Leigh Miller Writes

A collection of writing, fandom, and occasional witchery.

[johannestevans]

Monstrous May 2023 - Post Headers

It's the Monstrous May Challenge 2023!

I started Monstrous May as a prompt challenge in 2021, and this is the third year! There's a bit more focus this year on monsterfuckery, but feel free to skip days, alternatively interpret days, or just do different things with them if that suits you.

Here are creator prompts for every day of the month of May from the 1st through to the 31st - if you're a writer, an artist, a graphic editor, a headcanoner, a creator of any kind, please come along for the ride and make some monsters with us!

Fan creations are welcome if that's your poison, and erotic and adult creations are encouraged and celebrated, but there's no obligation if you prefer to create more general work.

Whatever wonders you have to share with the world, just tag your posts with #MonstrousMay on your favourite platforms, and make sure to reblog and to boost your favourites, and comment and spread the love!

Have some questions? Here's the FAQ from 2021. Otherwise, feel free to reply with any questions or HMU with more of them!

Want to see prompts from previous years?

Here's 2021.

Here's 2022.

Below the cut are header images for each of the days of the month of Monstrous May - because of Tumblr's 30 image per post limit, I'm gonna put all the ones that will fit, and then I'll put the last few on a reblog!

Feel free to use these header images for your own posts here on Tumblr, on Twitter, on whatever Twitter replacement you use, on Insta, etc. I know some people like to make their own or not use headers at all, but I know some people would like them and that not everyone is a dab hand with editing software, so they're here to use if you want them!

Remember to include image descriptions if you can for blind and low vision users of whatever platform you're on!

And again, reminder that I'm at the image limit, so check the reblogs for the other three days' header.

[zeenmrala]

blossoming romance writing prompts:

accidental hand touching

eye contact across a crowded room

exchanging secret smiles

first conversations alone

admiring them from afar

asking them about their family

visiting them at their place of work

discovering common interests

exchanging gifts for the first time

a surprise encounter

picking a leaf/flower petal out of their hair, or brushing dirt off of their face

nervous embarrassment around them (blushing, fidgeting etc)

complimenting their appearance

looking at their lips as they talk

finding excuses to be alone with each other

naturally gravitating closer together

noticing their individual quirks

hello/goodbye hugs that linger

talking late into the night

clumsy attempts at flirting

sharing long term dreams, goals and aspirations with one another

playful teasing

being unable to keep their eyes off of them

attempting to find out if they are single/available

finding comfort in their scent

creating art inspired by them

sharing an umbrella in the rain, or a coat/blanket in the cold

surprising them with their favourite treat

visiting their home for the first time

confiding in them

[ogdoadfates]

Fanfic Prompts: Bittersweet

For both romantic and platonic ships! Bittersweet is one of my fav categories~

 “We aren’t blood related but you’re the most important family member of mine, you know that right?”

“Can you stay with me just a little longer?”

“I’m doomed to be lonely for the majority of my life, but I’m glad we’ve made the memories we have”

“It’s going to be a long road but I’m content.”

“How about one last adventure?”

“I know we didn’t talk much but either way I just want you to know, you were a big part of my life and I’m thankful for every second we got to spend together.”

“Can you stay up with me?”

“Can you just please listen to me! Just this once. Please.”

“We won’t grow old together will we?” “No, but we made memories that’ll outlive even us.”

“You’re only a memory to me now, but you’re my most cherished memory.”

Bringing the other out to watch the stars on a sad anniversary

Helping the other stop people pleasing because it’s destroying them. 

Happy hangout/date that turns sour due to one of them having a medical emergency.

Staying up late to finally see the other who’s been over workings and falling asleep before they come home, they only getting home way later then expected and just seeing the other asleep with food wrapped up waiting for them.

Watching the other try to power through a event but their slowly cracking under the pressure, being unable to help them till after.

“Some day the world will forget us, yet I find myself oddly content.”

Helping the other through a bad day but it’s slowly breaking you down as well till they notice.

[promptful]

Best Friends to Lovers Things:

big boi.

WARNINGS: Mentioned death.

Seeing them in a different way after a long time apart. 

Lingering looks.

Bed sharing, but only platonically. (Regretfully). 

Inside jokes. 

Late night [texts] 

Smiles that hurt. 

Always being each other’s +1 to any event. 

Forced proximity, that wouldn’t be such a problem if things weren’t changing between the two of you. 

