#thinking of making a little series of fics like this- moments in the sawyers lives where things are just sort of calm

[ofthehands]

The Swing

A short fic about the swing made of railroad ties in the Sawyer's yard. ~3,300 words. Warnings for general Sawyer-isms/ some implied child abuse. It's a little sad, but not too heavy.

It was a hot summer morning. Jedidiah sat outside, with his eyes closed tight, and his hand over his wife’s. It was so hot outside her skin felt warm, and he could almost convince himself she was still alive. Jedidiah had no intention of moving, of ruining the moment he had with his Edith. Until he felt a soft tug at his shirt sleeve. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked down at his youngest grandson. 

The little one was his favorite from the moment he was born. His oldest grandson was too much like him- in the face, in his heart, and in his heavy hands. When Jedidiah looked at Drayton, he could only see his mistakes. The middle boys- the twins- he was a little more fond of. There was novelty in having twins in the family again, his aunts were twins. But those boys were near rabid, and had the thinner, more weaslish features of their father. The twitchier of the two- either Nubbins or Bobby, Jedidiah honestly couldn’t remember- tried to get in his good graces, and would sometimes lay against his leg, calm-like and just talk to him. But the pair quickly fell into wrestling with each other again, and harassing their brothers. It was just their nature, like an old barn cat they would always be a little wild. Junior was special. He had a softer voice, and he was as kind hearted as it was possible for a Sawyer to be. And he had Edith’s eyes. There was something about that- something that got to Jedidiah’s cold old heart. Even though Edith was dead, gone for a long time, their love still persisted, still existed in the world in Junior’s face, and gentle hands, and the way he sang and hummed softly to himself. He was a special boy. Jedidiah loved him more than anything. 

Which was why, when the boy came to him with a problem of any sort, he did his absolute best to fix it. Junior made those soft noises he did, and whimpered, and held something out to Jedidiah. Jedidiah had to pull it close to his face to see it. His vision was going. At his age, everything was going. 

It was a broken chain link, and little Junior kept pointing at it, and babbling, and pointing to something else, something further. Jedidiah stood, slow and unsteady, and Junior grabbed his arm, supporting him gently. 

“Show me.” 

It was the swing. The Sawyers had an old white bench swing. The paint had chipped over the years, and it was rickety as all hell. And apparently, when little Junior sat on it, it broke. Well, Junior wasn’t exactly little. He had always been a big boy, with big hands and feet. Jedidiah figured he would end up the tallest of the brothers, though he didn’t tell that to the twins, who were constantly trying to one up each other, and teasing their older brother with threats of catching up to him soon. Regardless, Junior was a big boy, and it was an old swing. Jedidiah would have to get creative if he wanted to keep it from breaking on him again. The world would keep spinning ‘round, with or without Jedidiah in it, and he wanted to make sure the swing stayed up for his grandson year after year. 

“Don’t worry, Junior,” he said, his voice sounding weak even to his own ears. “Grandpa’ll fix it up.” 

It was the biggest project he had taken on in years. But it felt good. He used to take on things like that all the time- fixing stuff up around the house, and working on furniture, and when they came out, working on cars. But, his hands got shakier, his mind fuzzier, and his body weaker, so his projects had slowed down. It felt good to be doing it again, to be working with his hands and with his body. He had fixed the chain first, reconnecting it where it had broken in the middle with the piece of chain Junior had handed him and a pair of pliers. Junior sat at his side, clapping his hands and chattering occasionally, and watching with rapt attention. Jedidiah looked around at the surrounding trees, but they were all either too high up or too thin to support Junior’s weight long term, especially if he got as big as Jedidiah thought he would. So he started to scrounge around the property, looking for something sturdy enough, with little Junior helping to hold him up. 

It got to noon, or some time close to it, and he had still found nothing. He knew it was around noon, because the twins ran out of the house like someone had lit a fire under their asses so they could harass their eldest brother as he pulled up in the driveway. All that had happened was Drayton had come home from the gas station for lunch before he went back out, but for the twins it was one of the most exciting happenings of the day. Or, at least any day they didn’t catch some poor animal and drag it back into the house to play with. 

“Drayton! Drayton!” yelled the more talkative one. Jedidiah couldn’t honestly tell the twins apart, especially not that far away. The talkative one- Nubbins? Bobby? Jed was pretty sure it was Bobby- lunged at his brother the moment he got out of the car, throwing his whole body at him. The boy was only 12, and Drayton caught him, lifting him off the ground, to his great amusement. The quieter, twitchier one snuck up on him, then jumped at his back, trying to scale him like a squirrel running up a tree. 

“Wh- Goddamn- Nubbins- quit that!” Drayton yelped, tossing the brother in his hands back to the ground, where he started rolling in the dirt, laughing, as his older brother tried to grab Nubbins off his back. Nubbins tried his best to claw and bite his brother like a wild animal, which Bobby seemed to find hilarious, especially as it further pissed off Drayton. Nubbins didn’t break skin when he bit family members, usually, but it was still the kind of foolishness that made Jedidiah a little less fond of the twins. Junior was a good boy, rarely if ever up to foolishness, and whose occasional foolishness was usually related to the schemes of the twins. Drayton managed to dislodge Nubbins, and toss him at his other brother. It seemed to knock the wind out of them, but the boys were up and laughing and trying to roughhouse in a heartbeat, so Jedidiah didn’t worry. 

Those boys were as tough as they come- they probably wouldn’t have a mark on them, and it certainly didn’t ruin their mood. Junior was soft, emotionally- roughhousing too much with him upset him. And Drayton, when he was as young as they were, was a bit soft physically. He didn’t have any playmates, not really, but Jedidiah remembered how the boy had developed a habit of wearing long sleeve shirts in 100 degree heat, shamefully trying to hide handprints bruised onto fragile skin. Jedidiah always thought he might be soft with the boys, and honestly he was softer with his brothers than their father had been with him, but he had a temper that got the better of him at the worst of times. But, the boys had learned that quickly, about their big brother, and they were good at understanding when he was playing with them, and when to scurry like rats, into corners of the house they thought he might not find them in.

 It was good they had a strong man’s presence in the house. Jedidiah had his suspicions about Drayton, and he would put money on his grandson’s status as a confirmed bachelor, but it hadn’t held him back from being a solid male presence in his younger brother’s lives. Which, with their father gone and Jedidiah’s health failing, they would need. Jedidiah worried only about the lack of a woman in the house, but there was nothing really could be done about that. Drayton wouldn’t bring home a wife, and Jedidiah was happy with Edith- he had one true love and a wonderful life with her. He didn’t want more. So the boys would have to make do being raised by their Grandpa and their brother. Jedidiah was confident his boys would turn out fine. He just hoped he was around to see it. 

By the time Jedidiah was done thinking about all that, he and Junior had almost walked all the way to the front door. He used to be quicker. He had been a strong man, and a fast one too. When the old sheriff had come by their house yappin’ about a serial killer Jedidiah had run him down like a dog and beat him to death in one clean hit with the sledge. Nowadays, though, just walking down to the mailbox was an all day trip. He sighed a little, and Junior noticed, looking up at him, and slowing down a little. He made a soft noise, questioning, probably asking if Jedidiah was alright. 

“Grandpa’s fine, boy. Just thinkin’ is all.” He wished Junior would talk, the boy was at least seven years old now and he should have been talking a long time ago, but that just never happened. Jedidiah had gotten comfortable with the idea that he probably wasn’t going to. That was alright. He loved Junior regardless, and he knew, even if he never said the words, that his boy loved him too. 

He needed to get his boy’s swing fixed. 

“Oh, Grandpa, you’re uh- lookin’ bright eyed and bushy tailed today! You uh- you want some lunch? I- I got some fresh sausages today, cooked ‘em myself down at the gas station-” Drayton came up to them, rambling as usual. 

“Boy, I need you to do somethin’ for me,” Jedidiah said, putting a hand on his arm. Drayton’s eyes lit up. He liked to feel useful. “You know those railroad ties, them big logs those fellers that own that roofin’ business got?” 

“Oh, yeah- I- I seen those-”

“I need you to steal me some. Three, maybe four. Can you do that for me?” It wouldn’t be easy, for damn sure. 

“Uh.. Yeah- I’m- I’ll figure it out.” 

