#these idiots were in a polycule and didn’t even know it

[bookq36artemis]

These idiots were in a polycule and didn’t even know it.

[bopero]

sunspots

summary - a collection of hamzah’s lack of self control when it comes to you. warnings - swearing, reader is a kpop stan lol note - hai :3 i have been so obsessed with hamzah lately i had to get it out of my system. this is a side blog as im too embarrassed to post on my main fic blog. enjoy and send ideas!

polycule reveal - out of character #100

The podcast starts like any other. Hamzah and Martin sit in the middle of the couch, with Mandy and you on either side of them. It’s the first episode that has you featured in it, and Hamzah is quick to settle any nerves you have with a soft smile and a squeeze of your shoulder. “So, yeah guys. There’s another member in our polycule now, this is Hamzah’s contribution.” Martin points towards you. Hamzah shakes his head, “Alright, bro…”. “Does that mean I get a share of the YouTube channel? Mandy, have they ever given you money?” Mandy clicks her tongue and continues in her deadpan voice, “Um, no. Basically they keep me in their dungeon until they need more views. I’d run away if I were you, honestly.” You pretend to look nervously between Hamzah and Martin, “Honestly I didn’t wanna say it but the basement Hamzah keeps me in is super gross.” “I don’t like this bit. Viewers, please be advised I do not keep my girlfriend in a basement for views. I don’t know about Martin, though.” “Dang it, first episode and they’re already making us look like idiots, Mandy. We need to try harder.”

becoming bts - out of character #104

The episode is you, Hamzah, and Martin. Hamzah is sat obviously much closer to you (which the comments are quick to mention, laughing at the lack of personal space he gives you.) “Yeah, a lot of the Slushies have been asking me if I’m a kpop stan. My ult bias-” Hamzah throws his hands into the air dramatically as he sees you pull a small photocard out of your wallet. A familiar face makes him groan loudly, “Oh, don’t even get me started on this fool! I am sick and tired of seeing him everywhere!” You proudly show off the photocard to the camera despite Hamzah’s childish complaints. Martin leans over to take a look at the photo in your hands, “Bro, what’s the big deal? Is this like challenging your alphaness?” You laugh loudly and Hamzah smiles, betraying the annoyed facade he’s putting on, “No! He just haunts me. She knows when his birthday is and shit and what he ate for breakfast that day, like bro,” he turns to you, pointing at you accusingly, “You don’t ask what I eat for breakfast.” Martin grabs his shoulder, as if to calm him down, “Bro. You know what this means. You have to defend your woman.” Hamzah turns to Martin and before you can question them, they begin singing together and waving their arms in the air, “Shoot dat boy in da head, shoot dat boy in da head!” The episode ends with you deadpanning at the camera as they chant beside you.

don’t play this game at 3 am (not clickbait!!!)

Martin and Hamzah had listened to their viewers, your first feature on the channel being in a Resident Evil gameplay. The comments are filled with ‘i slushed everywhere when i saw yn in the thumbnail’ and ‘hamzah holding onto yn everytime there’s a jumpscare boyy aren’t u supposed to b da man?’ You sit between the two men who both inadvertently curl into you as the creepy aura permeates outside the game as well. Martin dramatically holds onto his head as you shoot bullets into the grossly looking zombies on the screen, “Oh, god they’re gonna eat us out! Quick, grab more ammo!” “Ok, I don’t think they’re gonna do all that-” They both jump as a loud, sharp groan comes from the speaker. Hamzah in particular lets out his signature high-pitched scream. Martin seems to break character and laughs aloud as Hamzah shakes his head in embarrassment, turning away from the camera so it won’t catch the bright blush on his cheeks when you coo at him. “Aww, did you pee yourself?” Martin tries to speak through laughter, “I think you did, dude there’s a wet spot-” Hamzah quickly denies it, “Ok, stop lying to all the slushies, bro, I did not pee myself. I’m sick of this, turn off this trash ass game-” “It’s ok, babe. I’ll protect you, I’m your Leon.” Martin waves a blushing Hamzah over, “Yeah, come on you big baby. It’s not even that scary-wait don’t go in there-“

vacation

Hamzah had convinced you to create your own channel, due to the growing comments begging him to convince you to do so. You hadn’t expected much, but it’d at least be a nice way to share sweet memories between the two of you. The vlog starts with you sat in front of your vanity, as you complete your routine. You talk animatedly about the vacation you’re on with your boyfriend, mentioning the beautiful sights you’ve seen and the delicious food you’ve had so far. You don’t notice but Hamzah walks into the room, quietly sneaking into view when he notices you’re filming. He’s too sweet to scare you on purpose, so he only places the bag of food in front of you and waves towards the camera, “Hiii, it’s me, Hamzah. Remember me?” You push him out of frame, “Ew, get your big head out of here!” The bottom half of his body remains in frame as you look up at him from the seat, “What?! This is how youtubers act behind the camera guys, leave hate comments below, please.” He leans down to be to your level, staring longingly as you get ready. He imagines this is how it feels to watch art being made. You don’t notice his blatant staring, “Tell them how nice it is here.” He’s pulled out of his thoughts with your voice, “Yeah, it’s pretty sweet. Think we’ll bring our kids here cause kids like beaches. Right?” You both seem to forget the camera is even there as you turn to him, “We should take them to Legoland.” He lets out a disbelieving laugh, “Really? That’s the best you got?” You give him a side eye that makes him laugh harder, “Ok, get out, this is my video.” Hamzah only waves at the camera before giving you a gentle kiss on top of your head and leaving. It’s barely in frame, but it’s enough to show the burning warmth he holds for you.

[polyamships]

This is the final of six posts to help expand on the prompts for anyone who needs a little more to go on than just one word. We hope these ideas help inspire people, but they are only a jumping-off point and there will of course be plenty more interpretations we didn’t think of!

March 26th - Argument - Are there any things your ship argue about, whether big or little? What is their arguing style and how do they react to problems that come up? Do other partners take sides? How do they make up afterwards? Or it can be about arguments they have with people outside the ship, venting about it, and how their partners/polycule support them. Someone could present a strong argument, convincing them why they should do something, either personally or during a debate or legal proceedings. There's also arguments in the context of maths and grammar as possible. March 27th - Shadow - This could be about things hiding in the shadows, whether that's monsters, people or objects. Are they the thing in the shadows; a monster, a PI tailing someone, a rogue, a thief? Perhaps an item is lost in the shadows, overlooked. Is there something wrong with their actual shadow? Maybe they feel a shadow of their former self. Does something metaphorically or literally cast a shadow over the characters - bad news, bad weather, an eclipse, a spaceship above them, a kaiju, the end of the world? Or are they shadowing someone to learn from them? Maybe someone catches a glimpse of silhouettes in the window, making assumptions about what they see. March 28th - Teasing - Is it good-natured teasing and kidding around between friends/family? Perhaps teasing about a crush. For angst maybe, despite how it's intended, it might hit a little too close to home, or they were teased as a kid, or are sensitive about something. It could also be teasing the truth out of someone, or a physical teasing out, working out knots or tangles in something or teasing hair into a backcombed style. Are they teasing someone with a hint of what they want; it might be something they are curious about or desperately want, or it could be flirting, or even a smutty kind of teasing. March 29th - Mark - This could be a scuff or other damage caused by the characters. Or marks on a body - an injury, a scar, a tattoo, lovebites, or soulmate marks. Or physical marks made to count a tally or sign a document. Perhaps a mark of time or distance, like a starting line or the halfway mark in something, or a mark on a path, signposting the way. Or has someone made their mark on people, in their career, or on the world, leaving an impression somehow. This could also be a mark as in person targeted in a crime, marks given in a test or competition, a mark an actor would stand on, or another version of something e.g Mark II. March 30th - Pining - Maybe they are pining for someone they assume won't like them or who they assume isn't polyam or won't date a polyam person. Perhaps your characters are oblivious mutual pining idiots in love. Does anyone they know realize this fact and is exasperated at their lack of confession and/or communication? What about friends with benefits who want the relationship to be romantic instead and are pining away not wanting to ruin what they do have. The pining doesn't have to be for people, it could be for a place, somewhere they miss or where they wish to visit, something they lost or can't have or can't do. Is their pining having a negative affect on them, and if so, is there anyone to intervene or to help them cope with it or get past the feeling? March 31st - Polyam is the norm AU - Notable polyam setting AUs are triad verse and sedoretu, but there are lots of different types of polyamorous relationships and marriage structures that could be used - Vs, OT4s/OT5s etc, polycules, relationship anarchy, group marriage, line marriage, braids, troll quadrant romance, polygyny or polyandry, or even the way Denobulans in Star Trek marry! Which does the universe have - one type, some, all, something else entirely made up for the AU? What would a society look like if polyamory was the norm, what different realities and assumptions would there be to match that expectation, in terms of housing, parenting, legal protections, going to events, weddings, eating out.

What if your character(s) end up in another universe/timeline where this is suddenly the case, how do they adapt to those norms? If you can think of any other polyamory types, including ones in particular stories, please leave a reply here to let us know what they are like, so people can see them for more inspiration.

-

The rest of the prompts can be found in the full prompts post here.

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

1k Fics Masterlist

A Game of Proposal (ao3) - imaginativecurls michael/calum G

Summary: Calum couldn’t figure out how to propose to Michael, so he settles for the laziest option. He’s going to see how long it takes Michael to notice an engagement ring on his finger when he wakes up from a nap.

A sweet kiss from your strawberry lips (ao3) - livefastdiehung ot4 N/R

Summary: Luke’s lip gloss tastes like strawberries, he wants his boys to know it.

Beside You (ao3) - iCheeseYou (EHkook) michael/luke G

Summary: Michael sneaks into Luke's room while the blond is sleeping just so he can lie beside him.

can i tell you a secret? (ao3) - prophecygrl michael/calum T

Summary: “You’re so pretty, Calum,” Michael slurred. As always, Michael was the first one to get completely shit faced at the party. “Thanks, Mikey. So are you,” Calum sighed, holding Michael upright so he didn’t face plant. “No, like, really pretty. Your lips are probably the prettiest,” Michael said.

Complete Mess (ao3) - no_clue_who luke/ashton E

Summary: Ashton looked amazing. Ashton always looked amazing but right now, Luke couldn’t think because of how good he looked. Ashton had decided leather pants were the best move for tonight, leather pants that wrapped around his thigh oh so nicely.

He couldn’t handle the sight of Ashton. Every time they saw him, they needed to do something.

Ashton wasn’t helping, the permanent smile on his face had turned into something to tease Luke.

or how not to do a late night performance

Feeling This (ao3) - stelleshine michael/luke E

Summary: Luke loves being in Bali, except for one thing. He can’t have alone time with Michael, and it hurts because Michael is so beautiful.

I’ll be there, time and place (ao3) - jbhmalum michael/calum T

Summary: Calum gets home from work to a sick Michael. He takes care of them.

i want your midnights (ao3) - bellawritess luke/ashton, michael/calum T

Summary: Luke maintains that truth or dare is a dumb game. Michael says he’s just a buzzkill, which might be true, but it doesn’t mean Luke is wrong. Truth or dare is dumb.

This is, unfortunately, the unpopular opinion of the people at this New Year’s party, so here they are anyway, in a circle on the floor, playing it.

just dance (gonna be okay) (ao3) - kingscrossinseptember michael/luke T

Summary: Michael doesn’t have the fear of elevators falling that so many of his fellow college students have. He understands why the fear comes from; elevators are small and there is the possibility of getting trapped in one, even though it would most likely be for a very short amount of time. But Michael’s done his research and knows that it’s practically impossible for modern elevators to go into free-fall, and he’s pretty sure that considering how many people an elevator is designed to hold, it’d be very hard for anything he does while alone to have an effect. So, whenever he finds himself alone in an elevator while listening to music, he’s more than happy to use the opportunity to have a mini dance party.

Kisses For Everyone (ao3) - The_Lady ot4 T

Summary: That blonde boy keeps kissing a bunch of different guys. Hallie's getting a little worried for his boyfriend.

or ot4 from the pov of a girl who does not know they're a polycule.

lay low in our lazy luxury (ao3) - bellawritess michael/calum T

Summary: “Maximum comfort,” they explain, completely misinterpreting the sceptical look on Calum’s face.

