Okay, no. You have to tell me about bruises verse mouse/Thomas ward, I am dying.
Yes, of course! I think about my collection of spoiled rich boys (and Matt) a normal amount!
Bruises 'Verse is an AU I developed back in my Marvel/Agents of SHIELD era set after everyone gets out of the Framework? But s5 and the whole time travel/space arc doesn't happen?
As per usual, under a read more because I can't shut up about anything ever
The very short version is that Leo Fitz leaves SHIELD to process all of that trauma, as well as the fact that Radcliffe is his biological father (anyone who followed me in that era knows my URL was holdendadcliffe, it's my favorite theory, I still think about it daily), and in a year moves to the PNW (some smaller town outside of Seattle, far enough from the city that he doesn't have to worry about anything, I was undecided on the details) and becomes a middle school science teacher. There, he also runs into his... they aren't exes, because they never defined their relationship, but they did go on a date before Leo got dragged into joining the field team with Jemma. He's my original character, his name is Matthew Scott, he's a good boy who has a medical degree but decided to give up on that dream and become a librarian, completely coincidentally, in the same small town that Leo ends up in.
I wrote a whole fic about it, but before his death in s3, Grant Ward (I love him, okay? I can and will write essays about him *Jay voice* in fact, I have. many times.) wrote letters for a few people in his life as a sort of... apology? He was really obsessed with the concept of "closure" in early s3, and I leaned into that while writing and developing this little universe. And those letters got left to Thomas, with the instruction to deliver the rest of them. He kind of just mailed off the others because *gestures to SHIELD and how they treated him* but he had to track down Leo because he didn't really leave a contact address with SHIELD and purposefully dropped off the radar because he also wants nothing to do with them.
And when Thomas drops off that letter for Leo, they kind of become friends? Thomas, who was floundering to get his life back after SHIELD disrupted it, who didn't want to go back to working at the bank they found him at because it's not a Safe Place anymore. So, he also moves to that little town, and does the first thing he can think of, which is going through the police academy and having a stable job so that he can hang out with friends (honestly, just Leo and Matt at that point) and pay rent and all that fun adult stuff that everyone hates.
Lately, I've been thinking about a lot of AUs where Mouse finishes his tour with the Army and returns to the States but doesn't go back to Chicago? I have thoughts about him going to Georgia, continuing his connection with the military and using it to get a job doing tech for them. I have thoughts about him going to Los Angeles and becoming a firefighter (the 911 crossover AU is NOT thought through yet don't ask about it for at least another week) or becoming private security or something for rich start up entrepreneurs. Things like that.
It occurred to me, a few months ago, that he could have also relocated to that same small town, and become a teacher (I especially thought about it after rereading @kitthekazoo's Community Garden fic, because teacher!Mouse my beloved) at the same school that Leo teaches at!
I just thought it would be funny if the tech boys with parental trauma and other causes of PTSD became best friends??? And Mouse and Matt would get alone great (tired homosexuals who are kind of over being dragged to the bar every week, because Matt is sober and Mouse is trying to avoid anything that might become a slippery slope for a while until he fully adjusts to being in Not A War Zone), and then... Thomas is kind of his type???
Detective? Complicated relationship with his brother? Pretty eyes?
Mouse is simple and I respect that.
Bonus: Matt and Tommy rolling their eyes when Leo and Mouse start talking about their students and completely forget that their boyfriends are there because they're unhinged little science nerds
I love the concept of smashing my blorbos together in a chaotic AU and seeing what my brain does. In this case, my brain said "boyfriends!" and now Mouse gets to actually date a detective and have friends and a life outside of that little cage he was in for most of his run on CPD, and I get to make him happy!
Fun fact: Tommy is a piece of shit (affectionate) and definitely calls Matt "Mascot" because Leo made the mistake of introducing him as "Matt Scott" and, uh... the joke was too easy he had to make it
Matthew Scott dedicated nearly seven years of his life to SHIELD, working in labs and developing tech. When one of the few people he started to grow attached to left to join a field team, he started to care less and less - until he left, just in time, narrowly avoiding the organization’s fall. Five years and a hundred or so bottles of whiskey later, he was finally living the life he’d intended. He had a small apartment in a rainy town, a steady job at the local library, and he’d kicked his liquor addiction, far away from any reminders of SHIELD. Or, at least most of them.