Jedidiah had to admit he was a little surprised when Drayton actually managed it. Drayton got home in the evening, a little earlier than expected, and brought the railroad ties with him. Drayton and the twins helped to unload them. Then Jedidiah got to work. He managed most of it on his own, with Junior or the twins occasionally coming out to watch him work on it, or to ‘help’. But, eventually, it got a little too hard to finish on his own. Jedidiah had worn himself out with the measurements, and the construction of the damn thing. He had built it laying down- that was the only way he could build it- and he still needed to get the back legs on the thing, which was going to be a bitch, and then tilt it all back up. He didn’t have the strength to do it, and even though Junior was a big boy, he doubted the two of them could get it done alone. 

“Junior, get your brothers,” Jedidiah said. “All of ‘em.” 

The boys didn’t question what Jedidiah told them, at least not too much. Drayton and the twins held up one of the back legs of the thing, while Jedidiah attached it. His hands were getting shaky, and weak, and he wasn’t sure how much more of this his old body could take. Junior sat in rapt attention, watching as he attached the first one. 

“I want all you little’uns outta the way now- we gonna see if it can hold itself up.”  The younger boys cleared, the less coordinated twin tripping over his feet, and being pulled up by the talkative one. Drayton was the only thing holding up the leg now. He was a grown man, but not an impressively strong man, but he wasn’t struggling. That was a good sign. It was probably holding its own weight. Which needed to happen- Jedidiah might not be able to attach the other leg if this one failed- he just didn’t have that kind of energy. “Alright. That looks good. Get on out of the way, boy.” Drayton moved, and let it hang. The leg stayed up on its own, and Jedidiah grinned. The swing wasn’t the most elegant thing he had ever built, but it was working. They just had to get the last leg on, and then tip it up, and it would be a job well done. 

“G-Grandpa, I-I’m gettin’ tired,” the twitchy twin said. 

“It won’t be much longer, hold still, damnit!” Jedidiah snapped. That was probably a lie. His hands wouldn’t cooperate any more, he could barely hold the tools he was working with, much less use them. Junior made a soft noise, and he looked up, still glaring a little. Junior held out his hand. And Jedidiah relented. 

He guided Junior, step by step, through putting the last leg of the swing on. Sometimes, he had to lay his hands over Junior’s and show him how to do it physically,  but the boy was catching on fast. Jedidiah hated losing control, hated the feeling of his body breaking down. But in that little moment everything felt alright. 

It was more permanent. One day he wasn’t going to be there. He would be dead, though likely never gone, out on the porch next to Edith, preserved, but not present. But Junior would still have his swing. And come what may- stormy weather or the inevitable grip of time- Junior would know how to fix it. Jedidiah knew he wasn’t long for this world. But he also knew his boys were going to be alright. 

They got the last leg attached, and the twins cheered and ran off before he told them to. Fortunately for Drayton, who was still under the damn thing, it was attached well. 

“Boys, get back over here!” Jedidiah tried to yell. His voice didn’t carry enough and the two of them kept springing around the yard. “I thought them little shits was tired,” he huffed. 

“Nubbins! Bobby! Get your asses over here!” Drayton yelled. The boys listened, unenthusiastically, but they listened. 

“B-but we finished it!” said the smaller one. 

“We finished it, we finished it!” the talkative one repeated, jumping up and down. 

“Yeah,” Jedidiah said. “And now we gotta tip it upright.” 

It took all the Sawyers to lift the damn thing, but when it went up, it flew back quick, landing on all fours with a slight bounce that sent the swing itself flying wildly. The younger boys thought that was funny, laughing and cheering and clapping their hands. And Jedidiah felt proud. Until the damn swing hit the frame and all the remaining white paint popped off like some kind of gag. Then he was mad as hell. 

“Damn it  all!” he snapped. He would have stormed off if he had the energy, but he didn’t, so he just stood there sullenly, shaking his head. That swing had been white the whole time they had it- since before any of the little ones were born, before Drayton was born, before Edith-

“W-wait Grandpa, we- we still got some ol’ white paint out in the shed. We could let the boys paint it up nice, and then have dinner, and then it’ll prob’ly be dry,” Drayton said. “Good as new!” It certainly wouldn’t be good as new. But Jedidiah figured it was better than nothing. 

The boys got a kick out of painting the old swing. Drayton fetched Jedidiah a chair, and let him sit out there and watch them while he made dinner. Junior did it nicely, trying to have some artistry to it. The twitchier twin- Nubbins, Jedidiah was half-sure that was Nubbins- tried to do something similar for a while, before his counterpart spattered him with paint on purpose. Then the pair quickly turned to playing with it, painting each other more than the bench. 

“Boys- quit waistin’ that paint. You know how hard that’ll be to get out of your clothes? Your brother’s gonna have a fit when he sees that.” The boys only sort of listened to their Grandpa, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be mad at them. 

The bench got painted, and he was shocked it turned out as well as it did. They went in for dinner, and the twins told everyone about their day, and the hornytoads they had been terrorizing. It was nice. The boys only got along so often, for so long, but it had been a good day. For once, just for a little while, there was peace. Jedidiah wished there had been more of that. He wished, for just a second, that they didn’t live like they did, that he could pretend the boys had some shot, that they could have good lives, that anything could live in this house, and live well. But he was suddenly overwhelmed with dread. His boys had been shot in the foot at the start of the race. There was nothing they could do, no one in their corner. Except for each other. God, he hoped they remembered to be good to each other.

Jedidiah did his best to hide all that worry- and to chase the dread away. His boys would be fine. Outsiders would hate them sure, but they didn’t need outsiders. They would be fine by themselves. 

After dinner, the family made their way back outside. Drayton touched the bench a few times, and said it was dry, but as Jedidiah sat down it still felt a little sticky. He would have been mad about that, when he was a younger man. But it was a good day. He just sort of chuckled. Junior sat down on the bench with him, starting to swing them both back and forth. Jedidiah was bone tired, nearly asleep right there. Night time had come over them. The stars were out, and bright, and too many to count. He looked out at the field. Drayton was playing with the twins. Jedidiah had seen it happen a thousand times, so he was certain the boys had teased and annoyed him till he got up and chased them around a little, which devolved into a game of tag when they outran him long enough for him to cool down. Well, it was something like tag. Drayton was chasing the boys around, occasionally picking one of them up and spinning him or tipping him upside down, much to the twins’ great amusement. It was nice. Jedidiah rested his eyes for just a minute. He could hear them, still, the boys laughing and squealing as they were caught, and the soft song of crickets. Junior was humming something he couldn't quite recognize. He held his hand out and the boy caught it. He rubbed circles on the top of his little hand, and tried to commit that night to memory. There had been bad times. So many bad times. But there was good. His little family had nothing else. But they had each other. And in that moment, Jedidiah felt like it might be enough. He didn’t mean to, but he drifted off to sleep. He hadn’t even thought he could fall asleep on that swing, didn’t realize it till he woke up inside, in his chair, next to Edith. He could hear laughter from the other room. Trying to be quiet, but filled with just a little too much joy. He didn’t mind being woken up at all. He smiled a little, and took Edith’s hand. 

“We done good,” he told her softly. “In spite of everythin’... It turned out alright.” 

Grandpa didn’t stand again. Drayton said the day he fixed the swing must have been one last ‘hoo-rah’ from his body before it gave out. That made sense to Bubba. He could rarely remember Grandpa standing as long as he did that day, even with the help of one of his grandsons. 

The years went on, and the old swing remained. It was impressively sturdy, Bubba could sit in it with the twins sometimes. But, most often, it was just him and Grandpa. When he could, when his chores were done or if Drayton and the twins kept fighting too loud, Bubba would take Grandpa outside, and sit him down in the chair, and just swing with him. Bubba never knew why Grandpa liked that swing so much that he spent his last big push of energy on fixing it, but Bubba enjoyed it too. And, more importantly, he liked spending time with his Grandpa.

[polyamoryinfandoms]

Monthly Fic Roundup!

Hey gang! I’m posting the fics that were recommended on our last surveymonkey poll; thanks for everyone who recommended fics. Please note I did not get to read every fic on here and depended on your responses and the AO3 tags to mark for any triggers or story notes, so please read with caution if you’re worried about any content warnings!

If you want to recommend more fics, I’ll be posting another roundup poll later in the day today! 

