#makeitmagical

[makeitmagical]

Fic: Fallen Star

Summary:

When Shane opened his eyes, wonder stole the breath from his lungs. Ilya was… glowing. It began softly, like moonlight caught in mist, then brightened until his curls glistened, a faint halo forming around his head. Light spilled from him in gentle waves, warm and alive, casting gold streaks across the deck. “What?” Ilya asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice as he noticed the sudden stillness around them. “Why is everyone looking at me?” “You’re-” Shane swallowed, barely trusting his own voice. “You’re shining.” He reached out without thinking, cupping Ilya’s face, fingers brushing his luminous hair in disbelief. There was no way this was real, right? “I-” Ilya faltered, glancing down at himself. His skin glowed now, bright enough to illuminate the entire ship, sails bathed in starlight. “Holy shit,” Shane breathed. The music had faded. No one spoke. The crew stared in reverent silence as the truth settled, undeniable and breathtaking. A fallen star.

Notes:

These characters have consumed me so much that they have brought me out of my fanfic writing retirement. Inspired by the movie Stardust, Ilya is a literal fallen star, and Shane has fallen in love.

Rated T Read on AO3

When Captain Shane Hollander set out on a voyage to retrieve a fallen star for the king, he never imagined that fallen star would turn out to be a man.

Legends claimed that fallen stars possessed immense power, and there was no doubt the king intended to claim it for himself. He was paying Shane handsomely. Riches beyond imagination for both captain and crew were promised, and of course the realm’s finest ship and the world’s best sailors would take such a job without hesitation.

They braved waves that rose like mountains as they followed the X marked on their map. This part of the ocean was dark and dangerous, yet Shane thrilled at the adrenaline rushing through his veins. When they finally reached a small island, they were greeted by darting lizards, squawking tropical birds, and sand beetles scattering beneath their boots as they rowed ashore. Hours passed as they hacked their way through the dense jungle, until at last the trees gave way to a massive crater carved into the earth.

At its center was… a man.

Shane rubbed his eyes. After endless nights without sleep and relentless tempests at sea, exhaustion had taken its toll, but no amount of fatigue could explain what he was seeing. A man lay in the heart of the crater, golden curls matted with dirt, arms strong despite his stillness, fear unmistakable in his wide eyes. Shane stared, stunned, struggling to accept that this was what the king had sent him across the world to find.

The man was undeniably handsome…and entirely unclothed.

Heat rushed to Shane’s face as he hurried to the edge of the crater and climbed down, boots sliding against loose stone as he descended nearly fifteen feet. He used his sword to brace himself as he slid the last few feet.

 “H-hello?” he called, his voice tentative, as he caught himself staring.

The man startled and looked up. “Please,” he said, desperation clear in his eyes. “Help me.” His voice carried a thick accent Shane couldn’t quite place, unfamiliar and strangely captivating all the same.

Without thinking, Shane shrugged out of his navy blazer and draped it around the man’s shivering shoulders. He offered his hand, steadying him as he carefully pulled him to his feet. 

“Who are you?” Shane asked, still trying to reconcile the man before him with the legends he’d grown up hearing. There was no way this was a fallen star.

“I am called Ilya,” the blond man said softly. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Captain Shane Hollander,” Shane said.

“Hollander,” Ilya said, testing the name on his lips.

Shane didn’t even correct him that his proper title was Captain, or Captain Shane Hollander.

----

Days passed, and still Shane couldn’t quite accept it. The king was paying him a small fortune to retrieve a man. Not a relic, not a weapon, but just Ilya. No matter how many times Shane turned it over in his mind, it refused to make sense. Judging by the uneasy glances and whispered conversations among the crew, he wasn’t alone in that confusion.

Ilya stood near the rail that night, dressed in a borrowed pair of trousers and one of Shane’s collared shirts, its sleeves rolled back at the wrists. He gazed up at the sky with open wonder, as if he were seeing it for the first time from this side of the world. Shane felt something unfamiliar twist in his chest at the sight of him. It was something warm, possessive, and quietly dangerous. Seeing Ilya wrapped in his clothes stirred an instinct he didn’t bother trying to name.

“What do you think the king’s going to do with him?” Hayden murmured, nodding subtly in Ilya’s direction.

Shane didn’t look away. “No idea,” he said. “And that’s what scares me.”

Hayden studied him for a long moment. “So what’s your plan, Captain?”

“I’m working on it,” Shane replied, though the words felt thinner than he liked.

