#year of the otp event 2023

[bonhughbon]

In honor of the first anniversary of Downton Abbey: A New Era (and the start of my summer break) here's a new @yearoftheotpevent fic for all of you! This month's chosen prompt: "Who Are You?"

Ao3 link is right here! Enjoy!

[sadbean609]

Just the Way You Aren't : March — Acceptance (Part 3)

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Hinata's POV

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A scroll down the Twitter feed...

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“Hinata!” Kiba called from the car. Shino was driving, and Kiba was sticking his head out the window like a dog. “We found you!” 

Hinata sniffled, her sleeve fully over her hand. She winced at the amount of snot she got on her, but she couldn’t bring herself to care fully. She tried to pull her sleeves even more over her hands, but they wouldn’t go further down. She opted to stand and dust herself off, now that she had calmed down enough to stop crying. 

She stumbled into Shino’s car, sighing as she sat back against the backseat. 

“You looked great today, if it’s any consolation,” Kiba said, fully turning around to talk to her. 

“Thanks,” she whispered, pulling out her phone. She first looked at the messages she missed from Shino and Kiba, scrolling up to backread what she didn’t see when they came to get her. She hovered her thumb over the groupchat with Ino, Tenten, Obito, Rin, and Genma. She closed her phone instead. She couldn’t bring herself to read what they were saying about her. They were probably all thinking that she ruined the plan, and that they shouldn’t have asked her in the first place, not if she was going to act like that. The tears started to come back. And she was just starting to feel comfortable with Genma, too. He probably hates her now. 

Her phone vibrated, causing her to look at it out of habit. Her heart leapt in her throat at the action, but she was puzzled instead when she saw who it came from.

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Genma's POV

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Part three - March - Completed

Masterpost | <- Prev | Next ->

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I'm also adding a little author's note in here all the way at the end. Hello!! Sorry for the hiatus!! It's been literally almost exactly a year since I've posted this, and I'm sorry for not explaining myself, especially when I planned to post this throughout last year. Honestly, life got hectic, buncha shit happened, i got sad, I stopped writing, etcetcetc. but it's here! Does it count for the event anymore? Probably not. But that's okay, I still want to do it, even if it takes longer than I meant to.

I hope to just continue chugging away at this, but I can't make any promises, especially how that went last year xD hope you like it so far! I made this one extra long to make up for it. Also a lot needed to happen in March. Now what will happen in April I wonder? Stay tuned to find out!

[alexversenaberrie]

AU idea: Poe Dameron has never imagined that he would be rescued by a beautiful water lady.

[yearoftheotpevent]

AO3 collection + FAQ Prompt List 2023 - alt text under the cut

January

first kiss | mission fic | fake dating | "whenever I look at you..." | snow | historical au

February

valentine's day | pollen/fear gas/truth serum | established relationship | "if i kiss you, will you shut up?" | different | mermaid au

March

fresh starts | road trup | getting back together/mutual pining | "make me" | acceptance | fairytale au

April

pranks | canon divergence | (seemingly) unrequited love | "no, i'm not dating your brother" | peace | university au

May

flower language | sick fic | pet/child acquisition | "who are you" | sunshine | fantasy/medieval/dark knights of steel au

June

wedding/proposal | saving the world | (accidental) love confession | "you aren't what i expected" | downpour | soulmate au

July

vacation together | power swap | enemies to lovers | "batman won't like this" | stars | coffee shop au

August

au of your choice | time travel | meet cute/blind date | "you're the only one i could turn to for help" | storm | vampire/werewolf/dc vs vampires au

September

high school/college sweethearts | hurt/comfort | meeting the family | "i wrote this for you" | flood | shifter au

October

couples costume | test messaging | identity shenanigans | "you can't bench me!" | lightning | sports team au

November

life changes | de-aging | secret relationship (reveal) | "be careful what you wish for" | growth | music/band au

December

holidays together | crack treated seriously | moving in together | "that's my favorite thing about you" | forgiveness | tattoo parlor/flower shop au

[blackwood4stucky]

call of the moon | aspen blackwood

mini series: across oblivion's edge

james “bucky” barnes x steve rogers | mcu | 🅴 | 🔞

word count: 3694 | complete

tags: fantastical elements, omegaverse, werewolf au, some blood and violence

The change was by no means new to him, he was true to this barbaric lifestyle, but that meant little as his spine crackled with the shift. It was a cruel fact of life, pain. - A ruin is what became of the beast's home, but beauty can still be found in the wilds.

bingo fills + event prompts

@afgomegaversebingo | scent marking

@anyfandomangstbingo | werewolf au

@anyfandomdarkbingo | revenge

@anyfandomgoesbingo | breeding

@badthingshappenbingo | wiping the other’s tears away

@buckybarnesevents: babb2023 | wet & messy [jan prompt]

creatures & cryptids: into the wilds bingo | lycan

@eclipsingbingo | first time

@fandombingo

mcu card | omegaverse rpf card | identity reveal

@fandom-free-bingo

valentine’s edition | werewolf au world book night edition | free space

@kinky-things-happen | knotting

@marvel-smash-bingo | free space

@multifandom-flash

april | free space march | enchanted forest omegaverse | scent fetish

@stuckybingo | free space

@stuckygeekevents: stucky geek bingo | laceration

@ultimatechrisbingo | free space

@yearoftheotpevent | august: au of your choice

read: ao3 | ffn | sqwa

mini playlist

[firstpersonnarrator]

Simon x Billy on ao3 || full event info on ao3 || @yearoftheotpevent || Kudos always hugely appreciated!

