Well overdue for an update!
Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns.
I share a little more than the first line so 🤷🏻♀️
The Suit - aka the one where Shane confesses to Ilya (when he's having a bad day) that he almost wore a suit for their first hookup.
Sometimes the signs are obvious. Ilya will sleep in much later than usual for a few days, he’ll eat less (or not at all), he won’t touch his Switch, and he’ll be quiet in a way that would worry even someone who hasn’t ever met him before (the total silence from him for hours on end is unnerving).
Out Loud - aka 6 times Shane surprised Ilya and 1 time Ilya surprised Shane (TLG canon rewrite)
“Say you are sick,” Ilya whispers, brushing his lips over Shane’s ear. “Stay one more day.”
“I can’t,” Shane murmurs, voice cracking slightly as his grip tightens on Ilya’s waist. “First practice of the season is too important.”
“Every practice is important,” Ilya mutters. He lifts the hem of Shane’s shirt, brushing his fingers along the waistband of his pants. “You can miss one.”
“I really can’t,” Shane laughs, hands dropping down to his side leaving Ilya cold and desperate. Each time they have to part it gets harder, makes Ilya die inside a little more. “It’s only a week this time, right?”
“Just a week,” Ilya huffs. “Will feel like a month.”
The Cowboy Hat Rule - aka a Nashville crossover coda
“Ah sorry, we were actually just heading out,” Eddie says, not sounding even remotely apologetic. Dixie is visibly surprised and Buck thinks he probably looks a little surprised too because he really wasn’t thinking about leaving yet. He didn’t want to go home with the woman but he had been ready to buy her a drink, maybe flirt a little.
“Oh,” Dixie says. “Are you sure I can’t convince one of you to stay? I was very impressed by your sportsmanship today, Firefighter Buckley.”
“Well thank you, ma’am,” Buck grins. “It’s what we do.”
“And soon we need to be doing it back in LA,” Eddie chimes in, voice weirdly tight. “So we should really be getting back to our hotel. Early start and all.”
Fuck It Up All The Way - aka the first year medical interns roommates to lovers story
As far as ideas go, this might be the worst Buck’s ever had - actually, scratch that. The worst Buck has ever acted on, because he’s had ideas that could literally have ended his life. But sleeping with Eddie? Definitely the fucking stupidest thing he’s ever done.
Only for You - aka the one at an All Star Game after they're officially together but before Hayden knows
Shane hasn’t ever been at all surprised Ilya is good with kids. He has always been completely flustered over it and grateful for the dark sunglasses covering his eyes right now.
“Everyone line up. One by one. It is time to be judged for your crimes,” Ilya says, strolling up and down the side of the pool with his hands behind his back. Water is running in rivulets down his skin and yeah, the sunglasses were a good call.
“Ok so maybe the guy isn’t a total ass,” Hayden sighs, decidedly off-put as he sinks into the poolside lounge next to Shane with Arthur in his arms. “Kids seem to like him well enough, they’re usually a pretty good judge of character right?”
“I guess,” Shane shrugs nonchalantly, but he knows Hayden is right. He absolutely cannot let him know just how accurately these kids have perceived Ilya.
Until Now - aka the AU where Buck is a museum tour guide and tries to figure out Eddie's favourite cookie
If anyone asks Eddie how he and Buck met, he’s only telling them half of the story. He’s not embarrassed - ok, he’s a little embarrassed (he’s definitely never going to be able to look Ms. Flores in the eye ever again). It’s probably better to say that Eddie isn’t ashamed of exactly how their first encounter went. He definitely wouldn’t change it, because it feels like one of the bravest things he’s ever done and it brought him Buck.
Traditions - aka the one where Eddie includes Buck in all his family Christmas traditions
Eddie tells Buck they started this tradition with Shannon. Technically, Chris started it with Shannon. Eddie wasn’t exactly around for his first couple of Christmases, and the first two when he was home were spent working two of his three jobs. Chris asked to make them for their first Christmas in LA, and the tradition stuck. Eddie likes doing something with Chris that doesn’t involve a screen, and it’s nice to have something that reminds them both of Shannon (especially once she’s gone).
Eddie invites Buck to join them this year which makes his heart skip a beat and his cheeks flush, the heat spreading down to his neck when Eddie flashes him a bright smile after Buck accepts.
Buck's Babbles - aka the AU where Buck has a podcast and Eddie is already obssessed with Buck before they event meet
On his eighth night in a row of little to no sleep he pulls up Spotify to look for a podcast that might at least provide a good enough distraction that he’s not running through every mistake he’s ever made in his life. He finds a true crime one that’s way too depressing, a comedy one that is painfully unfunny, and this one person who spends the entire first five minutes of the podcast ranting about the ‘evils of vaccines’. He’s about to give up, reaching the bottom of the New Releases list when ‘Buck’s Babbles’ catches his eye.
Company - aka the one where Buck keeps Eddie company after his abuela dies
It’s late when Buck knocks on Eddie’s door. Too late to be turning up, probably, but the kitchen light is still on so Buck knows Eddie is still up. It doesn’t feel right letting himself in right now - if Eddie wants to ignore the knock, pretend he didn’t hear it or pretend he was in bed, that’s ok. Buck can drop off the trays of food and send him a text, come back at a more reasonable hour tomorrow. He just doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as he did after Bobby died - no fucking grief assessments, no distancing himself. He’s going to ask Eddie what he needs, he’s going to be here.
Whimsy - aka the didn't know they were dating fic
It starts with a couple’s voucher for a pottery class.
“I won it at a raffle at Christopher’s school,” Eddie shrugs, holding the flyer out to Buck. “You wanna go?”
“Sure,” Buck grins. “Oh hey, I’ve actually heard of this person’s work. This will be fun!”
“Great,” Eddie breathes, cheeks flushed. “I’ll, uh. Pick you up at six, we can grab some dinner beforehand?”
“Sounds good. I think there’s an Italian place like a block away that does super authentic wood fired pizza,” Buck suggests. “Ravi went on a date there the other day. Seemed more excited about the food than the person he was there with.”
“Sounds about right for dating in LA.” Eddie snorts. “Here’s to not dealing with that shit.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Buck agrees, clinking their bottles together. Being single is a little lonely but if it means getting to do fun shit like this with Eddie? He’ll happily stay that way.
Body - aka the one where Buck realises none of them every actually saw Bobby's body