Under the cut are 32 fics from: 

Agents of Shield (1) 

Bill & Ted (1) 

Castlevania (1) 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (1) 

DCU (2) 

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (4) 

Game of Thrones (1) 

Harry Potter (1) 

Leverage (1) 

Mission Impossible (1 -- series) 

Sanders Sides (1-- series)

Sense8 (1)

Sherlock (1-- series) 

Star Wars (1) 

Stranger Things (8) 

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1) 

The Untamed/CQL/MDZS (2)

Teen Wolf (2) 

White Collar (1) 

Agents of Shield: 

is it chill that you’re in my head? by lazyfish 

Pairing: Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse/Alphonso Mackenzie

TW/TAGS: PTSD, Referenced Torture

Summary: It doesn't take long for Mack to realize he's in love with Bobbi and Hunter and has been for a while. Other realizations take slightly longer.

Bill and Ted (movie):

Our Home, Our Family, Our Love by CaptainWeasley

Pairing: Bill/Ted/Elizabeth/Joanna

TW/TAGS: slurs, implied/referenced child abuse, internalized homophobia, self harm

Summary: A series of firsts in Ted's life, as he slowly comes to terms with his sexuality and learns how to handle being in love with both his wife and his best friend. When Billie and Thea come out as trans, each in her own way, he does everything he can to help them be who they are.

Castlevania: 

Deliverance by cricketsong1985

Pairing: Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades/Alucard

TW/Tags: Blood kink, explicit sexual content,  gore, trauma, angst

Summary: Adrian is beginning to think that Wallachia will be a smoking pile of ash long before he, Trevor, and Sypha can stop Dracula’s war on humanity. They’ve been chasing the castle for months, but each time they get close, it vanishes. Traveling with such genuine and trustworthy allies has been unexpectedly pleasant; Adrian doesn’t mind that Trevor and Sypha are involved with each other, but he is taken entirely by surprise when they open their relationship to him one evening. Hopelessly in over his head, his heart keeps urging him forward, even when he’s forced to confront the darkest aspects of his nature. Adrian must learn to swallow his pride and let himself be vulnerable if he wants a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time for looking within when the world is drenched in blood and magic, and the path to victory may destroy him completely.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: 

We will be judged by the courage of our hearts by MagicClem

Pairing: Harvey Kinkle/Sabrina Spellman/Nicholas Scratch

TW/TAGS: mention of an abusive parent 

Summary: It's been a month since the 13 almost destroyed Greendale. Now a full Witch, Sabrina tries to move on, with the help of one Nicholas Scratch.But one night, Harvey arrives at the Spellman's house and everything becomes complicated.

DCU: 

not for the faint of heart by pasdecoeur

Pairing: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent

TW/TAGS: Explicit Sexual Content 

Summary: Clark opens a door that was meant to stay closed. Things spiral. or, What Not To Do When You’ve Fallen in Love with Batman: A Guide by Hal Jordan & Clark Kent.

All Good Things Come in Threes (Legends of Tomorrow) by IncendiaGlacies

Pairing: Gideon/Rip Hunter/Miranda Coburn

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting

Summary: “Two is a couple, three is a crowd,” Gideon stated. In which Gideon navigates her polyamorous relationship with Rip and Miranda. Domestic slice of life goodness.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:

Pairing for all of these are Pairing: Cameron/Ferris/Sloane and are written by @fbdo1986

it’s enough to be whiplash

TW: death mention (no character death), drowning

A/N: To put it plainly, I took a few tricks from John Hughes’s earlier scripts of the film, which were more surreal and up-front with discussing death and end of the world scenarios. It was inspired by a concept that I couldn’t seem to shake after I thought of it: what if the pool scene was just a bit more high stakes?

all the things I never told you 

Summary: It’s Sloane, Ferris, and Cameron’s first afternoon alone at the Bueller residence in months. The busy twenty-four year olds who’ve struggled to find time together as their lives unfold in front of them try to think of what to do for the day when Cameron decides to let them in on what he’s been keeping from them.

bye bye love 

TW: Death mention (none of the main characters)

Summary: A hopefully angsty number that details Sloane’s, Cameron’s, and Ferris’s journey through heartbreak and loss after their Sophomore year in college. The title is named after a song by The Cars by the same name!

firestarter

Prompt #5: Where it doesn’t hurt with the OT3

Game of Thrones: 

Constellatory by blueandbulae

Pairing: Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell/Robb Stark (polycule, NO incest) 

TW: Some canon typical violence

Summary: It’s strange and messy and maybe nobody else will ever understand them but it works. It’s theirs, and theirs alone, and nobody can take that from them.Or: Robb and Theon storm King's Landing, rescue the princesses, and save the kingdom. Then comes the hard part.

Harry Potter: 

Unconventional by silver_fish

Pairing: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger

Summary: A few years, now, have passed since Hedwig’s death, and Hermione thinks it’s time Harry got a new pet. What sort of pet, though, neither she nor Ron know. Not until Harry himself offers her the perfect solution, that is.

Leverage: 

for better or worse (we change together) by idkimoutofideas

Pairing: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

TW/TAGS: Canon typical violence

Summary: The moment Parker saw the stranger standing by the elevator, a dozen alarm bells went off in her head. She froze, and Hardison nearly walked into her as he entered behind her. It took her a moment to realize that while half of the alarm bells were telling her to get the fuck out of there, the other half were telling her to look closer. Or, Eliot Spencer is a recent war veteran who just moved to Portland in an attempt to lead a calmer lifestyle. He ends up with some weird neighbors, but it's Portland, everyone's a little weird.

Mission Impossible: 

Polyamorous Spies (series of 2 fics) by MagicClem

Pairing: Benji Dunn/Ethan Hunt/Ilsa Faust

TW/TAGS: Blood & injuries (2nd fic) 

Sander’s Sides: 

Love and Other Fairytales by SoDoRoses (Fairychess)

Pairing: LAMP/CALM (Logan, Roman, Virgil, Patton)

TW: violence, major character death, no NSFW in the main fic but there is a side series with NSFW, animal death, description of rot, nonconsentual control of another person, 'like death' state of being

Sense8: 

Crazy Life by MagicClem

Pairing: Kala Dandekar/Wolfgang Bogdanow/Rajan Rasal

Summary: Rajan would admit that this past few years had been crazy and life seems determined to make it crazier and crazier.Or: This is "Amor Vincit Omnia" from Rajan's perspective.

Sherlock: 

Lorem Ipsum by Saathi1013 (series) 

Pairing:  Sherlock Holmes/John Watson/Sarah Sawyer

TW: Abduction

Star Wars:

so just pull the trigger by Darnaguen

Pairing: Han Solo/Qi'ra/Lando Calrissian

TW/TAGS: Alcohol use 

Summary: “Oh, don’t pout Haan.” Lando lounges back, licking his newly berry-tinted lips with a lazy grin. “You know all you have to do is ask.”(Qi’ra’s eyes are glinting and her smile is dagger-sharp. Han knows the look: it’s one she wears whenever she has a winning hand.The dice on the table are mediocre at best. He shakes his head and drinks deep.)

Stranger Things: 

All pairings are Steve Harrington/Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler

The Hawkins Three by nonymos

TW: Some canon typical homophobia and slurs

Summary: It's two weeks after the Snow Ball, Nancy's officially with Jonathan, and Steve is trying to move forward. If only he wasn't on a path that keeps circling back to the both of them.

lovers in a dangerous time by diogxnes

TW/TAGS: Briefly: panic attacks/PTSD, parental neglect

Summary: “So,” says Robin, sitting back in her chair, “what’s the deal there, anyway? With the whole you-Nancy-Jonathan thing.”The question makes his mouth run dry. Why would she ask that? Can she tell, possibly, how much he’s been thinking about Nancy these past few days? How starstruck he was when Nancy showed up at his house? Does she know about the mysterious warmth in his stomach when he thinks about Jonathan? “What do you mean, the whole me-Nancy-Jonathan thing?” “Come on, Steve. She’s your ex and he famously beat you up two years ago and now they’re dating each other and all three of you somehow ended up a part of this weird little monster-fighting club together. There’s gotta be a story there.”“I don’t know, Robs,” says Steve, rolling his eyes, relieved beyond measure that that’s all she meant. “You pretty much just covered all of it. There’s not much more to tell.”