Read it on ao3

Simon x Billy

Year of the OTP: March

March prompt: Acceptance

Meet my OTP: Simon Lewis, author of a best-selling paranormal book series, who keeps writing himself into his novels; and Billy Delaney, Irish handsome devil and nomadic man of mystery, who chefs internationally. AN: Simon x Billy is a slow-burn m/m first-time-bi fic (nsfw at ch. 7). TW: References to the pain of being cheated on, language, Irish-isms, massive rewrites. Event details || ao3: Full Event || @yearoftheotpevent

Start: January Ch. 1 || Prev: February Ch. 2 || Here: March Ch. 3 || Next: April Ch. 4 wip

————/-/—————

March Chapter 3: My red stripe of pain

———/Simon/———

Ooh, my ass is sunburnt. In a slightly-but-mostly-not sexy way. Look at that. I’ve taken on a rather tomatoesque appearance after four hours in the meaty embrace of the sun at midday without sunblock. But even pain can’t spoil this utter relaxation and bliss I feel.

Huh. I’ve just realized I’ve never done this before — traveling to another country alone. Maybe it’ll turn lonely again later. But right now, watching a boat streaking across my view, I feel free.

And slightly dehydrated.

————/-/—————

“You have a stripe on your arse. That’s what yer tellin me, is it.”

“Yes.”

“A stripe of pain. Have you been naughty, Simon?” Billy asks with the most obscenely good looking smirk. Ew. How dare he.

“Don’t grin at me like that, you barbarian. My red stripe of pain isn’t worthy of that kind of interest, trust me.”

“Why not?” He’s pouring me his favorite wine at the hotel bar, while I wait for my table at the very-big-deal restaurant outside.

“Why n- Are you- My red stripe of pain is a boring kind of red stripe of pain, I assure you.” After a second’s very deep reflection, I’ve realized I want to know, “Why are you so focused on my red stripe of pain, anyway? Never mind. I’ve changed my mind about wanting to know that. Ugh, look at this place. I have no words,” I sigh as the sun dips toward the horizon.

“Finally noticed you’re in Italy, did you,” he chuckles. He’s chuckling. Great.

“Even I had to notice sooner or later. And though it was a little, ok fine, quite a bit later, it’s ok. I’m good with that. Look, the point is…” What was my point? (I am the essence of cool rn.)

Now he’s raising one of his eye caterpillars at me.

He squawks out a laugh and then ducks, as a few of the other patrons look up at the bar.

“Tell me I didn’t say that out loud,” I ask weakly.

“You didn’t say that out loud. But the truth is, yeh said that out loud, mate. And I’ve never heard quite that arrangement of words, ever. Eye caterpillars,” he chuckles.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I bet they keep your face warm come winter. But don’t worry, I was once described as having eye caterpillars, too.” By whom I can’t remember. But am I admitting to furry eyebrows? Fuck no. His are far furrier than mine.

“Mate, looks like your seating is ready.” He inclines his head to the side to indicate the host coming to claim me.

“Oh. Ok. Have a good night Beelee.” I waive as I say, “Ciao,” then cringe. “Oh kill me now, I said ciao.” All I can think every time I hear it is puppy chow. Or puppy ciao.

“Keep using it, til you don’t think about it anymore,” is Billy’s random advice. ”Ciao, Seemon.”

“Does he talk dirty to all the guests?” I mumble as I’m seated.

“The list of the wines, signore.” The host hands me a binder so freakin big it requires tabs. Oh look, there’s another one for their selection of olive oils, too.

I never was any good at languages. I’m thinking maybe I should have spent some time on important things, like “Where’s the bathroom? Right and left. Do you have a cell phone charger?” The essentials.

I was too focused on setting everything up for the proposal. The one I’d planned for tonight.

…Fuck, man, I miss her. Why? Why the fuck do I miss her? Why does she get that from me, karmically? It’s so unfair.

I mean, at least I finally feel buzzed. But it’s not cheering me up. It’s just making me all moony.

…I’ve never seen a lavender sky before. Have you? This would be an impossible place to contemplate suicide. Not when you get this sky every day.

…Why does she get to have me miss her? That’s just not cool. “What did I ever do to you?” Maybe I really shouldn’t shake my fist at the sky in the middle of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Even when there isn’t somebody here to get embarrassed by me. So I’m hereby mentally shaking my fist at the sky. Screw y-

Whoa. Look at that.

Is that a freakin schooner? I mean that looks like the Pirates of the Caribbean came to the Mediterranean. I just- I can’t- It’s- It’s a freaking cruise ship. A sailboat version of a cruise ship. My god.