Calum pries the last waffle off the iron and settles it atop the stack on the plate. “I wasn’t wondering about the jumpers, you idiot, I’m wondering why Monopoly was your choice. Are you trying to break up with me?”

Michael laughs. “It’ll be fun!”

(let me be) your teddy bear (ao3) - no_clue_who luke/ashton G

Summary: Luke tapped his nails against the glass counter, the cinnamon sugar mix covering his apron. He was bored, the mall was empty and he had to stay there even if it was deserted.

or a build-a-bear/auntie anne's au

Live Like This Forevermore (ao3) - FayeHunter luke/ashton T

Summary: Luke and Ashton spent a lazy morning together

Mile High (ao3) - lovelylarry (leeanndarling) michael/ashton N/R

Summary: Michael teases Ashton and gets him hard before their 15 hour flight home. Ashton doesn’t appreciate it one bit.

(But Michael takes care of him on the plane because he’s a loving boyfriend like that)

New Years Day (ao3) - no_clue_who luke/ashton T

Summary: Ashton knew throwing a New Years eve party was so fucking cliché, but he wanted to cap off an incredible year with a celebration that showed everyone how incredible the year had been. They’d finished their next album, Luke and him finally figured themselves out and he had gotten better.

Or how not to throw a New Years eve party

permanent jet lag (ao3) - kingscrossinseptember michael/luke G

Summary: Meanwhile, Luke had tried sitting in practically every position he could in his cramped airplane seat and, as far as Michael knew, had yet to drift off for more than a couple minutes at a time. Michael glanced over to see Luke burrowing his face into Ashton’s shoulder. His neck was bent at an awkward angle and he was more hunched over than Quasimodo. To put it simply: he looked like crap.

Plaid Shirts and Morning Kisses (ao3) - beendreaminglikeafool michael/luke T

Summary: Luke wears one of Michael’s plaid shirts.

special (ao3) - orphan_account calum/ashton N/R

Summary: ashton finds calum sleeping on a park bench, so he takes him home and makes him feel special

there's glitter on the floor after the party - @sup3rbloom (haveufoundwhaturlookingfor) michael/ashton T

Summary: The aftermath of Michael and Ashton's first new year's eve party as a married couple.

Win or lose I'm screwed (Malum) (ao3) - petalrock michael/calum T

Summary: “We’re not dying,” Calum says, not looking up from where he’s tightening the straps on his armor. It’s a nervous habit. His armor is on perfectly fine, but Michael knows better than to say anything; Calum will just get all red and flustered. Actually, Michael kind of does want to say something. “And if we did, we’re not becoming ghosts. We’re probably ending up in the Fields of Asphalt, or whatever.”

[veemark]

Get to know me tag

@gunsatthaphan tagged me years ago and only now did I get my brain to work (oops).

Three ships

AltMalMar. Battle trio! Enemies to lovers x2! Malik and Maria falling for the man that messed up their lives big time hits so right. I don’t know a novelisation; I get to decide what’s canon here, and so my 12th century polycule totally happened.

SeiSub. CLAMP is fully responsible for my warped taste in ship dynamics. These two fucks thrive on deception, tragedy, betrayal, mutual obsession, and questionable behaviour. Subaru was left so mentally and emotionally fucked up by everything Seishirou did to him that he only wanted the man to kill him so he could have some kind of twisted relevance in his life. Seishirou was so possessive he passed his eye down to Subaru so he could erase the mark another bloke left on him (it is a known fact an eye exchange is equivalent to common-law marriage in any CLAMP universe lol). They’re such good foils they were doomed from the start.

VeeMark. They’re morons. They’re terrible.They pulled the nastiest shit on each other. They neither caught a break nor got their happy ending until their mid-thirties/early forties. At the end of the day, they do deserve each other. I’ll never stop bitching about how I wish I could change the second half of the 2022 series or how much I hate that the script didn’t fully commit to the physical cheating and instead watered down their relationship to make these idiots palatable. I wanted them fully toxic and morally rotten because I love their dysfunctional asses so much! They’re the best at their worst 💙💜

First Ship

Probably TouYuki or SeiUsa

Last Song

Padre nuestro - Los Fabulosos Cadillacs

Last Movie

El señor doctor (1965)

Currently Watching

Fourteen or fifteen shows at the same time (I’ve honestly lost count). My ADHD is all over the place right now, so I’m behind on some.

Currently Consuming

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie

Lectures on Russian Literature - Vladimir Nabokov

La revolución mexicana - Ricardo Flores Magón

Documentaries and podcasts on a wide array of topics since I refuse to be left alone with my thoughts at any given moment

Currently Craving

The only thing I want out of life is a new YinWar series with a script worthy of their talent. PLEASE just let these men graduate from uni and star in some dark stuff.

Eight shows to get to know me

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998). My child self was living for all the gay, lesbian, and nonbinary representation even though they were pretty clueless. The Latin American Spanish dub was lovely and didn’t try to censor anything, so that was a plus.

31 minutos (2003). This was a Chilean puppet show (kind of a news satire) most Latines in my generation grew up with. Some episodes haven’t aged well in the slightest, but I still enjoy watching them from time to time. A lot of moments mutated into memes over the years because they’re that legendary.

Hanazakari no kimitachi e (2007). I once had a huge thing for any piece of Japanese media that involved girls who had to disguise themselves as boys for some plot-pertinent reason (life gave me some answers years later lol). Many actors that would later become huge started here. No one told me OFC’s Mr. Takeda had been hiding under the terrible noughties hair all these years!

Fullmetal Alchemist (2009). There’s absolutely nothing I can say that could ever do justice to what a masterclass in character development, storytelling, and worldbuilding this is. Shounen peaked right here as a genre.

Tumbling (2010). Actually my favourite J-drama ever! I ate up everything and anything Yamamoto Yusuke filmed, and this series was right up my alley with a plot revolving around a gang leader forced to join his school’s male rhythmic gymnastics team. It had friendship, family, team sports, and canon queer representation.

Love Sick (2014). I didn’t even know BL was a thing back when I first watched it, but in no time I fell so deeply in love I didn’t mind waiting for fansubs to drop or the second season to air. Thailand showed me a messy bi awakening with a side of cheating and I could never look back.

Mr. Robot (2015). This is the one show I wish I’d forget just so I could experience it all over again. The narrative rewarded attentive viewers (could never be me), the plot was carefully crafted, and those four seasons had a perfect finale.

Pose (2018). What can I say? It was so good. At some point I spent nearly every episode crying my eyes out when things got too real. I’m always here to watch the Black and Latino queer community being celebrated.

[gilbirda]

Growing pains

Anger Management (mentioned) and Everlasting Insomniacs (aka Everlasting Trio+Tim)

@batpham-discord-highlights

At the family bonfire, the polycule discuss the possibility of adding a new member. Also, Danny is not happy about his sister going for a long walk with Jason.

[Read on AO3]

“Dude! This is bad.” Danny said, plopping in front of the bonfire. For the moment nobody else was around, the official time for dinner was still half an hour later.

“What?” Tim settled in front of him.

“Like, certified bad.”

Tim frowned. “I’m not following.”

“You don’t understand,” Danny grabbed him by the shoulders as if ten minutes ago he hadn’t done the most disastrous confession ever attempted in this universe. “Jazz is very into bad boys with scars and a soft heart.”

Tim made a face. “Uh oh.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sam sat down beside Danny, “it doesn’t have to end with them together.”

Both looked at her like she was crazy. “They went for a walk.” Said Danny.

“They were holding hands.” Tim continued.

“And she was making goo goo eyes at the man,” Tucker ended, sitting on Danny’s other side. “Anyone want some?”

Tim and Danny went for the same can of soda, their hands touching over the cold surface of the metal. Danny gasped, Tim gasped, and they looked at each other with a slight blush on their cheeks.

“Ugh. Just kiss already!”

“No, no, let them. I’m living for the slow burn going on.” Tucker was smiling at Sam, who rolled her eyes.

“Um,” Tim snatched the can and opened it, even if it was clearly an attempt to not look at either of the trio. “Are you guys really okay with…”

“Are you kidding?”

“Yeah, we have known for a while.”

“How is this news for me?”

“Because you are an idiot and very unobservant,” Sam’s smile was mocking, but she let her head fall on her boyfriend’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t shut up about Tim every time you came back from visiting the Waynes.”

“I… didn’t?”

Tucker placed his head on Danny’s other shoulder and nuzzled him a little. “Yes you did. I have a ten minute recording of you talking about how awesome he is.”

Tim’s face went completely red.

“I hate that I know exactly what you are talking about,” Danny sighed, careful to not jostle his partners too much. “Alright, then. I yield. I think he’s cute.”

“I’m still here.”

“We know.” The trio said at the same time. It would be eerie, but Tim found it fascinating.

Danny’s eyes found Tim’s. “If you are still interested, I’m game.”

Was Tim interested? Yes, he still wanted to date Danny - but now variables had changed. He felt stupid for thinking that those three were just friends, seeing them interact now, how casually they invaded each other’s personal space.

He wanted that too, he realized.

“Yeah. I’m in.”

“I’m in,” Tucker said in what he called his ‘hacker voice’ as he pushed up his glasses.

Danny and Sam snorted. “Nerd.” She added.

“Welcome to the polycule, Tim,” Danny extended a hand to him, which he accepted. Then, he was gently pulled into the other’s lap, his face too close to halfa. “We have nerd jokes, death jokes and general insanity.”

He didn’t care that his face resembled a tomato at this point. “That’s my kind of fun. There’s complementary coffee, I assume?”

“We got another one,” Sam groaned as Tucker laughed.

Danny, instead, leaned in to kiss him on the lips. He was cold, his lips almost uncomfortably cold despite the heat of the bonfire having warmed up his body. It was fine by Tim, and it also made him wonder how the other two would kiss. The one he had been crushing on for a while was Danny, but now that he finally met his best friends in person he could see why they were together; and he was not immune to how cute their little polycule was. He wanted more of them, of this.

“This is cute and everything, but here comes your sister, Danny.”

“Oh, yeah. They have kissed.” Sam deadpanned.

“What!”

And this is how the kiss ended, apparently. Danny’s arms kept Tim on his lap, once more being reminded that he was not human and he supported the weight of three grown adults like it was nothing.

Tim felt more than heard the growl in Danny’s chest as he tried to control his breathing. That didn’t help calm down his heart.

He turned to where his boyfriend (boyfriend!!!!) was glaring daggers at; and indeed Jason and Danny’s older sister were approaching them, hand in hand, and a content expression on their faces. Their lips were slightly swollen, Jason’s curls messed up just enough to be dismissed if you were not paying attention, and Jasmine’s hair was not in the bun she had when the two disappeared for a ‘walk’.

“Timbo.” Jason was the first to speak, cutting through the tension building up, eyes narrowed, daring him to comment on the new arrangement of things.

“Jason,” Tim’s eyes went to the still joined hands, and then to the flushed face of the elder Fenton. “Did you have an interesting walk?”

“Eventful. Jazz makes good conversation,” he licked his lips and Jasmine choked at his answer, but didn’t add anything. “Did you have a nice swim?”

“Eventful,” he said in a bored tone, as if he wasn’t in a prison of limbs and Danny and the others weren’t giggling at the exchange. “Did you know Danny was dating his best friends?”

“He mentioned it a few times.”

“Was I really the only one that didn’t know?”

A chorus of ‘yes’, ‘yep’ and a nod from Jazz was all the answer he received.

“That’s because you are an idiot,” Jason scoffed, pulling Jazz by their entwined hands so they sat in front of the bonfire as well. “I hope they beat some common sense onto you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Jay, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon,” Jazz shook her head. “They share a brain cell and sometimes they feed each other’s bad ideas.”

Before Danny could defend what Tim assumed were perfectly fine ideas (like using his powers to propel a floaty and crash into the ocean at breakneck speeds), a new voice joined the conversation.

“Oh my God.”

They turned, finding Damian, Dick, Cass, Alfred and Bruce carrying the pizza boxes that were for dinner, their eyes roaming over the picture they made and coming to the correct conclusions.

