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gaylonelydyke · 3 years

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if it’s not too late, 12 for episodes and ships, and 17!

its never too late! thankyou for the ask 🥰 oo damn this is gonna be a hefty one, just to prepare you this is gonna be long 😅😅😅

spoiler alert for my friends who are finishing up season 2 rn, be careful if you look at my top five episodes, pay attention the the episode numbers, i will put [ ] in bold at the beginning and end of spoilers!

12. Top 5 ships

5. faith x myself because have you seen faith? shes such a babe! spare consensual kiss maam?

4. willow x oz, i dont know if this is an unpopular or not but i feel like if the 90s had been more accepting of term then willow wouldve been bisexual, but like even now tv shows will rarely let characters say that word :( but anyway i love them! theyre both quirky and kinda awkward but its such a sweet relationship and you really see how they go from awkward crushes to an actual deep relationship, oz is one of my favourite characters too what a dude!

3. giles x jenny, mlmxwlw solidarity in this bisexual couple! there is no an ounce of straight between them and i love it, i love their dynamic, i love that giles *respects women* (im staring daggers at xander rn), also the original girlboss x malewife couple askdjaksjhd

2. drusilla x spike, these two!!!!!! once again a bisexual couple with zero straight between them, the vibes are off the charts. sexy vampires, goth x punk love, i just love them man, and their relationship is so interesting to delve into. like theyre vampires, theyre soulless and yet they have a capacity for love, they care deeply for eachother, theyre so tender towards eachother in season 2 in the way they take turns to care for one another, also drusilla picking spike up with one hand made me gay and thats on that

1. willow x tara!!!!! lesbians man lesbians! they have a beautiful relationship, until a certain point wink wink, they feel like a perfect match, willows become more outgoing due to buffy and xander snd having a proper group of friends, so its cool to see her as the more outgoing independant one in the relationship, and tara is such a honey 🥺 the biggest sweetheart in the world what a babe!!!! also like how groundbreaking was their relationship? as a queer couple, they had p much the dame amount of screentime as a aueer relationship today! and willow says the word lesbian so many times and is always making gay jokes which is something shows today are too scared to do, its honestly refreshing which is weird for a show in the 90/00s

12. Top 5 episodes

this is so hard because its such a damn good show so i had to rlly be picky about this but here we go

5. 6x22 ‘grave’- i watched buffy for the first time last year at work coz i worked with one other person just packing shit, and THIS was the episode that made us cry infront of eachother. the scene with willow and xander at the end is one of my all time favourite scenes and like legit we were watching and we starting going like ha.. this is so sad Q_Q and we looked at eachother and we were both crying akdjdjsjdhs its SO GOOD, like this is a friendship ive been so invested in and [seeing xander be able to pull her back from that dark place was so heart wrenching and amazing god its so good]

4. 3x12 ‘helpless’ - im finishing up s2 in my rewatch rn so i havent rewatched this one to double check but i remember loving it man. buffys father daughter relationship with giles is my favourite of the whole show they make my heart ache, so i love that this is an episode that really shows you how dedicated giles is to her, [its the breaking point where he finally disregards the fact that hes a watcher and acts as her father once and for all, its a turning point for their relationship where he is finally embracing the fact that shes like a daughter to him and i just love to see it Q_Q get you a dad who will leave his lifes calling for you]

3. 4x22 ‘restless’ - season 4 is interesting coz it has really good episodes and them some gd awful ones 😂😂 but this one just blew me away, i love a good character study episode and this is THE SHIT! its so weird and creepy but in the most perfect way, its not on the nose its so subtle, it feels like an uncanny valley version of buffy almost, i like that they finished the season first and then took this episode to do something out of the box and different i feel like it lets them fully explore this idea without the pressure of needing plot included. [also the cheese man is iconic. dont however like xander being all nasty with willow and tara but whats new there man]

2. 1x12 ‘The Prophecy Girl’ - for my first watch of buffy i wasnt that into the first season, like i enjoyed it but i didnt think it was anything super special? but this episode changed EVERYTHING for me. up until now buffy had been fun, witty, charming, but not anything new atleast for me, maybe in the 90s it was but right now its your average teen supernatural show. but this episode!!!! the emotion! buffy facing her death, her speech about how shes just 16 and shes scared and she doesnt want to die, that is what i wanna see!! its heartbreaking and it made me cry, and then it gives us the wonderful moment of giles trying to take her place and buffy realising that she has to be the one to do it, man its so good! basically anything with buffy and giles being a duo is gonna make it an automatic yes from me and this is indeed the case for this episode, i just love that the show remembers that shes a child! shes not brave all the time, shes not strong all the time, shes just doing her best and sometimes its overwhelming, 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 i bow to this episode

1. 2x17 ‘passion’ - i know i just sang praises about prophecy girl but THIS EPISODE IS THE SHIT, the best episode full stop. i wont accept any argument. angel is probably my favourite big bad, its so funny to see plain bread, mopey brooding angel become this charismatic, funny, poetic, blood thirsty angelus, hes everything i want in a villain and in this episode he delivers! rip jenny tho love her. i think the tension built around angel is so good, because of his drawings and notes left around, every scene youre worrying like is he here now? are they safe or what? its so tense! and also it is me and im a slag for buffy x giles father daughter moments and this episode fucking delivers! giles discovering jennys dead body is probably one of the best scenes on the show, the dramatic irony is heAVY, we know jenny is dead, we know that these flowers arent from her, but giles is so so happy, and i want to see him happy but you just know somehing horrific is about to happen and damn does it. its a masterpiece! i love jenny and giles so much it is so sad, but also the fact that it gave us that scene makes me almmmoost ok with it? i also love the moment where giles breaks down in buffys arms, hes been there for her and now shes returning the favour and hes accepting it i just 😭😭😭 also on a different note, angels narration of this episode is amazing! it gives us great insight to who he is as “evil angel” and like even though hes awful i was also kind of rooting for him coz hes just such a great villain

sorry this is so long lmao, last question!

17. Which characer do you wish had less of a focus on them in the show?

i dont wanna get yelled at butttttt i dont like the amount of focus on dawn. i think it makes sense for the her first season considering the story arc but that season really does double down its focus onto dawn and buffy and it barely leaves room for anyone else to have a storyline, it keeps the episodes super depressing too its like a constant level of just sadness the whole time because we’re so stuck in THEIR arc, theres no room to balance it out and have a breather, some people might like that its more serious but i really really didnt like, i love episodes like prophecy girl where it is campy and brings the more emotional notes in when the time comes, but dawns whole arc is just constantly depressing the whole time i just hate it, and also just shes not a character i felt i could connect to because of how suddenly shes introduced, so its weird to have her SO focused on in the first half of that season coz we dont know her yet so i feel like the emotional moments dont land the way that they should? basically they shouldve eased us into dawn or introduced her differently and maybe i would like her enough to want the focus on her but i really just dont

adksjakjshd apologies for the essay this is, thanks for the ask!

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #why did i write a paragraph for everything im so sorry #i wish i knew how to add a read more link but i dont on mobile #my post #dawn fans please dont murder me #i dont hate her i just dont like her yanno #i am scared people are gonna hate me for not liking her but we all have our tastes

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ambitionsource · 4 years

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001 for dasher!! :)

oh boy....... hoooooo boyyyyyyyyy

Dylan & Asher

When I started shipping it if I did: so if i were a viewer, i think i would like ship them from basically the moment it was made pretty clear on the show that they were romantically linked rather than just Good Pals Being Pals (i.e. “LOVE OF MY LIFE” in 103). but for a majority of s1 i think it would be a passive shipping sort of thing, like i’d love their moments and enjoy watching them, but things wouldn’t really Click into place until s2 when we really start to actually dig into them and their dynamic / their individual struggles (i.e., their promotion to regulars in s2). around 203 + 204 i’d be so locked in though, that’s probably when i’d start making fandom content or digging around for fics, and then by 207 / 208... whew y’all. whew!

