some freaking animal in the forest and ravished to within an inch of my life. Got it. Thanks, Scotty, I mean heaven forbid I actually try to take control of my life and give myself a fighting chance or anything."

"Not all alphas are animals," Scott said quietly.

Maybe he was right, but Stiles wasn't holding his breath.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Interesting story but I wanted more fluff.

• No Homo by orphan_account

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1148039/chapters/2864236

Summary:

Stiles' sophomore year starts something like this:

3 FourLokos

+ 1 peer-pressuring cat

- 1 best bro to end all best bros

= 1 Craigslist ad headline that reads "str8 dude - m4m - strictly platonic".

Derek is the fool who replies.

My Rating: 9/10

This is one of my all time favorites. The author’s summary doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Firstly homophobic Stiles is just hilarious and adorable. Secondly this story is sooooo Hot🔥, bottom!Derek is amazing. Thirdly, just read it!!!!! You won’t regret it

• tongue of dog and blind-worm’s sting by Zercalo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/4896598/chapters/11229727

Summary:

In order to keep the identity of the teacher he's been seeing a secret, Derek's been withdrawing from his pack and family. Cora, frustrated with his alienation and a little lonely, clings to the first nonjudgmental person who offers companionship – which happens to be that odd Muggleborn Revenclaw who's always hanging around the Gryffindor common room.

She hasn't befriended Stiles for Derek's sake, but Derek just might reap the benefits anyway - if he pulls his head out of his ass and quit the stupid self-sacrificing act.

My Rating: 9/10

This is another Hogwarts AU where Cora is the best friend we all need. Derek’s dug himself into a pretty deep hole with Kate but Stiles might just get him out of it. Cute teenage courting ensues and once again we all need a Cora in our lives. Oh, and no biggie but there’s a mass murderer on the loose. Note: This story is part of a series.

• Rare Books and Special Collections by orphan_account

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192954

Summary:

Derek Hale hates libraries.

Unfortunately, not all books can be ordered on Amazon.

(Or: in which Derek is a grumpy omega writer, and Stiles is an annoyingly attractive alpha special collections librarian.)

My Rating: 9/10

I love Omega! Derek. He’s an anti social writer who we just want to scoop up in our arms. Stiles’ idea of flirting is giving Derek books and library tours. Adorableness and Cluelessness ensues.

• Cornerstone by Vendelin

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1725518/chapters/3678122

Summary:

Suffering from PTSD, ex-Marine Derek Hale moves back to Beacon Hills to open a bookshop and find a calmer life. That’s where he meets Stiles, completely by accident. Stiles is talkative, charming and curious. Somehow, despite the fact that he’s blind, he’s able to read Derek like no one else.

My Rating: 8.5/10

I see this fic EVERYWHERE and it is pretty good but because it’s a pretty serious story it doesn’t have as much fluff. Derek’s got serious issues and Stiles is blind. However, I did love how Stiles shared so much of himself with Derek and how Derek slowly learned how to return the favor. I really appreciated the reality check.

•Pink Is For Pining (You, You, Nothing But You) by clotpolesonly

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15177281

Summary:

“You know you could just ask him out, right?” Scott asked.

Stiles stuffed the toast in his mouth and hoped he wasn’t blushing. “Why would I do that?”

“Because you have a ginormous crush on him.”

“I do not, shut up,” Stiles hissed as well as he could around a mouthful of toast.

“Your pink hair says differently,” Scott sing-songed at him.

***

In which Stiles is a supremely socially awkward metamorphmagus with a crush, Derek is a quietly pining werewolf, and Scott and Lydia are done with their stubbornness and stupidity.

My Rating: 9/10

I had to end off this rec list with Pink is for Pining and (surprise surprise) it’s another Hogwarts fic. This one is always in my top 3 because through Derek’s love, Stiles learns to love every part of himself. Alright, maybe I’m hyping this fic up too much (it’s REALLY short) but I’m a believer that one paragraph can make all the difference 😁

My Allstar List

1. A Simple Life by Survivah

https://archiveofourown.org/works/749767/chapters/1399097

2. Pink Is For Pining by clotpolesonly

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15177281

3. Permanent Fixture

https://archiveofourown.org/works/518387/chapters/915659

4. No Homo

https://archiveofourown.org/works/1148039/chapters/2326073

5. Rare Books and Special Collections by orphan_account

https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192954

Thanks for Reading!