Home cooked meals, made special by the other. 

Walking each other home from work. 

Falling asleep on the couch, intertwined. 

Fake-dating; either because you have to, (friends, family, a wedding, job) or because you two made an agreement when you were younger to get married. 

Having to vet the other’s SOs. 

Soft touches. A brush on the shoulder, across the waist, through the hair. 

Everyone knowing that, oh, it’s those two. 

People asking where’s the other if only one is present. 

Minted keys to each other’s apartment. 

^ (Bonus if it’s the only copy). 

Sleepovers because you're sick and they don’t want to leave.

Their parents always asking how you’re doing, and yours asking about them. 

Bets on your relationship. 

That kind of laughter that ends up like squeaking because you can’t hold it in anymore. 

Confessing your love in the worst ways. (In the middle of an argument, while in danger, in a drunken stupor, simply because you’re tired.) 

Using them as a seat, because that’s what you’re used to. 

Slow dancing. Totally platonic. 

Prom with one another. 

Spending sad anniversaries on the couch with buckets of chocolate, their arms curled around your shoulders. 

They only trust you with their problems. 

And you only have them to cry on. 

“Goodnight” and “Goodmorning” texts. 

“Did you get home safe?” texts. 

“If anything ever happens to you, call me.” 

Self-sacrificing behavior because neither of you can live without the other. 

Chiding the other while patching them up, inches away from their lips. 

When they throw themselves into danger, you’re there to pull them out. 

“Can’t sleep, come over?” 

Movie marathons. 

Hiding each other whenever you’re not supposed to be in their room, giggling.

“I can’t imagine being with anyone but you.” 

Petty jealousy. 

“Where are you?” 

Always sitting by each other in [school]. 

Fixing each other’s clothing; ESPECIALLY tying their ties, fingers brushing against their sternum. 

“I’ve wanted this forever.” 

Them being the only person who notices the small changes you make to either your appearance or house. 

Emergency contacts. 

Sleep-deprived nights because the other’s in the hospital. 

Platonic love proclamations, until they're not. 

An accidental kiss to the cheek that leaves both of you stunned. 

“I can’t keep going without telling you how I feel.” 

That awkward phase after you start dating where everything is new and you really don’t want to mess it up. 

“It’s just me.” 

The whole exaggeration about their dating. (E;g, we’ve been dating since I’ve known them.) 

“I didn’t know you loved me.” “I didn’t know you loved me.” 

Semi-protective behavior. 

Knuckle kisses that get progressively longer. 

Dreams shared in the darkness.

Working together—which means no productivity, basically. 

Playful arguments. 

Being able to resolve actual arguments because they both value the friendship too much.

“Take the bed.” “Not without you.” 

Stargazing, your head on their shoulder. 

Being there when things go bad with each other’s families. 

The “do you want to talk?” with pinched eyebrows. 

Knowing the exact shade of each other’s eyes from memory. 

Coffee trips in the middle of the day. 

Dropped off lunches. 

Random midnight snack runs. 

Nighttime road trips. 

A shared music taste and a bass that rocks the car, windows down. 

“Don’t replace me… please. I can’t lose you, too.” 

Straight-faced covering for them, even while they sneak out the backdoor behind you. 

Mutual shenanigans despite the consequences of said shenanigans. 

“Hey, what if we—” “No.” 

That first kiss that’s a tentative touch, then turns into a fervorous kiss, hands on shoulders, jaws, cheeks, squeezing their sides. 

Wanting to take their relationship slow. 

Each milestone meaning more than the last. 

Soft singing to put one another to sleep—perhaps a song that they’ve sang since childhood. 

Being ready to drop everything to go help them no matter what. 

Smiling when thinking about them [and being called out on it]. 

Objects that you have to get for them.

Board Game competition. 

Zipping up their dress, or tying their tie and fixing their cufflinks. 

Secret languages. 

“What are we?” “What do you want us to be?” 

Standing in front of them on the [train]. 

Memories that you can’t forget. 

Growing old with one another. 

Kids who they can’t decide which looks like who. 

The most outlandish anniversaries you can think of. 

“Happy That Time We Almost Died For the Second Time!” 

Communicating through simple expressions. 

And finally, the ability to trust utmost in one another. 

[thelonelyempath-deactivated2025]

Noticing Trauma Prompts

1. “Who did this to you?”