Have Happened by cortexikid

TW/TAGS: Homophobia

Summary: "I overheard you. You were talking in your sleep.”Steve's heart fluttered nervously.“It was a little funny at first,” Nancy admitted, her tone a mix of teasing and apologetic, “you were moaning my name and I thought it’d be kinda funny if Mike accidentally overheard you having a sex dream about his sister—”Steve couldn’t control the guffaw that escaped him. “But then you said Jonathan’s name. Right after mine. All in the same breath.”

it’s a risk, it’s a gamble by nondz (pinkjook)

TW/TAGS: NSFW

Summary: “I think we should pretend to date,” Robin says. "What?" Steve answers.

still turning out by scoutshonor

TW/TAGS: Homophobic language

Summary: Steve knows senior year's supposed to be tough, but seriously?Not only does his dad want him to take over his business, but he lands himself into a fight with his best friend leaving him friendless and booted out of his inner-circle, gets stuck watching a bunch of kids after school because of a missing credit, has to repeat eleventh grade history, and, oh yeah. He has the minor issue of having no idea what he actually wants to do with his life.But it's not all that bad: not the kids he has to watch, and certainly not Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers, two friends from his history class. Friends. Just friends. Yeah, he and you both know that's bullshit.Steve's got a lot of figuring out to do.(or: HSAU Stoncy with Steve as a senior, doing his best)

(Following Stoncy fics are by @pterawaters​) 

Now and For Always 

TW/TAGS: Explicit, Sex where one party is drunk and the other isn't

Summary: Between graduating from college, starting new careers, and planning a wedding, the summer of 1990 is a busy time for Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan. When a war starts in the middle east, Jonathan gets called away just three weeks before the wedding. He’s determined to make it back in time, no matter what it takes.

It's not like people live like this

TW/TAGS: Car Accidents, Period-Typical Homophobia, NSFW

Summary: Concerned that Steve's less-than-stellar grades might have been making them look bad, his parents hired him a tutor, Jonathan Byers, they were sure he wouldn't find as distracting as his last one. Sure, Jonathan had good grades in school, but he really wished he didn't have to take the extra work to help his mother put food on the table. After all, everyone knew Steve Harrington was a jerk. Right? It turned out, not so much. After an impromptu study-session-turned-party and a game of spin the bottle, Steve and Jonathan both found themselves dating Nancy Wheeler. And that wasn't even the strangest thing that happened to any of them that week.

Mr. Sandman (series) 

TW/TAGS: Canon-typical violence, Explicit scenes

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: 

Simmer On Low by canardroublard

Pairing: Illya/Napoleon/Gaby

TW/TAGS: semi-implied consensual voyeurism, whump

Summary: Scenes from five kitchens.

The Untamed/CQL/MDZS: 

inclusions by keiyashi 

Pairing: Sòng Lán | Sòng Zǐchēn/Xiǎo Xīngchén/Xuē Yáng | Xuē Chéngměi

TW/TAGS: NSFW

Summary: “I guess I feel left out. And I’m asking you to show me how not to?”“Show you?” Xue Yang laughs, easing the tension the only way he knows how. “Daozhang, if you aren’t careful, I might think you’re implying something quite forward.”Xingchen blinks at him. “Xue Yang, I feel like you’re trying to embarrass me, but that is what I was implying.”

melting the glacier by keiyashi 

Pairing: Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén/Mèng Yáo | Jīn Guāngyáo/Niè Míngjué

Summary: Wanting to be with Nie Mingjue is something Lan Xichen accepted about himself long ago. He wants only happiness for his friend, no matter what form it takes. Even if that form is quite lovely and possesses an enchanting mouth.

Teen Wolf: 

Feels Better Biting Down by callunavulgari, hiza-chan (callunavulgari)

Pairing: Stiles Stilinski/Derek Hale/Lydia Martin

TW/TAGS: Blood

That I See You by FiccinDylan

Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski/Jordan Parris

TW/TAGS: NSFW, abo, m-preg (non graphic), werewolves, triads are normal

Summary: Deputy Jordan Parrish and Chef Derek Hale are in the prime of their lives and ready to take the next step in their relationship by courting an omega. Everything seems to be progressing smoothly until the new omega (aka Stiles Stilinski, the sheriff’s son) surfaces some unresolved tension from Jordan’s past. Jordan originally had the benefit of amnesia to block out his harried background, but now with his amnesia behind him, will he be able to resolve his past before he ruins his future?

White Collar: 

Always Starts the Same, with a Boy and a Girl by lightgetsin

Pairing: Neal Caffrey/Peter Burke/Elizabeth Burke

Tags: AU 

Summary: Summer, 1998. Neal Caffrey robs the gallery where Elizabeth O'Dell is working late, and comes away with a lot more than art. Agent Burke has no idea what's about to hit him.

[p-and-p-admin]

Interview given to The Severus Snape and Hermione Granger Shipping Fan Group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/199718373383293/

Hello CorvusDraconis and welcome to Behind the Quill, thank-you so much for sitting down with us to chat.

You’re a well known and beloved figure in the SS/HG community for your many stories - including a personal favourite of mine, A chance for happiness.

Okay, let’s jump right in. What's the story behind your pen name? 

I have always had a fascination for the shiny things and the Northwest Coast depictions of Raven the Trickster/Creator, and, I tend to hoard (and get super protective) of my art supplies. Corvids have always been a positive sign in my life. They tend to show up when I’m feeling down and engage in funny antics in the yard. As for dragons, I’ve always had a love for them and think the Western depiction of them as dangerous beasts with no mind but for hoarding treasure and killing people only to be slain by a knight quite despicable. 

Which Harry Potter character do you identify with the most?

Severus, actually. I see a lot of my life in his. Hardships, challenges, bullying— trying to be something better and later wondering about unwise decisions. I have a very similar dislike for dunderheads, but I do not share his inclination to denude rosebushes of their petals. Do you have a favourite genre to read? (not in fic, just in general) I have always preferred fantasy and sci-fi. 

Do you have a favourite "classic" novel?

I am not sure if you would call it a classic novel, but grew up on all things Tolkien (and even puzzled through the Silmarillion at the grand age of seven), and have a special place in my heart for Watership Down. While I’ve read pieces like War and Peace, Iliad, Ulysses, Pride and Prejudice, Grapes of Wrath, Moby Dick, Great Gatsby, Little Women, Catcher in the Rye, Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn, Scarlet Letter, Don Quixote, To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, Jane Eyre, Lord of the Flies, Tale of Two Cities, Heart of Darkness, Robinson Crusoe, Alice in Wonderland, Great Expectations, Odyssey, Frankenstein, Dracula, Crime and Punishment, Heart of Darkness, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Secret Garden, Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, Les Misérables, Peter Pan, Gulliver’s Travels, all things Jack London, 20000 Leagues, etc.— they never captured me as aptly as Anne McCaffery’s Dragonriders of Pern or Mercedes Lackley’s the Last Herald Mage. Though, if I were to pick classic stories I read more than once (litmus test for things I like) it would be things such as The Secret Garden, Call of the Wild, Wild Fang, The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,  and The Last Unicorn. At what age did you start writing? The moment I could pick up pencil and paper, I was writing. I had notepads full of stories I wrote as a kid. Alas, my dad found them one day when I was off to college, made fun of them, and I came home and burned every single one in mortification.

How did you get into writing fanfiction?

The moment TV shows did “stupid things” to their characters. I used to write things about Beauty and the Beast (the old CBS show) when they killed off the main character, Knight Rider, Robocop, Transformers— there are probably far more that I just don’t remember now. I was writing it long before there was a fanfiction dot net or a term to even call it. What's the best theme you've ever come across in a fic? Is it a theme represented in your own works? I am a shameless romantic for the beauty within and sometimes the quite literal love for a monster (not just some person who acts like a monster and changes into a better person.) The misunderstood monster is perhaps my most favourite theme, and it shows up in my stories often if not always. What fandoms are you involved in other than Harry Potter? I ship SessKag from Inuyasha, Lucard/Sophie from Dracula: The Series, and Loki/Hermione when I’m feeling crossover-y. If you could make one change to canon, what would it be? Do you have a favourite piece of fanon? Other than my favourite fanon that Severus lives/survives/finds a better life free of two masters and his guilt, I would say I would want Harry to wise the heck up and realise his father was a swine, his godfather was an almost successful murderer that used his own best mate to try and kill off another student, and his mother wasn’t all that hot either. I would want him to find value in himself without having to make stuff up about his “perfect” parents. Then again, I would want Vernon/Petunia to be arrested for child abuse and put in gaol, but— then the story would have been very different XD Do you listen to music when you write or do you prefer quiet?  Sometimes quiet, sometimes music. But usually, I am best mates with Spotify.

What are your favourite fanfictions of all time?

