#writer's choice

[2nd2ndalto]

I Love the Way You Come to Me

Written for @writers-choice prompt "kink in neck". Title is from the Blue Rodeo song Head Over Heels.

___

Nico turns from where he’s been unsuccessfully matching freshly laundered socks to the sound of his cabin door opening. His boyfriend collapses onto the bed nearest the door.

“Hey Solace. What’s up?”

“I have a crick. In my neck,” Will announces in the same tone you might expect someone to disclose a terminal diagnosis.

“A what?” Nico drops a sock and swears under his breath.

“A crick. You know. A kink.” Will repeats.

Nico raises an eyebrow, grinning. “A kink. Tell me more.”

Will scowls at him.

Will looks… kind of awful, actually. His eyes are puffy and tired and Nico’s pretty sure he hasn’t even attempted to comb his hair. He’s got a hot water bottle pressed to his shoulder and some kind of fuzzy pink pillow around his neck. When he shifts himself on the bed, he does it very gingerly.

“So why aren’t you in the infirmary?” Nico asks, shoving the rest of the clean socks into his drawer unmatched and attempting to force the drawer closed. It bounces back at him.

There’s a pause and then, “It doesn’t matter,” Will says, averting his eyes.

“It doesn’t… what the fuck, Solace. What’s going on? Why are you acting weird?”

Nico gives the dresser drawer one last shove before giving it up as a bad job. He takes a tentative step towards his boyfriend. He’s helped Will out in the infirmary quite a bit over the past four years, ever since Gaea, but he still feels a little awkward around illnesses and injuries. It’s much easier when he has Will bossing him around, although he’s certainly not going to tell Will that.

“It was made very clear to me that I wasn’t welcome in the infirmary,” Will says stiffly.

“What? Why?”

Will mutters something under his breath.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

Will throws a hand dramatically (yet gingerly) over his eyes and repeats, only a little louder, “Kayla said I was being a big baby.”

When Nico doesn’t respond right away, Will pulls his hand back a fraction to see his boyfriend fighting a smile.

“What?” Will asks flatly.

“Well, were you?”

“That’s not the point.”

“It kind of is, though.” Nico’s pretty sure now that Will isn’t grievously injured, but even so, he sits down extra carefully on the bed next to him.

“What can I do for you?” Nico asks, trying not to sound condescending. He thinks he manages. Mostly.

“Nothing. It’s fine. You can just leave me to my misery like everyone else,” Will pouts.

“Come on, what do you need? Morphine? Chicken soup? I can help you write your last will and testament.”

Will huffs.

“Want me to summon a zombie chiropractor?”

“What, really?” Will blinks.

Nico considers. “I mean, I don’t know any personally. But we could ask Jules-Albert.”

Will wrinkles his nose. “Let’s call that Plan B.”

“I can melt all the flesh off your bones if you want,” Nico offers. “But that’s not super… reversible. I wouldn’t really recommend it.”

Will’s mouth twitches into an almost-smile, and Nico shifts to lie down next to him, reaching for his hand. “Wanna tell me what’s really going on?” he asks, more gently.

Will sighs, looking defeated. “Archery practice ran late last night and I ended up missing dinner and then I was late for my shift at the infirmary. Then I ripped the pocket of my favourite hoodie on the fucking infirmary door and ended up eating six granola bars for dinner because Austin had eaten all the sandwiches we keep in the fridge in there. I got to bed after midnight but then I couldn’t sleep because I was pissed off about the fucking hoodie and the granola bars. This morning I woke up with this damn kin - crick. Crick in my neck. And it hurts,” he finishes pathetically.

There’s a long pause, in which Will’s gaze rests on their joined hands, his face set in a frown.

“The green hoodie?” Nico asks.

“Yeah,” Will says dejectedly.

“I like that one.”

“I know. You keep stealing it.”

Nico smiles. “Yeah.”

“My neck does hurt, but… mostly I’m just feeling crummy and grouchy,” Will says reluctantly after a moment.