That is simultaneously brilliant and an unholy alliance of two things that should not exist in the same paragraph on a travel brochure. I dunno. I’m just jealous. I’ve always wanted to be in Pirates of the Caribbean.

…You ever wonder what he or she saw when they looked at you? Right before they finally got the balls to say and do what they wanted to. What had you turned into in their mind? How long? Why didn’t I notice the change? How much of this can I blame on myself? Because I will find the things I can blame on myself and then I’ll chew on them like an old piece of beef jerky. And my whole head will ache after, because of all the chewing.

…Towns lit up, like a diamond necklace draped aaaaaaaaaaall along the bay. I would have bought her a diamond necklace. I totally would have. I already bought the ring. Would have felt obligated to keep it in my underwear, so, at least there’s an upside to her dumping me. Oh hey look, that must be Vesuvius. Why would you want to live near Mount Vesuvius? It’s alive.

…I shake my head back to consciousness as someone steps in the way of my view and leans toward me over the back of Elijah’s seat. (That’s a joke. An empty chair for Elijah. If you’re Jewish you get it.)

“How you doin there, mate?” It’s Billy.

I don’t much like that careful, quiet tone he’s using.

“Yeah, totally. Amazing restaurant.”

“Em,” he looks back over to the kitchen and says quietly, “Mate, you didn’t eat.”

“What? I ate!”

“You ordered olives. At a Michelin-starred restaurant that people can only reserve a year to the day ahead of time. Everything ok?"

Or you call and bribe them. That can get you a table, too.

“Yeah, the olives were good.” And are still largely untouched, I see as I glance down at my plate. Yet I’m certain I’ve ordered something. Beyond the wines, I mean.

“Shit.” I now realize that the staff of the restaurant are waiting for me. “This outdoor patio is a patio all day. Doesn’t it just turn back into a patio at night? Like when the clock tolls midnight?”

“Sure but midnight’ll still be two hours away.” He pauses to look behind him and motions to someone that he’s going to sit down with me.

“Um…” I don’t know what to say. Cuz I really don’t want to talk to him rn. It’s not that I don’t - I just - I don’t want to have to try so hard to speak in complete sentences.

“You’d rather that I didn’t join you. Well, if you can put up with my less than ideal company for the next half hour, then the kitchen will be locked down and you can sit out here staring at Naples all night by yerself. Or is it me specifically?”

I snort.

Billy shifts in his seat. “Simon? You didn’t actually answer the question. You just sort of breathed loudly at it.”

I shake my head, not sure what he’s talking about.

“Leave by yourself, or sit for 25 more minutes with me.”

I feel like he’s speaking a different language and frown at him. Why is he looking at me like that?

“Mate, you’re thinkin out loud again. And for your information, I’m speaking English, with an Irish accent, which really isn’t that different to all other versions of English. Because it’s English. And I’m lookin at yeh like this cos you’re startin to scare me, yeah?”

“Is that a rhetorical question? I’m not sure that was a question at all.”

He slides his chair back looking kinda pissy.

“What did I say?! Don’t look at me like that,” I finish in a mumble.

He stands. “Em.” It’s Billy, who is annoying the fuck out of me rn. “You’re not looking too-”

“Fuck it. Where can I sit?”

Billy takes a step back, definitely looking pissed off now, and raises his hands in an “I give up” kinda gesture. “Enjoy your solitude. I’ll just tell the owner to turn the lights off on yeh, then.” He turns and starts to walk away toward the kitchen again.

“Yes! Thank you. I’ll be able to see the view better,” I say, tapering off at the end. I hear the kitchen door close.

I go to take another sip of wine, but my glass is gone. All that’s left is the last bottle I ordered, already uncorked, thank god.

The lights go out. Finally.

————/Billy/————

“Well if it isn’t the lovely Rosalina. What brings you my way this early in the day, love?” She always blushes when I greet her this way. If she didn’t work here at the hotel, I’d be finding all the places I could make her blush. Christ, she’s beautiful. They grow ‘em like that here. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“It is the American on the roof. You come, please.”

That can’t be good. “On the roof?”

“Or maybe I do not speak it well. He is on the floor of his room, on the floor next to his room. He sleeps there. Maybe he drops his key in the sea? Or the window?”

“He’s asleep on the floor?”

“Si.”

“But not in his room?”

She shakes her head. So do I. What now, Seemon.

Haven’t laid eyes on him in a coupla days. Hoped he’d be doin better.

She looks very serious now. “And I do not like to see the other girls also seeing him when they go to clean. You speak English to him and you are tell him to go to his room for the sleep.”

That’s really very sweet -- she doesn’t want to embarrass him. “I do not like them seeing him like that, either, Rosalina. Thank you. You are very kind.”

“Kind?”

“You have a beautiful heart,” I say, tapping my chest. No use listing everything else beautiful about her. “And your English is improving.” She smiles, and twists away so I can’t see her blushing. Why do women do that? When are they more lovely?

She’s a coworker, Billy, she’s a coworker. I already regret my feckin principles.

She shoos me toward the stairs to the top floor, and all but flees down the hallway when I aim a smile her way. She’s sweet.