In the HP universe: I honestly don’t read many of them because I’m always writing my own stuff XD, but when I really feel like I need a good Ron bashing SSHG HEA, I read just about anything by IShouldBeWritingSomethingElse. However, that being said, I often return to “The Sun is Often Out” by Hannah-1888 for just the right amount of angst and HEA to make me happy.

In the Inuyasha universe: A Trick of Fate by PristinelyUngifted

In the Marvel universe:  Mutual Respect Sends His Regrets by moor

In the Star Trek universe:  Gratified By Your Company by starfleetdream

Are you a plotter or a pantser? How does that affect your writing process?

I go by the seat of my feathered rump, to be honest. Inspiration is a fickle, unpredictable beast, and I usually don’t know what is going to happen until it does.

What is your writing genre of choice?

Fantasy

Which of your stories are you most proud of? Why?

Chance of Happiness because it was my very first publication. It may not have been my best, but it was my first, and it very well could have been my last yet somehow wasn’t.

Looks Can Be Deceiving and One Step Forward, Two Decades Back are two epic tales that seemed to demand being written. The fact I finished them was something I think deserves a little pride.

Did it unfold as you imagined it or did you find the unexpected cropped up as you wrote? What did you learn from writing it?

Looks started off with me attempted to write Dramione just once. It failed. Draco demanded to be her brother of the heart, Viktor came in and said “nope she’s mine,” and no one was more surprised at the outcome of that story than me. The characters did what THEY wanted.

I learned that trying to plan a story from start to finish is useless when the characters decide what they want. The story demanded more, and I was just a conduit that typed it down. For me, at least, attempting to outline and plan is utterly useless

How personal is the story to you, and do you think that made it harder or easier to write?

I think every story I write is personal in some way. The inspiration comes from somewhere inside, and I often have no idea what it is until I go back and read it later. I think the story wrote itself in a lot of ways, which made it easier in a way, but there are a lot of things I can’t say were from personal experience because as a high fantasy of talking gryphons and such I can only imagine it. There is no basis in real life on how any of that would go down. There is a freedom in that but also many challenges in making it real enough to identify with despite how alien and fantastic the idea is.

What books or authors have influenced you? How do you think that shows in your writing?

Dragonriders of Pern introduced sentient dragons and the idea that despite a vast difference in species there could be teamwork and love between the two as they teamed up against a greater threat.

The herald-mage books by Mercedes Lackley were also important staples in my childhood because it impressed the values of responsibility despite having powers others did not, and that people were fallible despite greatness and potential.

Gandalara Cycle by Randall Garrett and Vicki Ann Heydron: I cannot tell you how often I read this story. I had dog ears on these novels because there was so much I loved about them. It was a search for humanity when displaced in a seemingly alien world, societal clashes, and the great sha’um (the giant rideable cats) that were the main characters’ partners for life.  

 The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede: A princess rebels against her arranged marriage by running away to be a dragon princess.

All of these books had creatures in it that chose to partner with a human and be with them for life, not as lovers that you find in the more modern supernatural romance blender out there, but the ultimate friend for life— the family you choose.

Do people in your everyday life know you write fanfiction?

Oh heck no. Hah. They have their secrets, and I have mine. Personally, I think mine are more healthy than theirs.

How true for you is the notion of "writing for yourself"? 

Very.

I write for myself. Sometimes I’ll write a story for one of my betas or a sshg friend, but for the most part, I write for my own entertainment because nothing like what I write is out there. There is a lot of SSHG out there, but mine is almost always a creature feature story. I blame X-Files growing up. It tickles me that others enjoy my stories, but in the end I write to get things down and out of my head. They just so happen to entertain others as they do me.

How important is it for you to interact with your audience? How do you engage with them? Just at the point of publishing? Through social media?

I will often engage in A/N talk at the end of chapters, but I really don’t engage in the fandom. I loathe social media. That being said, I read every review, and while I don’t reply to everything because FF dot net is a horrible platform for messaging anymore (or ever was really)-- I appreciate every single one. Sometimes it helps to know people are enjoying the story for the story’s sake.

What is the best advice you've received about writing?

Get a beta, even if you are pretty good at writing. Get one because a second pair of eyes will catch things you don’t. Read your own stuff out loud. If you trip over it, your audience will too. If you stumble, so will they.

Get a beta who isn’t afraid to tell you that your shite stinks in places and you make no sense. You may want a cheerleader, but what you need is a beta. If you are super lucky, you can have both at once.

What do you do when you hit writer's block?

I play computer games and sew things. I’ve sewn a lot of things lately. Scrub caps and masks for work— 

There has been a lot of writer’s block lately due to the times, and I will not write when I’m uninspired. I will not force inspiration. That’s not fair to me or those unfortunate enough to share in the reading. I want to be able to go back on a story I wrote and enjoy it and not curse at myself. XD

Has anything in real life trickled down into your writing?

Sometimes certain catch phrases and things from real life friends have trickled in as a sort of Easter egg (unbeknownst to them since I don’t tell them I write fanfic). Sometimes random news stories or whatnot find their way in. Lessons of the day. Random events. Things that are too odd not to stick in my brain somehow. I can’t say I always do it on purpose, though.

Do you have any stories in the works? Can you give us a teaser?

No, I have a goal this year to finish off the unfinished stories. This is made harder because Dragon and the Rose keeps adding more and more bunnies into the idea bin, and my brain wants to run with them, but I’m like NO DANGIT, I HAVE STUFF TO FINISH STILL!  It’s a hard thing trying to finish what you start when so much interesting stuff pops up and waves at you like “heeeeeyyyyy I’m cool too!”

Any words of encouragement to other writers?

Keep writing but remember you can always be better. You can always improve.  Writing isn’t a popularity contest. It isn’t about how many reviews you get or how many fans you may or may not have. Write because you want to write. Write what you like not what other people like. Write for you because in the end, you are the one who goes back to read it and say “I wrote this story, and I still love it” instead of forcing yourself to write something just because the topic is “popular” and gets a lot of visitors. Write something you’ll be proud to go back and read and enjoy. You’ll find when you write something genuinely, readers will come. And if only one person leaves you a paragraph review on how much your story meant to them out of someone else’s hundreds of  “great!” (with nothing else)-- think of what you value more.

If my story helped someone through a dark time.

Just one person—

Then it was a good effort.

Maybe that person didn’t have the bravery to leave a message. Maybe they are ashamed. Maybe they send you a PM instead of a review.

That is, to me, the ultimate reason why I realised that despite writing stories for myself that there are people out there that needed to hear my story at just the right time in their life. If my story can bring a little joy to someone else, then it doesn’t matter how many reviews I have. It doesn’t matter that I don’t have thousands of reviews like “that other author.” What matters is that I told my story; someone out there read it and it spoke to them.

I love hearing from people and what they liked about my stories, but I also am glad that there are some people out there who secretly like my stories but do not feel safe enough to review.

So, I would say to the aspiring author: write for yourself but share it. You never know whose day you will make with your story. They may never tell you. They may tell you years later (happened to me!). There is a good chance that someone out there needs your story as much as you need to write it. That being said, find yourself a beta to share your journey with you. You may find a few friend in the process.

Thanks so much for giving us your time.

You are quite welcome.

[kelinswriter]

The Problem with Supergirl

Author note: S3 spoilers ahead (not that you haven’t already seen them). Also, these thoughts are my own, and others may see differently. Respectful comments are appreciated.

For reading clarity: If in italics, I am referring to Supergirl the show, not the character.

So…we’ve all heard the news, had time to process, gotten pissed as hell and maybe a little drunk over it. (Okay, maybe that last part was just me.) Sanvers is on the rocks, possibly irrevocably. And it blows.

But if I’m being honest, I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. I began having concerns around episode 2x14, when it became clear they no longer had any interest in having Alex and Maggie work cases together and that Maggie seemed to be getting shunted into the “girlfriend” role. By not integrating Maggie into the larger narrative (by, say, having her become the NCPD’s official liaison to the DEO), it kept her sidelined and limited her character development. I had hoped maybe that would be in the plan for this season, but…this is me, getting ready to write it myself because clearly no one on their payroll has any interest in it.

So where does this leave us? With Sanvers apparently headed for Splitsville and Alex (presumably) hooking up with Sara Lance in the crossover (because you can’t tell me the people in those writers’ rooms haven’t been salivating over that prospect for ages). And after that, if some of the hints I’m hearing are true, we’re probably getting a good dose of Party Girl Alex – presumably so that at some point, Kara can “save” her. Which is logical from a story standpoint, and Chyler will knock out of the park. But it’s also story that firmly puts Alex back in the number two position within the narrative – the object of the story rather than the subject. And that’s the problem.

