between all my clever ideas re: how Andromache could regain her immortality, or how to explain that she was never really mortal in the first place, I just realised that I never wrote even one silly 'they kissed, and then she lived' fic! So, here goes, for the @tog-femslashfortnight Friday Prompt 'favorite trope', a definitely tropey drabble ficlet 7 times the length it was supposed to be xD (so 700 words now) of Andromache regaining her immortality.
Rated T, canon typical violence.
Fic under the readmore!
Andy went down with a silent gasp as the bullet hit her sternum.
While when she had still been immortal, it had been easy to keep running with one, two, maybe three bullet wounds as long as they hadn’t hit her head, but now she falls to her knees immediately.
“Andromache!”
Quỳnh is by her side within moments, trying to hold the wound shut and knowing that it is a failing task.
“Don’t leave me, not now! Please, no, do not take her from me-” wailing at whatever gods might listen, Quỳnh stares at the heavens for a moment before bending down to look at her bleeding beloved.
“Your gods- can’t help me, Quỳnh,” Andy coughed. “And you know I don’t- believe in them. Looks like- looks like it’s my time to-” shivering, she is interrupted by another coughing fit as her pierced lungs are flooded with blood.
“No, no, this can’t be happening, this cannot be right- please Andromache, we should have so many years left together, you cannot give up now!” Quỳnh starts to weep as she feels Andromache slip away from her, as it slowly sinks in that this time, any help will come too late.
Andy’s eyes are shimmering with tears, but she can’t speak anymore, her hand weakly squeezing Quỳnh’s arm where she is trying to press the blood back into her body.
Still, Quỳnh understands her wordless gesture, and she leans down to press her lips to Andromache’s, forcing herself not to squeeze her eyes shut but instead take in everything, Andromache’s chapped lips on her own smooth and pristine ones, her rattling breath, her smell tinted with the iron taste of blood.
If this is to be their last moment together, she is going to commit every second of it to her memory.
While Andromache had at first answered the kiss with a press of her own lips, she now slowly starts to fade away, her hold on Quỳnh getting weaker. Quỳnh is afraid that she has already taken her last breath, but then Andy is pressing against her again, more insistently now as she opens her mouth to deepen the kiss, as if she wants to cling to her like her body is clinging to life-
Quỳnh whimpers, more in emotional pain than physical pleasure, though both are playing a role. Andy moans into the kiss, and then her hands are in Quỳnh’s hair, and for a moment, just for a moment, Quỳnh allows herself to forget that this is the last time she will ever experience this, and lets herself feel.
Andromache’s warm lips under her own. Their breath mingling, Anh’s hands tugging on her hair just right, her body under Quỳnh’s, her hand on her chest, on her blood-
Her blood.
With a gasp, Quỳnh pulls back, harshly thrown back to reality at the reminder of Andromache’s injury-
And as she is still kneeling by her side, Andromache sits up as if she hadn't just been bleeding out on the floor.
“What on…” Andy has to cough, and then she spits blood to the floor, but her face is showing more of an annoyed expression at the taste than any pain.
“Andromache?!”
Quỳnh doesn’t dare hope, not yet- but then Andy rips open the rest of her tattered shirt, frantically trying to wipe away the blood, and Quỳnh moves in to help her efforts, getting rid of blood and grime to show the pristine, unscathed skin underneath.
With a sob, Quỳnh touches her first only with her fingertips, then pressing her whole hand to the skin she had been trying to hold together only minutes ago, feeling Andy breathe underneath her.
“You’re alive,” she murmurs, disbelieving, looking up with an almost manic grin to see similar shock mirrored in Andromache’s eyes. “You’re still here- immortal again!”
“Guess my time isn’t up yet, after all…” Andy murmurs almost soundlessly, looking from Quỳnh to her own chest and back. “Not yet…”
“It isn’t. It won’t be, not for a long time. You were saved, my Andromache... do you believe in the gods now?” Quỳnh asks, smiling under tears.
Andromache huffs out a laugh, clearing her throat before she speaks, looking directly into Quỳnh’s eyes.
“I believe in you.”
~
Might upload to ao3 at some point, I'll see whether I can push the wordcount to 1k first xD
Longer (and more interesting) Andy-regains-immortality stories by me here! Or in case tumblr is being a bitch about the links again:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Lmk if you don't want to be tagged in these anymore/only want to be tagged in visual content, or if you want onto my tag list!
Ficrec list: Andromache regains her immortality (Andy/Quynh)
Obviously, this list has SPOILERS about the fanfics - it says that Andy regains her immortality whether this is mentioned in the tags or summary of the fic or not- so proceed with caution!
Seperated into longfics (10+k), medium (2-9k) and ficlet (0-1k), each category showing the Andromaquynh-centric fics first.
> Longfics (Andromaquynh-centric):
Just You And Me - Until The End. by lilolilyrae (@lilolilyrae)
51+k Series, rated M-E, pre- to post-canon bodyswap story that still follows the canon of the movie. Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Feelings, Fluff and Smut.
Life's Essence by @lilolilyr
25k finished series, Vampire vibes but largely canon compliant, rated E, warnings: violence
darling, the marks you leave on me by Coruscant
10k, rated T, a beautiful soulmate (soulmark) AU that goes from pre- to post-canon. Angst, Violence, Reunions, Happy Ending
If Only Life Would Lean Our Way by jessikast and Life Leans Our Way by lilolilyrae
15k total, rated T-E, POV Nicky, Andy and Quynh, features a really good explanation of Andromache’s temporary ‘mortality’ and Andromaquynh smut
> Longfics (rest):
Oxygen by waterbird13 (@waterbird13)
44k, Nile-centric, Found Family, Hunt for Quynh. Really beautifully written, gives lots of backstory!