————/-/—————

Even before I top the stairs, I can already hear him snoring.

Actually, that sounds more like choking.

Aw, mate, this isn’t good. He snores until his head lolls too far to the side, then he chokes, making his head roll back against the wall, where he starts up with the snoring again. Jesus Christ, has he been choking like this all night?

He’s sat propped up next to the door to his suite. The closer I get, the more I smell fumes. It’s sickly sweet, and oof, he’s got sticky-looking drool migrating in a slow stream from his mouth down the side of his chin.

The label on the half-empty bottle says Limoncello. “Aw, mate. The pain you’re about to feel is a unique suffering.” I hate to get in his face to wake him up. Something tells me Simon’ll be mortified, but there’s nothin for it.

The hall is dim with the storm shutters bolted tight from the inside. Maybe if I shed some light on the situation… Result!

Simon choke-snorts, then groans as he attempts to shift away from the source of light. So the – oof, they stick – shutters at the far end of the hall are open. Result again.

He mumble-whines. “Mmmfm mmmmbnnnaway.” Then there’s groaning, as if the sound of his own voice is too offensive to bear. Then growling and groaning. Until I finally hear some English I recognize. “Ow? Owwwwwwww. Nooooooo. Make it ugly again. n’Go away.”

“Make it ugly?”

“Dark. Too pretty. Hate it.” Followed by whimpering.

“How can something be too pretty?” I mumble under my breath.

“Just can.” Then he tries to roll his head toward the sound of my voice and fails. “Owwwwww?”

Probably needs a hand up. Leaning down, I can see his pulse pounding in his temple. I’d take the pain away if I could, mate. I would if I could. “Let’s get ye to bed, get ye down for a kip, mate. It’ll make you feel better, promise.”

“s’Too pretty in there. Don’t want pretty. You’re too pretty, go’way.”

I can’t help snorting.

“Said go’way.”

“Sorry, mate. Not happenin. Anyway, I can shutter the windows in there to keep it dark. The bed’ll be more comfortable for yeh to sleep it off than this floor, at any rate.”

“Don’t wanna be comfortable.”

Hm. “Here, man. Take my arm. We’ll get you sorted.”

“Go’way!” he shouts, then clutches his head and whimpers. “n’Stop being so nice. s’Disgusting. Don’like it. Don’like you. Go’way.”

“Yer lucky I’m pretendin to be hard of hearin, or I’d go ahead and leave ye here. Now take my arm and-”

“Stop it!” He tries slapping my hands away. And misses.

Shaking my head. Just shaking my head.

“Can do it myself,” he demands. But no, he really can’t. He gives standing a go, and all he manages is a high pitched sob.

“Aw, man. Go on, lemme help yeh.”

Apparently there is a threshold of stupidity with Simon Lewis, thank Christ. He holds out his arm.

But before he takes my hand, he squints up at me. “Never speak of this,” he says with deadly seriousness. “Never happened.”

As I shutter the windows and draw the curtains, he shuffles into bed, fully clothed. “Gross. Why am I sticky?”

“Aw, mate. Ye don’t want to be sleepin in those clothes. I promise yeh, mate. You get your kit off, and I’ll fetch you a wet cloth.” I hold up my hand to stop the inevitable complaints and refusals. “Enough whingeing, man, just do it.”

I come back from the bathroom to find a pile of clothes on the floor, and Simon snoring away with the sheet stuck to his face. It would be endearing if he wasn’t such a feckin pain in my arse.

————/-/————

Simon’s been silently staring out the window for 45 minutes. But not out the window with the gorgeous view. He’s staring at the rock cliff face blurring past too fast to see much of anything.

I want to reassure him that everything will be alright. But it’s not my place, and he’s not for hearin it, anyway.

And what if it isn’t alright.

I try to just leave it be, but I can’t help myself. “You alright man?”

“Why.”

“You’re usually a lot gobbier than this. I’m worried about yeh.”

“Italy was a bad idea.”

“Italy is never a bad idea.”

“Says the man not living my life.”

He’s got me there. “Ok.

As I’m pulling his bags out the boot, I feel like I can’t leave it like this. I don’t know why. It’s just unsettling seeing someone in pain like this, and not bein able to help. I wasn’t lyin -- I’m worried about him.

“Thanks, Beelee,” he says, holding out his hand.

We shake, and before I give him his hand back, I find myself saying, “Text me in 6 months and let me know you’re alive, yeah?”

He huffs out a breath and looks at me. After a moment he shifts uncomfortably, and finally says, “Yeah.”

I’ve no idea why I feel so relieved. “What’s yer number, I’ll text yeh.” Shocked be fuckin I when he gives it to me.

“Thanks, Billy. You’re a good guy. Appreciate you.” And then he’s gone.

————/-/—————

Start: January Ch. 1 || Prev: February Ch. 2 || Next: April Ch. 4 wip

————/-/—————

[giustoart]

NARUTO COUPLE APPRECIATION POST N.2

"When I look into your eyes…" (#YOTP)

SHIKAMARU X TEMARI

I’ve always shipped this couple, my first favourite in Naruto world. I am so happy that they finally ended up together.