As the night deepened, one by one the crew retired to their cabins, leaving the deck hushed save for the creak of wood and the gentle rush of waves. Still, Ilya remained where he was, eyes fixed on the moon as it climbed higher into the sky.

Shane joined him at the rail. “One of the perks of being a sailor,” he said quietly. “You get views like this.”

Ilya smiled faintly. “I suppose the perk of being a star,” he said, “is seeing the world from very far away.”

He swallowed, the glow of the moon catching in his eyes. “But it is terribly lonely up there,” he added softly. “I much prefer looking at it from down here. With you, Hollander.”

Shane’s breath caught before he could stop it.

----

The storm this evening was ruthless.

Shane’s hands burned as he fought the wheel, muscles screaming while the ship bucked beneath him. Rain pummeled his face in stinging sheets, salt and wind stealing the breath from his lungs as thunder cracked overhead, rattling his bones.

“TIE DOWN THE STARBOARD ROPES!” he bellowed, his voice nearly swallowed by the wind.

A crewman fumbled with the wrong sail, fingers slick and shaking as the canvas snapped violently, threatening to tear itself free. Another wave slammed into the hull, sending the ship pitching hard to port. Shane dug in his boots and wrenched the wheel back, shoulders straining as the mast groaned in protest.

The deck was chaos. Ropes were thrashing, men were shouting swears that vanished into the night, water was pooling everywhere. The ship creaked and groaned beneath the onslaught, every timber protesting as if the ship were going to split in two.

Shane didn’t dare look below deck.

He sent up a silent prayer instead, thanking the gods that Ilya was safe in the cabins below. His cabin, Shane corrected with a grim, fleeting smile. It was the most reinforced space on the ship, designed to survive the worst the sea could throw at them.

If the storm meant to take anything tonight, Shane would be damned if it took him. He threw in an extra prayer to whatever god might be listening that this storm would let up soon.

----

Shane wasn’t sure how long he was fighting with the wheel but some time later, almost imperceptibly at first, the storm began to falter.

The wind let up, no longer howling but fizzling out in weaker gusts. The rain softened from punishing sheets to a steady drizzle, and the waves lost some of their savage height. The ship continued to creak and sway, but the violent lurches eased into something survivable.

“Steady!” Shane yelled out, his voice hoarse now, his hands icy and numb on the wheel.

Gradually, the darkness thinned. A break in the dark clouds above revealed a sliver of moonlight. Holy shit, they might actually make it. The moonlight spilled across the deck, glinting off soaked planks and tangled ropes, illuminating the crew as they stood braced and breathing, barely believing they were still alive.

Shane sagged against the wheel as the worst of it passed, his pulse still roaring in his ears. The sea hadn’t beaten them, and Shane thanked the gods. The ship was worse for wear, but they were alive.

Only when the sails were secured and the ship limped onward did Shane finally allow himself to look below deck.

Ilya would be waiting. He always was.

----

“Hollander,” Ilya breathed when the shadow of Shane crossed the threshold. Relief was on his face as he saw Shane standing there, wet, cold, but alive. He was laying in Shane’s bed, shoes off, and pillows askew.

“Ilya,” Shane murmured, pausing and flexing his hands to try to get the feeling to return to them. They were still icy, but the warmth from this room, or was it Ilya? was reaching him.

Shane stood there for several beats, unsure what to do. Part of him wanted to rush into Ilya’s embrace and hold him forever and never let go. The other part just stood there frozen in disbelief, as if none of this were real, and he would soon wake up back on land having never met the fallen star.

“It’s stopped,” Shane said at least, running his hands through his dark, saltwater-soaked hair. “Some of the crew are upstairs having some rum.” He hesitated again. “I was wondering if you might want some.”

“Rum?” Ilya echoed.

Shane let out a soft, self-conscious laugh. “I can’t stand the stuff,” he admitted, unsure how to explain alcohol to someone who’d fallen from the sky. “But they swear it tastes good. You don’t have to, of course. I just thought… maybe you’d like to join us.”

A smile reached Ilya’s mouth. “Okay,” Ilya said, his accent curling around the word.

Shane’s heart swooped, his chest feeling light. They were okay.

---

Up top, the deck was alive with song, laughter, and the sharp tang of alcohol. The crew had shaken loose the fear of the storm and now moved with easy joy, celebrating survival the way sailors always did. They celebrated loudly, together, and without restraint.