“So you don’t need morphine?”

Will snorts.

“You’re having a rotten day and you want some sympathy?”

“Maybe.”

Nico shifts closer, pressing his lips to Will’s. Will sighs, squeezing his fingers. Nico takes that as a sign to kiss him a bit more. Although honestly Nico will happily take just about anything as a sign to kiss Will a bit more.

There’s quiet for a long moment, and Nico sinks pleasantly into the familiar pressure of Will’s lips warm against his, their mingled breath, Will’s eyelashes brushing his cheeks. Will tastes like cinnamon gum and coffee. Nico pulls away and Will’s eyes slowly blink open.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“You know I’m always happy to comfort you if you rip your hoodie, or even if you like… get a paper cut,” Nico tells Will.

Will looks sheepish, but pleased.

“You're always allowed to ask for comfort, okay? You don’t even need a reason. All you have to do is tell me. We all need extra attention sometimes.”

Will smiles softly. “Listen to you. When did you get so smart?”

Nico shrugs. “Maybe I’ve been listening to some smart guy.”

“Hmm.”

“Yeah.” Nico brushes the hair off Will’s forehead. It’s extra messy. He kind of likes it.

“Want me to cuddle you?”

“Can you?”

“Of course. Idiot,” Nico adds affectionately. “I just gotta go train some anklebiters for an hour. After that I’m all yours. Can you wait?”

Will nods, looking happier.

Nico kisses him once more and stands, looking around for his sword.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be alternating heat and ice?” Nico asks, remembering what he’s heard Will tell campers in the infirmary. “You want me to grab an ice pack on my way back?”

“Yeah, that would be nice, actually.”

“Or I could just use my cold, dead heart,” Nico deadpans.

“I thought you gave that up.”

Nico smiles fondly at the other boy. "Yeah. I guess I did."

[goddess47]

For McSheplets prompt #32 - bed

For Sweet and Short January 2024 prompt - hurry

For @writers-choice prompt #47 - oops

[puzzlebean]

These Are Not The Droids You Are Looking For

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Pairing: Steve x Bucky

Tags/Warnings: Avengers Tower, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Established Relationship, Movie Night, Domestic Fluff, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, POV Steve Rogers, Double Drabble

Summary: Steve and Bucky get into Star Wars.

Word Count: 200 words

Written for @writers-choice challenge #11 the droid you're looking for.

[quantumshade]

there's an interesting thing rtd said from the commentary about the "real mom" line:

i get not liking the line but like. it's an intentional mistake and an intentional character choice, and something we'll return to in the future, and that seems like important context to have when talking about the episode.

[oneofthedrunksattheoverpass]

they could have picked literally anything else to be the point of contention between that father and son but no, they intentionally chose to use going against traditional ideals of masculinity and what it means to be a man to be the thing that starts getting eddie to do some self reflection on his own roles as both a father and a son

[jvlianbashir]

"the creator said in a reddit thread -" "the official twitter account posted that -" "the actors confirmed in a livestream that -"

i don't care and that's not real to me. put it in the text.

[kettlefire]

As Good as Good Gets (DP X DC Snippet)

Richard "Dick" Grayson is the golden child. In the eyes of the public, and in the eyes of the league. Dick is a sweet, caring son, a man who went from being a sidekick to being a hero. The pipeline from Robin to Nightwing had many people applauding his dedication to keeping Gotham safe.

No one knew the full story, not truly. No one but Bruce Wayne himself. And maybe a certain butler. Many don't know that Dick only became Robin to stop him from hunting down and killing the man who killed his parents.

No one really knows about the harsh fights and arguments he has had with Bruce. The times when Dick would find himself cut off from the Wayne name for a week or so. No one knows that the first person Dick warmed up to was Alfred. Having been bribed with cookies.

Things weren't always this good, trusting, happy relationship between Bruce and Dick. It had been a rough ride, a complicated one. But that was okay, because it got better.