Leopold Fitz Radcliffe left SHIELD within weeks of leaving the Framework. He had too many regrets, too many memories from a world and a life that no longer existed, and he couldn’t get a proper break to process everything else he’d learned surrounded by people who knew him too well. He disappeared, only to pop up again two years later with a new name, a new job, and a new life. It was less of a risk, being at the front of a classroom instead of on the frontlines of whatever battle SHIELD would have made him fight in.
thank you for requesting the boys they make me happy! also I know you got some of my babbles about this but it really is soft for no good reason except for the fact that they are soft. also it wasn’t supposed to be this long but it’s 2k so........ I’m sorry?
66. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you moan…it was like a fucking melody.
There was something about finding someone again, picking up almost right where they left off and continuing the almost they'd had so many years before. It was something without a name, a warmth that filled a space where Leo didn't even realize he was cold. And, when one date finally turned into more, and plans expanded beyond dinner and a movie, he felt everything else in his life shift and settle back into place around it.
Going out with Matt once a week didn't mean he had to give up any part of his job, or his friendships, or even change the schedule he'd set up for his weekly sessions. It was just another piece of normalcy that fit so easily into the life he'd built for himself, and he liked it - he liked the happiness that it brought, he liked not being alone for another night every week, he liked the new routine, even when it had variances.
While their first few dates since their reunion had been dinner and an occasional movie, and then a walk during one of the afternoons when Leo's school was on break, and then seeing a play put on at the local community theater, they all ended the same way. They enjoyed their time together, bid goodbye, and went back to their respective apartments alone. It wasn't like their first, the one back at the Academy, the one where he got to see how his date lived and be invited into his space, the one where he'd spent every day up until they left for the Bus regretting not leaning in for a kiss when he had the chance.
( and he knew he should give that copy of Gatsby back, the one that was on some shelf somewhere among his things, but he never had time to search for it, or forgot to look when he did, or saw it for just a second and then it was gone again when he went to grab it on his way out the door )
He supposed that had to change some time, if things between them were going to continue. Even if it was easy, Leo knew it couldn't stay on the surface if he wanted to keep this happiness in his life. Every relationship developed beyond the surface, whether intentionally or otherwise, or it fizzled out, faded, disappeared into the abyss that was everything else in his past. And a part of him wanted to hold onto this, this warmth and happiness that had added to everything he'd clawed for, because it was easy. He wanted something that didn't take a fight or a sacrifice, and the universe had dropped that into his lap.
After so long, the impossible happened. One of the many things that he'd given up for his life in SHIELD had come back to him, and he didn't want to give it up again just because he was scared. So, when he was invited back to Matt's apartment after one of their dinners together, he accepted with only a moment of hesitation.
It must have been noticeable, and he regretted that even before the words reached his ears. "Or we could see if there's anything playing at the theater down the street, but I think we saw everything that looked good, already. Or we could, uh..." Matt closed his mouth and frowned, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "We could just end the night...?"
"No." Leo didn't hesitate, this time, shaking his head and reaching for his date's hand. "No, it's still early, isn't it? But... my place is right down the street, if we want to go there, instead? I probably have fewer movies, if we really wanted to do anything, but, uh... I have board games? And cards? And documentaries?"
The smile that he could see on his companion's face made the anxiety building in his chest fade, and warm fingers found his - not quite taking his hand, but he didn't need that. The reassurance that he could relax was enough. "I don't think I've ever seen how a teacher lives when they're not in the public eye. Promise it won't completely wreck my perception of the American education system?"
With a small smile of his own, Leo shook his head again and let his shoulders relax. "As long as you don't mind a bit of clutter, it shouldn't be too scarring."
Matt, as it turned out, didn't mind clutter at all, or the fact that he still had a few dishes in the sink that needed to be scrubbed and put in the dishwasher, or the pile of shoes by the door, or the guitar that had made a home out of the corner of the living room. Even Leo himself hated his mess sometimes, something that Craig was trying to get him to work on - it was a normal thing, especially on his bad days, and he could always take care of it when a day came around that he had the energy. Remembering that was always harder to do on the bad days.
When they moved from the entry and into the main room, where he had half filled shelves of books and things along one wall, the first thing he did was move toward the kitchen. "Can I get you anything? I have tea, milk, juice, water, maybe something with bubbles, if Tommy didn't steal it when he came by the other day..."
"Water is fine, thanks. Do you mind if I take a look at your... book pile?"