I’ve also decided to join the #year of the OTP event (info here)

Enjoy!

[pbchocmint]

First piece for @yearoftheotpevent!!

Steddie first kiss 💕💕

It’s the first kiss scene from the fic Not So Bad by outofmygourd! It also happens to be the first time I’ve fully drawn steddie in general lol

[oprescuewagon]

Year of the OTP submission for July ‘vacation together’

Beach babes and they know it

[scottxlogan]

This was written for the @yearoftheotpevent

Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Loki/Steve Rogers Characters: James "Bucky" Barnes, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Loki (Marvel), Alpine (Marvel), Alpine the Cat (Marvel), Maria Stark, Obadiah Stane, Howard Stark, Peggy Carter Additional Tags: Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Sexual Content, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Minor Loki/Steve Rogers, Secrets, Not Peggy Carter Friendly, Found Family, dual timelines, Angst and Feels, Established Relationship, Torture, Angst, Forbidden Love, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Past Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Past Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone, Betrayals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort Series: Part 7 of The First Time: WinterIron Year of the OTP 2023 Series

Chapter Summary:  In the past on the morning after Tony's 4th of July party, Bucky unwittingly discovers the truth behind a secret that could potentially uproot Tony's life forever. Can Bucky bring himself to tell Tony what he's discovered or will Bucky stay silent knowing it could very well be something that tears them apart from one another? Meanwhile in the present Loki is unable to prevent Steve from discovering a darker horror than one anyone thought possible.

[mccutcheon121]

Jan 2023 I saw a writing prompt and thought I’ll try this. Never done anything like that before. Creatively I wanted to try and try I did.

I had a rough year trying to be my severe chronic pain under control but even through all those bad days I did this. I’m proud of myself 😌 For growing as a writer. For writing for a new fandom. For getting into a little spicy stuff. I did all that!💖

So celebrate all the little goals. They count too☺️

Thank you to @yearoftheotpevent for all the prompts and everything they put into this for us! ❤️

Link below to my stories

https://archiveofourown.org/series/3536971

[bonhughbon]

This was a bit rushed, as I have to finish this before my finals...but anyway, my April contribution for @yearoftheotpevent is up and finsihed! This month's prompts (yes, prompts): "no, I'm not dating your brother" and University AU.

Enjoy! 🫶🏻

Ao3 link is right here!

[sadbean609]

Just the Way You Aren't : February – Interest is Piqued

February begins . . .

Hinata's POV

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Genma's POV

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Hinata's POV

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Genma's POV

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Genma was pacing. He never paced. His friends were chatting loudly in the kitchen while he couldn’t stop pacing. She didn’t hate him, right? She was just impossibly shy. Genma had never met a woman who was immune to his charms. Except maybe Anko. But she ended up being one of his best friends. Maybe Ino was immune, but she hardly mattered. He looked at the clock again. Was she late? She was probably late.

A hand slapped Genma on the back, and he turned around to face his culprit. “Nervous?” his best friend, Raidō, asked him.

“What makes you say that?” Genma countered, immediately tearing his eyes away to once again stare at the door.

“Your fidgeting hands, your anxious eyes, your inability to sit and chill. There are many reasons.”

“I don’t think she’s gonna show.”

“She has to. She agreed to your whole shenanigan in the first place, didn’t she?”

Genma shrugged. He supposed it was technically her final say. If she didn’t want to do it, all she had to do was say so. She didn’t really seem coerced, in his opinion. Though he did get there later than everyone else. “It’s hardly my shenanigan.”

“It might as well be.”

“I was opposed to it in the first place,” Genma argued, finally prying his eyes away from the door. He turned and faced his friend with his arms crossed. “I was the one who originally said no.”

“That’s because you were under this weird pretense that you were some unruly unmanageable bachelor who couldn’t be tied down. You were far from that. I just think you’re–”

A knock interrupted Raidō. Genma perked at the sound, almost immediately opening the door before he could process what Raidō was saying. He froze mid-turn of the doorknob. “This isn’t over.”

He opened the door to reveal the most nervous girl either of them had ever seen. Her face was already flushed, her hands were fidgeting with her sleeves, her fingers, perhaps both. Her feet turned inward, as if she was trying to fold herself into something smaller. She didn’t meet either of their gazes. She looked like she was about to speak, but her face just turned red and she froze. 

“You’re not late,” Raidō said instead. “If that’s what you were wondering. Genma probably told you a ballpark time, and you had no idea when to show up, is that correct?”

She nodded wordlessly. 

“Come in,” Genma said as he opened the door wider for her to walk through. “We’re having fajitas.”

“Dude, you’re making her nervous,” Raidō whispered to his friend as she walked toward the kitchen, Gai’s voice booming loud enough for her to be able to tell where the party was. 

“No, you’re making her nervous!” Genma spat back in a whisper-shout.

“Just chill out.”

“No, you chill out.”

“I am chill. You’re not.”

“I am, you’re just–”

“Will you stop bickering like an old married couple and get over here?” Anko chastised from the kitchen. “I can hear your jabbering from here.”