2. “You don’t have to tell me what happened if you don’t want to, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

3. “I heard you screaming.  Are you okay?”

4. “Would you like a hug?”

5. “You do this thing with your hands when you get nervous.  Why?”

6. “That’s it, baby.  Just breathe.  In and out.”

7. “You’re safe.  I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

8. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

9. “You don’t deserve to be hurt like that.”

10. “I’m here to listen if you ever need to talk.”

11. “I can’t make the pain go away.  But I can at least try to make it more bearable for you.”

12. “Did something happen to you that I don’t know about?”

13. “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to trigger anything.”

14. “Talk to me.  What’s wrong?”

15. “Hey.  You know I love you, right?”

16. “I know it hurts, but you’ll get through it.  I promise.”

17. “It seems like that really rattled you.”

18. “Look at me, darling.  You’re gonna be okay.”

19. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

20. “You’re right.  I don’t understand.  I may never fully understand what you’re going through.  But please let me help you get through this.”

21. “How often does this happen?”

22. “Would you feel more comfortable talking about it if I turned around?”

23. “Don’t focus on them.  Just focus on me.”

24. “I know how strong you are.  I need you to be strong for me.”

25. “It upset you, didn’t it?”

26. “It’s okay.  I won’t hurt you.”

27. “You’re always safe with me, love.”

28. “Nightmares again?”

29. “Do you want to talk about it?”

30. “I’m not gonna make you do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

31. “You’ve been through a lot.  Too much.”

32. “I’m here.  You’re safe.”

33. “I’m gonna find the fucker that hurt you and reduce them to the sorry son of a bitch they are.”

34. “No one’s ever gonna hurt you again.  Not as long as I’m around.”

35. “I’ll stay as long as you need.”

36. “No one’s asking you to get over this immediately.  Take your time and heal.”

37. “Your health, safety, and wellbeing take precedence over everything else.”

38. “You’re doing great.  I’m proud of you.”

39. “It’s in the past.  It can’t hurt you anymore.”

40. “I wish I had a time machine so I can go back and stop that from happening.”

[lyralit]

"the wheel of feels"

[jasminesfury-deactivated2024090]

first kiss prompts <3

feel free to use! tag me if you do

“FINALLY WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG”

“i’m so so sorry oh my god i should definitely not have done i’m so so sorry i-“ “name” “if you don’t even want to talk to me again i get i-“ “name” “i’m just so-” *pulls them by their shirt and kisses them again and the other character is like oh OH”

whispering “can i kiss you?” and the other character nodding vigorously

“that was..that was sudden” “yeah um..”

“i realise that i am clearly irresistible but..why did you choose to act on all the flirting now” “i…you look hot with that hair/your glasses on/ some other feature what can i say”

“wanna do it again?”

“should we like. talk about it” “aboutwhatnothingweirdhashappenedlatelywhathahaha- “ oh really? let me see if i can jog your memory”

“you’re..extremely red” “shut up” “like actually vermillion” “go to hell”

“are we about to kiss right now” as a joke, but then the other character actually leans in

“look since the events of last night i can safely say that i have discovered multiple new techniques to shut you up, and i am not afraid to use them”

hand placements jskwkhdjd

“this never happened” “consider it forgotten” proceeds to happen many times after

their friends being like “A and B sitting in a tre-“ “i swear to GOD-“

“i need to test out a theory” “..okay?” “i require your help” “how so” “you need to kiss me”

[creweemmaeec11]

Hero x Villain things the community loves:

Showing up close to death on your enemy's doorstep ("I didn't know where else to go,")

We're obsessed with fingers running through hair or scratching at scalps (we're all just a bunch of touch-starved losers let's be honest)

Only one bed (obviously)

"A hand on the wall to either side of them bracketed them in place," (seriously, read half a dozen snippets and count how many times a variation of this sentence pops up. We're all guilty)

Straddling hips is the most effective way to pin someone down, apparently, (and they can't be face down either, no they have to be facing you; otherwise it's not as effective)

Flirty x Shy

"You're can't flirt with me!" "Why not?" (Because it goes against the moral code of us being enemies but the forbidden nature of it is what makes it so enticing)

We seem to forget firearms exist in favour of daggers and knives (up close and personal. Crimes of passion and all that)

We all seem to agree there is a hero agency that is internally corrupt somehow (This mysterious hero agency pops up in the background of nearly all our snippets occasionally)

Hurt & Comfort

Sly, suave, cool, collected villains > Angry, impulsive, violent villains

Proper police procedures/protocols? Never heard of her

Forced proximity with your enemy (Always a wonderful addition to any situation)

Heros or heroes? Nobody knows

Secrets being revealed. We love secrets, and we love their reveals even more.