Dick stopped being so moody and angsty. He grew up, he learned, and he changed. He became an older brother, found people that needed him. Needed him in a way that the citizens of Gotham didn't need him.

His brothers like to call him annoying. A goody two shoes who Bruce trusted more than everyone else. They couldn't fathom how someone like Dick could be so stupid and bubbly at all times.

All times, except when shit hits the fans. Despite the name calling, despite coining Dick as the stupid Wayne. They all knew better. They knew that when it mattered, Dick Grayson always pulled through. He was a force to be reckoned with when needed.

The whole Wayne family was a force to be reckoned with when called for. It didn't have to be under the guise of costumes and vigilante acts. Whether he was Officer Grayson or Nightwing, Dick was a man with his morals and values.

One night on patrol as Officer Grayson, Dick found someone who needed that force. A force willing to protect and care for the innocent. The hurt. The damaged, yet still good.

It started like any other night. A call of shots fired by an empty warehouse. There was no sighting or knowledge of any rouges being there, so Dick took the call. Told the team he'll contact them if it seems more than just a civilian incident.

The warehouse was dark, reeked of copper and oil. It didn't take long for Dick to find the trail. The liquid he found looked like the person had been dragged before walking. There was a clear struggle, even with the mess and emptiness that was the warehouse.

That wasn't Dick's biggest concern. The concern lay in just how much blood there was. Too much for any normal person to lose and still manage to stumble through the warehouse.

It wasn't just blood. It wasn't that much, but Dick could spot the strangeness in the liquid. The mixed in green that had an eerily similar color and glow as a certain pit.

Without thinking, Dick followed the trail. Barely remembering to make contact with his family. Give them an update on what he found. Words telling him to stay put for backup went in one ear and out the other.

Something in Dick's gut was telling him he couldn't wait. He needed to find the source. Whoever was currently bleeding out in this warehouse. He silenced the comm, moving further through the dimly lit building.

Then Dick found it. Or more so, he found him. It was just a boy. A boy that reminded Dick too much of the youngest Wayne. A boy sat against a wall, looking pale and weak.

Red and green coated the front of the boy's shirt, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. An attempt to stem the bleeding. A puddle had already started to form beneath the boy, and Dick moved without thinking once again.

He quickly found himself kneeling beside the boy, hands carefully reaching out. Before Dick even touched him, the boy flinched. Eyelids suddenly opened, wide and terrified blue eyes landed on Dick's.

In just that one look, Dick knew what he had to do. The haunting, terrified, and pained look in the boy's eyes told Dick everything he needed to know. The boy was in danger. Someone had hurt this kid, and it was clear it wasn't the first time.

The boy struggled weakly against Dick's touch, terrified whimpers, and barely coherent pleas spilled from the kid's lips. It had Dick's heart aching, clear as day the poor kid has been through hell and back.

It took a lot of reassurance, gentle touches, and promises of help before the kid let Dick take a look at the bleeding wound. A promise on Dick's soul had been the final thing that earned him any semblance of trust. A strange promise, but Dick was willing to make it.

That concern turned to pure anger the moment Dick managed to pull the sticky shirt away from the wound. The sight of a Y-incision cut perfectly into the skin, stitches tight on the skin, but blood still leaking heavily from the wound.

It didn't take long for Dick to realize why. Despite the perfect surgical care of the wound, a good couple of stitches had broken. Leaving gaping spots for that red and green liquid to pour out of.

The boy was deathly silent, tears streaking down his cheek as wide blue eyes stayed trained on Dick. In that moment, Dick knew he had to help. Had to get the kid to safety, patch him up, and find out what kind of monster would do this.

It didn't matter if the kid was human or not. It didn't matter if the kid had special abilities or not. No one, absolutely no one, deserved to be vivisected.

The kid was shrouded in mystery, but that mystery only seemed to grow and become clearer when Bruce had entered the scene. The boy had tensed, eyes flashing a bright glowing green.

Lazarus pit green.