 Because Alex…as it turns out…is Supergirl’s biggest problem.

 Now bear with me here, because I realize saying that what many critics and fans believe is the show’s greatest asset – Alex Freaking Danvers (and Chyler Freaking Leigh) – is also its Achilles heel is kind of strange. And as problems go, it’s a good one to have. Having the show’s most versatile and talented actress – and in many ways, its most compelling character – in a secondary role is a tremendous advantage. Need someone who can pull off a coming out story? Chy’s your girl. Need her to convincingly bash a prisoner or go renegade or carry an episode while the lead is off doing a crossover? On it. But these are things that also pull the narrative out of true, because Alex’s strength as a character – and the instinct to give her story of her own - inevitably pulls focus off Supergirl as the lead and the Danvers sisters as the central “love” story. When Alex has her own story, she doesn’t serve the show’s central narrative – she becomes the lead in a show within a show. And while that’s a very happy thing for those of us who think she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, it also makes for a really sloppy, poorly structured narrative framework.

 “Exodus” is the best example of this. It was largely Alex’s episode, and a thrilling subversion of the usual action hero tropes. Alex bashes a suspect, loses her job, goes rogue, and kisses her girl before going off to have a big solo renegade showdown with the bad guys. And that last point is where it goes off track – because no matter how thrilling the last act was, there is no way in hell “Ride or Die” Maggie Sawyer would let Alex basically go off to war without backup. And yet she does, for one simple reason: If Maggie is there, it pulls focus off the sisters moment at the end. Narrative logic is undermined for the sake of bringing the show back around to the notion that the show’s central love story is that of the Danvers sisters, with Alex in a secondary role to Supergirl.

 Now…I know I haven’t mentioned the elephant in the room yet…yes, him. 2B’s central hero, both narratively and structurally. The reason we’re in this fucking mess in the first place. And I have a fix for him too…and it’s one you might not like. Quite simply: Let him be the co-lead that they so clearly want him to be.

 How? Give Alex her own show.

 Now I know this is a pipe dream (and due credit to those who have come up with it before), though I’d bet it’s been discussed in the writer’s room more than once. Even AK has admitted that in any other universe, Alex would be the lead of her own show (see the commentary for “Supergirl Lives.”) Will she be? If it ever happened, I would probably start believing in Santa Claus again. But from a structural standpoint, it solves all the problems. For example:

 1. It creates space for Supergirl and Mon-El to become the traditional action/rom-com co-leads of the show (a la “Castle” or “Bones”) that TPTB appear to want them to be.

 2. The secondary characters (except for Lena and maybe James) all revolve around Supergirl and no longer have individual stories that distract from the main narrative. They, for lack of a better term, all function in “service” to Supergirl.

 3. It refocuses the story on Supergirl and her journey.

 Meanwhile, in Alex Danvers land, you have:

 1. Alex as badass super soldier/scientist, tracking aliens, solving cases, and having her fair share of angsty personal crises -- in other words, a female-driven version of the traditional male-led action series.

 2. Maggie Sawyer as the second lead, with her own character development and arcs that contribute to, not distract from, the main story. In other words, Maggie moves into the role that Alex has traditionally played on Supergirl – but without the need for “show within a show” stories to create character development. A good example would be a story that was never fully developed on Supergirl – the idea that some cops (including Maggie) aren’t really down with vigilantes, superheroes, and extralegal government agencies operating outside the law. That’s a clear conflict between the two main characters that could easily fuel an entire season.  

 3. Need to build out the world? Have Alex go to work for Lucy. Have Winn be her gadget/tech guy (who carries the exposition, because that’s why Winn exists – he’s this universe’s Data/Geordi LaForge). Have her get her ass fired from the DEO so she has to operate without their resources for a while (Batwoman, anyone?). Do crossovers. Have the Danvers sisters visit each other’s shows. Hell, go hang out with Sara Lance once in a while and have Maggie get jealous as hell.

 Again I say, it’ll never happen, but there have been far worse cases made for a spinoff by TV execs. It would also give DC something they haven’t had in a while (to my knowledge - I am in no way a DCverse expert) – a truly new property, out of which they can build a fresh content, narrative, and most importantly – ancillary marketing.

 So if you’ve gotten this far, thanks for bearing with this flight of fancy that you may perhaps see in fic form someday. Because since they won’t do it, maybe I should.

[birdwithfrenchfry]

My forever OTPs Masterpost

 Okay so I am a classic fan-girl. I can love a lot of tv-shows, but what gets me addicted are the shows with amazing characters and relationships. You know those ships that steals your soul and you daydream about then instead of your own life? The ships where they are imperfect, but they make eachother better. Yup, those ships. 

(These are in no special order, because all my forever OTPs are my babies.) 

1. Buffy & Spike (Spuffy) - BtvS

She is the vampire slayer. He is a vampire. They started of trying to kill each other. But somehow they never did.. Long story short he fell in love with her. Helped her save her sister. Helped save the world. He was there for her when she felt broken and lost. Sure, these characters had one of the roughest stories I’ve ever been invested in, but I never stopped loving these two characters. He hurt her, but then he fought to get his soul back. For her, to be the kind of man she deserves, 

Favourite quote: 

Spike: You listen to me. I've been a live a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. Don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I've only my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain, so I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong, bloody calls. A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of -- you. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say I love you, it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you, and it has nothing to do with me. I love what you are. What you do. How you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you, and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You are a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy.

2. Rory Gilmore & Jess Mariano (Literati) - Gilmore Girls

Okay so who was Rorys best boyfriend has always been a BIG part of the Gilmore Girls universe. Imo no one even compares to Jess! Bad boy moves to small town. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Their connection was real and they challenged each other on so many levels. Their relationship was pretty brief, which sucked. But Jess came back for a visit on several occations and he was always the one to get Rory back on track when she felt lost. He understood her better than anyone. No one will ever convince me these two didn’t get together in the end, even if we never got to see it happen. 

Favourite quote: 

Rory: We're studying. Jess: You're studying. I'm prying into your personal life.

3. Kate Austen & James “Sawyer” Ford (Skate) - LOST

Okay so I have no words to tell you how much this ship meant to me. It was my first ship where I actually were a part of a online-fandom and these are friends I still have now, 10 years later. But THESE characters.. her sass, his nicknames.. they break my heart. Lost gir & lost boy. Together they were perfect, with a chemistry that still to this day can make my heart skip a beat. 

Favourite quote: 

Sawyer: You taste like strawberries. Kate: You taste like fish biscuits.

4. Emma Swan & Killian Jones / Hook (Captain Swan) - OUaT

So I’m a Disney addict. Like, I moved to the other side of the world twice to work for The Mouse. Fairytales has always been my thing, so me being addicted to Once Upon a Time was a given from the start. I was a casual viewer for the first season, but then this man (Captain Hook!) showed up, and my life has been all about Captain Swan since that moment. He was a villain (but not really, he wanted revenge for his first love) and then he met Emma who is sunshine and everything good. She has been alone most of her life and her walls are so high no-one can get close. Together they make each other better. He works hard to be a good man for her, and she finally finds someone who will never leave her and treats her like the princess she is. They are so good together, true love. 

Favourite quote:

Killian: With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact: I was a villain. Emma: But you're not anymore. Killian: Neither is Regina, but she still lost her happy ending. If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine. Emma: Wait. If you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it? Killian: Don't you know, Emma? It's you.

5. Clarke Griffin & Bellamy Blake (Bellarke) - The 100

Aka. my sun and moon, king and queen of the ground, and all-around adorable hurt puppies. Started out not liking each other very much, but  found themselves working better as a team and as leaders of their people. They have a deep connection, and work together perfectly. She’s the brain, he’s the heart. They have tried doing things on their own, but turns out they work better together. Clarke and Bellamy trust each other completely and they would die to protect each other. Plso their chemistry is insane, been shipping these since like..the second episode. We are now on season 4 and they STILL haven’t kissed. I feel the Bellarke strong this season, so I think it will happen soon. But as long as I get to see these two working together I will go down with this ship with a smile on my face. 

Favourite quote:

Clarke: Thank you. For keeping me alive. Bellamy: You don't make it easy.