Damian didn’t look pleased, but decided to ignore them all and sit on the other side of the bonfire and start eating his vegetarian pizza in peace.

“B, I think the family just got bigger,” the eldest brother whispered to his father, but everyone heard him.

“Indeed.” Bruce's tone was controlled, as if he knew the kind of madness that was in store in his future.

[lostinanothersmemories]

Thoughts on the shifter polycule + Darlin???

I personally think it’s pretty cool 👍

What do you get with four werewolves one stealth and two humans?

absolute chaos. also im sorry this became nsfw so quickly in my head. this is also very darlin centric so anyways

18+

Darlin was the last to join the polycule mostly because of their absence. It was Angel fault mostly dragging them to what was technically date night for the group. Movie nights, camping trips Angel was bringing their plus one the whole time.

Darlin isn’t stupid they realized they were seventh wheeling but the moment they tried to pull away and give them space Angel latched on like an octopus. It was impressive honestly the shifters had known them for a while yet they didn’t bend for anyone like they did for Angel. Giving in with a barely hidden smile to their whims.

Angel had brought it up before of course first to david who expressed slight worry that Angel didn’t really know what Darlin was like. To prove him wrong they managed to get Darlin talking near straight for about thirty minutes about themself which was absolutely unheard of. Stories that should alarm or worry people yet Angel listened. Darlin realized they were getting feelings for the human and tried to pull away again underestimating the stubborn mate.

It was very dramatic how they confessed basically attempting to run away again only for angel to emphasize how theres nothing but open arms and finally kissing them. David’s kiss was more of a “finally you idiot” Milo decided his kiss was the perfect time to introduce them to the fear of being dipped. Asher was mostly spur of the moment after Darlin got him a gift and in his excitement kissed them. Sweetheart absolutely torments them and kisses them right after scaring them. Babe grabs them suddenly by the collar just to get it out of the way.

It is a long day when they realize that Darlin isn’t exclusively a dom. They swear one whine and its like pin drop quiet in the entire house. David who was happy to have two of his mates making out half on his lap freezes commenting with a look. “I know what Angel’s whines sound like…” They immediately try to hide their face in embarrassment yet gets pulled into their alphas lap. With them already groaning out his name in annoyance. They had plenty time to get off or to even stop his hands from slipping between their legs underneath the borrowed pants they were wearing. The gasp pulls Angel to kiss them again.

David and Darlin is a pair that usually requires no walking for an hour at least because they lean into rougher sex. There was almost a moment where someone wanted to check on them after they thought the pair were done for the night. Darlin tied down spread eagle and as David was trying to untie them he happens to tickle their foot leading to “Hey watch the feet asshole!” David despite used to their mouth pulls their leg keeping it right where he wants it and asks “Or what?” Darlin is an idiot and tells him “Or I’ll bite your dick off now quit it” It leads to a whole nother round that requires david to go get them water halfway through as well as a whole cool down in between. Everyone watches in horror as he goes back in to tame the beast.

Milo and Babe all have a field day with the realization Sweetheart and Angel certainly enjoy it but Asher talked too much shit and ended up in trouble as well.

[shera-dnd]

Looks like y'all have been THIRSTY recently, because this is the second NSFW commission this month

Please do enjoy Weiss being a completely useless lesbian as she third wheels her way into joining a polycule

Weiss believed herself to be a good friend. She really did. Sure, she could be grumpy, and mean, and she complained a lot, and she had denied any claims Ruby had made that they were besties, but she still truly tried to be the best friend she could be. Even when, by all reason, she should have the right to just yell at them and leave, she still tried her best.

Like the two years she spent having to deal with Blake and Yang’s totally not mutual crush, which was definitely not obvious to anyone with a working pair of eyes. Gods, she didn’t even have that and she could still see it. Two years of those idiots talking themselves into giving up the relationship before they even tried. Two years of trying to be patient, and supportive, even though all she wanted to do was shove them both into a broom closet, and let nature run its course.

Two years of swallowing any blossoming feelings she might have for one or both of them.

Not like that part mattered much.

Honestly she shouldn’t have waited until they made it to Atlas before taking matters into her own hands, but in her defense she was very busy trying not to die on the way there. And she wasted no time getting to it once they settled in. At that point they were girlfriends in everything but name, and would probably have stayed that way for months if she hadn’t so cleverly tricked them into going on a proper date with each other, so they’d finally have a chance to confess their feelings.

So here she was, Weiss Schnee, friend of the year, the epitome of patience in this world, having set both her big gay crushes up with each other, and she was being punished for it. After everything she had done for them, after everything she’d endured, that’s how they thanked her. By brutally torturing her.

It was innocuous at first, simple, easily ignored.

Just your usual day at the Atlas Academy gym, team RWBY and JNR working out together to stay in good shape for the many fights to come. Yang was being obnoxiously distracting, but that was normal, Weiss could block that out, she’d been blocking that out since their Beacon days.

But no, Yang had to go and make herself impossible to ignore. Had to work those muscles just right, make those sweat drops slide down her body in the way Weiss couldn’t help but follow, and pose in that perfect way that killed all of her higher brain functions. Worst of all, she had to do it all on purpose, glancing at Weiss when she thought she wasn’t looking, taunting her, letting her know this show was for her.

It took her considerable effort to yank her gaze away, and even more to drag herself out of the room, and into a very cold shower. After she had properly cooled off, she thought she’d be able to find some safety in their dorm room, but she had no such luck. No, because Blake was already there.

Usually this wouldn’t be much of an issue at all. Blake was a very respectful person, and if Weiss asked for a quiet moment for herself, she would grant it without question. The problem is that when Weiss arrived Blake was already quite busy with a very important task.

Checking on Gambol Shroud’s ribbon.

It was for safety reasons, she said, all to make sure she wouldn’t accidentally send Yang flying. Weiss would have believed her if it weren’t for the way she was going about testing that ribbon. The way she deliberately wrapped the soft fabric around her hand, how she pulled it taut with a nice snap, how she too kept sparring glances at a Weiss who was most certainly not staring slack jawed this entire time.

What was left of Weiss’s conscious mind that hadn’t been lost to some positively filthy thoughts, was now desperately in search of whatever misdeed she could have commited that would warrant this.

Then the door opened, and for a brief moment Weiss hoped she would finally be saved, but no, she couldn’t be so lucky. Instead she was greeted by the sight of Yang - and only Yang - standing in the doorway, watching Weiss with infuriating amusement. There was an exchanged glance between the two, and she realized she had been caught exactly where they wanted her.

She was about to be on the receiving end of Bumblebee.

“Hey, Weiss,” Yang called, leaning against her bunk. It looked almost casual, but still left her towering over Weiss, taking over most of her field of view. “You okay there? You left the gym in such a hurry.”

Weiss blinked, mouth opening in search of words, but finding none.

“I don’t think she is,” Blake answered for her, moving over, and boxing Weiss in between the two of them, “she’s been looking very red.”

“Mhm,” Yang agreed, sitting next to her, so close they were almost touching, “and she’s running a little hot.”

“I–”

“You’re right,” Blake interrupted, sitting down on her other side, “maybe we should help her.”

Yang smirked, moving closer, properly sandwiching Weiss between them.

Weiss was pretty sure she’s had this dream before.

“Do you want us to take care of you, Weiss?” Yang asked, and Weiss was pretty sure she was going to combust.

Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to say yes, and let the two of them do whatever they wanted with her. But she was Weiss Fucking Schnee, and she would not let them play with her like this.

She would not go down without a fight!

“What…” she whined, before collecting herself and getting her voice under control, “what are you dolts doing?”

“Taking care of you,” Yang answered, in a husky tone that sent a shiver down Weiss’s spine.

Ugh, get it together you stupid lesbian.

“Why?”

“Because you’ve done so much for us,” Blake answered this time, pressing Weiss back against Yang’s powerful body, “you’ve been so helpful, for so long. You even brought us together.”

“So we wanted to thank you for that,” Yang continued, strong hands running up Weiss’s arms, “together.”

Really?

They really waited until they got together before starting to take some initiative with this kind of stuff? Not that Weiss had any right to complain, not when she was the one that got them like this, when they did this for her and…her alone.

“What do you think?” Blake asked, so close now Weiss could feel her breath on her skin.

“I think…” honestly she could barely think. She just wanted to whine, and beg them to leave her a wreck, but if she was gonna ask for it, the least she could do was ask with some dignity, “that you two better ravage me right now, or I’m kicking you both off the face of Atlas.”

Blake smiled, and she heard Yang chuckle. “Since you asked so nicely.”

And what followed was bliss.

[yugirl]

Day 6: “Heartfelt Appeal”

You find two characters that click so well, look them up...and there’s no content! ‘Why?? Someone, please make content!’ The pleas go unheard. You’ll just have to make it yourself. Show some love for your rare pairs today!

((Well as I am the only one who makes connectionshipping content, here I am. More connectionshipping content for GX month. I wanted to challenge myself by not writing parent au because that’s usually my go-to… so let’s see what we got…))

@gxmonth

The night was tense. The air was so thick Jaden could cut it with a knife. He had no idea what to do. Everyone had been acting so strange. It was supposed to be their anniversary, a day of fun… but everyone was acting off.

Jesse was trying to get everyone together, Chazz was attempting to speak to each of them in private, and Bastion kept dragging everyone off to places only to be frustrated that they missed out on the booking no one but him knew about, which would make everyone else more stressed. So their anniversary date was cancelled.

Everyone was angry. No one talked and made their own dinner, and then they all went to bed, but… Jaden couldn’t sleep.

He decided to get out of bed, a difficult feat with Chazz and Jesse on either side of him. He watched the three of them, obviously pretending to be asleep. None of them would typically be sleeping at this hour. They just didn’t want to talk to each other. It was pathetic.

He made himself a coffee and went outside to look at the night sky.

What the hell was going on? Did Chazz suddenly decide the poly life wasn’t for him? Was Jesse going back to Europe? Was Bastion trying to take them out for one last nice dinner before he ran away back to the other world to be with Tanya?

That had to be it. The relationship was breaking up, but of course, instead of talking about it like adults, everyone tried to go about it their own way, and when it didn’t work out, they got mad at each other.

But Jaden didn’t want the relationship to be over… he couldn’t understand. What happened to make everyone want to call it off.

What did he do wrong?

He leaned on the balcony and started sobbing. He was going to be all alone again, and there’s nothing he could do about it.

Jesse had very keen intuition. He could usually sense something was wrong. He opened his eyes and noticed Jaden’s spot in the bed was empty. That was a cause for worry. Jaden never went anywhere without waking one of them to tell them first.

He then heard the sobbing and began to panic. He started to shake Bastion and Chazz awake violently.

“Ow! What the hell Anderson!?” Chazz snapped.

“Jesse, what’s going on?” Bastion fake yawned.

“Guys, Jaden’s crying!” Jesse hissed.

The other two finally noticed the space in the bed. The worry immediately setting in.

The three of them frantically toss the covers off the bed. And scramble to find Jaden, fortunately, in this house Chazz managed to win off his brothers, sound carries, and it didn’t take long for them to hear Jaden’s sobbing.

The alarm bells immediately went off.

Jesse was the first to approach, but Bastion and Chazz weren’t too far behind.

“What’s wrong, Jay…?” Jesse asked softly.

“w… what… what did I do wrong?!” Jaden sobbed.

“What?” Jesse whispered in confusion, “y-you haven’t done anything wrong, Jaden, you’re absolutely wonderful….”

“B-but w-why are breaking up with me….”

All three of them froze.

“What!?”

“Y-you’re breaking up with me, aren’t you? Ch-Chazz has been trying to talk to us one on one because he wants out of the polycule, J-Jesse’s been trying to break it to us that he’s going back to Europe, a-and B-Bastion’s planning to run away with Tania, so he planned the day to say g-goodbye, and you’re all upset because you’re unhappy about the relationship and refuse to talk about it!!”

“What?!”

Jesse immediately scooped Jaden onto a hug “Jay! I would never!!— I’m not breaking up with you guys! In fact, it’s the opposite! I love y’all so much, and I never want to be apart from y’all.”

“Jesse’s right!” Bastion agreed, “if anything, I thought you’d have gotten tired of me a long time ago… even now, I’m still learning about how to love in a relationship like this… but I’m so happy here… I don’t want to leave!”