It set a pit of dread in Dick's gut. His mind brings forward memories of Jason. Jason, after his revival, after his dip in that cursed pit. The same flash that his brother would get if he got too angry. Too emotional.

As much as Dick wanted to focus on finding who did this, if it had any connection to Ra's al Ghul. He couldn't. Not when the kid tried to get up, to pull away as Bruce and the others made their way closer.

Right now, Dick only cared about making sure the boy was okay. Fixing those stitches, getting him a meal, and a warm bed.

He needed to get this kid someplace where he felt safe and secure. Comfortable and protected. Dick wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the promise he had made, but he wasn't letting anyone get to the kid.

That included his family. As strange as it seemed, Dick put himself between the others and the kid. Shooting them all a glare that they had only ever seen a handful of times.

Dick lifted the poor boy up in his arms, cradling the crying child close as he led the way out of the warehouse. Ignoring the questions or confusion coming from Bruce and the others. As Dick walked, feeling the trembling boy clinging to him, he made a rather obvious realization.

Maybe the eldest son really was more like Bruce than he expected. Just a few short moments the the boy, a boy that Dick didn't know his name, and he was ready to pull out adoption papers. To give the boy a safety he so desperately needs.

Give him the chance that Bruce had given him all those years ago.

[box-dwelling]

While the extent to which dot and bubble handled its racism themes well is something I cant comment on due to the fact my skin tone is approximately the same as a sickly raw chicken, I do think it was a ballsy ass move that I do really like to have the Episode Where We Confront The Doctor Is BlackTM be set in the future rather than the past.

[thesilverdoll]

This is the chance of ten lifetimes.

Every five years, twenty breakthrough actors compete over ten weeks for the name of TVs newest obsession, the silver doll. The winner, decided by the global audience, is historically known to make it big. You auditioned on a whim alongside your best friend, and somehow the both of you have made it to the final round of auditions!

Now, all you have to do is make the final cut, get along with your celebrity mentor, remember your lines and... win—all with a camera (or ten) in your face. Don't get discouraged, you made it this far for a reason.

❖ FEATURES

› Customise yourself! Groom yourself into TVs next biggest thing—pick your style, your approach to scenes, your public image, your strengths and weaknesses as an actor. As well as your appearance, personality, gender and your plan b... if you have one.

› Establish relationships with your peers! Befriend your competitors or betray them... engage in a behind-the-scenes rendezvous or two, try and gain a more intimate look into your celebrity mentors life, try and befriend everyone on stage, or keep to yourself and focus on winning.

› Compete! Participate in different challenges throughout the show. Put your best dance shoes on for theatre week, practice your screams for horror week, hope you don't get paired with someone waspish in romance week... decide how you approach each performance, and see how your choices impact your results!

› Furthermore... interact with your fans! Viewership is your best friend in The Silver Doll, so make sure you're on top of your social media game... or you can try to play the mysterious cards and keep away from public eye as much as possible, if you think that'll work out for you. Just... be careful how much you share, there's a gossip blog following the shows BTS that seems to know a little too much.

❖ ROMANCE

*full character profiles coming soon.

- Beck Taylor; he/him or she/her, 21.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Your childhood best friend that convinced you to audition beside them. Computer science student turned dropout to pursue a life on the big screen, Beck may not have years of acting under their belt, but they do have a natural talent for the dramatics. Plus, with you by their side and their on-and-off girlfriend, Sarika, at home cheering them on, they can do anything.

Beck is tall at 6'6, black, with dark braided hair and brown eyes.

- Stirling 'Sekani' Stokes, he/him, 24.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Sekani, as he wants to be known as, is the textbook example of a nepo baby. Born to two of TVs most recognisable faces, he's grown up in the spotlight. Sekani is here to prove to the world that he has the talent to grace the big screen, despite his family name... and also to prove to himself that acting is something he actually likes doing in the first place. Yeah… he’s a bit of a mess.

Sekani is 5'10, white, with messy black hair and pale green eyes.

