{eventuallyyyyyy lucy and tim have a tiny human, michaela - because life is a battle and goodness has to be both fought for and defended - affectionately and informally dubbed mickey b - because lucy made tim master the art of ordering meatless big macs from mcdonalds without looking like an idiot...; fic possiblyyyyy forthcoming?] | for the wondrous @jakelovesamy! thank you for introducing me to these two nerds and writing me beautiful musical-filled epics about them featuring tiny humans of your own!
So what is the best peraltiago fic youve ever read? I just think you have awesome taste and would love to read it
listen i don’t think i could give you a single best fic they’re all so different so i’m giving you a list--these are all older, so newbies to the fandom (by newbies i mean like post-s4) might not have seen them!!
best long fic? i’ve been sleepwalking too close to the fire by @elsaclack --it’s an AU where amy goes undercover right after johnny and dora and it’s FIRE
best angsty fic? @jakelovesamy wrote this goddamn masterpiece about when jake was in prison and amy’s attempts to get him out
best angsty au? also @jakelovesamy, for this fic where they break up and amy moves to chicago
best zombie au (yes this is a whole category)? this, by philthestone.
best fluff? i don’t have a link to specific fics here but like.....literally all of these authors have done excellent work with the fluff genre (also it’s sort of my Thing you can look at what i’ve written if you’re so inclined and haven’t yet)
listen THANK YOU SO MUCH for this ask it reminded me of SO MANY oldies but goodies. these authors are my goddamn idols so literally just peruse their ao3s/blogs at will you’ll find some real ass gold in there
also my fic recs page has SO MANY FICS recommended if this highly curated (aka short af) list does not sustain you :)
Hellooo yesterday I read the entirety of may your walls know joy and I !!! Wow!!! I can’t stop thinking about it, it’s an amazing fic and you write so beautifully, thank you so much for putting it out into the world!!
aaaah omg! thank you so much for saying that about my writing, you’re too lovely ❤️
and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! that soft (ish) kid fic is still my lil baby and I’m so pleased people are still reading it and liking it! also, it is LONG lmao so just. wow, so honoured and so happy you spent a whole day reading it! just gah thank youu!!
Summary/Notes: AU Based on an ask prompt: only two people in this hotel/inn and sitting in my room alone wasn’t fun so I’m invading yours.
Nora Darhk checks into the Storybrooke Inn after getting lost in the storm, pausing her road trip to be anywhere but Star City after the death of her parents. Ray Palmer’s GPS stops working on his way home from a business trip in New York and that brings him to the small picturesque inn. They’re the only two guests checked in and decide to be lonely together.
This started out as an ask prompt thanks to @jakelovesamy and now it turned into all of this. I am so please and so stoked about this. I’ve always wanted to write an ooey gooey holiday fic like this but never had the right idea.
Here is the epilogue everyone! I hope you enjoyed this darhkatom hallmark movie as much as I enjoyed writing it!
They hadn’t meant to fall asleep in each other’s arms in front of his fireplace last night, but they had. They stayed up talking until about 1:30 before sleep finally claimed them. Nora had momentarily freaked out at their state until Ray gave her a soft, reassuring smile that she hoped she’d see at least once daily for the rest of her life.
What in the world was she thinking? She had just met this man and she was already thinking about seeing his face every day for the rest of their lives? Get a hold of yourself, girl. Nora had politely excused herself to go back to her room to get ready for the day and promised to meet him downstairs for breakfast before either of them left. They both only checked in for one night and as long as the storm cleared, there was no reason for either of them to stay.
The thought saddened Nora, leaving their little holiday bubble but she knew that she’d see him again when they both got back to Star City. He’d be taking his rental car into Boston and she would start making the cross country road trip back to Star City just as he was boarding a plane back to Washington state. They promised to meet up at Jitters as soon as she got back.
Nora made her way downstairs to what she learned was the dining room. She’d seen Maude come out of it the night before but it had been mostly closed off since it was long past dinner time when she’d arrived. She saw the sun shining through the alcove window on one side of the room and then she saw Ray already sitting at the table with a small plate of breakfast. She gave him a soft smile before helping herself to the small buffet of food and settled down next to him.