My thoughts: okay so like not to be dramatic but like. im really kind of obsessed with them doe GJDSGFDKJHLFKDH. like i’m really chill about it on here for the most part, but i have not shut up about them in my gcs since quite literally like. august. there’s kind of like this whole timeline for them that doesn’t exist on the Show because its just not relevant to the story, but there’s a lot of their development as individuals and a relationship going on in the background of s2 that really informs how i write them and is really quite elaborate FDSJGLKDSG. i have an entire drive folder that’s dedicated to screenshots of the conversations we’ve had in the discord that chronicles some of this stuff. like what we fondly refer to as “4 days” which is this period between 203 and 204 in which asher became so overwhelmed with everything going on with lucas that he just dropped everything and isolated for a few days -- including closing the window on dylan; and that really has a major impact on their relationship and sort of leads to this Relationship Upgrade in the sense that they go from having the fun and easy going relationship they have in s1 to really like... committing to one another and stepping into this deeper Partnership. i can’t do it justice just talking abt it but like. again to keep it concise, i’m obsessed

What makes me happy about them: literally... so much. i will say that i think what’s really important to me about them -- as well as on the show and what they represent -- is that they really do demonstrate this like... Healthy relationship. and they don’t realize it, but they are one of the only examples of a healthy, committed, equal partnership that many of their friends have in their lives (lucas and isa, specifically). so they’re leaving this impact on people just by leading by example and just living with their hearts on their sleeves and being so unapologetically loving, and that is just... a message i want to spread far and wide. dylan and asher definitely both have their quirks and flaws, but they’re two characters who are so fundamentally driven by compassion and love in their own ways -- and then its really beautiful to watch them share that energy with one another at the most devoted level

What makes me sad about them: i mean like.......... honestly? not much. how wild is that. a pairing that doesn’t make me wanna kermit bc there’s so much angst riddled throughout.......... unreal..........

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: i firmly believe that da would be such an interesting fandom to analyze. this is because they would definitely have a strong fanbase of their own (especially post S2), but also i bet they would be victims of the “supporting pairing” in a lot of fics -- i.e., they get tagged as a pairing on ao3 but then only are featured in like 3 scenes out of a 220448328 word fic. you know, that tragedy. also annoying would be 1) dumbing down dylan or focusing only on his naivety / simplistic nature and stripping him of his incredible emotional literacy and lowkey wisdom 2) babying either of them and again stripping them of their nuances and complexities 3) exaggerating some of asher’s shrill qualities to the point that he’s just unbearable 4) ANY sort of obvious attempts to Gender their relationship -- i think zc would be able to avoid this for the most part, but i get the feeling it would be a common annoying thing in da portrayals 5) taking asher’s external hesitation towards pda / being too overtly emotional in public and reading that as either him being unaffectionate towards dylan in general or casting him as some sort of prude when in actuality i think asher is more instrumental in their Physical Relationship than one would think on the outset 6) fics where da is tagged but then its like. one of them leaving the other for lucas fDJSGDKGLFD LIKE BYEEEEEEEE

Things I look for in fanfic: on the flip side of my earlier answer, i really do believe that there would be a beautiful and dynamic da writer cohort. i think there would be some REALLY cool and lovely works out there for these two, because i know how much they’ve inspired creativity and excitement for me. i would love fics that are just about filling in missing moments to their relationship that we don’t get to see on the show just due to focus and time; i would be keen for any sort of au with them; i’d want to see portrayals of them that really highlight the balance they bring out in one another and how well they complement one another -- the ways that dylan makes up for asher’s emotional literacy and even a focus on how asher can sometimes struggle to grapple with his emotions despite being so put together in public would be A1; anything that highlights the utmost respect and adoration they have towards one another; always stan representing how touchy-feely dylan is with small affectionate touches; gold star fics would highlight their other relationships as well, both as a duo (the techie crew, dylucasher) and individually (jade x asher, dylan x isa, dylan x dave x nate, their dynamics with riley). i just..... i’m really aching for this fandom rn i tell ya!!!

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: i.......... there’s honestly not an answer. they’re asher and dylan. dylan and asher. they’re literally multiverse endorsed soulmates. there’s a mental block for alternatives sorry!

My happily ever after for them: i don’t have to worry about them so i know i’m gonna get it fDSJKGLFDG but just them continuing to have their deeply committed and supportive and emotionally healthy relationship and be there for one another as they continue to grow as people! can’t wait for them to live together college and beyond and just... thrive. i love them dearly

Who is the big spoon/little spoon: oh this has been well established. asher is the big spoon. there of course are OCCASIONAL days where it shifts (more likely during naps, for example), but when it’s time for bed they will fall asleep with asher hugging dylan and resting his head against his back. that’s The Move. it’s set in stone!

What is their favorite non-sexual activity: they spend so much time together i genuinely could say that just existing together is their activity fDJSKLGJFDKLHDh. but um they like to go on adventures with lucas; dylan will bake and asher will “help” i.e. just keep him company and steal dough; they like watching tv together (wide range from like true crime documentaries to Good TV to the classics like Spongebob to hgtv and chill fdkjhgkjdhg like. Cultured palette here folks); just spending time together but doing their own thing i.e. asher might be reading while dylan is playing nintendo switch but they’re like reclining against one another; they often take drives together and get out of the city just to listen to music and like escape the pressure of that environment; they go on trips with their families and their families even take trips together sometimes once they realize that dasher are basically tied for life (shoutout to the upcoming new years ski trip of 2019... Romance)... i could go on. there’s always much to say. i love them that’s it that’s it that’s it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

send some winter hiatus asks !! or try this one

#she's Obsessed... bet y'all didn't see that one coming did ya #the aaagc knows all too well but i maintain a calm stance fairly well on here #now y'all know !#dylan x asher #winter hiatus 2019 #Anonymous #answered

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aubrey-plaza · 6 years

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Hi!! I just read all three of the staubrey fics that you recommended. Do you happen to have a longer list of your favorite staubrey fics, I would love to read them!!

this became long, so I put it under a cut

Obviously, I would be remiss to start any favourite fics list without including the two stories that got me into this ship at all.

I used to be a major Bechloe shipper (like, I even ran a fanblog when pp1 first came out) and even though I’d read the Stacie/Aubrey pairing in fic before, I’d never quite clicked with it.

And then I read She’s Out of My League by OmACAgee / @omacagee and it was the definition of ‘came for the Bechloe, stayed for the Staubrey’ because I was immediately hooked on these two.

I have no idea what it was about that story specifically that hooked me in as opposed to the countless other Bechloe ft side-Staubrey I’d read before but that was it, it was like flipping a switch.

I then gravitated into the tag and found honey_hill / @relaxingwithhoney‘s Sweeter Than This; read that in one go and I’ve been Staubrey trash ever since.

(more under the cut)

I love this ship so much so here are my favourite fics (in no particular order):

anything/everything backinthebox / @girlneedsadonut

literally like I cannot express this enough: read all of them.

I’m going to highlight a few here but they are ALL my favourite

The whole Welcome To The Lodge At Fallen Leaves series which is STILL being written!

You’ve Started Something is a triumph of characterisation and story building and, again, is still ongoing. The fic is a gorgeous exploration of these two characters and one of the reasons I love them as much as I do.

Tears Are Something to Hide by backinthebox(long) oneshot — complete — canon-divergence: after Pitch Perfect 2

This story hurt my fucking soul. There are no other words for it. I’ve always believed that Stacie and Aubrey were the type of couple who, once together, could (and would) conquer the world and that little could really come between them and yet this author has written one of the only scenarios wherein I could see them apart, and really apart, not taking a break or splitting up where it’s inevitable they’ll find each other again but really break them apart with all the heartbreak and angst that comes with it.

Set against the backdrop of being in the South, dealing with grieving someone with whom you have a tumultuous relationship, and the Bellas being fiercely a unit and a family, this story hits every beat perfect and is honestly a masterpiece.

I had to read the story at least 3 times to really get the full force of it because it’s so beautifully nuanced and layered and every time that I go back to re-read it, I find something else about it that I love.

This story will make you ache for these characters and it is possibly — probably — the best Stacie/Aubrey fic I’ve ever read.

There is no standout or favourite line because the whole thing is sheer perfection.

Énouement by backintheboxmulti-chapter — complete — canon-divergence: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline

I can’t say much about this fic without giving the plot away and what a delicious plot it is so just go read it because it features flirty freshman Stacie and assertive, confident Aubrey and lowkey the reason I headcanon Aubrey being a discreet but total player

standout line:

And the fact that someone could blush about being good in bed had Stacie wanting more.

You Came to Me in January by Lucky_13 / @number-thirteenmulti-chapter — work in progress — canon-divergence after Pitch Perfect 2 (I think, it’s not really specified and not really important)

I love everything about this story. It finds Stacie and Aubrey a few years after (Stacie’s) graduation and they reconnect and it’s a beautifully mature telling of them falling for each other. They mesh so well together and their characterisation is absolutely on point. The author delicately balances their feelings, humour, and surroundings in a wonderfully immersive story that I keep coming back to.

there is no specific standout line because it’s all so great, but I particularly love every scene with Mia (honestly kudos to any writer who gets me this invested in an OC!)

Prelude in Lydian Mode by Knappster / @ss-staubreyoneshot — complete — canon divergence but not really important to the plot

I’m a sucker for the ‘we’re just sleeping together but have now developed feelings’ type of story (clearly) and this one hits it out of the park. It’s mutual pining meets secret hook ups with just enough background angst to drive the story forwards and I, for one, am in love with this fic.

standout line:

“She deserves better than someone who just fucks her at her friends’ weddings.”