- Troy Allard-Rose, she/her, 23.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎An aspiring actress since she was making her barbies perform dramatic monologues at six, Troy is here to win, and she’ll be damned if she lets some amateurs stop that from happening. Acting is all Troy knows, she’s been in performing arts schools and film camps alike— this is her dream. She won’t let anyone tell her she’s not worthy of achieving it.

Troy is 5’5, white, with platinum blonde hair and dark brown eyes.

Esra Ihimaera, they/them, 27.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎Esra is a member of the production crew, and your very own cameraperson. They’re in charge of doing the closed interviews, and also take care of a lot of the day-to-day filming. A little less extroverted than the celebrities surrounding them, but their sweet heart and eye for detail makes them a whole lot more interesting in other aspects.

Esra is 5’11, Māori, with short bleached hair and dark brown eyes.

Bethany Tian, she/they, 28.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎One of the best stylists on the show, Beth is in charge of your hair, makeup and wardrobe for the next ten weeks. Talkative and energetic beyond belief, Beth is hard to get rest around, but she’s good to keep morale up. She’s styled celebrities for red carpets and space-exploration scenes alike. From SFX makeup to high glamour looks, there’s nothing you can’t pull off when Beth is the one styling you.

Bethany is 5’2, Chinese, with long pink hair and black eyes.

❖ THE MENTORS

*both mentors are romanceable

- Rome Alivia, he/him, 26.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ A successful child-actor turned even more successful actor into his adulthood, Rome is a family name. Though he’s scrutinising and hard to wrench out of his working mindset, Rome hasn’t let the fame get to his head. He’s dedicated to improving his mentee’s abilities as actors rather than having a focus on winning.

Rome is 6’2, white, with brown hair and brown eyes.

- Shaan Jha, they/them, 30.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎The last Silver Doll, Shaan is happy to return to the set that kickstarted their fame and fortunes five years prior. Eager to mould their best mentee into a winner, Shaan is optimistic in the best of times and downright delusional in the worst. They've proven their talents, though, and are positive it will be one of their mentees that win.

Shaan is 5'8, Indian, with long brown and blonde hair and brown eyes.

The Silver Doll is rated 18+ for depictions of drug and alcohol consumption, strong language, infidelity, and optional sexual scenes.

[dawnchorus-if]

‎ ‎‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‎ Your sister is dead, murdered and mutilated and left to rot in a brothel like a sickly dog. You finally know your purpose: revenge.

DAWN CHORUS is an 18+ interactive fiction about death, love, and the song of new morning. Demo TBA.

You live in The Rocks, a decaying settlement in the shadowed outskirts of the kingdom, Cape Lyra. Once a cozy village, The Rocks has withered into a decrepit ruin since the assassination of King Cedric. Queen Lyra, for whom the kingdom was named, became consumed by grief and neglected the outer villages. Now, The Rocks is a place where even the birds come to die.

Desperate to earn money for the both of you, your sister ventured to Cape Lyra with her best friend, Jax. Only Jax returned, covered in your sister's blood, with a hazed description of her killer. Driven by the need for retribution, you and Jax set out for the kingdom, determined to find and punish the sick soul who took your sister's life. When revenge is your only remaining purpose, a life for a life only seems fair.

You hope.

‣‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎Fully customise yourself, from your name and appearance to your sexuality to your greatest woes and wants. Choose your approach to grief, to anger, to revenge—drown in your sorrows or push them aside in favour of a... different kind of vice. Curate a story that revolves around who you are, and what you'll stand for.

‣‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Explore relationships with six different romanceable characters, and a multitude of other characters to befriend (or behead). Interact with a diverse cast of characters, each with their own impact to leave on the story. Just... be careful who you trust, some people might not be who they say they are.

‣‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Find out what really happened to your sister. Hunt down her killer, or killers, and determine your own ability to play executioner on her behalf. Open doors to dark rooms in the royal family history, find out that there's a lot more darkness in Cape Lyra than there is light.