“Morning… again…” Nora smiled over her cup of orange juice.
Ray grinned. “Good morning, Nora.” Ray scooped up some of his scrambled eggs and ate in a comfortable silence with her.
Nora glanced behind them and saw the snow piling high but a snow plow driving by paving the streets to make it driveable.
Ray noticed her staring and glanced back at the window. “Looks like they’re clearing up the roads.”
Nora nodded. “Yeah, guess this means it’ll be safe to drive.”
Ray watched her face fall to a slightly disappointed expression and he tipped her chin up to meet his gaze. “Hey, we’re gonna see each other again. Maybe not in a place this picturesque but you and me, Star City Jitters the second you get in. I wanna take you out on a real first date.”
Nora blushed and looked away. “I know, but maybe… if this goes well, we can come back here again during the holidays?”
Ray was nearly giddy at the thought of them returning here in a year. He wondered how serious they would be, still dating? Engaged? Surely not married yet, he didn’t want to scare her off but he also didn’t want life slipping through is fingers now and he was pretty sure she didn’t either. Not after all she’d lost.
“I would absolutely love that.” He smiled and took her hand then kissed the back of it.
xxxx
They both met downstairs in front of the reception desk with smiles. They were sure of their future together, more than ever.
Maude saddled up to the desk, looking thoroughly pleased with herself. “I see my only two guests got to meet.”
Nora nodded. “We met last night, we’re actually from the same city in Washington.”
“Really? How interesting and yet fate brought you all the way here to meet.” She had a knowing glint in her eye that made Ray and Nora glance at each other, wondering if she would magically disappear into thin air when they looked back.
Maude checked them out and wish them safe travels. “Oh! By the way, you two…”
Nora and Ray both turned around and smiled at Maude. “Yes?” They asked in unison and blushed at how in sync they already were.
“Shall I go ahead and reserve a room for you all next New Years Eve?”
Ray and Nora grinned. “That would be lovely, Maude, thank you,” Nora said and then turned on her heel and took Ray’s hand, leading him outside.
They helped each other pack up their cars and that’s when it finally hit Nora. Again. She wouldn’t see him for probably days. Sure they planned to FaceTime at night when she would stop but she wouldn’t get to hug him, touch him, feel his comforting gaze for days. It almost felt like they were over before they had begun. She knew that wasn’t true but that didn’t stop her lip from quivering and looking like a kicked puppy.
Ray saw Nora’s reaction just before he was about to start up his car and he went to her, putting his hands on her biceps, rubbing them comfortingly. “Hey… it’ll only be a few days, a week tops…” Ray kissed the top of her head and then pulled her in close.
Nora held on tight, she just lost her parents and now found this amazing guy, and was starting… something she wasn’t sure what to name yet, and now they were parting for who knew how long. What if the weather was bad? What if she had car trouble and got stranded?
Nora pulled away and swiped at her tears. “I’m sorry… I didn’t think I’d miss someone so much that I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours.”
Ray smiled and cupped her cheeks. “Me neither.” He was on the verge of tears as well but he tried to hold them back, to be strong for Nora. He wished he could come with her somehow but he wasn’t sure how that would all work with the two vehicles and the traveling and…
“Ray?”
“What?”
“Will you come with me?”
It was almost as if she read his mind. “What?” He asked.
Nora smiled weakly. “What if we met up in Boston and if you can, cancel your flight, and you road trip back to Star City with me?”
Ray choked on a laugh and pulled her in close. “I would absolutely love that, if that’s okay with you?”
Nora nodded. “I couldn’t think of a better way to start 2019 than with you.” She looked up at him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. “I’ll see you in Boston?”
Ray grinned and broke away from the hug but then stole one more kiss. “I’ll see you in Boston.”
One Year Later
Nora pulled up to the inn, it looked just like she remembered it from a year ago, only now she was seeing it in the daytime. She glanced over at her husband who took her hand in his and kissed it. Her wedding set glittered in the bright sunlight reflecting off the snow. Nora got out of the car and started unloading their bags. They had gotten there on the thirtieth, hoping to actually walk around the small town that brought them together and then stay inside practically all day on the thirty-first and ring in the New Year much like they had last year, with a kiss (and probably more).