The One Where They Find Out by Knappster(long) oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

Hiding a relationship from the Bellas? Sign me the fuck up because I am a whore for those stories. I don’t know why but I just am and this fic has it all. Weird Lilly, struggling™ Beca, Jessica and Ashley duo-ness, a sprinkling of jealousy, developing feelings, heat, and just general gooey fluff.

standout line:

Get your shit together. Get it all together and put it in a backpack, all your shit, so it’s together!” She started to walk away but walked back after a few steps. “And if you gotta take it somewhere, take it somewhere, you know? Take it to the shit store and sell it, or put it in a shit museum. I don’t care what you do, you just gotta get it together.

Aubrey in Wonderland by Knappstermulti-chapter — work in progress (seems discontinued) — in-canon & AU

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME WITH THIS. Honestly, I put off reading this story because I saw that it was unfinished and didn’t want to get my heart broken but in this case it is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all because this fic is absolute GOLDEN. I never in a million years would’ve imagined Stacie as Cheshire Cat and yet, reading it, it completely works and I’m dying for more. It’s the right amount of crack and humorous that makes this fic work.

standout line:

“Tamed. She’s like a house cat now. She’s practically purring.”

Snowbound by ACamp_Toner / @ss-staubreymulti-chapter — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

the sexual tension here is OFF THE CHARTS and it somehow increases after they sleep together. 0/10 would not read in public again. But at it’s core it’s a wonderfully fleshed out story with adorable playful fun, set against a backdrop of a ski vacation which is unlike any other story I’ve read before.

standout line:

“Nice hat, Posen,” Beca smirked.

“How can you see it from all the way down there, Hobbit?” Beca’s smirk turned into a glare but it couldn’t rival Aubrey’s.

“Okay, okay, knock it off you two. Aubrey, the hat looks adorable on you. And Beca,” Stacie paused, thinking, “I’m sorry you’re so short.”

The One with the Roommate’s Girlfriend by ACamp_tonerone-shot — complete — AU

Friends would have been made a 1000% better with more lesbians and that’s what we have here and it’s honestly a little astounding how well this fits. This fic works beautifully and I’m in love with this AU.

standout line:

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, I found this great place called ‘Invisible Things for Aubrey.’ Can you give me a hand with all of this stuff?” Stacie motioned dramatically to the empty space next to her.

i hate you i hate you (i really love you) by Euterpemulti-chapter — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline

one of life’s greatest disappointments is finding an amazing fic, clicking through to the author profile and finding that it’s their only fic for your fandom/pairing and this is it, lads.

This fic is one of few written from Aubrey’s point of view that I absolutely ADORE and her inner monologue is both relatable and so damn funny. The characterisation for both is splendidly done and the story is fun to read.

standout line:

Simply put, as her father would tell her, she has lost control of the situation. The proper course of action in this case is to calmly handle whatever problem there is until everything is under control again. But for some reason, Aubrey can’t bring herself to push Stacie away. Her arms aren’t responding to the screaming messages from her brain, like in that movie where the guy gets possessed by little people who control him like a robot.

The First Time by youarefire / @shiaa-esttoneshot — complete — in-canon: between Pitch Perfect 1 and 2

Stacie singing to Aubrey is my absolute weakness (I have a lot of them if you can’t tell) and this story is just so soft and tender (no pun intended).

standout line:

“I’ve been singing to you for three years, Posen, you finally got the hint.”

can my heart beat quiet? (no) by DJ Jiggle Juice (babytobin_horse) / @backtobasicbellas oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 2 timeline

What did I say about being a slut for sneaking around and hidden relationships??? Because here we have another Stacie and Aubrey hiding their relationship from the Bellas. A particular highlight in this one is Beca’s A+ snarkiness and her and Aubrey sniping at each other while Stacie tries to keep the peace.

standout line:

And Stacie still isn’t quite used to this, seeing more than just lust from someone, but Aubrey makes her feel wanted all the time and sends her care packages and reminds Stacie of just how smart she is and god, Stacie thinks she’s -

love is a losing game (oh, what a mess we made) by DJ Jiggle Juice (babytobin_horse)(long) oneshot — complete — in-canon: Pitch Perfect 1 timeline — additional note: it’s a half Staubrey/half Bechloe story featuring a Steca friends with benefits type thing (but the listed pairings are endgame) (side note because I have poor reading comprehension skills and completely missed the steca tag and was HELLA surprised by that turn of events)

Basically, our lovely foursome are all in DENIAL and Beca and Stacie being as emotionally stunted as they are decide that maybe sleeping together to get over their (supposedly unrequited) feelings is the best way to go about things and it backfires.

The Stacie/Aubrey stuff makes my chest hurt and my throat close up it’s so wonderfully written.

It’s a lovely story and if Bechloe isn’t your thing, you can skip their scenes but I don’t recommend that because the whole story flows a lot better if you read the whole thing

standout line:

Aubrey smells like vanilla and lavender wrapped into one. She holds Stacie tight, hand running up and down her back before she pulls away.

Stacie misses her touch already.

Can’t Fight This Feeling by snowtamale / @snowtamaleoneshot — complete — AU

I love a fun exploration of Aubrey’s issues within an AU because they tend to be similar to in-universe stories but manifest in different ways and this fic explores that. As mentioned, I also like a sex-then-feelings type of story and this one includes that. Coupled with the hi-larious sidebars? I’m here for it.

standout line:

(Ready to give up on love: check)

Holding The Frame by jdc15oneshot — complete — canon divergence after Pitch Perfect 2

I don’t usually venture back to fanfiction.net for stories but this one is well worth it. For as much as I love college era Stacie and Aubrey, there’s just something about them being slightly older and slightly less unfortunate with their feelings.

This story finds them a year after Pitch Perfect 2 ends and it’s absolutely beautifully written. 10/10 would go back to ff.net for this author.

standout line:

“You and Aubrey have excellent chemistry. And to dance the tango, if you have chemistry, you have half the dance. You are beautiful together.”

and also the final line which I won’t spoil for you but is possibly the best ending to a fic I’ve ever read wow.

Juncture by jdc15oneshot — complete — AU

jesus christ this story is hot. Assertive Aubrey is a thing of dreams. This author writes great smut and are the only reason I’m still subscribed to a ff.net author

standout line:

Aubrey’s lips are soft and sure, confident yet polite, and Stacie is glad for the wall behind her because without it to lean against she’d already be a puddle on the floor.

Nowish by Psy456 / @chloes-yellow-cupmulti-chapter — complete — canon divergence after Pitch Perfect 2 — additional note: Bellas squared ship

This is… not technically an exclusively Staubrey story but it’s such a masterpiece that I can’t leave it out of this list. It’s a beautiful written work and pretty much the only fic I find myself shipping all of these women together because it is so well fleshed out (no pun intended). It’s both hot as hell and sweet as sugar and an all around great fic.

no standout line, but all of the smut was wow-ee 0/10 do not read in public

also I re-read my own fics like all the time but this isn’t a time for self-promotion

I strongly encourage everybody to read all the other fics by the authors I’ve got here because most of them have more than what is listed here and just because a story isn’t listed doesn’t mean it isn’t absolutely incredible, especially since I don’t have the space to list every single story I love (it was hard enough picking out these to be quite honest).

Also! If you go on a reading binge please comment; some of these stories are criminally under-commented on (especially the multi-chapters) and with all of the hate going around these days, it would be nice to show some love to the authors for their incredible writing and this awesome ship

#ask #fic rec #staubrey #staubrey fic #staubrey fic rec #anonymous #anon #rec

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softfics9 · 7 years

Text

Easy Love - Chapter 1

Fandom; SF9

Main Pairing; Kim Youngkyun|Hwiyoung/Yoo Taeyang

Side Pairings; Kim Youngbin/Kim Inseong, Kim Seokwoo|Rowoon/Baek Juho|Zuho

Genre; Angst, Unrequited Love, Mutual Pining, College AU

Trigger Warnings; Mentions of alcohol

Word Count; 3,167

Rating; Teen and Up

Beta’d; No

Cross- Posted; AO3

Other Chapters; Chapter 2, Chapter 3

Author’s Notes; OK so yes while in real life Hwi is only just 18 in this AU they are aged up to 20/21 so it’s not underage drinking. Just had to get that out of the way first! I have been meaning to write this all summer, and I wanted it to be a cute fluffy one-shot of these two getting together but...nope, it’s a big ol’ angsty mess. I’m sorry. Unlike my other fics, I’m posting the first chapter without actually finishing the whole thing so I apologise that I don’t know where it’s going. I hope you all enjoy though!