‣‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Get involved in the politics of Cape Lyra. The people can only be neglected for so long before they start to revolt, right? What side of history will you be on? Or will you be too blinded by grief to care who gets hurt?

‣‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Exorcise a demon, maybe.

DAWN, born amidst the morning birdsong, the cherished youngest child of King Cedric and Queen Lyra, and the heir apparent to the throne. They don't often get to see outside of Cape Lyra's walls, so don't fault them for being a little juvenile in their knowledge of the world, it's not born from a lack of desire. There's a youthful charm to Dawn, and a deep-seated eagerness to know more about the kingdom they'll one-day rule. [M/F, 22]

ASA KYNES, climbing the ranks as one of Cape Lyras most dedicated royal guards, Kynes is as formidable as they are resolute. You won't get past them very easily, they've got keen judgement skills, and you're up to something, they're sure of it. Kynes is loyal, and more than willing to lay their life down in servitude to the monarchy. Getting Kynes to open up is hard, but may be more than worth it. [M/F, 26]

JAX HANSLEY, your sisters best friend and now your accomplice in avenging her. Jax is royalty in The Rocks, charismatic beyond belief and has been teasing you since you were just starting to walk. Extravagant and always looking for something to do, you'll never find yourself bored around them. Plus, you couldn't get rid of Jax even if you wanted to, they're the closest thing to family that you have left. [M/F, 24]

CERYS SELINE, owner and face of The Rabbits Foot, Cape Lyra's busiest tavern. Cerys is a stern woman who works her ass off day and night, but there's a sweet undertone to the way she speaks: something nurturing. She's a pillar of the kingdom, well-connected and respected. There's more to her than meets the eye, sure, but for now she's more than willing to aid you in finding your sisters killer. [F, 26]

ARTHUR CASE, a priest who has been ousted from the kingdom for reasons he just won't speak aloud. Left with only one leg and crumbs of his faith, he's living in his late father's old church a short trek from the kingdoms gates. Pop in for a service one day, maybe confessionals don't always have to be one-sided. [M, 29]

??? — something cold in the shadows, and its eyes are on you.

DAWN CHORUS contains some heavy topics, such as graphic depictions of death, violence, drug use, explicit language and skippable sexual content. Classism is also a present topic. Readers discretion is advised.

reblogs r so appreciated and asks are more than welcome ^^

[2nd2ndalto]

I Wanna Love You the Best That I Can

Here's something short and sweet!

Written for @writers-choice prompt "initiate". Title is from Hold My Hand by Hootie & the Blowfish

___

Will’s hands are warm and freckled. Slender and graceful, with a thin, white scar that curves from the last knuckle on his right index finger down to the soft skin between his finger and thumb. It’s only really visible in the sunlight, though Nico seeks it out in darkness, too, tracing the length of it with the pad of his thumb. Or, he used to. 

Nico has never considered himself to be particularly good at math, but he’s acutely aware that it’s been thirteen days since Will last held his hand, and he’s equally aware that he and Will had held hands precisely eighteen times prior to those thirteen days. 

And it shouldn’t matter. Right? It wasn’t his idea in the first place, none of it was. Not the gentle nudging of shoulders when they’re seated next to each other at campfire. Not the way Will kicks Nico’s leg under the table when Nico teases him. And not the warm, sometimes-sweaty clasp of their fingers and palms. But well. Will started it. And now Nico’s having a hard time remembering what he did with his hands, before.

It’s not like he can talk to Will about it, not like he can ask him why things have changed, because they never talked about it in the first place. It just… happened. And now it doesn’t.

Will doesn’t seem any different otherwise. He still comes to fetch Nico for breakfast every morning. He still walks Nico back to his cabin after campfire. His face still brightens instantly, heart-stoppingly when Nico shows up to help in the infirmary. But now there’s this gulf between them that Nico doesn’t quite know how to bridge.