So much had changed in the year. They had met up in Boston like they had agreed and road tripped back to Star City together. They quickly learned a lot about each other after being in close quarters for a week straight. Ray was a health nut, Nora loved junk food. Ray wanted to stop at every little landmark he knew a weird factoid about, Nora just wanted to get home. They had fights but always made up, and felt like they had lived a lifetime of their relationship all before they even got to their hometown.
When they eventually did arrive back in Star City, they went to Jitters, just like they had agreed to. The date was wonderful, thankful they did not have to immediately be in such close quarters after, and they parted ways with a sweet kiss the promise of further dates. After their road trip things momentarily slowed down for them, Ray’s job picked up and Nora was on the job hunt. She found a job as the drama teacher at a private high school in town, but wasn’t sure she’d get it. She was barely qualified and had to practically beg Ray not to somehow have a hand in her getting the job. He swore he didn’t and she believed him. And somehow, she got the job anyways.
Nora was happy to be teaching again, it just felt right. The structure of the school year gave her breaks, and she usually spent those in Ray’s bed which was slowly becoming their bed. The paintings he’d commissioned from local artists were moved to his office and the ones in his apartment were replaced with Nora’s. By May, Nora’s lease was up and Ray asked her to move in. She had immediately agreed.
They were happy. Happier than Nora ever thought she’d be and happier than Ray thought he could ever be again. They had their problems, just being so different but something always pulled them back to each other. They spent most of the summer at the beach, thankful for Nora’s break from the school and Nora was thankful that Ray spent almost the entire vacation shirtless. Things were serious and they were only seven months in.
By the fall, they had quite a domestic routine, get up, get ready, kiss goodbye, part ways in the apartment complex parking garage, and be off to their jobs. Sometimes if Nora didn’t have meetings after school she’d come by and visit him, keep him company if he wasn’t too busy until it was time to leave at five. Those were her favorite days because she got to have a few extra hours with the man she loved.
She met his somewhat estranged family at Thanksgiving. It was clear they were threatened by Ray’s success, his mom was nice enough and she could’ve been a little nicer without all the digs about how she was basically inferior to Anna in some way or another. They had left that thoroughly exhausted and she felt bad she didn’t have a family to bring him to for a peaceful reprieve. Not that her family would have been much better but she liked to think her dad would have at least liked him.
As the year inched closer to the one year anniversary of her parents’ deaths, Nora felt herself becoming increasingly closed off. She tried not to be. Ray was amazing and they had built this fantastic relationship in the span of less than a year. She was so sure she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life but she also knew that dealing with all of these feelings again would be hard.
She decided to take a leap of faith and actually go to Ray with some of her pain. Not all of it but crying on him when they were home and she was feeling sad. It actually helped her to get through her next wave of sadness just a little bit. And she was grateful that he was there to be her rock.
On her birthday, he had the whole day planned. She still wasn’t quite in the mood for fun but she indulged him, hoping that would turn into genuine enjoyment of the day. He had taken her to all of their favorite spots in Star City and ended the day with a quiet dinner at home. He knew her well enough to know a fancy dinner at a bought out restaurant was not her style. No sitting quietly with him eating Chinese out of a takeout box was.
Ray handed her a fortune cookie once they finished eating and when she broke it in half, a ring tumbled out and into her lap. She looked up at him, tears brimming and Ray nodded. He had told her how much she meant to him and how he didn’t want to let life slip through his fingers and he knew she felt the same. He wanted to marry her. So he asked her formally and she said yes. A million times yes.
They hadn’t planned on getting married so soon after that but they figured why wait? Planning their whirlwind wedding was the best distraction to help her cope with the pain of the one year anniversary of her parents’ death. She knew they’d want her to be happy. And she would be. The ceremony was incredibly small, in a chapel that fit less than 200 on the property of an older church, they exchanged vows in front of his friends that had quickly become hers as well and even his family was in attendance. He wanted to try and make things better with them now too.