The best way to keep an eye on your enemy is to date them. Obviously.

Did I miss any guys?

[thelonelyempath-deactivated2025]

Nightmare Prompts

"Hey, you okay?"

2. "You were hyperventilating in your sleep."

3. "Do you want to talk about it?"

4. "Breathe, baby. It's okay."

5. "Scoot over. I'm staying with you tonight."

6. "I'm right here. You're safe."

7. "It was just a dream, honey. It wasn't real."

8. "You have these a lot, don't you?"

9. "Shh. Go back to sleep, darling."

10. "As your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner, it's my duty to cuddle you back to sleep when you have a nightmare. Come here so I can do that."

11. "Stay. Just until I fall asleep."

12. "Please don't leave me." "Never, sweetheart."

13. "Are you sure you're okay? You're sweating."

14. "Were you having a nightmare, darling?"

15. "It's over. You're safe now. I've got you."

16. "Look at me. I'm real. Hold my hand if you need proof. I'm real and your dream wasn't."

17. "Nothing can hurt you when I'm here."

18. "You were screaming so loud I bet the neighbors think you were being murdered."

19. "Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

20. "Don't worry, love. I won't let them hurt you."

21. "Just let me hold you for a minute."

22. "Close your eyes. Listen to the sound of my voice."

23. "Darling, you are shaking."

24. "Open your eyes, baby."

25. "I'm sorry I woke you up." "No, don't apologize, honey. I had to make sure you were okay."

26. "I know it scared you. But it's over now."

27. "Deep breaths, love. Just like that."

28. "I can wait until you're ready to talk about it."

29. "What made it so scary?"

30. "Do you want me to get you some water?"

[jasminesfury-deactivated2024090]

flirty enemies to lovers prompts

first post?? ahhh

cw: suggestive, cursing (?)

• first, the classic: heated arguments turning into make out sessions

• in addition^ A and B making out while just randomly insulting each other like “i hate you so much” “you’re the worst person on the face of this earth” “you suck” “you suck more” “literally want to kill you” “already planning your murder” in between kisses

• “you’re lucky you’re cute otherwise you would be six feet under right now” “you think i’m cute”

• “so you know how i’m like-“ “absolutely embarrassingly in love with me? yes i’m familiar go on” “can you take anything seriously?”

• A and B keep trying to hide that they’re dating and then they just get caught and no one is surprised in fact even their superiors are like “yeah…? we knew already what’s new”

• character A saying something flirty leaving B just a blushing mess and then waking away and B screams “asshole” and A responds “you love it” while walking away

• A’s roommate: “two weeks ago you gave me an entire monologue about how you hated B and now they’re in sleeping in your bed?? what the fuck is going on”

- honestly just so much stuff with roommates like.

• B’s roommate entering their washroom (while B is in the shower) and yelling over the water “HEY B DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY SHAMPOO IS I CAN’T FIND IT ANYWHERE” “name..” “BECAUSE LIKE I THOUGHT IT WAS HERE BUT I CANT-“ “name im not exactly alone in here…” “huh wha-“ and A popping through the shower curtain with the biggest smile “hey name” “oh OH HI UH i’ll just.. *knocks multiple things over* leave you two.. alone” *knocks more things over* “also i think your shampoo is over there” “ um thanks A um i’ll just-*awkward finger guns*”

• “have you finally realised just how irresistible i am” “oh shut up” and then proceeds to definitely agree

•“do you actually hate me i know we’ve had our differences and stuff but like-“ “name. i’ve never actually hated you”

• “just to be clear- this is a one time thing” “totally agreed. after that we can just forget it ever happened” “yeah..exactly”

feel free to use <3

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Twenty-Fourth Day of Gift-Giving

Twenty-Four Touches

Softly getting hold of the other’s hand, afraid to make a mistake

A casual touch on the shoulder to acknowledge them

Foreheads pressed together, a silent way to say “I’m here”