Kim Youngkyun did not believe in love at first sight. It was just something made up by film and tv writers to allow for the instant beginnings of a relationship between two characters. Call him a cynic, and his oldest friend Baek Juho certainly did, but he was not about to go around thinking it was possible to see someone for the first time and hear violins playing or see stars twinkling around their head. So he scoffed at rom-coms and laughed when people cited it as how they knew their partner was “the one”, and he would proudly tell anyone who listened how ridiculous he thought it was. To put it simply; the sky is blue, water is wet, Juho is the most handsome guy he knows, and Youngkyun did not believe in love at first sight.

Until he met Yoo Taeyang. And suddenly he wasn��t certain of his own convictions anymore.

Sure the sky was still blue and water was still wet, at least most of the time in his experience, but his last two certainties were being called into question. Because this Seokwoo guy was more handsome than Juho, just by the slightest of margins, and when he saw Taeyang for the first time he heard music playing and his head was spinning and he found it hard to breathe. If he were to really think about it, he would have realised the music was coming from Youngbin’s speakers just behind him, and the ball that was kicked at his head was probably the cause of his shortness of breath and head trauma. But in that moment where he was falling to the ground thanks to the force of the football hitting the back of his head, he was sure that Yoo Taeyang was sunshine personified and he was in love. He tried to deny ever thinking such things at first, only to no avail, because Taeyang was the first one there to help him up and ask if he was ok, and there were butterflies in his stomach that he had no explanation for unless he blamed it on his head trauma.

It might not have been such a big deal in any other situation, if Taeyang was just some random stranger who he met on one occasion, and would have had ample time to get over him and recollect his thoughts. Except that was not the case because the “cold-city duo” was now a sextet, incorporating Youngbin and Chanhee the “brother-from-another-mother” pair and the heavenly vocals that were Seokwoo and Taeyang. Youngkyun was not opposed to having more friends, in fact, he rather enjoyed Chanhee’s evil tendencies and ability to make fun of everyone in the group, and Youngbin’s dad like presence which kept them all in check most of the time. And there was no way he could deny he greatly appreciated Seokwoo’s MasterChef cooking abilities which made him sigh with bliss over group dinners. It was merely the presence of Taeyang that was throwing his life off balance. Because Taeyang sat beside him in class and made it hard to focus on lessons, and his laugh made Youngkyun’s stomach flip and his heart flutter. But the worst part was, he felt himself falling more for him every time he learnt something new about him, and as their friendship grew, so did Youngkyun’s pining.

The older members of the group moved on to university, and while they still made time for the younger three, it wasn’t the same. Youngkyun now had no one to bounce off when he felt himself getting nervous around Taeyang. Juho had acted like his buffer when he was lost for words and shrunk in on himself, making sure to fill in his silences and protected him like he had always done. Youngbin had been the perfect person to turn to when his awkwardness was reaching its peak, always accepting cuddles and knew exactly what to do to ease the tension. Now there was just Chanhee left, and while they were very close, he was not capable of saving Youngkyun from himself.

Finally after their last year in school was over, and they were moving on to university with the rest of their friends, Youngkyun thought he might escape from the burning ache he felt in his heart from seeing Taeyang every day, knowing he didn’t feel the same. They were doing different courses entirely, their buildings were completely separate and everything. He could meet new people and perhaps learn to get over his first love. Of course, that never happened, since it only made sense for the three same-aged friends to get an apartment together, saving on living costs and not having to worry about roommates who might clash with their personalities. Youngkyun could have said no, come up with an excuse about wanting to get out of his shell and meet new people, but he would never do that. Call it selfish or even stupid, but Youngkyun didn’t really want to be separated from Taeyang. There was a warmth in his presence and comfort in knowing where he was and making sure he was eating and sleeping well. Staying so close was not going to help his heart to move on, but Youngkyun couldn’t help but feel the smallest bit of hope that maybe someday, Taeyang would finally see him in the same light.

The thing about loving someone for so long and believing it to be unrequited is that you become blind to changes in their behaviour. Youngkyun had spent 5 years of his life hopelessly crushing on his close friend, and so when Taeyang started to be more affectionate towards him, he simply put it down to their friendship getting stronger. He wrote off the constant skinship as Taeyang being comfortable around him and cursed his heart for hoping it meant more. Youngkyun was certain he had hidden his true feelings for Taeyang from his group of friends, surely Juho would have said something to him otherwise since he knew him so well. That illusion went out the window though, after one particularly excessive night out with his classmates.

He woke up in Juho’s apartment at 1 in the afternoon, with a splitting headache and a disgusting taste in his mouth. He had stumbled into his oldest friends kitchenette to find him cuddled up with Seokwoo drinking coffee. The sight of his two friends together made his heart wrench, knowing that was something he could never have with Taeyang. He sighed, knowing he had to continue to pretend he had nothing but platonic affection for Taeyang, and the couple looked up at him. Originally he thought the pitying smile on Seokwoo’s face was for the awful hangover he had, and he was too tired to try to decipher the look Juho was giving him. After they gave him a mug of black coffee - obviously cheap stuff from the supermarket, it was too bitter for his refined barista taste buds, they sat him down and the questioning started.

“Soooo, do you remember anything from your night? About how you got here or the things you said?”

Seokwoo was playing the responsible mom role, looking at him with concern in his eyes when he shook his head and said he didn’t remember much after doing a round of shots at the bar with a few people from his course.

“Shots!? Dude, you hate spirits what were you thinking? It really isn’t like you to drink so much that you don’t remember your night.”

“Yeah it’s very out of character for your Kyunnie, you’ve been out with your course friends before and took very good care of yourself. Did something happen that made you want to drink to forget?”

He was expecting this honestly - if it had been Youngbin who he went to it would have been a whole lot worse. But it was the last question from Seokwoo that sent up warning flags in Youngkyun’s head. It was loaded with an underlying emotion that he couldn’t pinpoint exactly, but he got the feeling it would be dangerous to answer. The truth was, he originally hadn’t planned to go on the class night out, preferring to stay in and watch a movie and eat junk food. But that morning as he was walking out of his 9 am Criminology lecture, he had seen Taeyang surrounded by four really pretty girls, laughing and looking so happy. Youngkyun had felt a twist in his gut. Of course Taeyang was happy with all those girls paying attention to him, there was no way he could ever look that happy with Youngkyun around him. There was a dark voice in his head berating him, making him feel small and stupid for loving one of his friends when there was no chance of him ever feeling the same. So he quickly found Lee Jeno, the guy from his class who was organising their night out- and looked better in bleach blonde than he did- and told him he wanted to go with them.

Of course, he couldn’t tell his friends his reasoning, they would worry far too much and as much as it hurt him, Youngkyun didn’t want anyone to know about his feelings for Taeyang still. He didn’t want them to tell him that he should try move on, the selfish part of himself wanted to keep holding on despite all the pain it caused him. While he was lost in his own memories, he didn’t notice Seokwoo and Juho sharing a knowing look.

“Kyunnie, you really don’t remember what you said to us when you got here?”

The tone Seokwoo used was disconcerting, it was sickeningly sweet and yet laced with worry too. It made Youngkyun feel more than a little dread in his stomach wondering what he could have said to make them talk like this. He shook his head very slowly, and Juho sighed before moving to sit beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. Seokwoo leaned back a little, knowing this was something Juho was in a better position to deal with since he had known Youngkyun for so much longer.

“Listen Hwi, we’ve known each other for so long yeah? And you know I promised I’ll always look after you, so you can trust me and tell me when things are bothering you. I don’t want to have to wake up at 1 am to Jaeyoon frantically buzzing our bell because you were so drunk you couldn’t even remember your name and he didn’t know what else to do with you.”

Youngkyun felt a shameful blush spread across his cheeks, he didn’t realise he had been that bad - although the headache he woke up with should have been an indication. His original intentions when he went out with his classmates was just to drink enough to give him a gentle tipsy buzz, and hoping he might let loose enough to get close to someone else there. He wouldn’t deny there were plenty of cute guys in his class, surely one of them could help him get over his useless love for Taeyang. But after two shots he went straight from sober to drunk and was no longer able to remember what happened. Probably the only reason he had been stopped before he passed out was Jaeyoon discovering him and being responsible enough to get him out of the bar.

He realised he hadn’t answered any of Juho or Seokwoo’s questions and instead was lost in his own mind. There was nothing he could do to fix his drunken mistakes, but he needed to know what they were so he could deal with them.

“I’m really sorry that I caused you two and Jaeyoon-hyung such an inconvenience. I didn’t really mean to get so drunk but I must have lost control. Law students can be very persuasive you know? But I am really sorry, I don’t remember anything I said or did last night. Was it bad?”