Genma and Raidō rounded the corner and found Hinata listening intently on what Tayuya, Anko’s girlfriend, was saying. She had a drink in her hand, and nodded along as Tayuya talked her ear off.

“Definitely the very image of youth,” Gai spoke from above his two friends, a large hand clamping on each of their shoulders. Genma and Raidō jumped at the contact. “Look at her, so full of life and energy.”

“Nervous energy,” Genma muttered. 

“You’re not helping,” Raidō chastised, elbowing his friend in the side.

Genma held his wound while Raidō left Gai’s hold to approach the girls. As Raidō spoke to her, Genma couldn’t help but notice she was perfectly fine talking to him than she was when he talked to her. She couldn’t say two words to him, but she was responding to Raidō like he was a real human being. Genma felt his disbelief bubble in his chest and sat down in a huff, still watching their interaction. He could sort of make out what they were saying, but noticed her voice was relatively even. It was a good cadence to listen to. His eyes narrowed. 

“You are staring,” Gai said. 

Without looking away, Genma replied. “I’m confused.”

“How come?” 

“She can’t say two words to me, I haven’t had a real conversation with her that wasn’t over text, and yet she can talk to my best friend with ease. What’s with that?”

“Perhaps you make her nervous.” 

Genma turned to face his lifelong friend, away from Hinata. “Why would I make her nervous?”

“Perhaps you look like someone she knows, or you intimidate her. There are lots of reasons to be nervous.”

“Maybe.” Genma turned back to his best friend, surprised to see that Hinata was looking his way. She slightly jumped and turned back to face Raidō, laughing at what he said. Curious… Genma thought. 

The oven dinged, causing Hinata to jump. He smirked as her face flushed in embarrassment. She avoided people’s gazes and stared at her cup. Her unoccupied hand found her other sleeve and began messing with it. He made note of it somewhere in his mind. Some strange file titled ‘facts about Hinata’ was constantly getting fuller the more time he spent in her presence. He couldn’t really call it spending time together if she was only talking to Tayuya and Anko. He at least found solace in Gai’s loud personality making it difficult for her to talk to him. At least he wasn’t the only one who intimidated her. 

“So Genma tells me this is all your idea,” Anko said suddenly, Genma’s ears perking to listen to the conversation more at the mention of his name. He continued staring at Gai as he talked, hoping that she wouldn’t notice he was listening to her and not his friend before him.

“Oh, u-uh.. Well, no, not really. I-It was mostly my friends,” Hinata said, stuttering over her words. It seemed this particular topic was hard to keep her voice steady for. 

“Your friends forced you to say yes?” Anko probed.

“W-well I-I just wanted to, you know, I wanted to help them. I know they’d do the same for me.”

“How noble.” Anko rounded around the counter, bringing their pasta to the table. She leaned slightly into her girlfriend as she stepped around her, giving her a little smile. “You know, if it were me, I wouldn’t want to pretend to date some random dude. What do you know about Genma anyway?”

This time, it was obvious that Genma was listening. Gai had stopped telling his story, and all eyes were on the girl standing by the countertop, now hyper-aware of that fact. She shifted her eyes to everyone, almost becoming smaller each person she caught the attention of. “U-um, h-h-he seems nice, I-I guess,” she managed to stumble out.

“So just because he seems nice?” Anko smirked, flashing a devilish smirk to one of her best friends. “Are you sure it’s not because he’s roguishly handsome?”

Hinata’s face flushed an even brighter red than it had when they first saw her. Her hands tried waving away the accusation before she could make any words out. She was vehemently denying what they all could tell was absolutely the case. She was attracted to him. Genma smirked at the realization. As much as he loved watching her get flustered because of him, and now that he could understand the root cause, he might as well get things moving.

“Who wants salad?” he asked suddenly. Hinata shrunk in on herself after sighing in relief at the loss of attention.

“I’ll take some,” Raidō said. Genma smiled as he dished his friend up some salad that he took out of the fridge. As they fell into idle chit chat around him, he continued to keep his gaze on this particular girl who was acting in a way he hadn’t seen anyone react before. He was never one to talk to the shy types. Now that he was getting to know her a little bit, she started to intrigue him. He wondered what other faces he could cause her to make.

-

Hinata's POV

-

-

Genma makes a move

-

He sends DMs

-

Hinata finally asks her friends

-

Hinata stared at the clock as she tuned out whatever her two best friends were bickering about at the time—more like that Kiba was bickering about. Shino never really said anything to egg him on, but Kiba’s constant talking usually found its own argument somehow, somewhere. As the minute hand dragged on her heartbeat was getting more painful.

She was nothing but her own embarrassed self when she was around Genma. His messaging throughout the week was at least reassuring, but she couldn’t help but feel he was doing it out of obligation. After she just volunteered them both for this incredibly weird ruse, he was willing to go along with it. And what would happen after the year was up? Would they just go their separate ways? She supposed they might have to, given the circumstances. If Obito, Rin, Ino, and Tenten were anything to go by, it was hard to get the two different groups into one place at one time. She didn’t want to think that far ahead. She closed her eyes and waited for the knock at the door.