A gentle hand holding the other’s neck while staring into their eyes

Whispering, lips almost touching the ear

A quick brush of hands, almost unnoticeable

Tracing the other’s lips with their finger

An arm sneaking around a waist, holding them close

Pressing their face into the other’s neck, hiding from the world

A hand in the other’s hair, not quite grabbing it

Sighing into the kiss, melting together at last

A swift kiss to the other’s cheek

Brushing away an unruly lock of hair

A firm handshake, professionally at first, but a second to long

Gently kissing the other’s knuckles

A tender hug, just staying together for a while

Hands rubbing together to warm them up

A firm hand grabbing the other’s elbow to guide them

Feeling for the other’s pules with their lips

A quick kiss on the crown of their hair

Sitting on the other’s lap, being hugged from behind

A slow dance, entangled with each other

Cold feet warming each other up under the blanket

A gentle kiss on the forehead, a sweet goodbye

24 Days of Gift-Giving

[theplottery]

97 character motivations

Need a masterlist of character motivation ideas?

Here’s 97 different character motivations you can use for anything from your hero, side-characters, villain, or even to craft smaller subplots. Save this post for later!

Saving a family member from capture

Saving a sibling from disease

Saving a pet from danger

Saving the world from ruin

Saving a friend from heartbreak

Saving the town from financial ruin

Saving friends from dangerous deadly situations

Saving a love interest from dying

Saving themselves in a dangerous world

Saving a community from falling apart

Saving a child from a potentially dangerous circumstance

Saving a place or location from evil forces

Saving a ghost from limbo

Overcoming a phobia

Overcoming an addiction

Overcoming marital struggles

Moving on from loss

Finding a significant other

Finding a new family (not blood-related)

Finding true biological family

Finding out an old secret

Finding a way home

Reconnecting with long-lost friends

Getting out of a dark state of mind

Finding peace in life

Beating a disease

Beating an arch nemesis

Forming a peaceful community

Transforming a location

Bringing someone back to life

Winning a competition

Going on an adventure

Getting a dream job

Keeping a secret

Escaping a location of capture

Proving a moral point

Proving a political point

Winning a political campaign

Betray someone

Ruin someone’s life

Find a suspect or killer

Find the answer to a mystery

Discover ancient sites & secret histories

Perform a successful ritual

Summon the dead

Save a country from dictatorship

Become the most powerful in a community

Outshine a family member in business success

Prove someone wrong

Win prize money to help someone in need

Get revenge on someone who wronged them

Find the person who wronged them

Develop significant scientific progress

Gain respect from family

Get over an ex-lover

Move on from a painful death

Keep their community alive

Lead their community

Heal people in need

Preserve a species (animal, alien, plant…)

Discover new world

Get recognition for hard work

Become famous

Get rich to prove themselves to people who doubted them

Break a long tradition

Challenge the status quo of a community

Defeat a magical nemesis

Take over a location to rule

Find out truth behind old legends

Help someone get over their struggles

Prove their moral values

Prove their worth to an external party

Become a supernatural creature

Keep something from falling into the wrong hands

Protect the only person they care about

Start a revolution

Invent new technology

Invent a new weapon

Win a war

Fit in with a community

Atone for past sins

Give top-secret information to an enemy as revenge

Kill an ex-lovers current partner

Reinvent themselves

Raise a strong child

Make it to a location in a strict time period

Find faith

Find enlightenment

Find out more about the afterlife

Confess love to a friend

Solve a moral dilemma

Have a child of their own

Avoid being alone

Run away from past struggles

Reinvent themselves as a new person

Impress a colleague or boss

Avoid a fight or war breaking out

[youneedsomeprompts]

20 partners in crime prompts

requested by: anonymous

Feel free to use and reblog!

Platonic:

#1 - always looking out for the other's safety

#2 - anticpiating the other's next words and moves

#3 - finishing each other's sentences

#4 - calling the other out on their shit

#5 - getting aggravated whenever the other does something slightly different from their plan

#6 - to outsiders, it looks like they don't along at all

#7 - knowing the other's weaknesses better than their own

#8 - picking on the other for their defeats

#9 - spurring each other on to better performance

#10 - having each others' backs unconditionally

Romantic:

#11 - yelling at them because they thought they'd lose them

#12 - romance getting in the way of their missions

#13 - showing off their skills to impress the other

#14 - getting turned on when they see the other succeeding

#15 - kisses in the 'workplace'

#16 - using their affiliation to get further in their mission

#17 - denying their relationship strongly

#18 - falling asleep in each other's arms after a stressful mission

#19 - vowing to protect the other from all harm

#20 - being inspired to master every challenge because their love makes them strong

[urfriendlywriter]

gestures between friends to strangers turning into lovers :)

(feel free to use <3 can yall plsplsplssss tag when u write these, im such a suckerrr (requested by @sc3ne-l1v3s !) )

"oh wow- *practically fumbling to find words* you look.. grown." then immediately regretting talking ever .

walking into a café, secretly hoping they're there. and THEY ARE . better, if they're waiting FOR YOU.