“Slacker, you’re an idiot for thinking that we would ever want to leave you!” Chazz sputters, “w-we l-love you….”

“But then why were you all acting so weird!! Why were you all so upset today! I-I don’t understand!!”

“I was trying to propose!!” All three exclaimed at once. It took a few seconds to realise they chorused and a few more to process that… all three of them tried to propose on the same day? “You too!?”

“W-why wouldn’t I propose on our anniversary!” Chazz protested, “I-I was trying to propose to you all one on one b-because I wanted to make it special for each of you!!”

“You’re kidding!” Jesse gasped. “I was trying to get everyone together because I wanted to propose to all three of you at once. I even had custom rings made!”

“A-and I had this big itinerary planned so we could go to all of your favourite places before proposing after dinner tonight, I had all the surprises planned out, and then I got frustrated because it didn’t work….”

Jaden was shaking “s-so all of you were upset because your proposals didn’t go the way you planned?”

He cupped his face and started sobbing again. “You guys are jerks!!! I thought you were breaking up with me!!”

All three of them immediately started to comfort him, kissing his hands and face and whispering apologies. They were all so obsessed with getting their proposal perfectly that they were inconsiderate of each other, especially Jaden, who had no proposal plan and just wanted to celebrate their anniversary.

They all felt awful…

“Come back to bed, Jay….” Jesse whispered, “we’re sorry….”

“I-ok…” he slowly followed them. He was still sniffling and contemplating.

They made their way back to the bedroom, only for Jaden to blurt it out.

“Will you marry me?”

The other three froze and turned around.

“I… I know this isn’t personalised or after a perfect date night, and I don’t have any rings, but… I don’t need any of that!! I just have all this love to give! That’s all I have… I want to love and be loved and grow old with all of you… so… will you marry me?”

The others were stunned silent, only for Jesse to break it by getting something out of his jacket. “Of course I’ll marry you, Jay! Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Jaden smiled as Jesse slipped the ring on his finger. A ruby in a heart-shaped cut with a silver engraved band.

“Jaden… Jesse… will you marry me?” Bastion asked, approaching hesitantly.

“Of course, Bastion! Will you marry us?” Jesse smiled.

“Yes, I will!” He smiled as Jesse slipped the ring on his finger. Yellow topaz in a diamond cut with an engraved silver band.

Chazz blushed and got down on one knee before the other three “w… will you three marry me as well?”

“Of course we will, Chazz!” Bastion smiled and helped him up.

“Will you marry us, Chazz?” Asked Jesse.

“Yes! Yes, a thousand times!” Chazz smiled. Jesse happily picked up a ring and slid it on Chazz’s finger. A star cut amethyst on an engraved silver band.

Jaden noticed the last ring and picked it up, looking at the other two.

“Jesse Anderson, will you marry us?”

Jesse smiled and nodded through the tears. “I sure will!!”

Jaden slid the gem-shaped sapphire ring onto his finger. All four of them smiling and holding back tears.

They did it! They were engaged.

Jaden smiled and hugged them all. “I love you guys so much!”

“I love you all too!” Chazz managed to croak.

“I love y’all too!” Jesse grinned.

“And I love you all as well!” Bastion whispered.

They were sticking together. Nothing could stop them now…

[diaryofomellas]

When inspiration strikes, make it into a polycule.

“I heard the blast from up here. I think I may have even gotten a piece of guard on my cloak.” Nathanos glared at Omellas. “You were supposed to be subtle!”

“Things got out of control. We dealt with it.”

Nathanos walked alongside the horse until she brought it to a stop near the campfire. “Where is Lilian?”

“Right here, Blightcaller.” The rogue was jogging up the path to catch up to them. “I have retrieved the body.”

“Mostly intact?” Nathanos cocked a brow when Lilian pointed to a fresh corpse lying on the grass behind her. “Load it into the wagon, then. You are proving more useful than I anticipated, Miss Voss.”

It wasn’t until Omellas dismounted the stolen horse that she felt it. Red-hot pain flashing on her upper thigh as it scraped against the saddle. Looking down to see where it hurt, she immediately saw the trickle of blood dripping from a tear on the fabric of her pants.

Those Kul Tiran bastards shot me!

In the heat of the moment, she felt nothing. Now, in the safety of Marris Outpost, pain demanded to be felt. Not wanting anyone to worry, she tried her best to hide it. Omellas took a deep breath, then turned to lead the horse to the stable master.

The attempt lasted no more than two seconds. Even though she locked her jaw to keep from showing pain on her face, she still sensed Nathanos burning gaze fixed on her as she took the first step. No detail ever got past him.

*

“Idiotic. Asinine. Reckless behaviour.” Nathanos pressed the damp cloth to the wound on Omellas’ thigh, growling insults under his breath. “I sent you in to investigate, not to get yourself killed!”

“It’s just a scratch," she replied, gritting her teeth to pretend it didn’t hurt at all. "Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Having slowed the bleeding enough to properly clean the wound, Nathanos began the painstakingly slow process of removing any debris or pieces of charred cloth sticking to the injured skin. Forsaken did not have to concern themselves with such mundane tasks anymore but the risk of infection was still very real for a blood elf unattuned to the Sunwell. His brows furrowed in concentration, but streams of complaints still left his lips in a low tone as he worked.

He was not gentle. Omellas winced and her leg jerked away of its own accord when a sharp pain ran through it like lightning. Nathanos clamped his fingers down hard to keep her from moving. “Don’t be such a baby and stay still. I have to clean this.”

"I could do that myself, you know?"

"What you could've done was follow my instructions.” He shook his head, silently cursing his decision to send their only available healer on a different mission. “Then you wouldn't have been shot and I wouldn't have to sit here playing doctor."

Omellas chuckled, but cut herself off when she realised Nathanos really wasn’t amused. "We might've gotten a bit carried away with the explosives," she said with a veiled apology in her tone. "Lilian's enthusiasm at the idea of blowing Alliance soldiers to bits was… contagious.”

“It was an irresponsible plan and you two should have known better." His eyes flickered up to her, flashing a very angry crimson. "You should know better!"

"I didn't know you cared that much about me," Omellas joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course I care!" Nathanos snapped, glaring at her. "I love you, you miserable brat!"

Omellas’ eyes widened and he lowered his gaze immediately, embarrassed by his outburst. She opened her mouth to speak but by the time she got any words out he was already unravelling a roll of silk bandages to dress the wound. “You know I can take care of myself out there.”

Nathanos was silent for so long that Omellas wondered if he would even reply at all. When he did, his tone was low and the words seemed reluctant to spill out. “I know that. But I still worry.”

Omellas had grown so accustomed to the closeness between them that she often forgot just how profound it was. Between their constant bickering and playful banter, the affection that came so naturally for them was easily overlooked.

"You've never… said that to me before."

He taped the end of the bandage so it would not come loose, then finally raised his eyes to meet hers. “Well, now you know.”

Omellas smiled at him and lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair from his brow, much like Sylvanas often did. Perhaps that was why he was so enchanted by them — the two women had so much in common, after all. The more he tried to pull away, the more he fell for them.

Her hand dropped to his cheek. Almost as if he feared her touch all of a sudden, or perhaps fearing the yearning screaming in his chest, Nathanos pulled away. Sylvanas had also recoiled from her once, Omellas recalled, all those years ago when they first met in Lordaeron after death came between them. She allowed a heartbeat to pass, and then another. She waited while the seconds and the silence stretched between them. And then, without daring to return her tender gaze, he leaned into the warmth of her palm.

“I already knew," she replied, stroking the prickly beard below his cheekbones, "but it feels really good to finally hear it.”

Drawing him closer, Omellas saw his posture stiffen ever so slightly as it always did when they were too close. But when she pressed her lips softly to his forehead she felt him relax. “Thank you for loving me.”

Nathanos had been cold for so long he never even noticed it anymore. Now, under the soft touch of her skin, he seemed to burn. He wanted more of it. Chasing the pleasant warmth he had tried to deny before, he lingered closer for a moment too long.

“I love you too, you know?" Omellas' voice dropped to a sweet whisper, touching her forehead to his. "You're my person, just as much as she is.”

The hand still resting on her thigh over the bandage he had so carefully wrapped around the gunshot wound stirred and moved up. He mapped more of her skin under his fingertips until they found the fabric of her undershirt. In the kindest and most gentle way he had ever touched her, his hand came to rest on the curve of her waist.

Audacious, unthinking, Nathanos pulled her in even closer until their lips touched. Delicately at first, with all the beauty and honeyed charm of a timid first kiss. Then they surrendered to each other, melting into the embrace, tasting the hunger and craving they did not know were there before.

[milfzatannaz]

Ukw I’m gonna write useless meta about John and zee again, bc JLD volume 1 really set a precedent on how they’re treated by the larger DC community. The new52 erased their well established friendship, and changed their origins massively (while the Nick necro polycule is interesting, it just didn’t do anybody involved justice in terms of character development). I’ve seen people say that John and zee are toxic for each other, and while I could see that potentially, I think people unfairly pin that on John. It insinuates he’s incapable of relationships and has too many demons (literally and figuratively) to make it work.

What this does is deny the fact that in Hellblazer canon, John had several meaningful relationships, including Kit and Dani. So obviously while he’s a cynic and comes with a whole lot of baggage, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love, and love often.

If anyone could understand where his darkness lies, and match his magical capabilities, (and surpass them! Miss me with that misogynistic bullshit) it’s Zee! And Zee is not perfect either! The whole “damaged vs perfect angel” thing does both of them dirty! She’s got issues too, but as I’ve already written, wouldn’t it make sense that the one person who would understand her sometimes toxic reliance on magic/ her guilt be John? Instead of being in this constant loop where John is pinned as the sole reason their relationship “wouldn’t work”, we could instead thing about what makes them so compelling in the first place.

Basically I’m just heated about people misinterpreting John’s character in a way that does them both a disservice. He’s deeply flawed but like. Not a disgusting slutty idiot that crashes into her life to sabotage her relationships (thanks Dini) nor is he a blithering idiot that makes the wrong choice every time, and is constantly getting yelled at by Zee (thanks JLD). He’s capable of being a real sweetheart when he puts his mind to it, and even when his relationships crash and burn, he still treasures that person. (Can I point you all towards Ennis’s and Jenkins’ run on Hellblazer). And before the reboot, Zee was supportive of him! While she acknowledged how messy they were, they were affectionate in Books of Magic and she showed up to celebrate his birthday with him when he was brooding about being alone. I think they know each other better than anybody in canon. It’s valid to want zatanna to be independent of him! But their relationship was still a good thing, and they held a lot of affection for each other. DC writers pls do your goddam research and also erase all evidence of JLD 1 from the internet

[the-lincyclopedia]

* adapted from @librajiminn on twitter

A fun game to celebrate 2020 ending! The rules are simple: recommend your favorite OMGCP fics so everyone can enjoy them, while trying to fill in enough slots to get a bingo!

This is going to get long, so I’ll put it under a cut. Also, I’m too orderly to try to shoehorn my favorite fics into these particular prompts, so I’m just going to go right to left, top to bottom, taking the prompts literally, until it’s bedtime. 

1. first fic you bookmarked: “Here Comes the Sun” by @doggernaut, 19k, G, no warnings, Zimbits

For the past month, the man with the baby and the sad blue eyes has been stopping in for a cup of coffee an hour before closing. He always sits in an overstuffed chair in the corner and drinks his coffee while his baby sleeps next to him in the stroller. Sometimes he pulls a book out from the diaper bag he carries with him; other times he just stares straight ahead as if in a daze. He never asks for a refill, always respectfully gathers his things and leaves ten minutes before the shop officially closes. Eric desperately wants to ask him what his story is. 

My notes: I read Check Please over the course of two days in June of 2019. On the second day, right after catching up, I looked at @peppermintfeminist‘s AO3 bookmarks and found a fic by @doggernaut. Then I read just about everything @doggernaut had ever posted. It was glorious. This fic in particular is so cute. 