I hope you enjoyed this Rec list. Please send me any you think I’ll enjoy or that would be a good addition to the list. Happy reading!

[ncruuk]

ncruuk’s  Bernie Wolfe/Alex Dawson Stories (Holby City) a Reader's Guide & author’s note

I came to Holby City when the BBC trailed ‘Bernie would be a force to be reckoned with‘ and talked about ‘Bringing in Bernie’.  

I started properly writing Holby City Bernie fic (despite my better judgment as I have quite a bit of Kate Stewart fic going on in Dr Who already - more on that over at my Kate/Osgood reader’s guide) after the series 18 episode ‘Prioritise the Heart’ in which the character of Alex Dawson (played by Heather Peace) appeared on-screen and I felt I’d seen something different, special, inspiring even in terms of representation as ‘main text’. I even posted to tumblr about it, with pictures...

From that character ‘magic’ comes my series of stories called ‘Behind the Beret - Being Bernie’ - currently 9 Bernie/Alex completed stories plus one companion (but non-ship) fic (’Said the Spider to the Spider’ aka my take on Bernie deals with the ‘Isaac problem’).

[The alert amongst you could interpret this reader’s guide post as being necessary because I’m still writing Bernie/Alex fic and needed to get my ‘headcanon’ in order *g*]

The problem with writing stories for characters in a show that just keeps rumbling on, is that what might start as a ‘fill in the gaps’ one shot that sits fairly neatly alongside the on-screen canon can kick start a series that throws me in one direction with the characters while the show goes in another.

This series started as exactly that, stories written in between episodes airing during Bernie’s first weeks as a surgeon at Holby...but then the stories took longer to write and the show.... well.  Let’s just say show canon and I went our separate ways after the series 18 episode ‘Missing You Already’ and have never really reconciled.  

This means that there’s no trauma unit, she and Serena are friendly but it’s not #Berena, both her son AND daughter appear but my Cameron is different to the show’s Cameron (I wrote him before the character appeared on screen)...and I’m sure a few hundred other little tiny differences but those are the major ones.

Feel free to bookmark my AO3 profile, but I’ll be maintaining this post as a Reader’s Guide too... So, if you’ve kept with me this far, thanks for giving ‘my’ version of what happens when an RAMC Major and ‘own-trumpet blowing’ best trauma surgeon around gets blown up and into Holby for a while...I hope you enjoy reading my stories.  Do let me know how you find them!

Being Bernie - Behind the Beret Series (9 completed ‘ship’ stories plus a companion, non-ship Isaac-is-doomed story (currently #9 in the series), in total circa 220k word count ... might want to make a cup of tea...)

Looks Familiar, Is Seen to Be New   After Bernie steps in to help calm a patient's seemingly out-of-control family member, Raf and Fletch realise that Ms Wolfe's experiences encompassed much more than answering to 'Major Wolfe' and wearing khaki instead of scrubs. Chronologically, set after ‘A Coward’s Way’ as the can of worms that is Bernie & her history with Alex is now known.   BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Underway & Frosty - not relevant to story

The White Flag is a Good Red   Bernie's makes one final attempt at a peace offering to Serena, only instead of an olive branch, it's more of a grape vine.   Chronologically set after ‘A Coward’s Way’ and before Bernie and Serena were suddenly ‘best friends forever’, sorry, AAU Co-Leads. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Turning Toxic

In the Wee, Small Hours of the Morning  Supposedly, nothing good ever happens in the early hours of the morning, when it's too close to dawn to still be night, but too close to midnight to be morning.  But it's also in those darkest, hours of the night that people who need to be brave find courage, and people who need to be strong find support.  It's the time when Bernie and Alex find their way back to each other. Chronologically... it’s a bit complicated, but here goes...   Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4  are after ‘The White Flag is a Good Red’ but assumes Bernie has not yet permanently moved down to AAU so is still on Keller. Chapter 5 is the final part of the story arc, as currently written, and chronologically comes after all other ‘Being Bernie - Behind the Beret’ stories and the standalone story - currently . BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done