"didn't you like this song before?" "you remembered." ✧｡✰*♡

forced to work together and there's vivid tension all around you both

cramped in an elevator and they shield you. DAMN IT

^ "a-are you comfortable?" " *exhales, vividly turning red and avoiding their gaze* yea-yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

they do a little extra when it's for you. a very small gesture, but speaks loud

knowing much about the other, so you don't have to say a word when you're down, they just know it and they acknowledge it. (RISE YOUR STANDARDS YALL)

always bickering.

bickering as fun and they inch closer to you. eyes flickering down to those lips.

TENSION. and avoiding to acknowledge it. JUST BECAUSE.

"were you thinking about me?" "huh-" "because i can't seem to stop thinking about you."

gasping when they pull you closer to dance with them.

^ "god, I've always wanted to do this with you."

at that stage were y'all are whipped. simping for each other, but. BUT DENYING IT. BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID THEY'LL BECOME A STRANGER IN YOUR LIFE AGAIN.

listening to them talk about how they've been, while you realise, you are indeed in love with them.

"i can't be around you." "Why?" ".. you know why. you just fail to accept it. recognize it."

"i admit. I've had feelings for you ever since you forced me into becoming your best friend in third grade-" "Fourth grade, you mean. AND- WHY. DIDNT U TELL ME??"

"i can't leave. I've found my home in you, i won't leave."

[leighmiller]

What if this

Turned into …

A heartbeat. Two. A low rumble of thunder.

Neither spoke, neither moved. Rain clung to hair and eyelashes, rivulets ran over cheek and chin and mixed with the hot, angry tears in the corners of her eyes.

Lizzy was paralyzed. She couldn’t speak or move or think of anything other than him . Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing in front of her, breaths coming shallow and expectant in his chest, eyes as stormy as the world around them.

Another heartbeat. He leaned closer.

His lips parted as if he meant to speak, and then snapped shut once more. His eyes darted across her face, found her tears, landed on her lips and stayed there.

An endless, crystalline moment passed, a moment in which she could have turned away.

And then he was there—lips pressed to hers, warm, surprised breath mixing with her own. They were softer than she could have imagined, those lips, yet firm and commanding as they settled squarely over hers and began to demand—demand she respond, or pull away, demand she do something rather than just stand there limp and lifeless.

Lizzy kissed him back.

She tasted more than heard his groan, felt one hand tangle in the wet hair at the nape of her neck and the other settle shockingly, possessively on the curve of her waist. His tongue pressed to her mouth, seeking entry, and she granted it.

With her acquiescence, the kiss quickly became something else. Tentative to ravenous, polite to carnal, Darcy pulled her closer, tightened his hold on her hair to tilt her just the way he wanted. And Lizzy, for her part, did not pull away.

She hated him, didn’t she?

Anyways, I wrote a fic about it. Read Most Ardently on AO3

[leighmiller]

Most Ardently - Pride and Prejudice AU

Most Ardently, a Pride and Prejudice canon divergence AU - read on AO3

---

“From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others, made me realize you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.”

A heartbeat. Two. A low rumble of thunder.

Neither spoke, neither moved. Rain clung to hair and eyelashes, rivulets ran over cheek and chin and mixed with the hot, angry tears in the corners of her eyes.

Lizzy was paralyzed. She couldn’t speak or move or think of anything other than  him . Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, standing in front of her, breaths coming shallow and expectant in his chest, eyes as stormy as the world around them.

Another heartbeat. He leaned closer.

His lips parted as if he meant to speak, and then snapped shut once more. His eyes darted across her face, found her tears, landed on her lips and stayed there.

An endless, crystalline moment passed, a moment in which she could have turned away.

And then he was there—lips pressed to hers, warm, surprised breath mixing with her own. They were softer than she could have imagined, those lips, yet firm and commanding as they settled squarely over hers and began to demand—demand she respond, or pull away, demand she do something rather than just stand there limp and lifeless.