Youngkyun asked the last part very hesitantly, he needed to know what happened but at the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. The conflict must have been clear on his face because Seokwoo sighed again and got up off the floor. He walked into his and Juho’s shared bedroom and shut the door behind him. Youngkyun was confused now, and he looked to his left to see Juho staring at him. He hadn’t seen this much concern since the first day they met, and the older male had protected him from bullies in school.

“You were spouting all sorts of nonsense at first when Jaeyoon- hyung brought you in, law terms and other stuff I didn’t understand. I made up the bed on the floor but you just wouldn’t lie down, you started talking about how Chanhee was going to miss you when he woke up this morning and then kept trying to leave. Then after I said we would text him and Taeyang to tell them where you were, you just burst into tears. Hwi - why didn’t you tell me before that you liked him?”

There it was, Youngkyun felt his breath hitch and he started to panic. He had obviously told Juho, and indirectly Seokwoo, about his feelings for Taeyang. He felt a lump form in his throat and just buried his head in his lap. This was probably the second worst thing he could have done, the first being telling Taeyang himself how he felt. Juho wrapped his arms around his younger friends middle and pulled him up into his own lap. Youngkyun was in tears now, sobbing into his tall friend's shoulder. He was very glad Seokwoo left because this was embarrassing enough without another witness. Juho was the only one who he fully broke down his walls for, and he was so grateful he had a friend like this. He heard the deep voice murmuring calming words into his ear as he rubbed gentle circles on his back. Juho knew just what to do to calm him down when he got like this, and after a few short minutes, Youngkyun felt like he would be able to talk again.

“Hyung - I’m really messed up aren’t I? I’ve been in love with Taeyang for so long and I’ve never been able to say anything. Every day it hurts seeing him, being so close but knowing I can never be like you and Seokwoo-hyung, or even Youngbin-hyung and Inseong-hyung. He doesn’t like me back, not in the way I want him too, and I just - I don’t know how to get over him.”

His voice cracked a few times, and he had to keep stopping to take deep breaths, but his confession was finally out there. His hyung knew, and now all he could do was wait to see what he would say.

“You’re such a dummy, you do know that right?”

That wasn’t what Youngkyun had been expecting. He looked up to meet Juho’s eyes and he was smiling sadly. Shrugging his shoulders, he wasn’t sure how to reply to that. His friend rolled his eyes and squeezed him a little tighter to his chest.

“You really had no reason to keep this from me, or any of the group really. We weren’t going to be mad or judge you or anything. I mean, Seokwoo and I were friends before we started dating, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. All I’m curious about is why you think Taeyang doesn’t feel the same way you do?”

Youngkyun blinked rapidly at the unexpected question. He thought he would have gotten some comforting words, advice on what to do or even just be told to try move on. But Juho had surprised him, why would he ask such a thing? Of course Taeyang didn’t feel the same, he liked girls who were small and pretty and good dancers, he laughed and always looked so comfortable talking to them. He voiced all this to his friend, finally feeling more confident talking about it now he didn’t have to hide anymore.

“Just because Taeyang is friends with a lot of girls doesn’t mean he likes any of them, it also doesn’t mean he can’t like you too. Now I will admit I have never seen him when he is with those groups, but I do know that whenever he is with you his smile is brighter than the actual sun. And I mean, he is always putting his hand on your arm or resting his head on your shoulder. You guys are so comfortable together, Seokwoo actually thought you two were dating before last night, and most of the others agreed.”

The younger’s head shot straight up, and he almost choked on his own spit at that. Most of his friends thought he was dating Taeyang? How was that possible? Sure they were pretty close and cuddly, but that was just Taeyang being his normal friendly self. Had his crush been so glaringly obvious that the whole group had picked up on it? If so, did that mean Taeyang knew about his feelings too?

“Dude calm down, I don’t want you dying on me right now. Before you ask, and I’m sure you want to, it’s only the older members who discussed it. Chanhee and Taeyang weren’t part of it, you were all doing some first-year orientation thing when the rest of us met up for coffee.”

Youngkyun felt relieved at that, Taeyang knowing would be the worst possible outcome, but if Chanhee knew his life would be a living hell. He settled his head back into his friend's shoulder. The fact they all knew about his feelings in some way lifted a bit of the weight off his heart. Obviously, he wouldn’t just go to any of the others to just casually talk to about this, but since they knew maybe he could start acting a little more normal around them now. He promised that he would tell Juho everything from start to finish, and would come to him about any new things. But the positive reaction he got made him feel a little more hopeful about everything. Surely if six of his friends thought he was dating Taeyang, then there must be something going on he wasn’t seeing.

Much happier than he had been for a long time, Youngkyun got up off Juho’s lap and stretched out. He went and released Seokwoo from his self-imposed solitude and gave him a big hug. Slightly shocked, Seokwoo hesitated to hug him back at first, but as the good mom friend, he smothered the younger in affection once the situation was cleared up. The shortest of the three friends went to shower, he wanted to scrub away all of last nights bad memories, this was going to be his fresh start. With the support of his hyungs, he would either work up the courage to confess or at least get on the road to moving on.

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texanredrose · 7 years

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Based off a suggestion from Salty Crusader on the RarePair Rave discord. (@cass-burger, could you blease send him the link? Thanks!), with our monochrome duo on a partner swap mission where things go awry. Consider this the ‘governments actually use anti-virus software’ AU, where Cinder’s plan is thwarted by the mundane, routine check of Atlas’ systems and nothing big and bad happens. (Also, yes, I’m aware I probably have a few mistakes in this; I’ll clean it up when possible.) Honestly, this is just Blake being a dork and Weiss being extra, as usual.

Blake bit her lip, trying her hardest to bite back and swallow down the question on her tongue. However, despite how many times she'd already asked, it left her lips once again. "Weiss-"

"For the last- urk- time, Belladonna- hmph- I'm not- huh- I'm not leaving you- shit- behind!" Every labored breath grated on all four of her ears and made her chest tightened as she did everything in her power not to move. The last thing she wanted to do was make things more difficult for the young woman carrying her. "That’s- ugh- final!"

The Faunus sighed, ears straining against her bow as they tried to lay back against her skull in contrition. Three years into their Huntress training, one would think she'd have the foresight to keep better track of her position when dealing with a bed of King Taijitu, but her concentration had slipped ever so slightly. Before she knew it, her right leg was clamped between one head's powerful jaws and she was thrown about, knocking into trees and boulders, wearing down her already depleted aura.

Their week long mission through the Emerald Forest, clearing out the Grimm that had encroached on Vale's boarders in preparation for the first years' trial in a few months time, had put both of them through the wringer, with the infestation much worse than it had been in years past. As an added challenge, the third year students had swapped partners, putting their skills to the test in a fashion they seldom exercised during their usual classes. For the most part, this didn't upset the balance Team RWBY had established over their time together; Yang's brute strength coupled with Ruby's speed made the sisters a deadly pair, and Weiss and Blake had learned to move to a new rhythm together, their swords sailing through the air as two halves to a whole threat.

However, they'd run into trouble early on with a pack of alpha Beowolves, and the combination of greater numbers with more cunning adversaries meant they couldn't recuperate, couldn't replenish the energy nearly as quickly as they expended it. Add to that a split second of distraction- really, if it hadn't been for the white Nevermore Weiss summoned, Blake would probably be much worse off than a simple broken leg and some bruised ribs.

Careful not to hinder the woman's trudging pace in any way, Blake looked down at her wounded leg, bound in a makeshift splint by wood and fabric ripped from the formerly white jacket Weiss wore, now soiled almost beyond salvation by dirt and the smokey remnants of downed Grimm. More strips from the woman's jacket were wrapped around her arms, staunching the bleeding that resulted form being tossed around without her aura to protect her- dull aches but nothing life threatening. Moving on her own, though, wouldn't be possible in her condition, and she'd tried her very best to argue that Weiss should leave her in the cleared out cave, where she could at least deter any wandering Grimm from a decently defensible position.

Apparently, she must've hit her head as well, because she honestly thought she could win an argument against the resident heiress of Beacon.

"A break?" She suggested, feigning that it was her intention initially to ask that. "Is a break too much to ask?"

Although it took a moment, the woman's gait slowed until she finally came to a stop, allowing Blake to feel the trembling in muscled far overtaxed with exertion. They were still at least a click from the extraction point with no signs of their teammates or anyone else. If only their scrolls hadn't gotten damaged during that first ambush, if they hadn't stubbornly thought they could complete the mission without the communications devices in hand- so many fleeting regrets that wouldn't serve them any good now.

"Fine. A break." Changing course, Weiss managed to make it to a large tree, carefully shifting their combined weight until the Faunus could get her good foot under her, the iron grip on her wrist released so they could disengage completely. Being carried slung across the woman's shoulders wasn't dignified in the slightest, but it kept a hand free for each of them, which meant Gambol Shroud and Myrtenaster could both be brought to bear, were they to encounter trouble.

