#donovalex

[soledadcatalina]

just out on an average ordinary walk together

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Not to plug my own works or anything, but I'm back and worse than ever! I tried some new stuff with this one, favoring a more dialogue-heavy format than usual. I've also been working on updating and rewriting some of my older stuff (esp Too Big to be Small Again) bc hoo-boy, did I not remember what the concept of 'direction in writing' was back then. Lmk what y'all think of this one! (spoiler warning: The only bad things that happen are Alex deciding to try the "have you ever been arrested?" line on a fellow inmate and the death of my shame and dignity overall because I am so damn proud of this).

[i-am-forever--bored]

I’m gonna make a Donovalex AU that’s lowkey a Waitress AU that I accidentally made and sure Alex can’t bake but he can sure as hell dance

[daisybrien]

91. "Can I hold your hand?" with Donovan & Alex, if you will? Please and thank you! ❤❤❤

Can I hold your hand?

ao3

His feet dangle in the open air, watching the inmates the size of black-and-white beetles mill around against the yellow lined gray. Alex sits stories above the cement graveyard of the yard below, the static buzz of conversation punctuated by the common yell or jeer lulling him into daydream as he looks down over the levels of Gen pop sprawled below him. From his perch on the ledge of their cell landing, in the unusually calm bustle, he can almost pretend he’s somewhere else, anywhere else but here; on a cold park bench, the air fresh in his lungs, the top railing of the fence against his forehead the cool sprinkle of summer London rain dusting over him-

He’s jolted out of his reverie by a hand on his back, threatening to push him forward. He yelps, scrambling to right himself, even as the hand grips tight on his overalls to keep him from slipping through the narrow spaces of the landing’s border. Once his stomach finds it restful place back in his gut rather than his throat, his heart still thrumming like a broken engine, he remembers where he is, the grim reality and the prison walls threatening to crash down around him. He turns, catching a glimpse of white teeth flashing behind a beautiful smile, and with a rare sigh of relief, remembers where he is. 

Donovan coughs out a laugh, as if the act were foreign to him, like he were learning it for the first time. “Saved your life.”

“Christ,” Alex sputters. He scoots farther back on the landing, less keen to let his legs hang so freely anymore. “I almost crapped myself.”

“With the look on your face? I was sure you did.” 

Alex shoves him with a firm but gentle hand, enough force to bother but not enough to make the other boy lose his balance. Donovan only laughs harder, his retaliating, flailing arms ineffective as he leans away to defend himself. 

“Don’t do that, you asshole!” Alex says, and his cheeks hurt from smiling so hard, for the first time in so long. “You freaking asshole!”

“You worship this asshole!” Donovan replies. They settle down, the laughter fizzling out of their throats like soda going flat, the taste of it still sweet on their tongues. Their tackling had brought them closer together, the energy of their high spirits buzzing between them like electricity. 

“Can’t believe I owe my life to an asshole,” Alex says. He leans back, watching the muscles work in Donovan’s jaw as he grins to himself, looking into the dark, spiralling abyss above them.

His hand touches something warm and soft, a flaw in the uniformity of the level platform. He jumps, looking towards it only after Donovan jumps with him and he realizes that he had put his hand on his. 

They both grow tall, rigid as they sit up. Alex mutters an apology as he pulls his hand away, looking back down at the crowds shifting below. There’s a lump in his throat as he traces his fingers along the ledge, cold and lifeless; it had been so long since he touched another person, felt the warmth of another’s embrace. The absolute tenderness of the simple brush of skin was enough to make him cry, and as much as he missed it, wanting to reach back for his hand, it didn’t belong here among metal bars and horrors in masks and suits. To differ from that system meant death, it almost meant weakness.

“Sorry,” he breathes, low enough he’s sure Donovan can’t hear his lie. 

“It’s-” Donovan starts on his own apology, stopping short, voice dying in his throat.

He sets his hand down by Alex’s, only inches apart. A temptation. An invitation.

Alex takes it ever so slowly. He feels stupid, like one of a pair of school crushes trying to touch pinkies at a movie. But he needs to test the waters, needs to see if Donovan was willing to break down his walls for him.

Each movement a question. Can I?. Each inch Donovan helps close the gap an answer, yes, I want to hold your hand, this is okay, we’re okay, until both their hands are clasped together, the two of them joined in tenuous connection. Alex’s heart continues to stutter, thrilled to experience so much the prison had tried to tear from his grasp. 

They don’t look at each other, the two still shocked at their own display; fingers intertwined, gripping tight. But when Donovan squeezes his hand and the electric hum between them runs through their arms like a current, and his chest starts to unwind from the tight knot of heartbreak it had been for months, Alex feels protected and rebellious, acting against the solitude and hopelessness he would not let the prison force on him any longer.

He squeezes Donovan’s hand back, and in it Alex knows it means solidarity, it means love, and it meant strength above and beyond the power of whatever came at him next.

[vividsunset]

multiples of 7 for donovalex

35. What be they kinks and do they try each other's kinks7. Is their friends/family supportive: I’d say that both of Alex’s parents and Donovan’s mom are really supportive (I picture Alex’s dad being a giant cornball so he texts Alex the “I love my gay son” meme at least once). They don’t talk about their relationship around Donovan’s stepfather (and if this is the happy AU, hopefully Donovan’s mom divorced him)

14. Which one rolls over in the morning to wake up the other one just to give kiss them: It’s Donovan: Alex is kind of a heavy sleeper, and Donovan is simultaneously enough of a softie and a jerk to wake someone up solely for that purpose

21. What is their song? Like the song that gives them overwhelming feelings? ughughugh I’m terrible at songs so I’ll just say “my heart will go on” because I barely know romancey music

28. Are either of them mentally ill, if so how do they help one another cope: I don’t know a ton about mental illness headcanons but I do know that it’s canon that by the end of Execution, Alex has PTSD, and I think that in one of his shorts, AGS also writes Alex as having something along the lines of anxiety. I’m sure Donovan probably has something as well but I don’t know enough about various illnesses to be specific. I’ll just go with what’s canon and say that Donovan provides a rock for Alex to tether himself to and allows him time to breathe, to collect his thoughts together, but he also gives him encouragement to go on with his life when he’s ready. I don’t know the specifics of how Alex would help Donovan, but I think that he’d want to give Donovan his own space to let it out, then he’d try to calm him down.

35. What be they kinks and do they try each other's kinks: These two are teenagers so I’m not touching this

42. How would one react if the other was to die: If only we knew, right?

[soledadcatalina]

i hate the things i think about you when i'm all alone i know you're tough, but i've been gone for so long play the memories of you inside my head so all these pictures of us burn and radiate

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I FINALLY FINISHED THIS ONE AFTER A SOLID MONTH, HOLY SHIT.

Summary: Sometimes writing your emotions down on paper is a great way to express your true feelings. Unless you're Alex Sawyer or Carl Donovan.

Was really inspired by @soledadcatalina 's absolutely fabulous fanart and then proceeded to figure out as many ways to dunk on Alex as I could without derailing the fanfic completely.

[pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Guess who started a new fanfic thing? Hint: ME!!!

Act now and not only can you read the first installment, you can also check out plot-bunny/drabble part 2! (Link below)

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works