6. Katara & Zuko (Zutara) - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Prince Zuko, firebender. Katara, waterbender. Opposittes, night and day, yin and yang. So this ship never happened, but that doesn’t stop me from still daydreaming about them and reading tons of fan fiction. They were enemies turned friends and together they were amazing. This is the kind of ship where I feel so blessed that we have internet. There’s just so many fics and fanart out there about these two silly babies. 

Favourite quote:

Katara: What are you doing? Zuko: Keeping the rocks from crushing you. Katara: Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now. Zuko: I'll take that as a "thank you."

7. Zoe Hart & Wade Kinsella (Zade) - Hart of Dixie

Big-city doctor moved to small adorable town. Meets bad-boy Wade. They argue. They have a LOT of chemistry. There’s a lot of on and off all through this series, but it was wonderful to watch. This show just makes me feel good, and these two love-birds made it perfect. Wade grew up, Zoe learned that she didn’t have to follow her big plan and let her heart decide where and who her home was. Perfection. 

Favourite quote: 

Wade: Maybe I'm not 100 percent sure that you wouldn't hurt me if we started things, but I know that I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. And I guess that I realized it's worth the risk.

8. Robin & Barney (Swarkles) - How I Met Your Mother

Okay, but do I really have to explain this one to anyone? Everyone knew these two were perfect together. Barney & Robin were funny as hell, they loved each other even with all their little quirks. Perfect pairing and I will ship them until the end of time. (and I will never ever forgive the writers for that ending). Rude. 

Favourite quote: 

Barney: I love everything about her, and I’m not a guy who says that lightly. I’m a guy who has faked love his entire life. I thought love was just something idiots thought they felt, but this woman has a hold on my heart that I could not break if I wanted to. And there have been times that I wanted to. It has been overwhelming and humbling and and even painful at times. But I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than she knows.

9. Veronica & Logan (LoVe) - Veronica Mars

Yup, that’s LoVe. Silly puppies who are just great together even when they don’t want to admit it to themselves. The original series ended so suddenly that I never got closure when it came to Logan and Veronica, so I was SO happy that they made a revival movie and it was PERFECT! These kids have been through so much, they just need to be happy! 

Favourite quote:

Logan: I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Veronica: Epic how? Logan: Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC. Veronica: Come on. Ruined lives? Bloodshed? You really think a relationship should be that hard? Logan: No one writes songs about the ones that come easy.

10. Isak & Even (Evak) - SKAM

Okay so for those of you who don’t know this show: SKAM is a Norwegian show that follows a group of teenagers through High School. And in season 3 Evak stole all of our hearts. It’s all about falling in love, coming out and a bit of mental health, all done perfectly. They are so cute and amazing, even when they were breaking my heart. What makes this show so great is how realistic it feels, and you smile and hurt with them. 

Favourite quote:

Isak: Du er ikke alene. (You are not alone).

Honorable mentions

Jackie & Hyde - That 70′s Show

Luke & Lorelai - Gilmore Girls

Fiona & Steve - Shameless (US)

Jeff & Annie - Community

Willow & Tara - BtVS

“You don’t love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults.”

                            - William Faulkner

[inspectorboxer]

Waking Up

by Inspector Boxer

Fandom: Supergirl

Pairing: Alex/Maggie, Sanvers

Characters: Eliza Danvers, Alex Danvers, Maggie Sawyer

Rating: G

Author’s Note: This is a prompt fill for @misswidgetsays who requested prompt #44, “You kissed me first.” Hope this one is bounce-worthy. ;)

Thanks to @zennie-fic for the quick beta. Added a few things last minute so all mistakes are mine.

****

They were precious together.

From the deck, Eliza watched Alex with Maggie. She’d been drawn outside by their laughter, compelled to witness her daughter’s happiness for herself. The tide was coming in, and Alex was doing her level best to teach Maggie to surf. They were both in wetsuits, having taken Kara and Alex’s old boards out of storage for the occasion. As Eliza watched, they paddled out together side-by-side to greet the next wave.

Eliza smiled, raised her camera, and fired off a series of shots, hoping for one she could frame. Alex was encouraging her girlfriend, clapping and shouting while Maggie managed to stay upright on wobbly legs for most of the ride. Maggie raised her fist in triumph, letting out a happy whoop before promptly tumbling into the surf as Alex laughed.

Maggie’s addition to Alex’s life hadn’t been without complications, but the transformation she’d caused in Alex was breathtaking. Somehow, Maggie had gotten past Alex’s defenses and insecurities, opening Alex up to a bigger world, a world beyond the DEO, beyond protecting Kara. Her daughter was living her life again, possibly for the first time in a decade, and Eliza would be forever grateful to Maggie for that gift.

Kara adored Maggie, talking about her on the phone almost as much as Alex, and during this last minute, but very welcome visit, Eliza was quickly growing to feel the same. She could already see this woman becoming a part of their family, and Eliza hoped to find the time to talk to Alex alone to see what her plans might be in that regard.

Balancing the camera on the rail, Eliza simply took a deep breath of the ocean air and enjoyed the pair. When Maggie tackled her daughter off her board and plunged them both into the surf, she laughed with delight before retreating inside to give them their privacy.

****

“Thank you,” Maggie said quietly as Eliza handed her a glass of wine before settling next to her by the fire. The moon had risen on the horizon, bidding farewell to the sun as it sank beyond the ocean. The colors were dazzling, and Eliza savored the serenity of the beach, the quiet thunder of the waves, and the familiar scent of woodsmoke.

“It’s beautiful here,” Maggie murmured, snuggling a little more into the fleece blanket Alex had left her wrapped in as the breeze off the ocean chilled the evening air. “I can see why you like it.”

Eliza glanced toward the house, watching Alex as she moved about in the kitchen. Her daughter had offered to cook, much to her surprise. She hoped Alex wasn’t going to burn the house down.

“Alex and Kara used to stargaze on nights like this,” Eliza told Maggie, pointing to the telescope sitting on the small deck at the top of the house. “Kara was able to tell her the actual names of stars and not just their scientific designations.”

Maggie tipped her head back, staring at the night sky. “Reminds me a little of Nebraska. You could actually see the stars where I grew up. National City is too bright most nights.”

Eliza nodded. It was one of the many reasons the city had never called to her.

“Still a little hard to believe Kara came from up there.”

Chuckling, Eliza took a sip of her own wine. “It was… a challenge, raising an alien for a daughter.”

“I’ll bet.” Maggie grinned. “You did an amazing job, though. With both of them.” Her smile was sweet and sincere, the dimples Alex adored in evidence. “Alex told me about the popcorn maker. I think I almost busted something from laughing so hard, but damn if that wasn’t the cutest story.”

“Tip of the iceberg,” Eliza promised. “Those two are a pair. Always causing trouble but always there to protect each other.”

“Not much has changed.”

“They’re just doing it on a grander scale these days.” Eliza’s smile softened. “I knew I was raising two capable women who could change the world. I never really thought they might wind up saving it.”

Maggie watched her in the firelight, her gaze warm and open. Eliza could see how her daughter would fall for such a beautiful woman, and it did her heart good to see Maggie was proving to be just as beautiful on the inside.

Leaning forward slightly, Maggie continued to smile encouragingly. “You must be proud of Alex. The way she looks after Kara.”

Eliza swallowed. “I am. More than she can imagine.”

“I would have paid good money to see those two as little kids playing on the beach.”

“How much?” Eliza winked. “I have videos.”

“Oh God,” Alex grumbled as she joined them, padding barefoot across the dusting of sand on the wood deck to settle in the chair next to Maggie’s. She had her own glass of wine, but she set it aside on a small table, grabbing an end of Maggie’s blanket and pulling it around her shoulders. “I leave you alone for 30 minutes, and she’s already plotting to humiliate me.”

Maggie laughed, and Eliza adored the sound.

“Isn’t that why we came?” Maggie asked, gladly offering Alex more of her blanket. “So I can learn all your embarrassing childhood stories?”

“Am I going to get to do the same with your family?” Alex shot back, a playful smile on her lips.

“You wanna go to Nebraska, Danvers? There’s no ocean to play in there. Might be able to find you a corn maze or two.”

“Speaking of stories,” Eliza carefully interrupted their banter. “I’ve never heard how you two met.”

Alex blushed in the fading light, the reflection of the fire on her features doing little to hide it. Maggie was staring at her, enjoying the view.

“Should I tell her or do you want to do it?” Maggie asked, her tone light and teasing.