Although she could probably managed just fine on her own, Weiss helped her sit down with her back to the tree. Truthfully, aside from the change in position, sitting down didn't offer much benefit. Her leg throbbed angrily with the change in direction, radiating from the point of the break despite the immobilizing splint, but she didn't suggest the stop for her sake. Instead, amber eyes fell on her teammate's form as the woman paced around a little, trying to subtly work out the cramps in her legs and back. It also helped hide the faint tremble, her muscles obviously fatigued- Blake grimaced at the thought of how sore the woman would be once this was all over.

Their relationship had changed drastically over the course of their years at Beacon. At first, they were more enemies than friends, arguing and fighting until the fateful day she'd spoken without thinking, revealing her heritage to the stunned young women in their dorm room. A few days and a completely thrashed shipyard later, Weiss acted like their previous differences didn't matter at all, that they could be teammates. She hadn't quite believed a few words were all it took to wash away years of bad blood, but she was willing to try. And to her surprise, it went much better than she could've imagined; after the docks incident, Weiss did almost a complete one-eighty- well, by her standards, of course, because there weren't enough good intentions in the world to dull the bite of her cutting replies- and either supported or questioned the Faunus on anything regarding her people, absent the clear disdain she'd shown just before their first appearance in the Vytal tournament. She still made mistakes from time to time but she got better, more open, and Blake, in turn, learned a bit more about the woman's home life. She'd always assumed that the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, the most powerful corporation in Remnant, would want for nothing her entire life.

She was very wrong.

"It shouldn't be too much farther now." Blue eyes scanned the horizon, picking out the distinct jutting of the cliff in the distance that served as their only landmark. "A quick rest and we'll be on our way."

"We're close enough now," she said, bracing against the sharp look leveled at her. "If you go on ahead-"

"Blake Belladonna, so help me Maidens, I will find a way to glyph your mouth shut if you make that suggestion one more time." Weiss scowled, glancing at the cliff briefly. "We began this mission together and we will end it together. I'll not have it said that I left- that I left a teammate behind. Am I clear?"

Well, that went about as well as every other attempt to make the suggestion, so she couldn't even feign surprise. Instead, she leaned her head back against the tree and sighed, eyes closing as she tried to mentally work out whether reaching the rendezvous point was even feasible, considering their condition.

"Blake." She opened one eye to see the woman as she took a step forward, crouching down until they were on eye level with each other. The Faunus could see something glinting in her teammate's eyes, words she wanted to say but wouldn't. "How's your leg?"

That wasn't it but they both silently agreed to pretend like it was. "Still hurts, but I guess that's a good thing."

Carefully, Weiss checked the splint and the bandages- thankfully, she'd somehow avoided a compound fracture, but she probably wouldn't be able to move around without the aid of a crutch or cane for a week at best- and stood, nodding to herself.

The whole while the Faunus watched, she could feel the sour tint to her mood worsen. Even if she wasn't in the best condition following their run-in with the lats batch of Grimm, she could plainly see the cuts and scrapes along Weiss' skin that she'd purposefully held back her aura from healing. They were both running low on energy and strength and the fact she couldn't return the favor, ensure the woman's wounds were as inconsequential as she suggested, burned her.

Reciprocity, it turned out, proved to be the foundations of their bond as teammates and friends. The more Blake spoke of the early days of the White Fang, of the mines and the camps, of leaving Menagerie and joining Adam, of rejecting his methods and her struggle to survive until Beacon, the more she learned about the Schnee heiress, the perfect princess who grew up in an expansive, cold castle with nothing more than impossible goals to keep her company, facing down tests and trials of her own. Because if the man who currently sat at the head of such a corrupt company could be so cold and cruel to an entire people for the sake of his pocketbook, what really made anyone think he would be kind to his own flesh and blood? But she never tried to compare or liken her childhood to the plight of the Faunus- she'd learned her lesson in that regard. A difficult childhood, she'd said, produced a difficult child, but she aimed to 'grow up' and thanks Blake for her help in that matter. But it went both ways; even if most humans at Beacon didn't outright discriminate against Faunus, few stood against it vocally or visibly the way Weiss started to towards the end of that first year. She seemed determined to go out on her terms, if she ended up not being able to return to Beacon at all.

When Weiss was cut off from the family accounts during that first tournament, the entire team thought things might change dramatically. After all, what would the woman do without the one constant she'd had her whole life? And the ultimatum that followed didn't bolster their confidence any, especially after seeing how abrasive Winter- eldest of the Schnee children- could be normally. But they'd underestimated just how stubborn Weiss could be and how much she emulated her elder sister, who diverted from their father's path and found her own way in the world. After the break following their first year, Weiss returned to the school grounds with just a single suitcase and her sword. No more cold mansion, no more demanding father, and no more money, but Blake vividly recalled the smile on the woman's face when she'd seen her teammates and proudly announced herself entirely divested of the title 'heiress'.

They'd spent that second year bonding even further as a team, growing closer on missions and while trying to stay awake during classes, bent over homework or cleaning their respective weapons. Free of the burden of her family's name, Weiss blossomed into a much kinder- if still blunt and occasionally narrow minded- person. Likewise, the Faunus liked to think that, without the weight of hiding her past and heritage from her closest friends, she'd become more open with them, less inclined to deflect or hide away what she felt and thought.

Of course... that didn't quite apply to everything.

"Blake?" She looked up as Weiss hurried over- well, nearly stumbled would be more apt. "Are you alright? Have you lost too much blood?"

"No?" She raised a brow. "Why do you ask?"

"You're sitting there with a broken leg and a smile; I'm fairly certain those two things are mutually exclusive in all but cases of severe blood loss," the woman replied, a worried crease to your brow.

Now that she'd mentioned it, the pain had lessened, either from her brain blocking out the nerve signals or numbness. She couldn't be sure which. "I was just thinking of a happy memory. No cause for alarm."

With suspicion shining brightly in her eyes, Weiss shook her head. "We need to get moving again. You need the medical attention."

She wanted to argue some more, maybe bait the woman into a rant, but it would do neither of them any good at this point. Especially with Myrtenaster's tip pointed at the ground, a familiar glyph appearing a few short feet away. In a flash of light, Weiss' summoned knight appeared, kneeling down to acknowledge the woman before turning its sights on Blake.

"Weiss?" Although an extremely useful skill in battle, the summoning of former enemies was still a new aspect to Weiss' fighting style, having only truly manifested towards the end of last year. That didn't make it any easier to accept the ten foot tall, gleaming white knight that stood and walked over to the tree, kneeling beside her. The pinpricks of blue set deep into the visor always worried her, because the light there seemed more than just a projection, as if it was... alive, in a way.

"We were too far away before; I wasn't sure I could maintain the summon." The knight reached out with its unoccupied hand while Weiss came around to help her move into leaning against the summon's arm. "This should make the remainder of the trip much quicker."

Amber eyes darted to the sky, beginning to tinge orange with the setting sun. "Good idea."

Seated in the crook of the knight's elbow and pulled tight against its chest, Blake grabbed onto its breastplate and it stood and turned, heading towards the cliffs with Weiss trailing behind them. Despite the knight's cumbersome size, it could move at a surprisingly quick pace, the looming cliffside drawing closer with every step.

Unfortunately, this meant the Faunus couldn't see Weiss, nor could she heard the woman's softer gait over the knight's heavy tread.

Blake bit her lip, debating on calling out to ask for her teammate to walk beside the summon or in front- somewhere the Faunus could see or hear her moving. It would be foolish, though; Weiss and her summons always shared a bond, moving as if they were one entity. Without the knight setting the pace, they wouldn't move as quickly, and she could imagine every point and counterpoint to exist in that impending argument, which she would lose simply because she couldn't think of nearly as good a reason to request the change as the truth, which she couldn't say, either.

Surreal as it seemed, Weiss wasn't the cold, spoiled brat she appeared to be when they first met three years ago, and she wasn't the same jaded Faunus, either. They'd grown together, relearned how to trust, and while their respective partners were big factors in that development, it didn't deepen the bonds the partners shared quite as much as between the former ideological enemies. When Blake wanted to unwind with a book, she could count on Yang to try and coax her out into the city- a park somewhere, which would be outdoors enough for the blonde but not as quiet as the Faunus preferred- on Ruby to try and either get invested in the book as well or leave her to her own devices, and Weiss to exist in the same space without making too much noise and engrossed in her own quiet task. Coexisting with the woman, after their initial unpleasantness subsided, was easy as breathing, and they shared many interests if not the same taste.