One night, alone in his cabin - two whole interminable weeks since Will last reached for his hand - Nico is struck by the terrifying thought that maybe he needs to take Will’s hand. Is that what Will wants?

Because the truth is, the hand-holding has always been initiated by Will, every single time. Nico’s never shied away, because honestly after months of thumb wars and being booped on the nose and the occasional pulse-quickening brushing–of-Nico’s-bangs-off-his-forehead, Nico’s come around to the idea of touching, particularly where Will’s concerned. Even if it makes his face heat and his fingers tingle and his heart race. Maybe, possibly because of those things, if he was pressed to admit it.

But maybe Will’s gotten tired of making the first move.

So Nico tries. He really does. But the thing is, Will was always so smooth about it. It seemed so easy, so natural. And after a week of absolutely superhuman effort, Nico has come to the realization that he is not smooth. It's not entirely surprising, but it always hurts a little to have these things confirmed. And not only is he not smooth, but he just can’t seem to take the jump at all. Can’t just reach the fuck over and take Will’s hand. It’s frankly embarrassing. He can summon zombies, for gods’ sake. But clearly those skills are not transferable.

After the fourth night in a row of sitting next to Will at campfire, trying desperately to master psychokinesis, attempting to force his brain to move his hand just two godsdamn centimetres to the right - Nico is forced to admit defeat.

Bruised but not broken, Nico resolves to show Will how much he likes him in other ways. Because that’s another thing, actually. He does like Will. More than anyone. It’s taken him a while to accept it, but now that he has, it feels permanent, immutable, and what’s the point in pretending otherwise?

So he drops by the infirmary more often to offer his help. He shows up at the Apollo cabin to accompany Will to breakfast, rather than waiting for Will to come to him. He cracks stupid jokes when Will seems like he needs a laugh. He offers to help Will with his sparring.

And Will… he seems really, really pleased whenever Nico appears. And sure, that’s weird in itself, but Nico’s gotten accustomed to it, over the months. Will is always happy to see him. He looks utterly ecstatic when Nico sits down next to him at mealtimes. He flushes and stumbles over his words when Nico arrives at the infirmary with Will’s favourite snacks. But Nico’s hand remains unheld.

It all comes to a head the afternoon that the hand-holding-moratorium-count is at twenty-three excruciating days. It’s a June afternoon like any other, except that all of their regular activities have been unexpectedly called off due to various injuries and quests and weather conditions. Will has just arrived at Nico’s cabin to inform him of this, practically bouncing with nervous energy.

“We could do anything, Nico! We have the whole afternoon! Do you want to go to the beach? Or - do you need to do laundry? Or we could go get ice cream! Ooh, or there’s that cave we saw down by Bunker Nine…”

And Will is beautiful and electric and Nico absolutely can’t stand it anymore.

“Do you want -” Will begins again and Nico blurts out, “I want to hold your hand.”

Nico thinks they both stop breathing. He’s honestly just as shocked at the words that fell from his mouth as Will seems to be, and now he can feel his own face flushing, the heat beginning along his cheekbones and spreading rapidly.

But Will’s face lights up. There’s no other way to describe it. His eyes shine and his ears go pink and he asks tremulously, “you do?”

Nico nods, and the next thing he knows, Will’s hands are cupping his face - really not what Nico was anticipating, to be honest, but he’s not complaining - and then, with infinite gentleness, Will is pressing his lips to Nico’s. The kiss is short, sweet, and Will’s breath is warm on Nico’s face. Just as Nico is getting completely on board with the idea, Will pulls back looking horrified.

“Shit. Sorry. Shit.” Will takes a step backwards, pressing his fingers to his mouth, and now his whole face is flushed. It’s impossibly adorable, Nico’s brain helpfully points out.

“Wha-” Nico begins the second he finds breath for speech.

Will shakes his head, backing away further, and his words tumble out in a rush. “Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Nico. I didn’t want to push you, so I waited and waited even though I really wanted to hold your hand and then I completely screwed up the second you made the tiniest move, I’m such an idiot -”

“Will,” Nico manages, and the single syllable freezes Will in place, stops the torrent of words and the nervous movement of his body.