Ilya reached for Shane’s hand as Shane guided him into the gathering. Shane glanced down in surprise, uncertainty flickering through him until Ilya smiled.

“This is okay, yes?” Ilya asked, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Shane nodded, words catching in his throat. More than okay. Don’t ever let go. “Y—” he began, only to be cut off by a very enthusiastic voice.

“HEY! IT’S THE CAPTAIN AND THE STAR!” Cliff sloshed toward them, a brown bottle of rum raised high. “Here’s to surviving the end of the world!” he declared, punctuating it with a hiccup.

Shane laughed. “Maybe take it easy on the rum, Cliff.”

He accepted a bottle from Hayden and added dryly, “I need my crew in tip-top shape.” Shane took a swig and grimaced. He didn’t know how his crew drank the stuff as often as they did. He preferred ginger tea.

“Eh?” Cliff grinned. “Loosen up, Cap’.” He staggered back toward the others, already mid-laugh.

Shane offered the bottle to Ilya, only mildly disappointed when Ilya released his grip.

Ilya took the bottle with both hands and sniffed it, brow furrowing. Then, with a decisive shrug, he took a swig and immediately coughed as the burn tore its way down his throat.

“You don’t have to drink it,” Shane said, laughing as he reached for the bottle. “I know it’s awful.”

“Nonsense,” Ilya replied, waving him off and taking another swallow. “Now I am used to it, yes? I will drink.”

Shane watched him, unable to hide the grin on his face.

Ilya chugged the bottle right in front of him and Shane was both impressed and terrified of what this man was doing to him.

“I like that rum drink,” Ilya punctuated, slamming the bottle down on the nearest table dramatically to cheers from the crew

Another crew member pulled out a lute, plucking the strings carefully in the cold night air. They began singing.

Give me your eyes

I need sunshine

Give me your eyes

I need sunshine

Your blood

Your bones

Your voice

And your ghost

Shane took a moment to look around at his crew bobbing and swaying to the music, faces flushed with drink and laughter. For the first time in a long while, he felt something close to happiness settle in his chest.

Before he could overthink it, he turned back to Ilya and held out his hand. “Dance with me,” he said, already tugging him toward the center of the circle the crew had formed.

Maybe it was the lingering burn of alcohol on Ilya’s tongue, or maybe it was the cool night air brushing against his skin, but he didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t afraid of the man in front of him. Falling from the sky was terrifying and painful, but perhaps it was worth it to meet Captain Shane Hollander.

They swayed and danced with the music, the sky clear and the moon full. Shane held Ilya close, closing his eyes enjoying the moment. Then, all of a sudden, he felt a warmth emanating from Ilya.

When Shane opened his eyes, wonder stole the breath from his lungs.

Ilya was… glowing.

It began softly, like moonlight caught in mist, then brightened until his curls glistened, a faint halo forming around his head. Light spilled from him in gentle waves, warm and alive, casting gold streaks across the deck.

“What?” Ilya asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice as he noticed the sudden stillness around them. “Why is everyone looking at me?”

“You’re-” Shane swallowed, barely trusting his own voice. “You’re shining.”

He reached out without thinking, cupping Ilya’s face, fingers brushing his luminous hair in disbelief. There was no way this was real, right?

“I-” Ilya faltered, glancing down at himself. His skin glowed now, bright enough to illuminate the entire ship, sails bathed in starlight.

“Holy shit,” Shane breathed.

The music had faded. No one spoke. The crew stared in reverent silence as the truth settled, undeniable and breathtaking.

A fallen star.

Shining. Shimmering. Splendid.

Shane knew, with a clarity sharper than fear, that he could never hand Ilya over to the king. No crown, no gold, no threat of exile could outweigh what stood before him now. He would find another way to repay his crew even if he had to sail for years on end.

If this was the price of defiance, Shane would pay it gladly.

Ilya was worth a lifetime at sea.

“You’re beautiful,” Shane breathed, never having seen anything shine so brightly in his life.

Ilya leaned in until their foreheads touched, light humming softly beneath his skin.

“Shane,” Ilya said his first name, spoken for the first time, careful and reverent.

Shane didn’t even have time to feel what that did to him before reality crashed back in. The ship had become a beacon in the dark. A fallen star screaming its location to the entire ocean. Neon-bright. Impossible to miss. Hayden’s eyes were wide as saucers as he watched the realization dawn on Shane’s face.

“The most sober crew member,” Shane said sharply, already moving, “will be sailing us through the night.”