Unconsciously Brilliant, Consciously Calm A surgeon's skill is best shown with scalpel in hand - it takes a lot to get a surgeon to put down that scalpel, their training and experience give them total focus and confidence to continue with that patient until the surgery's end.But Bernie let go of the scalpel and ran. And no one was surprised, not even Hanssen. Chronologically a non-specific time not that long after chapter 4 of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning.  Bernie is now transferred to AAU - Alex Dawson is not yet a familiar face to Holby.  N.B.  There is no trauma unit.  Repeat: there is no trauma unit... BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done

In the Absence of Grapes, Remember the Ketchup Sequel to 'Unconsciously Brilliant, Consciously Calm' in which Alex naps and chats her way through waiting for Bernie to take her home. In the process she kisses the girl, acquires a nickname and gets the t-shirt... not necessarily in that order! Chronologically follows immediately on from Unconsciously Brilliant, Consciously Calm. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done

In the Absence of Raspberry Ripple, a Burger Will Do Had she known in advance what was going to happen the day she wore her beret to work at Holby General, Bernie might have elected to not worry about her paperwork. But that wasn't Bernie's style - she always did her paperwork, just as she always had the burger....and Alex? She had Raspberry Ripple and Bernie... Chronologically follows on from ‘In the Absence of Grapes, Remember the Ketchup’ and is set in over a period of a few weeks from mid June ish onwards. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done but it was messy, there were lies told (by Marcus), wounds allowed to fester (thanks to Marcus) and it’s all a bit messy and not right...but this is a ncruuk fic so keep faith :-)

Boiler or Helicopter?  It’s a matter of Perspective...  For Bernie and Alex, this would be remembered as 'the weekend the boiler was broken' as, for them, that was the 'something different'.Which, in and of itself, wouldn't have been that remarkable were it not that everyone else would remember it as something quite different, starting with a helicopter...  The Royal Marines were almost incidental.  Almost. Chronologically it happens during the cold bit between the end of summer (which can be any time between April and October to be honest) and Christmas. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done and dusted.

Memories of Old Experienced Anew Christmas is often a time when new memories are made, but for Bernie and Alex, it is also a time when the wounds of old memories can heal and dreams shared in the heat of a desert can come true. Chronologically it....happens at Christmas. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done, ghosts buried, new bonds with the likable bit of her family (her children) made.

Said the Spider to the Spider [Not a Bernie/Alex Ship fic] "Come into my Parlour," said the Spider to the Fly... It hadn't occurred to the Spider that the Fly might have a friend.Isaac Mayfield was a very talented catcher of flies, with Dom Copeland being his latest prey. In her time in the Army, Major Wolfe had met more than her fair share of confident predators whose very success depended on keeping others under their spell. She too was a talented catcher...but not of flies. She went for the spiders who caught the wrong flies. Chronologically sits in a non-specific ‘spring’ period during Bernie’s time in Holby, which currently makes it story 8 in the series as spring allegedly, for the Northern Hemisphere at least, follows Christmas... BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done, thanks for asking, but completely irrelevant to the story which is not a Bernie-ship fic ONE OFF ISAAC STATUS: Done for.  You’re welcome :-D

The Migratory Flight of a Flightless Bird....or why the answer should always include Penguins [Back to Bernie/Alex Ship fics :-D ] The time has come for Major Wolfe to come to attention and take a decision about her future... a future Bernie's already worked out really needs to have Alex in it to be a future worth living...which just leaves one question: where in the world is there an opportunity for a Major and her anaesthetist to have their happy ever after? Currently, it’s the last story in the series before  the epilogue chapter (chapter 5) of In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning. Chronologically, we’re still in that non-specific ‘spring’ period.... BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done, ghosts buried, new bonds with the likable bit of her family (her children) made. 

Relocating Happiness: Penguins not included Bernie's shift is over, their bags are packed: it's time for a Major and her Captain to fly south and begin their next joint adventure, together in their happy bubble.[Immediate chronological sequel to 'In the Wee Small Hours...' chapter 5, series sequel to 'The Migratory Flight of a Flightless Bird....or why the answer should always include Penguins' (story 10 of the series). It won't make much sense if you haven't read those to stories as a minimum]. BERNIE DIVORCE STATUS: Done, ghosts buried, meeting people who knew her when she was married....and they all agree Alex is much better for her :-D

Last edit: 31 May 2020