And Nico isn’t sure where he suddenly finds the courage, whether it’s his pounding pulse or Will’s wide eyes and pink lips, but - “I want you to kiss me again,” he whispers.

And it seems as if Will’s mouth is on his almost before Nico’s finished speaking. Nico reaches for Will’s fingers, traces the scar on his right hand. It turns out he can find it even with his eyes closed.

[goddess47]

For @writers-choice prompt #28 - nostalgia

Summary: "There's nothing written on it," Dorrie said. "Here." She shoved the box in his direction. "Check it out and let me know if it stays or goes."

[windwenn]

Stop that right now jimothy

[starbuck]

the thing is, i love The Narrative, but i also absolutely adore a truly character-focused tragedy where everyone’s downfall is caused not by larger narrative forces, but by hundreds of tiny decisions made by characters who, despite their best efforts, just suck.

[randomalistic]

Cool awesome reminder that you don’t need amazing technical skill to be a good artist/storyteller

[bugsandboos]

reading everyone’s thoughts on the london special and marinette’s actions have given me a serious case of deja vu in relation to the s5 finale, here’s why

a very very VERY common reaction from the fandom i saw to the finale was “why are the writers letting gabriel get away with being a hero why isn’t he being held accountable horrible finale horrible writing i hate this show etc etc etc”

before i share my thoughts on this for like the thousandth time i just wanna mention i DID cry during the finale, partly because i was in shock and also because i HATED it. but now i genuinely believe it was one of if not the smartest thing the ml writers have ever conjured up and i just. fucking love it. (point is: i understand disliking it. that was me at some point, until i began to consider the implications of the “ending”)

similarly, a reaction i’ve seen to the london special (mainly from ml salters) is “why would the writers let marinette lie to the world when it’s so clearly morally wrong she’s such a horrible person she needs to be held accountable blah blah blah”

something both the s5 finale and the london special share is that THE ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN BOTH. ARE NOT MEANT. TO SIT WELL WITH THE AUDIENCE

NO writer on ml is trying to convince a fan that “gabriel was actually a hero because he made one selfless decision (that wasn’t even that selfless?????)”. NO writer on ml is trying to convince a fan that “marinette is completely right for hiding the truth about gabriel from not only adrien but also the whole world!!!!!! no one should ever find out!!!”

the entire point of the finale and special is to make the viewer uncomfortable, as we watch marinette sit with her questionable choices, watch adrien refer to his father as a hero and watch their class throw a party. none of this is supposed to make us feel at peace with the way this arc has concluded.

what people seem to be missing is that even if the s1-s5 arc has ended, the s6 arc is just beginning, CENTERED AROUND THE CHOICES THAT HAVE MADE US AS THE AUDIENCE FEEL SO UNCOMFORTABLE!! you’re completely ignoring the way the plot is set up if you think the writers are going to neglect gabriel’s storyline, because it is far from over.

i think it’s also important to mention that neither marinette nor adrien are at peace with what’s happened (even if that was implied during the s5 finale—the london special has provided us with this new information on their emotional statuses). marinette is clearly being eaten alive by guilt, seeking confirmation throughout the entire special that protecting adrien from the truth was the morally correct decision. adrien was obviously affected by his father’s death (contrasting the idea that he just “threw a party” without any emotional backlash), and will undoubtedly learn to grapple with his conflicting feelings on gabriel’s character throughout s6 (he sacrificed himself??? but he abused me??? but he saved ladybug and nathalie????? but he apparently assisted monarch?????)

POINT IS

no one is meant to be satisfied with the way things are in the miraculous universe at the moment. you aren’t supposed to want the truth about what really went down during recreation to stay hidden. if you feel uncomfortable with the current situation our main characters are in, GOOD! please stop the discrediting the writers, because your discomfort means they have done their job well.