2. most recent fic you bookmarked: “Flight Check” by @edgarallanrose, 15k, E, no warnings (though there is a creepy/handsy guy at a club to watch out for), primarily Zimbits with most of the other popular pairings in the background

Flight attendant Eric “Bitty” Bittle has been working his way up at Samwell Airlines for the past four years, and his new promotion has provided him the opportunity to work with a brand-new crew. Unfortunately for Bitty, that crew includes an incredibly handsome but equally grumpy pilot, Captain Jack Zimmermann, who seems to want nothing to do with Bitty. Even worse, Jack refuses to eat any of Bitty's baked goods. Will Bitty be able to win the captain over? Or is there another reason Jack has been avoiding Bitty?

My notes: There are a lot of great things about this fic--Jack’s character arc, Lardo’s dialogue, that scene in Seattle--but the reason I bookmarked it is the scene where Bitty’s basically slut-shaming himself and Jack gently but firmly tells Bitty not to do that and that it was the creep’s fault. 

3. a fic that made you cry actual tears: “a little bit more” by @ivecarvedawoodenheart, 14k, T, no warnings, Holsom

“I just wanted,” he says, “a perfect day. With you. Because it’s our last day together and our last day being here as undergrads and we’re kissing the ice tonight, and the weather’s supposed to be beautiful, and you’re moving tomorrow and Holtzy I just — I don’t want to be missing you already.” Holster wipes his eyes before he even realizes he’s crying. Behind him, Ransom sighs. “One more day where everything’s the same,” he says, feeling around blindly for Rans’ fingers. He feels Rans nod as he laces their fingers together. “Yeah. Yeah, Rans. I’d like that a lot.” __________________________

Holsom after graduation and throughout the subsequent six months after Holster signs to an expansion team in Oregon, and realizes his feelings for Ransom too late. Holster's POV :) kinda angsty, but there's a happy ending :)

Inspired by shitty-check-please-aus: "Holster moves to Oregon while Ransom stays on the east coast. The time difference makes it difficult to talk and one day they wake up and realize they aren’t best bros anymore."

My notes: I almost never cry at fics. I searched “tears” in my fandom email account and only a handful of my fic comments came up, but Syd is a literal master of Holsom angst, always. 

4. longest fic you’ve read: “Like Real People Do” by @xiaq, 153k, M, No Warnings, Kent Parson x OC

Parson gestures with his spoon toward Hawke. “So am I allowed to ask about the service dog or is that not PC?”

“My medical history is more of a 3rd date conversation," Eli says.

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because. No one sticks around afterward and I like to live in glorious denial for a short period beforehand.”

It comes out more self-deprecating than he intended.

Parson looks…thoughtful. “Well, does this count as one or two?

“Pardon?”

“This. Ice cream. I mean, technically it’s a second location, but still the same night. So is this one date or two?”

“One,” Eli says firmly. “If it’s happening within the same three-hour period.”

“You’re the expert,” Parson says, which, he’s really, really, not, but ok.

“So still two dates to go then?” Parson continues.

“I—what?”

“We’ve got a roadie coming up but then we’re home for almost two weeks. When does your semester start?”

“You want to do this again?” Eli asks.

Parson stops idly twirling his spoon.

“You don’t?”

He does, Eli realizes. He really does. Because apparently he actually likes Kent fucking Parson.

My notes: Okay, this fic has my whole entire heart. I’ve read it multiple times in its entirety, and it’s almost twice as long as the full-length novel I’m querying. Eli is one of my favorite OCs I’ve ever seen in a fic (probably tied with Damian Navarro and Ari Paxton, both brainchildren of @fozmeadows). Anyway, this is probably going to be the next thing @themeaningoflifeischeese and I read out loud to each other. 

5. a fic you almost didn’t read: “when all else fails (i’ll still be right here)” by @whoacanada, 6k, T, Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings (and I don’t remember if I think there’s stuff to warn for, sorry), Zimbits

The National Hockey League is resurrecting the Quebec City Nordiques, and the expansion draft hits the Falconers much harder than expected.

My notes: Given that this was for @omgcpheartbreakfest, I was worried this would be all angst--all hurt and no comfort. Which made me sad, because I love @whoacanada‘s writing but I wasn’t up for reading unresolved angst. But @doggernaut reblogged the fic, so I asked if the ending was sad, and it’s NOT! There is quite a bit of angst but the ending isn’t sad. 

6. a fic that convinced you on a ship you didn’t ship before: “it drops with the gravity of rain” by @geniusorinsanity, 16k, T, Creator Chose Not to Use Archive Warnings (attempted sexual assault by an OC), Nurseydex

It happens like this:

“I don’t--this is a bad idea,” Dex says, his lips still tingling, his hands shaking on Nursey’s hips where he’s shoved him away. “This is a really bad idea, Nurse. I can’t--We can’t do this.”

And there’s hurt in Nursey’s eyes and his bottom lip is swollen from Dex’s teeth, but he says, “Okay.” And then, “It’s chill, Dex. Just friends, then.”

It happens like this:

“Actually,” Nursey says, talking more to his granola than to them, “I kind of have a date.”

It happens like this:

When Nursey calls, Dex almost doesn’t pick up the phone.

My notes: So I was really confused and a little disturbed when I first found out people shipped Nursey and Dex. Like, Dex just wasn’t someone I trusted. But then I was moving out of the house I’d been living in, and I needed stuff to listen to as I packed and cleaned, and @khashanakalashtar‘s podfics came in clutch. I gave this one a try even though I didn’t like Dex, and @geniusorinsanity blew. My. Mind.

7. a fic from an unusual POV: “Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy” by @porcupine-girl, 8k, G, no warnings, Zimbits

Jesse Snowden knows all the best restaurants and gourmet food shops in Providence, so when Jack Zimmermann starts bringing in incredible baked goods, he's eager to find out where the new bakery is. When he meets the man behind the pies, he decides that there's no way Jack could really appreciate this guy's talent the way he does, even if they are friends. He starts hiring Jack's chef on the side, in the hopes that maybe once Bitty's done with college he'll come work for Jesse.

Good thing there is absolutely no way whatsoever that Jesse could possibly be misinterpreting this situation.

My notes: Oh my gosh this is so funny. The secondhand embarrassment factor is huge, but like, the hilarity. 

8. a comfort fic: “Don’t Need to Compromise” by @khashanakalashtar, 11k, E, no warnings, PB&J

“Hey,” said Kent, unknowingly setting off a chain of events that would change his entire life, “you said that like you know from experience. Have you done this before?”

Jack and Bitty have not done polyamory before, but they do know Ransom and Holster’s polycule, which contains March.

And March?

March is trans.

My notes: I’m in love with @khashanakalashtar‘s entire Directionverse series (and honestly a lot of their other writing), but “Don’t Need to Compromise,” which is the second fic in the series, just makes my heart swell especially much. The gender feels are so good, and all the characters are so good to each other, and when I listen to this on walks I have to actively try not to arm-flap. 

9. a fic you wish could be a movie: “Ice Crew Please!” by @petals42, 61k, T, no warnings, Zimbits

Jack Zimmermann was drafted first by the Providence Falconers when he was eighteen years old. He is good at hockey. Very good. His team won the Cup his second year and now, in his third year, they are looking good. Jack should be on top of the world. And some days, he manages to convince himself he is.

He’s not, of course.

Enter the Ice Crew.

AKA: The Ice Crew AU

My notes: This fic has its tender moments, but what I love most about it is the sheer goofiness. Ransom and Holster and Shitty are HILARIOUS in this one. I’d love to see their shenanigans in movie form. 

10. a WIP you read as it was updated: “Something Borrowed” by @fozmeadows, 48k, M, no warnings, Kent x OC

All things considered, Ari did his best to prepare himself for the advent of Kent Parson, Potentially Difficult Housemate and New Star Liney. The problem was that his best was an idiot.

My notes: So technically I didn’t start reading this until the first 19 chapters were posted. But there was still plenty of anticipation for the final few chapters. And like, @fozmeadows (as mentioned above) makes EXCELLENT OCs. And I love how their fics consistently convey that having bad things happen to you does not mark the end of your story. 

Okay, it’s bedtime, so have 10 excellent fics. I got bingo twice, because I went straight across on the top two rows.

[deniigi]

MORE POLYCULE SHIT

here this is mostly Sam/Ned from Matt’s POV. (this piece assumes Matt didn’t know about the negotiations until later)

Title: soda bottles

Summary: Matt finds out about Sam’s involvement with Ned and then with Peter’s polycule. He tries to talk to Sam about it, but fails. On like, every front.

---------------

The apprentice told him to stay out of his room and his life and his business and he should have known better by now, truly.

Matt knew that voice. And he also knew that what Sam, Samuel, Sammy-my-darling was doing right now at this present moment was giggling.

Unacceptable. There would be no joy in this house.

Matt removed himself from the door and declared war in silence.

 ---

 The dogs were instrumental in luring Samuel out to open space. And by luring, Matt meant knocking on his bedroom door with leashes in hand and asking Sam if he wanted a walk.

In no time Matt had zero leashes and zero dogs and, while he was at it, zero apprentices.

In fact, he had been abandoned.

In his own house.

Again.

How did this keep happening?

 ---

 Foggy told Matt to let Sam have his little crush on Ned. Ned was a good boy. Foggy had maintained this for years. He skirted around the fact that he’d grabbed Ned’s shoulders when he was 17 and had told him to stare him in the eyes and to never fall in love with his best friend.

Matt pointed this out to him and got a pillow to the face, then a huff and an uncalled-for reminder that he was a fucking idiot and no one loved him.

This was Foggy’s love language though, so Matt didn’t take it to heart. Instead, he abandoned him for the only person in the world who truly understood him.

Jenn.

 ---

  Jenn had to spend fifteen minutes cooing over the fact that Matt had acquired an apprentice and then she had to spend another ten being an asshole about it and then she spent a solid 5 making dad jokes at him when he tried to talk and so he waited until she was done with her cackling and personal jabs.

She told him that it was cute that Peter’s bestie was gushing over Matt’s apprentice.

She told him that he should be happy for them.

And Matt was. Happy for them, that is.

He was thrilled.

Sam’s track record with long-term partners, as far as Matt could tell, was a solid nil for nil. The boy refused to be attached to anyone, which Matt totally got.

But it was like standing by, watching your own young moronic self making a series of unfortunate decisions that were not only whole unnecessary, but also had solutions within easy reach, like headstones in a damn cemetery.

Sam had a string of guys and girls that he’d picked up at clubs and bars and fuckin’ hipster literature readings downtown who were literally, actually falling over themselves to be with him. And he texted them and laughed about them and joked with Leilani and Achara about them, and then never spoke of them ever again.

Matt got it, okay?

He’d been that guy.

Maybe a little more on the jock side of things and maybe a little less, say, refined than Sammy—but he still got it. A slightly longer relationship was good for Sam. And Ned was a good egg—no, a great egg.

But he just couldn’t shake this feeling, Jenn.

He didn’t even know what it was, but it made him paranoid and want Sam to go back to the self-destructive nonsense, because at least Matt knew what that felt like. He could push back against that after dumping the kid out of the ring in training.

“Matty,” Jenn said affectionately, “You’re trying to protect Sam, Ned, and Peter. But you don’t have to do that. They’re all grown. Let them make their decisions.”

Ooooohohoho

How dare she.

Matt knew they were grown. Sam was nearly 25. Peter was almost 27—oh god, Peter was almost 27. FUCK. Jesus. Lord. Someone—Christ.

Sammy was a baby.

He couldn’t be playing with these big kids, he’d have his heart broken.

What if Ned got bored of him, Jenn??

Matt couldn’t beat the shit out of Ned. Ned was a good boy. And Peter would lose his damn gourd and that was how Matt would end up under two tons of concrete and rebar with an angry spider perched on top, stomping and spitting.

“Matt,” Jenn said soothingly. “Peter learned how to be polyamorous from you, dear heart.”

Oh shit.

Oh right.

Oh no.

“I��ve gotta go,” Matt said. “Lovely talking to you, next time you’re in town, come around for a foursome or a twosome or a three if Kirsten’s down—okay BYE.”

Jenn laughed at him when he hung up.

Matt clutched at his chest.