Lizzy kissed him back.

She tasted more than heard his groan, felt one hand tangle in the wet hair at the nape of her neck and the other settle shockingly, possessively on the curve of her waist. His tongue pressed to her mouth, seeking entry, and she granted it.

With her acquiescence, the kiss quickly became something else. Tentative to ravenous, polite to carnal, Darcy pulled her closer, tightened his hold on her hair to tilt her just the way he wanted. And Lizzy, for her part, did not pull away.

She hated him, didn’t she?

Lizzy knew it should have been enough to have her put a stop to this. She should shove him off, flee back through the rain and mud to the Collins’ house and pretend it never happened

And his words. His arrogant, thoughtless, cruel words about her family. Those should have been enough to turn her to stone, rather than having her come to warm, vibrant life under the insistence of his kiss.

All of it should have been enough. It wasn’t.

Both Lizzy’s hands shot up to clutch at his hair, the wet strands clinging to her fingers as she pulled him closer.

Closer? Madness, all of this was madness. She hated the man, thoroughly hated him, and she could have no more pulled away than she could have stopped the beating of her heart or the rushed, heaving breaths she stole between clashes of their lips.

He pulled back suddenly, eyes wide and disbelieving, a question there she didn’t know if she could answer.

“Elizabeth,” Darcy whispered, brushing a thumb across the crest of one cheek, wiping away a raindrop.

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Lizzy found herself utterly incapable of doing anything than pulling him back to her, kissing him this time with an unpracticed ardor and desperation that drew gasps and moans from them both.

It was a whirlpool, the sensation which consumed her, something deep and dark and irresistible. His hand came up to cup her breast over the soaked covering of her dress, thumb brushing over her hardened nipple, and she arched into the touch.

“Lizzy?” a voice called out from the other side of the stone temple. “Lizzy? Are you here? Mr. Collins and I have brought the carriage to—oh!”

It was the surprised exclamation that finally made them spring apart.

The damage was done.

Charlotte and Mr. Collins stood agape just around the curve of the temple, just close enough to have seen. Lizzy swiped a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks were flaming, the full impact of what she'd just been caught doing slamming into her all at once.

“Mr. Darcy,” Mr. Collins said, voice stern and outraged. “Miss Elizabeth is a guest in my home, and this violation will not be overlooked. I shall report this to Lady Catherine and to—”

“There’s no need,” Mr. Darcy said in a tone that betrayed nothing of the storm that just passed between them. “Miss Elizabeth and I are to be married.”

Read the first 8 chapters now on A03

[leighmiller]

The Graveyard

---A flash fiction piece for this season of haunts---

Sometimes I can't remember if it's been days or centuries since I died.

Time behaves strangely in the graveyard. I close my eyes for a moment and a season has passed. I lay down in my coffin to rest and find that a whole year's gone by when I wake again.

It wasn't always like this.

When I was newly buried, I spent each day perched on my tombstone. The snow fell and the wind blew and the warm rays of summer sun shone on my final resting place, and I swore I could feel it all. Like time, though, those sensations warped and faded as the living world continued on without me.

Others come and go, spectres that flicker for a single day before moving on, or some who linger for years until they finally make it to the moment they were waiting for. Through it all, I remain, and I can't remember why.

The mystery of it consumes me. It draws me from one side of the graveyard to another as I spend a winter trying to remember. Spring comes, and I still don't know. Summer passes in a golden haze, and I'm no closer to the truth. It's not until one dreary autumn day that it all comes rushing back.

There, in the corner of the graveyard furthest from my own resting place, is a headstone with a familiar name. Even an age from now, I'll never forget it.

Dearly beloved husband.

That's what I'd been waiting for, wasn't it? Days blend into weeks as I try to remember.

Yes. Yes. I was waiting for him.

Dearly beloved wife. The name on the stone beside his isn't mine.

There it is. For a moment, the memory blazes as brightly as the dying leaves on the autumn trees around me.

I could have gone. Wherever it is we're meant to go, I'd decided to wait. The road stretched long, the path winding and dark. I could have chosen to walk it alone, but I didn't. Instead, I'd perched on my stone and counted the decades. He would come, surely he would come.

It's what we'd always promised each other, wasn't it?

The memory fades. When I blink, it's winter again and I've forgotten.