That would be enough by AnnieTheMouse
10k, G, Booker-centric, post-canon. Doesn’t really mention Andromaquynh a lot, but what is shown is sweet and Booker’s journey to redemption is definitely worth a read.
the once and future immortal by allandmore99
12+k, WIP Series, rated E - also has Andy/Nicky and Andy/Booker scenes
New York, ‘2X by pavlovee (@andromachesimp)
100+k, WIP Series, M - Joe/Nicky centric, Quynh gets a nice redemption arc
FEEL FREE TO ADD MORE IN THE REBLOGS!
> Medium (Andromaquynh-centric):
Impossible is (still) a kiss away from reality by paupaupi @cryhardanddanceharder
3k, rated G, sense8 AU
Truth Becomes The Lie You Tell by Fiercest
2k, rated T, Quynh kills Andy- but she doesn’t want her to actually die.
Returned by female_overlord_3
3k, Not Rated (could be T), Nile helps in finding Quynh
Being with you (Makes the flame burn good) by moonflowery (@daniwouldnever)
3k, rated G, beautiful Angst with a Happy Ending
No Longer Drowning by lilolilyrae (@lilolilyr)
6k series, rated T, post-canon saving Quynh hurt/comfort, Podfic Available
Here with you by aw_writing_no @aw-hawkeye-no
5k, rated E, Andy learns new ways to heal after Quynh comes home.
The Accidental Muse by saltwaterselkie (@the-saltwaterselkie-writer)
2k, rated G, follows Andy through time, sweet getting back together at the end!
Cling to Life by lilolilyrae
3k, rated M, Joe and Nicky save Quynh for Andromache as she is still mortal at the time, Quynh helps her regain her immortality
A Warning Of Monsters by spacewitchqueen (vixy) (@spacewitchqueen)
7k, rated T, The Mummy crossover, evil scientists, getting Quynh back and getting back together. Also has Joe/Nicky
Lost and Found again out there among the paths by TuskFM @salzundhonig
4k, rated T, beautiful emotional hurt/comfort
Winter Wonders by cap_and_cyborg @even-after-a-millennia
2k, rated T, immortal family fluff and an Andromaquynh snowball fight
Down Memory Lane by lilolilyrae
3+k Series, rated T, pre-canon Andromaquynh Wedding and post-canon getting back together. Podfic Available!
louder than bells by angelsaves (@angelsaves)
2k, rated E, Andy/Quynh/Nile ot3 femslash threesome
I'm screaming love (You're screaming hate) by immortal_abyss084 (danixjamie)
1+k WIP, rated T, Evil! Quynh, Andy POV
> Medium (rest):
Three Times Andy Uses Her Mortality to Shield The Team by No_Illusions
2k, rated T, Immortal Family
Hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone by gay_and_panicked
7+k WIP, rated M, Andy/Quynh and Joe/Nicky/Booker, Booker gets kidnapped
No Shame by lilolilyrae
2k Series, Nile-centric, also has a Joe/Nicky part. Rated M - Nile walks in on the immortal couples having sex.
i swear that we can make it anywhere. by Prettything_uglylie
4+k WIP, Nile-centric post-canon team dynamics
One Shared Brain Cell by Onlymystory
5k, rated M, Joe/Nicky centric, ‘No one told Nicky he’s not supposed to text Booker while Booker’s grounded.‘
Beauty in a Handful of Dust by Livia_LeRynn
3k, rated M - Mad Max crossover, Andy/Furiosa with Andromaquynh undertones
give and take by Morganna
2k, M, Andy/Nile, Existential Angst, happy ending
Nobody Know by allandmore99
5k finishes series, Andy/Nile, mutual pining
> Ficlets (Andromaquynh centric):
To The Things I Lost by lilolilyrae
200 words, rated T, ‘Andromache would not have expected to miss anything about the mortal life once she is immortal again.’
tumblr ficlets by @daniwouldnever
Andy finds out her immortality is back because Quynh did something reckless
Andy and Quynh + smoking together
Andy regains her immortality but Quynh loses hers
Angsty fighting, happy ending
~~~
We will keep this list updated, the latest update was 2021-04-26 (mod @lilolilyr)
Feel free to add fics via ask, submission, in the reblogs or replies, if they fit we will add them to this post as well!
Noticed the tag seems kind of dead today after the disappointment with the people's choice awards, so I thought I'd upload this little ficlet here, it's already on my ao3 (lilolilyrae)
When Andy decides that she wants to live again- stay with her team forever if the world will let her, continue to do good, punch bad guys without worrying about getting shot at-
When, then, she regains her immortality, she doesn't expect that she will ever regret it.
And she doesn't, at least not really.
Especially not when Quynh comes back from the ocean, and the first thing she does is to stab Andromache.
The second is to kiss her.
That would have been a sad reunion, bleeding out in her arms and never waking up again... Instead, Quynh gets to shout at her while they fight to the death in the courtyard of their safe house until they are both dirty, covered in their own and each other's blood, and Quynh has gotten all the pent up anger out of her system.
So, no, Andy doesn't regret being immortal again. It's one of the best things that ever happened to her, really- turning mortal and learning to appreciate life instead, then turning immortal again so she can actually live it.
But when, after a workout session, her muscles aren't sore at all, the way she had quickly gotten used to-
When during their lovemaking, Quynh leaves hickies on her neck that disappear almost immediately-
Sometimes, she wishes she could keep a few things from mortality.
But after all, you can't have everything.
And this is definitely still the preferable alternative.