“Not exactly romantic,” Alex muttered.

“No. Kinda hostile, actually.” Maggie chuckled. “Your daughter got all up in my official police business after someone tried to assassinate the president.”

“Your police business got all up in my jurisdiction.”

Eliza’s heart swelled as she watched them, and when Alex glanced at her she did a double take, seeing something in her mother’s features that made the blush return in earnest. She scratched self consciously behind her ear, but a soft smile came to her lips.

“So who made the first move?” Eliza asked.

Maggie and Alex pointed at each other, and Eliza laughed.

“You kissed me first!” Maggie huffed playfully.

“That… that didn’t count,” Alex countered, cringing.

“It was a kiss, Alex. You totally planted one on me at the bar.” Maggie looked at Eliza. “Granted, I didn’t handle it very well. Your daughter threw me for a loop and left me kinda stupid for days.”

“I did not,” Alex sputtered. “Did I?” she asked after a moment.

“As freaked out as I was, it was still a hell of a kiss, Alex.”

“But our first kiss, like, for real, you kissed me!”

“What do you mean ‘for real?’” Maggie tossed back, barely able to hold in her laughter. “That first kiss was real.”

“I was being an idiot,” Alex reminded her. “It was more an ambush than a kiss. We’re not counting it.”

“Counted in my book.” Maggie took another sip of her wine.

“Girls,” Eliza drawled, amused, as Alex started to belabor the point, and they both fell quiet, playfully glowering at one another.

“You kissed me first,” Maggie mumbled, getting in the last word.

****

It was a habit Eliza didn’t want to break. Up before the sun, enjoying her first cup of coffee as the day broke over the sand and surf. The world was so quiet, the only sound the majestic crash of the waves on the shore and the occasional gull that swooped by in search of breakfast.

The deck creaked and Eliza turned her head, surprised to find her daughter sleepily shuffling toward her. Alex was still in her pajamas and a t-shirt, looking younger than her years as she yawned into her fist and settled next to her. She carried a cup of coffee, but she seemed to be using it more to warm her hands than to wake her body.

“Morning,” Eliza greeted, not bothering to hide her surprise.

“Yeah, yeah,” Alex grumbled. “I get up early all the time you know.”

“Not willingly.” Eliza grinned. “I would have thought this would have been prime snuggling time,” she teased.

Her daughter flushed bright red, and Eliza chuckled.

“I was restless,” Alex admitted. “Didn’t want to wake Maggie.”

They were quiet a moment.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Eliza asked gently.

Alex traced her thumb along the rim of her mug. “Yeah,” she breathed before she swallowed. “Maggie… I don’t know. It sounds silly.”

“What?”

“It’s like she… woke me up. Does that make sense?” Alex peered at her then, her gaze wide open and a little afraid.

Eliza brushed an errant lock of hair away from her daughter’s cheek. “Absolutely. I felt the same way with your father.”

“Yeah?”

Eliza nodded. “The world looks different when you’re in love.”

Alex didn’t deny the charge. “So… you like her?” she asked, her eyes worried and vulnerable.

“No, sweetie,” Eliza murmured.

Alex rocked back in surprise before she took a deep, shaky breath, ready to defend the woman she’d allowed into her heart.

“I adore her,” Eliza clarified with a wink.

“That… was not cool.” Alex shuddered in relief, but a smile sprang to her lips. “Not cool, Mom.”

Eliza draped an arm around her daughter’s waist, drawing her closer. Alex settled her head on her mother’s shoulder as the sun crept over their backs, glinting off the sand and water. “The beach would be a lovely spot for a wedding,” Eliza said in a deadpan voice. “Don’t you think?” She barely suppressed a grin, waiting for Alex’s inevitable sputtering to start. She just couldn’t resist teasing her daughter.

But Alex surprised her.

“It crossed my mind,” Alex admitted softly.

Happiness swelled in Eliza’s chest, bringing tears to her eyes. She wished Jeremiah was there. “Your sister will be insufferable when the time comes,” Eliza murmured, keeping the moment casual even though she would never forget it.

“Yeah,” Alex said fondly. “Something to look forward to.”

They smiled, waking a new day in warm, easy silence.

[whumpgalore]

Hello, thank you for such a lovely blog! I was wondering whether you had any recs (fic or canon) that involve a character being hurt/sick and just being a BAMF and toughing it out to complete a mission or task and all the while they're getting shakier and paler and less with it but they refuse to give up until they save the day (and then they're allowed to finally pass out). I'm thinking like Out of Gas (Firefly), parts of The Bourne Legacy, Wolverine, etc? Thanks so much!

well, hey there! thank you for being here! ;) i love hearing from you guys so much. for realz. 

and oh, geez. i’m actually working on compiling a list of fanfiction that focuses on this very thing - along with some other fantastic whumpy fics that are just too good not to share. and as far as tv episodes go, there are honestly so many… hah. 

some of my favs are: 

Stargate: SG1, 1x18 - Jack and Sam are trapped during a mission gone wrong, Jack’s leg is broken, he (more than likely) has internal bleeding and broken ribs, and he keeps pushing through it and ignoring it so he can help Sam figure out a way to get them out alive. it’s delightful; one of my favorite whumpy episodes. 

Stargate: Atlantis, 4x06 - it’s not super whumpy in itself, but John and McKay spend the entire episode losing their memory and suffering from a headache while Ronon and Teyla try to find a cure before everyone on Atlantis forgets who they are. there’s also a lovely infirmary scene in the end. ;) #myfavplace 

Sherlock, 3x03 - this ep is phenomenal. i mean, seriously. i could watch this episode over and over and over again. Sherlock is shot by Mary, and after he nearly dies in the hospital the first time, he breaks out, stages an elaborate scheme to reunite Mary and John and sort the situation out - all while bleeding internally, suffering an extreme amount of physical and mental pain. (he’s as pale as a ghost, too, and he finally does collapse just as the paramedics - whom he called - arrive.) 

Beauty and the Beast, 2x09 - after being shot by Cat in the previous episode (don’t ask; it’s a long story), Vincent spends the entire 45 minutes bleeding, in pain, sweaty and pale - all while refusing to go to the hospital. (that’s also a long story.) eventually, after being drugged, knocked out, patched up, having a blood transfusion and saving Cat’s life, he finally collapses and nearly bleeds out in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. lovely. (there’s quite a bit of Vincent whump here if you’re interested.) 

Dark Matter, 2x11 - Three (Marcus) is shot in the chest while saving Five from her kidnappers, and he ignores his pain - and the fact that he’s bleeding out and barely able to stand up - so he can get her to safety; that’s all well and good until he collapses, unable to get up, and is “captured” himself. we were denied the actual rescue / transportation to the hospital scene, but there is a sweet moment afterwards with him in the infirmary. 

Castle, 6x02 - Castle is infected with a poison that leaves him only 24 hours to live, but, despite the fact that he’s dying, he refuses to sit by and watch - in fact, it’s probably his refusal to sit on the sidelines that saves his life; that, and Beckett’s instincts. he grows weaker, paler, and shakier over the episode, and eventually loses consciousness and collapses. again, there’s no ambulance transportation scene (forever bitter about being denied those), but the hospital scene between him and Beckett after he wakes up is uber sweet. 

Lost, 2x06 - Sawyer’s bullet wound from a previous episode (?) becomes infected, and he eventually collapses, forcing the others to build a pallet and carry him on it. i haven’t seen this episode in a while, so i don’t remember exactly how it plays out, but i remember that it’s quite delightfully whumpy. ;D

The Last Ship, 2x11 - after being knocked down (out?) in an explosion on an oil rig, Tom Chander collapses with a shrapnel wound to his side after ignoring his injuries to get the members of his crew safely back on board the ship. the severity of his injury is really glossed over, and we never hear about it again (#bitter) but the disorientation, collapse and sight of his crew rushing to his side almost make up for it. 

Dark Angel, 1x09 - this one is a little different, but it’s still quite lovely; after being badly injured and confined to a wheelchair at the beginning of the series, Logan beings experiencing severe pain in his back, and is eventually found passed out in his apartment by his bodyguard / friend. after he’s rushed to the hospital and undergoes emergency surgery, he’s unconscious, alarmingly pale and, according to the doctor, won’t make it unless he receives a blood transfusion. (more of my fav whump; it’s just too good. agh.)

anywayyy. i know there are a million more, but these are some of my favs. ;) 

-WG