Lately, Blake had started wondering if, perhaps, there was a reason for that. Her mother asking if anyone caught her eye during her days at Beacon probably contributed to the thought that maybe... well, Weiss was intelligent, with a quick wit and a sharp tongue, and while her outlook on several issues had changed and evolved over time, her core beliefs remained as solid as ever. Graceful when she fought, thoughtful in her interactions, able to switch between a cool placid lake and a fiery volcano in the blink of an eye, and just...

The Faunus sighed, slumping slightly against the knight's arm. She quite possibly had developed a bit of a crush on the woman in the past several months. There really existed no better explanation for why she got so excited about a simple partner swap assignment in the Emerald Forest, or why she'd gotten surprised by the King Taijitu in the first place- she'd gotten distracted, watching as Weiss wove her way through the four lunging heads and slicing into them with the same ease as one might cut through butter wielding a hot knife, making the whole battle seem like a dance. Even tired, dirty, and drained, Weiss looked stunning, poetry in motion- she'd never seen anything half as beautiful.

Suddenly, the knight shifted, the hand holding its longsword switching to a backwards grip and allowing the tip to drag through the dirt.

"Weiss?"

"Just... marking the path." She could hear the slightly breathless quality to the woman's voice, as if the exertion of the day was finally catching up to her. "That bed might become a hot spot next time. Easier to find this way."

Reluctantly accepting the explanation- she had seen Weiss summoning the odd glyph now and then earlier, and summoning more glyphs would likely break her concentration- Blake settled back against the summon's arm, noting those pinpricks of blue light watching her for a moment before looking forward again. Honestly, aside from the strange sensation of the... light... that constituted the knight's physical form pressing against her, like electricity barely contained behind glass, she might be able to fall asleep to its gentle and steady pace. Everything hurt, a dull throb that radiated from her leg and seemed to bounce around every joint, calling her to sleep- she might've even drifted off, briefly, but found herself startled wide awake when the knight's stride faltered.

It caught itself and kept going, dragging its sword and carrying her without difficulty, yet she could sense something was wrong. It didn't feel the same as before, as if the energy was fading, and a glance up proved that little flakes of the summon were breaking off and drifting away, disappearing into nothingness. She'd seen enough of Weiss' summoned allies disperse to realize the knight wouldn't remain a physical construct much longer, but rather than be concerned by her impending fall, she called out.

"Weiss?" She struggled, trying to get a grip on the smooth white armor to no avail, unable to turn her hips enough to use her good leg for leverage. "Weiss?" No answer came from behind the knight as it started to stagger. "Weiss!"

"Blake!" She turned, catching sight of the rendezvous point and several of her classmates standing around, waiting for the missing members of their teams to return. Of their number, she could pick out Yang and Ruby easily, running towards her in the orange glow of the setting sun. Her partner was the one to call out, a wide smile on her lips that could be seen even from the several meters between them as the summon staggered out of the brush. "You okay?"

"Weiss is hurt!" She yelled out, trying to motion around the knight's bulky frame. "Keep going! Find her!"

Yang slowed down, brow furrowing in confusion, but Ruby heard loud and clear, turning into a red blur as she raced past the collapsing summon to find their missing teammate. The knight had the presence to kneel down, extending its arm so she could be transferred to Yang before more of it broke off, turning into little white specks. The blonde grunted when her shoulder collided with the woman's chest a bit more forcefully than any of them intended, but she managed to keep from hitting the splint when she curled her arms up, taking the Faunus' weight away from the summon as it dispersed entirely.

"Whoa, Blakey, you two have a rough time or what?" Worried lilac eyes looked her up and down before the brawler turned on heel, marching back to where the others stood, confusion turning to startled shouts for medical attention.

"Yang, we have to go back, Weiss is out there-" Once again, Blake tried worming her way out of the arms holding her, but she simply lacked the strength at this point.

"Ruby'll find her." Four people rushed past, looking to follow the line left by the knight's sword. "And Team JNPR will bring them back, safe and sound. They've got this and you're in no condition to go yourself."

"Yang!"

"Blake!" The blonde smirked. "See? I can do that, too."

"This isn't funny." She growled, tempted to try finding just a little bit of leverage- she couldn't overpower her partner, but she could out maneuver her nine times out of ten- but the teachers rushing over effectively killed that plan. Outmaneuvering Yang might be easy in comparison, even with a broken leg, but outrunning Doctor Oobleck was out of the question.

"Hey," her partner said, waiting for amber to meet lilac before she continued. "I know, alright? But you know as well as I do that if you aren't on your way to the infirmary by the time they bring her back, none of us will hear the end of it for years." Her lips quirked up into a small grin. "She wanted to make sure you got back safe, so when we bring her back, you can be the one to give her an earful, deal?"

Blake fought the impulse to argue further, bow crinkling once again as her ears laid back in frustration. "Deal."

With that, she stopped struggling, hoping they would find the woman passed out along the trail they've carved and bring her back, sore but no worse for wear.

If something happened to Weiss while she was out there... she'd never forgive herself.

Laying in the infirmary with her leg set up in a proper cast was the purest form of torture she'd ever known. No scroll to distract her, no news from her team, drugs to help her aura recover so the bone would heal quicker robbing her of focus and entirely coherent thought- she could've laid there for days, staring blankly at the ceiling without noticing the time. Luckily, she heard the click of the door, her head lolling so she could look in the direction of the sound. To her immense relief, the first person through the door was Yang, both hands wrapped around the handles of a stretcher.

"Hey, Blakey. Brought you a present."

The Faunus pushed herself up, sluggishly rising just enough to watch as the sisters entered the room with Weiss on a stretcher between them, looking far too still and pale, despite the dirt and grime on her face. "Is she-"

"Oh, she's just sleeping really hard." Their team leader piped up, obviously just as relieved as Blake. "Total aura depletion can really take it out of a person and they also had some emergency medicine down at the rendezvous."

"Both of you will be out of commission for a while." The blonde continued, giving a wordless count off before the sisters lowered their teammate in tandem. "You for the leg and her for the drugs to wear off." With her burden deposited, Yang turned and looked at her partner, hands on her hips and head cocking to the side. "Must be a helluva fight for both of you to be in this condition."

Threaded between the words lay half a dozen unspoken fears as the brawler did everything in her power not to come off as the mother hen she could be at any given moment. The woman had a big heart and cared deeply for her teammates, so Blake consciously opted to not make light of her concern. "We'll tell you the story when she wakes up. I... made a few mistakes, and it cost us."

"It happens to everyone," Ruby said, offering an encouraging smile. "I'm sure it was just a fluke! No reason to beat yourself up about it."

The Faunus chuckled. "Isn't that more of a Weiss thing?"

"I think it's very much a 'you two' thing." The blonde looked back at her sister. "Wanna help me transfer her to the bed."

The younger of the duo looked down at her partners legs, a frown on her lips. "Uh... where do I... grab?"

"Don't worry about it, was just askin' anyway." Yang knelt down. "Say, how about you head down to the cafeteria and grab them some real food? They'll both need it."

"Ice cream and cookies, got it!" The team leader joked, rushing over to Blake's bedside to throw her arms around her slightly larger frame. "I'm glad you're both okay."

"Thanks, Ruby," she replied, returning the hug with one arm before letting the younger woman head out, closing the door behind her while Yang scooped their teammate into her arms and put her on the bed, finding an extra blanket to tuck her in with before turning lilac eyes towards the Faunus. Before she could really think about it, the words left her tongue. "I'm sorry-"

"Are you apologizing to me or her?" The blonde sighed, shaking her head and crossing the room. "Blake, look, we're all just glad you're okay, and you're crazy if you think Weiss won't agree with that."

"But she's the one lying there unconscious-"

"And you have your leg in a cast." Yang waved a hand, dismissing her next argument. "Look, we can nitpick this to death or we can just agree- both of you need to talk, and the sooner the better." The only person she could possibly entrust with such a secret as her confusing, growing feelings for Weiss was her partner, and the blonde had obviously seen straight through the entire situation without an explanation at all. "I know Frosty over here would go to the ends of Remnant for any one of us, but she went above and beyond for you, Blake. I really think that means something."

"We didn't have much of a choice." She looked away, a blush rising in her cheeks as it always did whenever they actually talked about it. Having a crush was bad, having a more-than-likely unrequited crush was worse, but compounding that was having a best friend who seemed intent on getting to the bottom of it all. "She wouldn't leave me there-"

"And she had half a vial left of red dust." One brow raised up. "Why didn't you two just hole up for a bit? She could've set an acre on fire with a flick of her wrist, and there's nothing in the Emerald Forest capable of doing that so quickly." She paused, grimacing. "At least, nothing that wouldn't take half of us to bring down. Everyone would've known to converge on the smoke, anyway."

Blake blinked slowly, her mouth hanging open just a little. "We... didn't even think about that."