That was Christmas Day. Now they were here, in Rider where it all started and Ray and Nora could not be more excited to see what this weekend and the new year would bring for their marriage.
They made their way into the inn that had been so good to them and smiled brightly at Maude. It had been a year and she had only known them for a matter of hours but it was like seeing a beloved grandmother. She ran over to them and embraced them both.
“If it isn’t my favorite guests!”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Maude, I’m sure you’ve had more regular guests than us.” Nora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her left hand and that’s when Maude saw her rings.
Maude squealed and yanked her hand close to inspect the rings. “Oh you did very good, Mr. Palmer. I’m assuming that means I should change the reservation to be for a Mr. and Mrs. Palmer?”
Nora and Ray both grinned. “If you want,” said Ray. “But that’s not necessary given that we’ll be in the room either way.”
Maude hugged them both again and patted each of their cheeks. “Well we’ll just have to get settled you both and I’ll make sure to lay out the lucky baby making blanket on your bed.”
Nora choked on a laugh. “The umm what?”
“It’s an old blanket my grandmother made that I rotate through the rooms because it’s just a very pretty afghan to begin with but I started noticing a pattern with returning guests, every time I would have that in a room of a couple that stayed here, the next time they would visit the wife was usually pregnant or they had a child in that time span.”
Nora’s face flushed red, she and Ray may have had a bit of an accelerated relationship but she definitely wasn’t ready for it to be that accelerated. Even if the thought of a little girl with Ray’s beautiful brown eyes did make her shiver pleasantly. “Maude that’s very kind of you…” Nora wasn’t sure what else to say. How do you not hurt the feelings of the woman that brought you and your husband together? Even if she was insinuating that you were going to get pregnant during your stay at her inn?
“Then it’s settled! Let’s get you checked in and upstairs to your room!”
Nora and Ray laughed quietly together, they had never had someone care about them this much in such a motherly way and it was appreciated, even if it was a bit invasive.
xxxx
Once Maude left them alone in their room, Nora picked up the blanket Maude had been raving about. It was a worn afghan that was laid at the end of the bed, granny squares were carefully stitched together, probably about as many squares as the blanket was old. She studied it carefully when she felt hands tickle her sides. Nora yelped and elbowed Ray playfully.
“Not funny! You know I’m jumpy!”
“Thinking long and hard about whether or not you want to leave the baby making blanket on our bed?”
Nora rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I am not. I would like for it to be just us for a little while longer.” Nora tossed the blanket to a chair in the corner. “Call me selfish but I don’t want to share you with anyone yet, even if that someone would be an adorable baby with your sweet brown eyes.” She turned in his arms and carded her fingers through his hair before gently yanking on the hair at the nape of his neck. “You’re mine and mine alone.” Nora pulled him in for a deep kiss, biting as his bottom lip as she pulled away from the kiss.
Ray, quite breathless at his wife’s actions, smiled at her. “You’ll be the death of me, Nora Palmer.”
Nora flushed pleasantly at the use of her married name. “Yeah well, I better keep you alive, who else am I supposed to kiss at midnight?”
“Maude might be into it, you never know,” Ray joked and she swatted him on the arm.
“You’re the only one I want to be kissing and doing other things probably, at midnight.”
“I’m glad we’re in agreement.” Ray grinned and pulled her in for another kiss.
thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble about our ladyyyy, lovely!
gif made/posted by @tim-lucy
lucy chen | the rookie
Gorgeous + I— I Love? We Don’t Deserve Them
the first episode of the rookie i ever watched, she taunted a serial killer for his hallmark-approved threats even as he was burying her in a damn barrel. and then she started to sing to herself as comfort? and i was GONEEEE. in other episodes, tim has called her pollyanna, she canonically enjoys chai, and she just wants to help people / make a difference in the world. so, yeah. i adore one cali girl turned cop whose mom is julie from friends!
also. at this point, i've got so many headcanons for her, it'd be impossible to shut down my feelings!
send me a celebrity/character/musician etc and i’ll explain which category they fall into and why!