 ---

 He’d inadvertently taught Peter what polyamory looked like by flinging himself down on many disgusting surfaces and moaning and writhing in agony and despair about Foggy being monogamous and everyone in the world being unspeakably brilliant and strong and no-doubt gorgeous.

Fuckin’ Kirsten.

Fuckin’ Wade.

Fuckin’ Karen.

And Heather and Marci and ONE TIME ONLY Frank.

UGH.

Disgusting. Matt needed Lysol to scrub that moment of weakness from his brain.

The point was that he’d been a chump, and baby Peter had observed these various moaning sessions and had apparently, at some point, started taking notes.

Gah.

Peter. Why?

Stop loving your friends. Stop copying me. Get your own breakdown material.

Uuuuuuugh.

Okay, okay. Rally, Murdock. It’s fine.

This is simply a conversation to have with Sammy about how to negotiate such--hng. Actually maybe this was a Kirsten conversation.

 ---

 He went to visit Kirsten.

He got a little distracted because Kirsten was Kirsten and she required thorough smelling and like, minimum two kisses and she deserved to have at his bare chest if she wanted it—who was he to deny her—THE POINT.

The point. Was.

That he told Kirsten about things and she told him not to talk about work when she was taking her shirt off, and he told her to leave it on for just like, five minutes longer and that came out wrong and she was insulted and Matt had to backtrack for half an hour.

But he got there in the end, alright?

Kirsten said she didn’t know that Sam was polyamorous.

Matt said that he didn’t know if he was, but he sure as shit was flirting with Ned like, constantly.

Kirsten said that that explained why Sam kept telling her that he couldn’t come to dinner with them because he already had a date. Kirsten then went rigid and said, “Wait, you mean Ned-Ned?”

Yes.

Yes, Matt did.

“Oh.”

Correct reaction.

“Is that—do you think that’s –hm.”

Correct reaction maintained and appreciated. Matt no longer felt like a monumental ass.

“That might be a little, uh, cuttin’ it close there,” Kirsten said. “Does Peter know?”

Presumably. Ned couldn’t lie for shit.

“Maybe we should ask Peter what the negotiations there are. He’s pretty on top of that stuff.”

Shockingly, that was true.

Good plan.

“If Sammy’s gonna get involved with them, then he should at least know what he’s getting into,” Kirsten said.

Yes, but also—why is this feeling happening, Kirsten, beloved life partner number 2?

“Oh, that? That’s called ‘you’re a territorial dick,’” Kirsten said. “Get over yourself.”

“But he’s 24,” Matt said. “A child.”

“He’ll be twenty-five in a few months, Matthew,” Kirsten said. “That’s bad-decision-making prime-time. This is inevitable. My concern is that he’s not going into a relationship with Ned, thinking that he’s the primary partner there.”

Okay, fair.

“Are we done with this conversation now?”

Yes.

“Thank god. I hate your dad impulses. Cleanse yourself of them and get on the bed.”

Would do.

 ---

 Kirsten made Matt call Peter and be awkward for the both of them which, Matt would like it stated for the record, was extremely unfair and manipulative of her.

Peter told him that Sam was fine.

Peter told him that he and Sam had maybe fooled around a little bit without Matt and Foggy and Kirsten’s knowledge which was. Hm.

Troublemakers. Stop laughing, Franklin. This is nothing like the time we inducted Kirsten into our life and lied about it to everyone we knew for 3 years.

Nothing.

Peter thought not. Peter thought that Sam had told Matt about this whole thing. He then got a little huffy and said that Ned was the one who had swept Sam off his feet while Peter had been standing right there, man. As Spiderman. Primed for feet-sweeping.

That was satisfying.

Peter took the next ten minutes to complain about how Sam didn’t want to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to Ned and how Ned was always begging off dinners with Peter and MJ to go have dinner with Sam and how Peter and MJ had to make do with Johnny in his absence.

Matt would never understand why Peter pretended that he and Johnny Storm were nothing more than fuck buddies, but okay, sure. If that’s what helps you sleep at night, little lion man.

Peter went on to say that the worst part of Sam and Ned’s mutual obsession was how fucking cute it was.

Disgusting, Peter maintained.

There were matching bracelets and drawn out decisions about matching sneakers. And there was nattering on until past midnight about Transformers lore and there was non-stop texting and complaints about various tools and coding languages and all this shit that Peter’s own flavor of nerd had diverged from about six years ago.

Kirsten made a little squeak that told Matt that she was highly entertained by Peter’s ‘complaints.’

It sounded more to Matt like Peter and MJ were hunkered down behind the couch, narrating all Ned’s behavior to Johnny (the totally uninvolved fuckbuddy) in whispers.  

Foggy curled up on the edge of their own couch to muffle his wheezy giggles.

Exhausting.

The youth were exhausting. How had no one just shot Matt straight through the heart at 27?

“I will speak to Sam about emotional repression,” he promised Peter only to receive a “NO WAIT” from both him and, from the sound of it, MJ and (only fuckbuddy) Johnny a little ways away.

Peter hurriedly explained that Sammy was really shy and skittish about being around their polycule and had just connected with Ned as the least threatening member and it had taken ages, so please don’t say anything and destroy all of the rest of their hard work.

This hit a strange note.

Foggy and Kirsten weren’t snickering anymore either.

Sam?

Wasn’t?

Shy?

Like, if anything, Sammy was shameless. Always lying in people’s laps and snatching their open hands to swing back and forth.

Sure, he was teasing. But shy? Shy?

Sam was sick.

“No,” Peter said. “Double D, he’s not sick.”

Very sick. Terminally ill.

“DD. He’s not sick.”

Bullshit. Matt was taking him to the doctor. Too bad, Sam. You couldn’t avoid it forever.

“Matt. He’s just. Emotionally. Repressed. You should recognize it because its your whole way of being.”

Wow, hadn’t this conversation been going on for a while now? Time to go.

“MATT. Leave him alone,” Peter said. “I’m looking after him, okay? Chill.”

Chill. Yes. Okay, fine. Matt would chill.

For now. Goodbye, Peter.

 ---

 Matt hadn’t chilled about anything in his life and he didn’t intend to start now. So instead he confronted the apprentice.

The apprentice leaned very hard against his door and told Matt that he would rather die than speak of such things, so Matt told him to bare his neck.

Sammy was convinced. But only just.

He made himself frighteningly small and grumpy on his bed and allowed Matt to sit only on the last four inches of it. Matt kind of wanted to take the opportunity to teach him how to hiss.

But alas. That was a skill for another time.

“I talked to Peter,” he said.

Sam mumbled.

“He says you’re shy. Are you feeling okay?”

Sam mumbled in a more prolonged, growly kind of way. He was muffled by something. Probably jeans. Or sweats. Hard to tell.

“Why are you being shy? We both know you’re not shy. Ned’s a nice boy,” Matt told him. “You can trust him.”

Sam jerked his body in some way strongly enough to make the bed shake.

Matt sighed.

“Sam,” he said.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sam said.

“Listen, kid,” Matt said. “You’re gonna do what you want. You’re grown, those are your decisions to make. But if you’re ever uncomfortable or you want to spend time with one person in particular, you’ve gotta communicate that to the others. I know that’s not like, smoothly done or whatever. But it’s what you’ve gotta do in these kinds of relationships.”

Sam made an unhappy sound.

“I don’t want a relationship,” he said quietly.

Ehn.

Same, pal.

They’re a lot of work.

“They’re worth it,” Matt promised him. “And it’s okay to be a little in love, you know. I’m in love every day. It’s not shameful. You don’t have to hide it.”

Sam huffed.

“People’ll stare,” he finally said. “If we ever went out. People would stare.”

Ahhh.

“That’s what you think,” Matt said. “But then you go and do it and it turns out that no one actually cares. People are very self-centered, Sam. You spend all this time worrying about how others perceive you and, at the end of the day, 90% of people literally don’t care. You don’t have to talk to Ned in your room all the time.”

Sam did something with his body that concentrated it even further into a dense mass.

“I like him,” he admitted. “He’s nice.”

Matt hummed.

“He’s a peaceful person,” he said.

“He talks so I don’t have to,” Sam said.

Aw.

Matt felt across the bed and eventually found Sam’s cheek to pinch.

“So shy for such a loudmouth,” he teased.

Sam bit his hand. Matt snickered.

“It’s okay, when I met Fogs I was shy, too,” he said.

Sam grumbled.

“It’s true,” Matt said. “Could not fathom having another human around who I didn’t have to put on an act for.”

He waited.

Sam didn’t even seem to realize that his heart was slowing down.

“I don’t like talking all the time,” he said after a long few beats.

Matt ruffled his hair.

“Ned knows a lot about Star Wars,” he said.

“And computers,” Sam added.

“And code,” Matt said.

Sam’s foot shook a little. Matt schooled his face. Sam crunched into a tighter ball.

Adorable.

Matt got up.

“Long distance is rough,” he said. “Maybe you guys can watch a movie together.”

Sam made a disgruntled sound. Matt left him to be miserable.

 ---

 “You’ve sure turned your opinion around.”

Yes, Husband. Matt had indeed. But that was because Sam was clearly and obviously suffering as a result of this crush, which was precisely where Matt needed him to be.

Misery was familiar. Resentment was nearly as good as spite in terms of skill development.

Dopey-ness was asking for trouble.

“Matt, you cannot be serious.”

Oh, but he could.

“Matthew, what did you tell that boy?”

Nothing he didn’t need to know.

Foggy abandoned him at the table. Matt sipped his coffee. It tasted oh-so-sweet.

 ---

 Things did not change until Matt got a text from Peter that said simply ‘when the fuck is Sam’s birthday?’

In February. Why was he asking?

Peter said ‘damn. Okay, thanks.’

Peter then said that he’d seemed a little sad lately and Ned was freaking out about it and fixating, so they were collectively looking for an excuse to cheer Sam up a little.

Oh, Matt realized. No, that wasn’t sad.

The night nurse had given Sammy the good drugs after last week. He was high as a kite, bless him. Kept running into walls and shit. Matt had dragged him up out of the dog beds twice now.

He informed Peter of the damaged elbow and got nothing but keyboard smashes in return.

This was followed by Sam stumbling out of his room and half up the stairs to make pitiful sounds when he couldn’t make them stay still long enough to climb the rest of them. Foggy shook his head and told Matt to go “strap that kid to the bed, for god’s sake. He’s gonna tear more stitches. And go text for him before he drops his phone again.”

Sammy was coming along great.

He held his phone out to Matt when Matt came down to stand over him on the stairs.

“They’re yellin’,” he slurred.

Yeah, Matt figured.

“Bed,” he said.

“It’s too hot,” Sam said.

No, pathetic ball of humanity. That was the fever, bud.

“Open the window,” Matt said.

“I have a window?”

Bless.

“Up you go,” Matt said.

“DON’T TOUCH ME. Nooooo. Teach, noooooo.”

 ---

 MM: Peter stop texting him. he can’t read his texts rn. Zero tolerance for opioids.

PP: for WHAT

MM: he’s fine. lightly stabbed. Fractured elbow.

MJ: MATT

MM: yes?

MJ: tell him to get better for us

NL: ;__; please?

MM: he will be fine. He’s supposed to be sleeping this off.  

MJ: can you keep us updated?

MM: why

PP: he’s our partner?

MM: ?

MM: I thought he was Ned’s main

NL: AJDF:AKSDFJASDFa

NL: DOES HE TALK ABOUT ME??

MJ: dude

NL: my b my b sry sry

NL: does he talk about me DD?

MM: no

NL: cool cool cool that’s fine

PP: ned

NL: it’s casual that’s cool

MJ: oh my god

NL: it doesn’t mean anything. That makes sense.

MM: peter what is happening?

PP: ned has decided that no texting means that sam hates him and no longer wants to be part of our relationship

NL: TELL HIM IM SORRY

PP: remember how you told me I have rejection issues?

MM: Ned he’s fine. He’s not mad. He’s high.

NL: [pikawat.png]

MJ: *coughs*

NL: oh shit my bad. I mean.

NL: what do you mean?

MM: I mean he likes you. He just hates talking about weaknesses. Ergo he hates talking about you.

MJ: ah, yes. I see now. The superhero logic. The forest has reappeared before me.

NL: OWO

MM: what does this mean?