With a sigh, Yang sat down on the edge of her bed and gave her a pointed look. "You honestly think little Miss 'I-am-always-prepared-for-everything' Weiss, Miss 'here's-a-specially-design-magazine-with-special-dust-infused-rounds' Weiss, Miss 'I-read-an-article-six-years-ago-on-Vacuon-binding-practices' Weiss, Miss 'I-ace-every-test-without-studying-but-study-anyway-with-color-coded-notes' Weiss, didn't think about a signal fire?"

"Well... I didn't think about it." She muttered, slumping back against the bed.

"Nah, of course not; knowing you, you told her to go on without you and get help, right?" The blonde chuckled, reaching over to untie the bow binding her ears, giving the right one a playful flick. "And she said nuts to that and insisted she have her knight carry you back, and you were in too much pain to really argue like you usually do. Am I right?"

Blake frowned, her ears drooping in tandem. "She carried me, actually. Until she couldn't anymore."

"Whoa, no wonder she's exhausted." She shrugged. "Point still stands, Blakey. You two are more complex than Crescent Rose, but it doesn't take Ruby to figure out how each of you operates. Weiss definitely thought of a signal fire, and then decided she couldn't just sit and wait for someone to come. It would've driven her insane being so helpless with you in pain."

Biting her lip briefly, the Faunus looked up at her partner, not giving her request half as much thought as it deserved before she spoke, still too loopy from the medicine to properly censor herself. "Yang... could you..." Amber eyes flicked towards Weiss' bed. "Please?"

"Say no more." The blonde got up, grabbing two chairs from the corner of the room and dragging them over to their teammate's bedside, setting them up across from each other and parallel to the bed itself. She then came back and, with a little clumsy help, picked up Blake and carried her over to the chairs, ensuring the cast got propped up.

Honestly, the chair was uncomfortable on her lower back, but she managed to smile rather than grimace at her best friend. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now, I think I'll go see what's keeping Ruby." She started towards the door, throwing a wink over her shoulder. "Ya know, make sure it takes double, that sorta stuff. Keep an eye on Frosty for us, won't ya, Blakey?"

With a fond shake of her head, she waved her friend off, leaning back in the chair and sighing. Amber eyes traced up and down Weiss' body, her vision slightly blurry but at least clear enough for her to make out the steady rise and fall of her chest, which mollified the Faunus a little. She could already imagine how cross the woman would be when she woke up and saw Blake out of bed but, well, some things were more important, she thought, a small smile on her lips.

"I can't believe you sometimes," she said, her voice soft. "One minute, you're on the rest of us about taking care of ourselves, eating properly, going to bed at a decent hour, studying... and then the next, you're throwing yourself into the first danger to rear its head." Her gaze slid up, landing on her teammates face, peaceful in slumber despite it not being a natural one. "Sometimes, I ask myself why- why you do it, why you keep doing it, why you won't let one of us share that burden. You're so selfless." A sigh escaped her then, gaze dropping with her shoulders and ears. "I've always admired that about you. I wish I'd told you that sooner. Or... at all." She looked away, as if that would somehow hide the blush rising to her cheeks, doubly ineffective since the only other person in the room happened to be unconscious. "Listen to me- I sound like this is one of those dramatic, near death scenes in my books, where the whole chapter makes you fear the worst... but you'll be good as new in a few days. If that, knowing you."

A low grunt caught her attention, ear flicking towards the sound before she looked back up, breath catching in her throat. Weiss had flinched in her sleep, her brow furrowed in some unknown emotion and tension running through her frame, breathing coming quicker. Blake had seen this before, though rarely; one of the woman's nightmares had taken hold, dragging her through some unknown, unpleasant place that usually ended with her sitting bolt upright in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Right now, though, Weiss needed to sleep and recoup her energy, so the Faunus reached out, searching under the covers until she could find her teammate's hand, clasping it in hers.

"Weiss, listen to me. You're safe, you're okay." She reached out with her left hand, cupping the woman's cheek. Twisting around so her leg remained on the other chair wasn't exactly comfortable but, at this point, she could honestly care less about her personal comfort. "Wherever you think you are, you're not there. Go somewhere happier. You're safe here, with me."

Blake waited, hoping she could get through; usually, she awoke to the sounds of her teammate's erratic breathing and flinching, remaining in her bed until she heard the woman wake up and go to the bathroom to splash water on her face. Then, she'd pretend she woke up to the noise of someone leaving the room, ask if Weiss was alright, and if she needed anything. The response she always got was a tight lipped smile and a 'I'm fine' before they'd both return to bed. She always kicked herself, wishing she would actually go and wake the woman up, but then she'd open herself up to the inevitable questions- did she always wake up, why didn't she say anything, it wasn't intentional- and the anxiety kept her listening during those infrequent nights when the shadows lurking in Weiss' mind got the better of her.

Eventually, the woman's breathing evened out, the crease to her brow fading back into a peaceful expression. The Faunus let out a sigh of relief, though she couldn't find it within herself to draw away just yet.

"You know, if this was one of my books... this would definitely be the part where I kiss you." A chuckle slipped passed her lips, the absurdity of the sentence striking her. Not that it wasn't true, of course, but rather because she'd never actually manage to say something so ridiculously sappy to Weiss. Despite her love of romance novels- and 'romance' novels- her ability to be romantic was often hindered by a fierce blush and an inability to think coherently when she needed to most. "It'd take away the nightmares and you'd wake up, eyelids fluttering as you sat up, strong as before and free. Or so the stories go. True love's kiss is pretty powerful, they say."

"Given how awful I feel, I'd be willing to try it." Blake's shoulders jumped, her gaze snapping to the woman's face as a small grin lifted one side of her mouth. "Not sure about the sitting up part, though. The kiss would have to be quite exceptional-"

"You heard all that?" She cringed, realizing a second too late how dumb the question was, all things considered. "I mean, I can explain-"

"Blake?" Apparently summoning all her strength, Weiss opened her eyes, blue orbs meet her gaze for a brief moment. "You utter dolt. If you're about to take all that back, you might as well start hobbling away now." That seemed to be the extent of her recovered strength, though, as her eyes closed again and she let out a sigh. "Did the knight make it back? I... can't remember..."

"Yeah, it did." Risking the lecture that would follow were she caught, the Faunus pulled her broken leg off the other chair so she could turn and look at the woman more comfortably. "You got me back to the rendezvous point."

"Good." A few deep, long breaths followed, and she almost thought the woman had fallen back asleep until she spoke again. "So... this true love's kiss... I hear there's different types of love. Platonic, familial... romantic." The hand still clasped in hers twitched slightly, fingers curling around hers on the last word. "If this was one of your books, which type of kiss would this be?"

Blake froze, many words trapped in her throat while she remained entirely unsure of which words, exactly, they were. It... it really couldn't be, could it? That Yang was right, that Weiss returned her feelings, that they might actually have a chance- her silly crush was just that, wasn't it?

"Well, if... if it were up to me," she said, the poor attempt at stalling followed by her clearing her throat. "If it were up to me, I'd say... romantic."

Weiss squeezed her hand, her grin broadening into a full fledged smile. "Good. We're on the same page, then." She cracked one eye open. "I think that's a pretty important part of the kiss working."

"It is."

"Then, what are you waiting for?" Her eye closed again, voice becoming thick as sleep called her back to the depths. "I don't bite."

"Shame," she replied, thankful that Weiss couldn't see her in that exact moment as a blush lit up her cheeks.

"Well, I'm always open to learning new tricks."

Shaking her head, Blake carefully lifted herself out of the chair and leaned over, brushing their lips together in a soft kiss. When she drew back, mindful to keep her weight off her right leg, the Faunus could honestly say she felt lighter than ever, a smile spreading across her face. "I can't believe you carried me five clicks until you literally passed out from exhaustion for a kiss. I can't imagine what you'll do for a date."

"I'll fight to stay awake." Weiss cracked her eyes open again, a faint flush rising in her cheeks. "At this point, that seems to be a nigh insurmountable task."

"I'd rather you rest for now." Noting that Yang had accidentally- or, perhaps, very intentionally- placed the woman more to one side of the bed than the center, she hobbled around to the other side and laid down, careful to put her injured leg down on the bed gently. She'd prefer laying with the cast on the outside of them but, considering her teammate- girlfriend?- could hardly move, this seemed like the more pragmatic answer. "We can discuss heroic deeds and wooing once we can both move around without assistance."

"Sounds reasonable."

She couldn't be sure if the words were a last ditch effort at remaining conscious or an acquiescence, but Weiss slipped back into slumber a moment later, their shoulders just barely touching. A kiss and closeness while they convalesced- it wasn't much but, after how far they'd come, it felt wonderful knowing they still had much further to go, and Blake closed her eyes and slipped into a peaceful slumber.

#Monochrome #Monochrome Monday #TRR writes

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