He didn’t wait for a response. There was no time. Shane grabbed Ilya’s hand and pulled him toward the stairs, fear and possession twisting together in his gut. He grabbed his sword with his other hand instinctually. He didn’t want to wait and find out what kinds of things hunted fallen stars. He couldn’t wait to see what monsters had just felt that flare of light and turned their heads.

He just knew one thing: Ilya had to be hidden. Now.

“Shane,” Ilya said as they reached the captain’s quarters. He was still glowing, a bit more muted now, but unmistakable.

“I can’t lose you,” Shane said, voice rough. “Monsters are after you. We have to move. We have to-”

“Shane.”

This time, Ilya stopped him. A hand pressed flat against Shane’s chest, steady and warm, anchoring him back into his own body.

“This is a big moment for me,” Ilya said softly, tugging him down until they were sitting side by side on the edge of the bed. “Do you know what this means?”

Shane swallowed. His mind filled with panic instead of wonder.

We’re all going to die. You’re going to leave me. I can’t protect you.

“I love you,” Ilya said simply.

Shane froze.

That was… not what he’d been bracing for.

“I’m glowing,” Ilya continued, almost sheepish, “because I’m in love.”

He said it like it was obvious. Like it explained everything.

Shane laughed, a shaky, disbelieving sound that turned into a breathless exhale. “Holy shit,” he said, for the second time that night. Then, he said “I love you too. So much.”

Their lips crashed together, hunger and want pooling in their chests. Hands explored every inch of each other, Ilya’s blond curls illuminating the entire room.

“It is a funny feeling,” Ilya said, humming against Shane’s ear. “But I do not ever want it to ever go away.”

“Me either,” Shane said, inhaling deeply.

For this moment, the two men knew they were safe and could take on the world as long as they were together.

Shane couldn’t believe it. A fallen star. Had fallen in love. With him.

Shane smiled, heart full to the point of ache. He tightened his arms around him, grounding, human, real. “We’ll figure out the rest.” Nothing would stop them.

Ilya raked his hands through Shane’s hair.

“Shane,” Ilya said. “I like saying your name.”

“I like hearing it.”

Ilya pushed Shane back into the mattress, beaming as he snuggled on top of him, close, safe, and home.

[elphabaoftheopera]

4,28,38 🥰

Thank you!!!

4. what was your first kiss like?

Well my *first* kiss was a stage kiss for a theatre class project in high school, we were acting out the scene from The Drowsy Chaperone where Robert is blindfolded on rollerskates and Janet (who I was playing) kisses him, and though me and my scene partner had both agreed to do the stage kiss for real I guess he wasn’t expecting it (again, he was blindfolded) and he didn’t know the scene/his lines very well so it was pretty awkward. THEN he didn’t show up for the day of the class performance so I had to kiss a different guy who, despite knowing the kiss was coming, was STILL not ready. I cannot make this shit up. 

My first non-stage kiss was with a tinder date in college and to this day it was the worst kiss I’ve ever had, he was really just VERY not good at kissing or making out at all. He was a nice guy, and I don’t regret going on the date, but I never saw him again so. 

HOWEVER my first kiss with my now husband was like a month into us dating and it was in a parking lot and it was literally the most perfect thing of my life. So I eventually got it right. 

28. what’s your sign?

Aries baby! It’s my sun AND moon sign. 

38. what’s your OTP?

I’m a ride or die Fiyeraba shipper for over ten years now. Fiyero x Elphaba for life. 

Honorable mention(s): Remus x Tonks and 11 x River Song

[whatstheproblembaby]

Shoutout to Alex for being willing to move to Greece with me so we can just live Mamma Mia.

[skivvysupreme]

Omg Jen was talking to me about your fic in progress and I just read it and omg Kurt is me

same 

it was cute that they played football around that lady gaga concert wasn’t it

[whatstheproblembaby]

So @makeitmagical and @trufflemores both put on Flash shirts this morning without seeing the other person and I'm just honking with laughter rn

[whatstheproblembaby]

And some days, you and @musicalalexb get to meet @agreatbigworld and they’re super nice and funny and you’re on cloud 9. ❤

[whatstheproblembaby]

@makeitmagical, earlier: I’ve had this pear for weeks now and it’s still hard.

Me: What kind of pear is that? Is it safe?....Maybe it’ll give you suPEARpowers.

Alex: You’re getting punched.

[whatstheproblembaby]

Ready to watch people GET SLAMMED INTO THE BOARDS. 〽 (at Yost Ice Arena)