Suddenly her head was swimming with the sound. She jumped and almost bolted to the door until Kiba’s voice startled her out of her trance. “Hinata, where are you going?”

“I heard someone knock at the door,” she answered, dancing on her tiptoes, ready to let him in. “He’s here.”

“I just knocked on the wall, I jinxed something and said knock on wood, and knocked on the wall. Honestly, weren’t you paying any attention to our conversation?”

Hinata didn’t know how to tell him that perhaps it was just his own conversation as she and Shino hadn’t really said anything in a while, but she kept her mouth shut and awkwardly sat back down. He’d be there any minute now, and her heart would not let her forget it.

Hinata breathed in and out slowly. Another knock sounded and she remained in her chair with her eyes closed. After a few moments, the knock sounded again and she opened them, surprised to find her two friends staring at her. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to let him in?”

“That was him?”

“Yeah, you don’t knock twice, everyone knows that.”

“Kiba!” she chastised, getting up to let Genma into their home. “Why did you just let me sit there!”

Kiba shrugged but she didn’t see it. He looked at Shino who just stared wordlessly, or at least he thought he was staring. His dark sunglasses made it hard to tell what his eyes were doing. Sometimes, Kiba thought his best friend slept during their conversations and that the sunglasses were not a medical condition, but a cleverly drawn-out ploy, so that he could easily ignore his best friend.

Hinata finally opened the door to Genma standing just a head taller than her. She gazed up at him, unable to hear what he was saying due to the blood pounding in her ears. He cleared his throat, and she was finally able to shake the cloud from her thoughts.

“May I come in?” he asked in that sweet honey voice of his. 

Without saying anything, Hinata stood aside to let him walk by her. She closed the door behind him and took a second to collect her thoughts and feelings, clutching her hand to her chest. He was handsome for sure, and the cologne he picked out was infusing itself deep in her core. She took a steady breath to try and sigh away any feelings she was developing right then and there. This was just a mission, they were just pretending. Besides, who knows what kind of feelings he held for her. They’d only met a few times. Just because she thought he was ridiculously handsome doesn’t mean he owed her anything.

She followed him into the kitchen with her friends. “Hinata, come help me with the potatoes,” Shino called to her as he pulled her away to focus on the food. 

“Are you okay?” he asked discreetly. Hinata was never sure if he did it on purpose, but he always covered his mouth when he spoke to her. It made her feel safe that every conversation she held with Shino would be confidential should she decide to ask him to keep it that way. He was such a lovely friend to have, especially considering her home life. 

“I’m okay, thanks,” she answered him with a smile. She watched wordlessly as Genma made idle conversation with Kiba who was now glaring daggers at him. She cocked her head, allowing her ponytail to fall over her shoulder as she listened to their conversation. 

“Why our Hinata, huh?” Kiba grilled. “You could have chosen any other girl. Don’t think I’m letting you off the hook just because she says it’s her idea. Any guy would be lucky to have her, so don’t think for a second that I trust you yet, buck-o.” Kiba waved his fork around, pointing it at their guest.

Genma smirked and leaned back in the chair. “If she said that it was her idea, wouldn’t that mean that she was the one who roped me into this?”

Kiba stabbed a tomato with his fork, watching Genma intently as he did so. “She wouldn’t have. I know you manipulated her into this.”

“Why don’t you ask her about it then, instead of interrogating me?”

“She just says the same thing over and over again. ‘Kiba I want to do this,’” he mimicked her in a falsetto voice. “‘Kiba, I want to fake date this random man who I’ve never met.’ That doesn’t mean she’s off the hook either. She’s just really good at saying nothing when she doesn’t want to. I’ll break that iron defense sometime soon.”

Genma leaned into Kiba as he said something low that Hinata couldn’t hear. Her vantage point of his lips was obscured as well, so he must’ve said something to Kiba that he didn’t want her listening in on. Her stomach flipped at the thought of him threatening her friend, and she almost stopped what she was doing to go over there and give him a piece of her mind, luscious hair be damned, until Kiba started bursting out laughing. Her grip on the peeler she was using loosened as she waited for confirmation that she wasn’t needed.

“No, no, no, you have it all wrong.” Kiba wiped a tear away from his eyes. “Oh man, I haven’t laughed that hard since Naruto farted in Shino’s face.” He munched on a crouton obnoxiously, still waving his fork at Genma but in a much less threatening manner. “The fact that you thought that is more than enough confirmation for me though.”

Hinata sighed in relief, and continued to help Shino with the setup while Kiba and Genma chatted about nothing in particular that piqued her interest. Hinata tooka small bathroom break while they waited for the pot roast to finish. Once she was out of ear shot, Kiba and Shino plopped across the table from Genma, serious looks dawning on their faces.

“Look,” Kiba started, keeping his voice low knowing that Hinata wasn’t going to be gone much longer. “I don’t think you have any ill intentions. And I know that right now this thing is for show. But I want you to be careful around Hinata. She may act like she’s going with the flow, but she actually realizes a lot more than she lets on. And not only that, she falls for people really quickly and really hard. So if you’re going to play around with her feelings, I suggest that you stop right now.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Genma reassured him with a wave of his hand. “If I were to ever even try anything I’d have my work cut out for me. Her walls are very high.”