PP: it’s a face. Like a super interested cat

NL: shut up

NL: so he likes me back?

MJ: no

PP: no

MM: I presume so? I don’t know kid. I just said he doesn’t talk about it.

NL: DD I will pay you in computer repairs to find out for me

MM: to find out if Sam likes you??

NL: yes

MM: what part of his obsession is confusing you

MJ: ASHDAF:SDF

PP: harsh

NL: all of it.

NL: okay so here’s the thing. We got like, matchy matchy stuff, right? Cause that’s what couples do. But he never wears his?? And like, we’ve been playing these games online, like, trying to beat each other, but he just stops playing halfway through? And if we’re watching a movie, it’s fine for the first half, but then he gets quiet and I just end up nattering away about nothing for like an hour and I can’t read the silence DD. I can’t read it. And Peter’s a liar

PP: okay no it is WELL established that I can’t lie what are you even talking about

NL: and he keeps going on about how sam’s shy, but he’s NOT shy. And we were fine until this week, but like, obviously, he’s high and not reading his messages and stuff, but idk am I making this into a big deal? From your end?

MM: What was that face, Peter?

PP: OwO

MM: OwO

MJ: ASDFAeirwieawewdflajwe

MJ: NED LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO THE OLD MAN

NL: SHUT UP. DD, please. Help me. Should I apologize? Is he bored of me? Does he want more time with Peter?

PP: what

PP: no pal I’m just a piece of ass in this situ

MJ: as you should be

PP: awwww

MM: ned Sammy’s fine?

NL:  omg ‘sammy’ that’s really cute do you think he’d mind if I called him that? You know. If he ever speaks to me again?

PP: DD just tell him everything is fine so we can all go to sleep without being woken up every 20 min for a crisis.

MM: I literally don’t know. He doesn’t talk about any of you.

NL: can you sneaky-ninja ask him?

  Matt could not with these children. Sam’s heartbeat was evening out. He was nearly back to sleep. Matt’s back couldn’t take hauling him up off the stairs in another half an hour, so he was going to stay right where he was, that was for damn sure.

“Samuel, you are dating three different flavors of spazz,” he told him.

Sam wriggled over and snuffled into his duvet.

Matt decided that that was an affirmative.

  MM: he says you’re all dramatic and to leave him alone to sleep.

NL: ;__;

PP: ned that is not rejection

NL: ok

MJ: this is embarrassing

NL: I’m just gonna crawl under the floorboards and waste away👍

PP: for fuck’s sake this is me-levels of drama

NL: DD can you tell him that if he’s ever down to just watch shit as friends that’s okay too?

MJ: NED. Matt’s literally out of this loop. And Sam’s probably unconscious.

MM: can confirm is now unconscious. I am exiting your drama.

PP: Dude remember when I said I was gonna drown myself in the sea? You are reaching those levels

NL: I JUST LOVE HIM

  Oh, aw.

  NL: And it’s okay if he doesn’t feel the same way, that’s okay, I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t like uncomfortable. I can text him less and let him do his work things and we don’t have to organize shit on the weekends. It’s totally fine

  These fuckin’ kids.

Matt grabbed Sam before he cracked his head against the wall and felt around for something to put between his forehead and it.

He fumbled out his phone in the meantime.

“Samuel,” he said into it, “When you wake up, come upstairs before taking the next pill.”

 ---

 Sam was in pain and grumpy as shit and his mood did not improve as he read through Matt’s messages.

“Two days and everyone loses their goddamn minds,” he said.

Pretty much.

“Ned loves you,” Matt teased.

“Ned needs one of those happy pills,” Sam deadpanned.

Hm. How about no?

Sam groaned and carefully melded himself to the table.

“Why don’t you wear the matchy-matchy stuff?” Matt asked, setting a bag of icy water on Sam’s shoulders. He made a soft sound of relief.

“I don’t want to get ‘em dirty,” Sam hummed.

Hm.

“Maybe if you wore them out a little bit, Ned would like that,” Matt offered.

Sam mulled this over.

“Nah,” he said. “I’ll just tell him I wear it to sleep.”

Matt was so proud.

He missed Foggy coming in halfway through that discussion.

He did not miss the lecture Foggy laid on both of them about lying to loved ones.

 ---

 Matt decided that Sam was far, far more emotionally repressed than he’d given the kid credit for. He was tickled pink.

Kirsten and Foggy were not. They called this ‘concerning behavior’ that needed ‘to be monitored in case of hidden injuries and self-harm.’

And like, man, it was as if they’d hard experience with this shit or something.

Matt decided to bypass their waffling and cornered Sam by trapping him in his duvet and demanding to know if he was hiding any injuries or self-harm.

Sam told him to get out of his room. His heartbeat did not react to the accusations, but rather to Matt’s ‘giant, heavy, albatross body’ assaulting him in his safe place.

Matt decided that this was proof that the emotional repression was, as he had always argued, doing exactly what it needed to: making Sam three times more functional as a human being.

Foggy took from that explanation that Matt was lying to him again.

Which, like, obviously.

But did Foggy need to know any of that?

Fuck no.

Only happy times with Matt Murdock here.

Smiling was somehow the wrong answer.

Smiling resulted in yelling. And then lots of loud heartbeats. And then something that looked a little like a fight, probably, to people with working eyes. But Matt knew that it wasn’t that.

It was just Foggy being hurt that Matt couldn’t tell him that Foggy’s homesickness was digging holes in his own resolve and mental wellbeing.

Sam popped up when Foggy went to go lay down to calm down and asked if everything was okay.

Matt told him it was.

Sam’s heart was not convinced. It started beating faster somehow.

Matt fully anticipated the texts that arrived later that night.

 ---

 PP: yo DD, you guys okay?

MM: why

PP: ‘cause Sam’s freaking out saying that you and Foggy were shouting again?

MM: ah

MM: no we’re okay. No biggie

PP: I smell bullshit

MM: carry on smelling then

PP: Matt do you ever think about how you’re like, an example to us all of how not to live?

MM: beg your pardon?

PP: I just mean like, you do shit and we all learn from your shit. Like, every day.

MM: ?

PP: Sam like dumped a pile of lies he’d been telling Ned in his lap and started crying for like half an hour and apologized for another 40 minutes and then hung up and won’t answer his phone.

MM: what was that face again? The cat one?

PP: OwO

MM: OwO

PP: lol

 ---

 The apprentice was perhaps absorbing too much too fast. He flat out denied having had any emotional crisis.

His heart was dead even when he said it. He was getting too good at out-maneuvering that trick.

“Peter seems to think that you had one the other night,” Matt mused.

“Peter needs to mind his own business,” Sam sniffed.

Aha.

“You like Peter,” Matt pointed out.

“He’s fine,” Sam said.

“Fine or fine?”

“That’s nasty, Teach. Don’t be gross. That’s like your little brother.”

Oh, sure it was.

“If Peter is sussing out your lies, you’re not doing a good enough job,” Matt said. “What you need, kiddo, is an aura and a starting point.”

Sam paused in making a horrible grating noise with some tool in his hand.

“A starting point?” he asked.

Why yes, apprentice.

As in, if you start off with your walls up and don’t let them buckle so easily, so many of these problems can be avoided.

“Isn’t that, like, the opposite of what Foggy said to do?” Sam asked suspiciously.

Well, technically. The husband might be correct for normal humans, but they weren’t normal humans. And as much as Matt loved him and thought he was brilliant, Foggy would never truly grasp that Matt needed those lies.

He needed the repression. The bottling. The anger.

He needed all that shit to be shaken up in him and then capped by the helmet every night.

Doing that kept Matt safe. It kept others safe.

It wasn’t fun and it wasn’t pretty and yeah, Matt was pretty fucked up because of it.

But Stick hadn’t been wrong about everything.

Not even he could be wrong about everything.

“It’s called balance,” Matt said. “Think about it like this. You’re a teacher. You’re about to walk into a new class. You need to establish a respectful relationship between yourself and these kids. How do you do it? Do you start off nice? Or do you start off strict?”

Sam said nothing.

“I start off strict,” Matt said. “Because it’s infinitely easier to become nicer and to keep respect than it is to start off nice and get meaner.”  

Sam processed this.

“This sounds like an anti-Foggy sentiment,” he said.

No. It wasn’t anti-Foggy. Nothing was anti-Foggy.

“It’s nuance,” Matt said. “Intrapersonal relationships? Minimal repression. Interpersonal relationships, maximum repression. Don’t give them something to use against you”

Sam’s teeth clicked together as he worked his jaw.

“Talk to Ned and Peter,” he said. “Walls up to everyone else.”

Everyone else. Yes.

“I can do that.”

Yeah, Matt knew. Sam did it to pretty much anyone he didn’t immediately take a liking to at the firm.

“I can do that,” Sam repeated.

Woah. Wait. Hold on there, slugger. Nuance, remember?

“I’m just gonna hate the entire world,” Sam said. “Thanks, Teach. That’s a big help.”

 ---

 PP: Matt

MM: Peter

PP: you know that Sam fucks with you daily right?

MM: …I forget sometimes

PP: lol you guys are funny

  That little shit. Fine.

Do whatever. See if Matt cared.

Goddamn kids and their goddamn love affairs.

Whatever. Fuck ‘em.

Let them learn the bullshit on their own time. Matt had better things to do.

 ---------------

Matt and Foggy and Kirsten have their own polycule goin on with folks entering and leaving it as need be. And sometimes you just have to make Sam/Ned content because it is unerringly adorable.

[asknarashikari]

“I also wanted to add Mei in, but I couldn’t quite fit her in the story I wanted to tell here. But eventually she joins in too. Maybe when they get back to the Northern Base Mei does a slap-slap-kiss to him lol (the two slaps for being stupid and making her worry and the kiss for obvious reasons)” Minific of that please plus Kento joining the polycule

Well... this got long again lmao

SLAP!

Kento gasped, his cheek stinging as he turned to the furious woman before him. He gingerly raised a hand to the spot she had slapped, shocked not only because she did it at all, but also because it actually hurt quite a bit. Who knew such a tiny woman had so much arm strength...?

“That was for being the biggest idiot on the planet!” Mei yelled at him, raising her hand for another slap. She hit him across the face again. “And that was worrying all of us sick this entire time!” she cried out, sounding frustrated and on the verge of tears.

Kento stared wide-eyed at her, still holding his reddened cheek, not knowing how to react to the accusations without incurring her wrath once more. 

“Mei!” Kento heard Touma scold. “What are you doing?!”

“Mei, please calm yourself-” Rintaro tried to placate, trying to hold Mei’s hand back. 

She managed to wrench herself free from the Swordsman of Water and raised her hand again. Kento flinched, trying to prepare himself for the hardest slap yet-

But his eyes snapped open when he felt the hand gently caress his cheek, followed by a gentle kiss on the very cheek he was smacked on. His mouth dropped open as he heard Rintaro and Touma stammering incoherently, probably as surprised as he was at this turn of events.

“W-What... What was that for...?” Kento managed to get his wits together long enough to say, his cheeks burning for a whole other reason now.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mei smiled at him with watery eyes. “It’s because I love you, you idiot swordsman,” she said, then wrapped her arms around his torso. 

“I...” He helplessly looked at his two other friends, still utterly lost. “I don’t understand what’s happening...”

Mei drew back and looked at the other two. “Didn’t you two tell him?” she asked them, her eyes narrowing.

“Well... in not so many words...” Touma admitted, laughing awkwardly.

Mei rolled her eyes. “Boys,” she said, almost to herself, then turned to Kento. “Long story short is that we are all in love with you and we would very much like you to join us in our relationship, if you feel the same way about us, of course.”

Kento stared at her, unable to comprehend what she just said. “What?” he asked, dumbfounded. “What do you mean... you all like me? And join your relationship?” 

“We’re well past the point of just liking you, Kento, I think Touma and I made that pretty clear earlier,” Rintaro pointed out helpfully. 

Kento flustered, remembering Rintaro addressing him as love unashamedly in front of Touma. “And... the relationship bit...?”

“Oh, well... see, we’re kind of all dating each other?” Touma nervously laughed as Kento stared boggle-eyed at him. “It’s been a while now... but yeah, we’re a thing.” 