“While that may be the case, I don’t want to see her get hurt. And it will take her a while to trust you. If you have good intentions, then you must be okay with taking things slowly. She’s bad at talking to people right off the bat, so it might be easier for her to text you rather than talk at first.”

“Has she always been this way?” Genma leaned in, eyes focusing on her two closest friends.

“It started back when she was young–” Hinata rounded the corner before Kiba could continue divulging any more of Hinata’s backstory.

Hinata met Genma’s eyes who held her gaze for a bit longer than they usually did. She swallowed hard, ready to face the consequences of being called out for staring until he winked and turned his attention back to Kiba. Hinata breathed out a shaky breath that she was holding in and sat down to join her friends. 

She found out a few things from their meetings with their friends. She found out that he and Raidō, Gai, and Anko had all been friends for years as kids. She learned that Genma was a mechanic at the same place Raidō managed. She found out that he went to college for a semester until his mom got sick and he went back home to take care of her. She also learned that he didn’t regret it. With every new piece of information she managed to learn about him, she found herself wanting to know more. She wanted to know about everything there was to know about Genma Shiranui and that thought terrified her. 

-

Part Two - February - Concluded.

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[riddikuluspuff]

one shot: jeopardizing all we built together

♢ jeopardizing all we built together

written for @yearoftheotpevent

january prompt(s) used:  first kiss, fake dating, "whenever i look at you...", snow

relationship: Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger

rating: teenage and up

synopsis: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy knew it was a risk to be each other's fake dates to their best friend's wedding but it was a risk they had to take. The two of them had been single for far too long in their friend's eyes and so to stop the questioning that they expected during the wedding day, they hatched a plan. But, unknowingly, Hermione and Draco had both growing crushes on the other person and had hidden the feelings away since their eighth year at Hogwarts.

word count: 1.1k

! ON AO3 !

[yearoftheotpevent]

January Prompts for YOTP!

Kick off 2023 with a bang and join the event focused on inspiring fanworks all year long!

The only requirement is that works submitted must include a relationship focus (platonic, romantic, familial, threesomes, moresomes, or whatever else!) and be inspired by one of the prompts on our sheet (pinned)

YOTP started as a DC-based event with the idea of focusing on one ship for the whole year, but we want to provide a platform of encouragement for anyone in any fandom (including original work) with any number of favorite ships to participate and consistently post new work throughout 2023 January prompts - first kiss, mission fic, fake dating, "whenever I look at you...", snow, historical AU AO3 collection and FAQ can be found here.

[blackwood4stucky]

do you trust me with your scars enough to show me your heart

author: aspen blackwood

series: wonder if it's room in heaven for savages

james “bucky” barnes x steve rogers | mcu

masterpost | 🅼 | word count: 3455 | multichapter fic

tags: creature au, non traditional omegaverse, pre war ➳ ww2 era stucky, twisted fairytale

There was always a sweetness that lingered in Steve’s nose whenever he spent time with Bucky Barnes. It was a light floral scent with underlying honey and peach that followed Bucky wherever he went. Steve was never too far behind, low eyes and an intoxicated grin gracing his features every time. It was the look of a boy caught in a snare. - A dark and twisted fairytale.

bingo fills + event prompts

@anyfandomaubingo | free space

@afgomegaversebingo | falling asleep together

@anyfandomfluffbingo | cuddling in bed

@augustwritingchallenge: april showers brings m-au flowers | flower language

@avengersbingo | soulmate au

@badthingshappenbingo | forgetting to eat

@buckybarnesbingo: round 6 | u1: bed sharing

@buckybarnesevents

babb 2023 | soulgazing [march prompt] hot bucky summer 2024 | week 4: free week

creatures & cryptids: into the wilds bingo | will o’ wisp

crossover bingo | soulmates au

@eclipsingbingo

card 1 | blood from mouth card 2 | biting

@fandombingo: r1999 bingo | rpf card: "your hands are trembling"

@fandom-free-bingo

valentine’s edition | fairy au wild edition | broken skin + childhood friends world book night edition | iele au

@hurtcomfort-bingo | falling asleep on each other

hurt and comfort bingo: pick your poison bingo round 1 | fever

@julybreakbingo: pre july 24 | canon divergence, kink: wings

kinky-things-happen | cuddling

loversbingo

the conflict | throwing a punch the reeling | unsure & suspicious the solution | dark magic

scalding hot: consent issues bingo | wings as erogenous zones

@seasonaldelightsbingo: language of flowers bingo | spearmint [warm sentiment]

@stuckygeekevents: stucky geek bingo | tension, body image issues

@sweetspicybingo: hurt/comfort bingo | hand holding

@the-slumberparty: sundae bar | cookies & cream: soulmates

@yearoftheotpevent | march: fairytale au

read ch. 1: a maze you love getting lost in

ao3 | sqwa

mini playlist