“And now, we want to be a thing with you too,” Mei said. “Of course, only if you want to be with us. We won’t force you into anything you don’t want,” she added hastily.

Kento blinked as he tried to process all the information he’d just received in the last few seconds. His childhood friend, his editor and his former colleague were all in a relationship with each other. They all just admitted to being in love with him as well. And they want him to join their polycule.

Oh god they want him to be part of their polycule. 

He, of course, had long accepted that he had an attraction to all of them, that only deepened into love over the short time he had with them (and even in the time he was apart from them). But... he never anticipated that they would all feel the same... and not even in his wildest dreams did he think that he could have a chance with them at the same time. 

He started the day thinking it was the day he was going to die for real... and here he was toying with the idea of a foursome. 

Kento couldn’t help but feel a bit faint. 

“Um... I... Uh...” He was reduced to a stuttering mess as he realized what- and who- exactly he was getting into. He felt his cheeks erupt into an even more furious blush. “A-Alright...” he said, in a tiny, meek voice.

“Is that a yes? Please tell me that’s a yes,” Mei pleaded, looking up at him.

Kento couldn’t bring himself to say anything more, so he just nodded. Mei squealed and threw herself on him again, nearly knocking the wind out of him. Rintaro and Touma let out twin sighs of relief, before they too leapt onto him.

“Hey, slow down, you’re gonna make us fall-!” They fell over like a house of cards as the other three smothered Kento in a tight embrace, laughing merrily. 

Kento sighed, giving in as he too started giggling, feeling lighter than ever before. Even though he didn’t say it, he knew the others knew what he felt.

Thank you... and I love you too.

[jjba-hell]

Fate and Fortune

Ok so this one I just HAD to do and you’ll see why in my next chapter. Might switch over to a Part every two days since y’know- life but here ya go.

For the moots: @fyre23 and @risottoneroo (you’ll like the end I promise)

Part 12

When they ended up in Saudi Arabia, the first trip Vera had to take was to the clothing shop. Out of customary respect she had to switch to a considerably more conservative choice of clothes, slipping out of the shop to meet Polnareff outside. “It must be boiling underneath. Are you alright?”

“Oh you’d be surprised how cool this fabric is.” She gave a twirl of black fabric. “Also, this isn’t my first time here, Avdol and I...” she forgot she needed to be mourning him in front of Polnareff.

He placed a gentle hand in her shoulder, giving his best sympathetic smile. “I understand you had many adventures while you waited for him to be your confirmed guardian?”

She nodded, wringing the strap of her bag over her shoulder. In truth she did miss him terribly, but unlike Polnareff she knew he was still breathing. “It was more trying to understand ourselves and helping developing stand users. Unfortunately the true niche of his research he kept even from me.”

The hopped in the car- Vera sliding into the front seat while the others were speaking on their next steps on the journey. She figured they’d have to cross the desert sooner or later but she still dreaded the intense heat they’d have to travel through- even though, she supposed, she was best accustomed to the heat.

Or at least she hoped.

After guzzling enough water to last her well into the night and smothering her face in sunscreen she lead the camel to its knees with a handful of grass and hopped on. Vera admittedly had some experience doing this but she wasn’t going to teach the others how to do it- it was, after all, so entertaining to watch Mr Joestar struggle a bit. “I’m sorry- I though you had experience with camels, Mr Joestar.”

She tossed an apple in front of her camel and hopped off to help- moving to Polnareff first. “Honestly Polnareff, I’ve taken trips to Paris- surely you’re aware of the state of the town isn’t that cleanly as you make it out to be.”

Vera wrapped the grey scarf around his head and neck loosely, letting him lure his own camel down. Once he was up she moved to Kakyoin who was constantly looking over his shoulder. “Do you feel... watched, by any chance?”

“I’m not sure- I kind of feel like my intution’s been thrown off since Pakistan. Everything feels kind of off- like I’m just constantly....phasing?”

His hand slid up her covered arm, brows knitting in concern. “Jotaro told me the night terrors were rough last night. Are you sure you wouldn’t ride with one of us?”

She bit back to wide of a small, playing with the extra fabric of the shawl on his shoulders. With a playful snap she pulled him a bit closer, standing on her tiptoes as she kissed his cheek.

His cheeks dusted a lovely pink color and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re sweet but I’m still prideful- much like you.” She gazed up at him through her fluttering lashes before moving back to the task at hand.

If they were really being watched then she was hoping she just placed a target on her back. How much Dio was letting his minions know was still debatable but if they believed her to be vulnerable then that was all she needed.

To drive the point home she came to Jotaro who had seemed to manage just fine on his own- strapping the water to his steed in silence while Mr Joestar was floundering about. “You also feel watched?”

He only nodded, turning to look her head on. “I think Star would have seen something by now, wouldn’t he?”

It seemed the same thought crossed Jotaro’s mind- his gaze moving to look out over the horizon- as if he’d see what it was that was watching them.

Moving with Jotaro was slow but she took the moment to hold out her hand to him which he took, softly entertwining their fingers together as she moved to block her from view of the rest. “Are you sure you can make it through? I know you didn’t get much sleep in.”

She squeezed his hand, laughing at how both the boys thought she was only coming to them for aid. “I think I can handle myself just fine, JoJo.”

It was her turn to make the move- she squeezed his hand gently then moved in for a casual hug before moving on ahead with the journey.

Vera had believed she was used to the heat, that the sweltering fire beating down on her was normal and it would be over soon but the sun didn’t move. When they stopped a moment and realized the time she knew something was very very wrong. “Eight? As in 20 hundred?”

She moved closer to Jotaro to check and the realization hit her hard. “It must be a stand.”

“Vera, can’t you make it return to its user?” Polnareff asked but she was already off her camel and heading towards the rock nearby.

“No. Stands define Fortune.” Her back hit the rock with a thud and with a heavy swallow she tried to gather her thoughts. “It has to be short ranged- the power that thing holds is vile. So where could the user be?”

She materialized Fortune from her and allowed them to start walking straight ahead of them. Kakyoin used Hierophant Green to spread out and look as well.

She had to pull back quickly after Kakyoin got injured by the barrage of flames raining down on the group. And that’s how you ended up in the a hole in the ground sweating through your eyeballs.

“Jotaro- do you ever get tired of using Star Platinum vigorously?” She wondered out loud, laying down on her back. “Or haven’t you quite tried.”

“The latter. I know- waiting this out isn’t going to work out, is it?”

She shook her head- putting her feet up on the bigger water canteen she’d phased into the cave. If only her head would work long enough to think straight she could have come up with a solution but she couldn’t even turn back the time on their bodies.

When Kakyoin finally broke out in a laughing fit she thought she’d lose him. Then Jotaro joined and she knew it was too late. Vera sat up and tried to bring Fortune closer to reverse the possible brain damage from the heat but Kakyoin only took her wrist gently, pulling her snug against him and showing precisely what they were laughing at.

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” She had Fortune move out of the cave and toss the stone at the mirror they’d been looking out on and soon enough the sun was gone and the sparkling night sky took its place.

The second it was allowed she was first to March out of the cave after the stand user. “Motherfucker!” She shouted up at the sky at the sight of the user dislodged from his perfectly little air conditioned spot behind the mirror.

“Took the stand meaning a bit literal there, didn’t he?”

They made camp after the abused the residual heat from the stand battle before settling in for camp. Of course someone had to keep watch and none other the Jotaro volunteered.

Vera was glad Kakyoin and Jotaro seemed a bit less phased by her presence with one another than before. What she wasn’t expecting was finding Kakyoin leaving Jotaro’s look out spot- looking awfully disheveled and finding none other than Jotaro without a jacket.

It took everything out of Vera to not cackle out in glee- instead letting a smile crack through the facade as Jotaro tried to cover the hickeys on his neck with a palm. “I could heal that for you, or is too personal?”

He didn’t answer, almost looking as if he felt ashamed of what he had done until she stripped off her head dress and top to sit beside him in her tank top as well. “Hey, relax- I’ve messed around with more girls than guys anyway.”

Another quizzical look which earned him a shrug. “My boarding school’s divided- curiosity was bound to take over. Kind of realized I didn’t have a preference- boys are just a bit meaner though.”

Jotaro had to clear his throat to say, “I thought I knew until you came along. Girls annoy the shit out of me so I thought I knew but-“

He ran a hand over his hair, Vera only then noticing that his cap was missing. “I don’t know.” He growled in frustration. She moved in closer, touching his cheek to let him look at her. “I’m not mad, you know. I’m not asking answers either. All I ask is the same curtesy.”

It was a side-tracked idea she hadn’t considered in a long time but which one, if any, of the two she was in love with- she wasn’t sure- then they turn around and like each other and suddenly it seemed both less and more complicated. Could they all be content with a polycule. She hadn’t noticed she was overthinking until Jotaro brought both his hands to cup her face, looking her in the eye and asking. “Can I kiss you?”

She must have seemed shocked because he added, “Just so I can make sure?”

And in that moment it felt impersonal, as if they were just two idiots trying to traverse a topic neither one could think through. “Yeah.” Was all she answered as her hand wrapped around his left wrist and their lips met.

He was clumsy with his kiss, that was for sure. She couldn’t decide if it was the inexperience or simply because his face- and therefore lips- simply dwarfed her own but it was wet and all she could taste was mint cigarette and something fruity she couldn’t quite place.

When he moved away, they stared at each other in disbelief and she couldn’t help but sigh. “Please tell me I’m not the only one that liked that.”

[buginateacup]

So Paperwork Polycule aka Get in loser we're getting married aka Four Idiots Once Braincell aka still working on a title is going to be a thing.

As per Dal's suggestion, they do spend a year in the Hamptons (apparently the state is the only one that recognises polyamory) which I am aware is a place only from tvland and did not know was near the ocean but I dont know why I'm surprised. Roxanne is going to run a vlog diary about polyamory and marrying aliens to support getting the bill overturned. its going to become really popular because even though her office is meant to be a work space "I am working guys! come on! You can't just interrupt me wi- ooh cookies! Thank you Minion!" she constantly has at least one husband in the background just reading or knitting (Wayne knits? Who knew?) or playing jenga or just hanging out.

The video with Wayne, Megamind and Minion (in his ball) all curled up on the couch together napping while Roxanne explains legislation changes racks up 5 million hits in a single day.

We are also flipping the script in that Megamind and Roxanne are the ones invested in Wayne and Minion getting together but they are just SO OBLIVIOUS FOR FUCK'S SAKE JUST TELL HIM YOU LIKE HIM, while Roxanne and Megamind have definitely hooked up once or twice before and pretty much wind up in bed together immediately. Wayne is very disappointed his best friend didn't tell him she hooked up with their nemesis-husband before they got married. But is more than happy to join them later down the track. Snippet below:

----------

"Eh," Roxanne shrugged, "Would't be the first time"

"Excuse me!" Wayne said mock offended, "You had premarital sex with our husband? When was this? And why didn't you tell me?"

Roxanne threw a strawberry at him, "Centipedinator"

Wayne frowned, "I don't remember that one,"

"That's because it didn't work," Megamind rolled his eyes, "And you were helping out with the wildfires"

"So what you guys were just fooling around before I showed up?"

"Only a couple of times,"

"We usually tried to stay professional on the clock"

Wayne was looking at Roxanne, betrayed, "I can't believe you kept this from me"

"I tried to tell you. You just wanted to whinge about not being noticed by-"

Minion flipped a pancake with a little more force than necessary.

"Someone" Roxanne finished significantly and shared a eyeroll with Megamind.

-----------

Roxanne and Wayne were probably fuckbuddies early on when everyone first thought they started dating but that didn't last more than six months. Idk, stll working on that.

Minion is ambivalent about the whole bipedal sex thing but he does like  his husbands and wife. And he really likes when they reconfigure the wave pool to match his ball's habitat and all hang out there together.

Oh man oh man and when they get to the Ocean

Everyone cuddlepiles for naps. Wayne runs hot so Megamind can and will just koala onto his back and fall asleep

As always any comments and suggestions are welcome and definitely direct the writing process

Also I'm going away for a long weekend to see my family for the first time since January right when the fic bug is strongest so pray for me because I’m not taking my laptop so any writing will have to be done on my phone