The comment was made in reference to the stacks of books that had made it onto the shelves but hadn't been organized, piled on top of and next to each other. Leo made a mental note to try to fix that on his next day off, if only so he wouldn't be so embarrassed to have someone over who wasn't Thomas. As it was, his cheeks were pink, and he was trying to remember what all was even on the shelf so he knew if he should put a stop to it. "Go for it."
He slipped into the small kitchen quickly, getting two glasses from the cabinet for cold water. Based only on how his body was reacting to the first minute and a half of having someone over, he was going to need plenty of it. Taking a sip before filling his own glass to the top again, he tried to relax until he heard a gasp from the next room, stepping over to investigate the cause.
When he got there, he was greeted by the sight of Matt with a book in hand, something thin and worn and something he recognized even from the other side of the room. Gatsby, right where he didn't think to look with the rest of the meager collection of books he had. "You just weren't going to give this back? Or were you waiting until you had time between grading lab reports to read it?"
"I've read it," Leo argued quickly, shaking his head while his cheeks flushed a brighter shade of pink. He wished he had his water, then, if only because he felt so warm - between his blush and the jacket still on his shoulders, he was sure he was going to start sweating, which was the last thing he wanted to do in current company. "I just forgot where I put it."
"It was on top of the pile."
"It wasn't directly in front of my face, so it doesn't exist."
He got a knowing look in response, and Matt kept the book in his hand while he crossed the room to stand in front of him. "So, you did finally read it. Do you have any thoughts on it? Or should we find a way to put the movie on so we can revisit it?"
Leo shook his head, making his eyes follow the book instead of the man holding it while he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I reread it, when I moved, before I got my job? And I don't reread anything, so... I think it's safe to say I enjoyed it."
There was a beat of silence between them, and when he risked a glance toward Matt's face, he saw a light in his eyes that he was sure he hadn't seen there before, ever. They'd been on almost a dozen dates, talked about all kinds of things, but even the first time they'd discussed the novel, when they'd seen the movie together a lifetime ago, the light there hadn't been so bright. "So, just to be clear... you not only read the book I forced you to borrow, but you liked it, so much that you read it a second time? You actually liked the book I recommended?"
After a moment of hesitation, he nodded his head slowly to give the only response he could. "Yes? You have good taste in literature, I thought you knew that."
"That is the single hottest thing anyone has ever said to me. C'mere?"
Leo didn't even try to fight the hand that came up to the back of his neck, gently pulling his head down enough to seal their lips in a kiss. Their first kiss. Something he'd been thinking about for so long that it had become a part of him, and now it was reality. He had to resist the urge to pinch himself, or do anything else to check that he wasn't dreaming or in another virtual world. For a moment, everything stopped, and it felt like time stood still, and he didn't even realize he'd let out a sound until the kiss was broken and there was space between them again.
The sound of a faint chuckle almost made him pull back, worried that he'd done something wrong. It wasn't like he'd had the opportunity to explore his sexuality over the years; what if kissing was supposed to be different, compared to the other relationships he'd been in? It hadn't felt any different, when it came to... execution. But he supposed the years of anticipation had made him a little anxious, eager, maybe he was just out of practice and should have been practicing with his pillow, or something, or-
"You know, I think that's the first time I've heard you moan...?"
Then, Leo did pull back, the red in his cheeks spreading as far as his ears while he tried to figure out what to say. "Well... I mean... I haven't exactly been... I just mean... it's been a while since I've..."
"No, no, it..." Matt cut him off quickly, reaching for him again and closing the space between them as soon as it was clear that he didn't mind it. It was easy, following silent cues and signals, as easy as everything else they'd been doing since they spotted each other across the bar. They fell into step with each other so easily, as if the years spent apart hadn't done anything at all to derail the rhythm they'd set that first night. "It was like a fucking melody."
All at once, he was being pulled in for another kiss, and he leaned into it without a second thought. There was no reason to stop and think, not when it felt so right, so wonderful, so natural and easy and perfect. And maybe he did moan again, and maybe he didn't, but that didn't matter when he had more kisses to focus on and they were trying to make their way over to the couch to continue with however they were spending the rest of their night.
( they managed to find the breath to speak between kisses, though Leo was a bit more overwhelmed by the closeness and the weight on his hips and how hard it was to think beyond how good it felt to let himself enjoy something. for all he knew, it would come to an end as soon as the sun came up, and he was trying to hold on before this all slipped through his fingers once again.
"I hope this isn't too forward, but are we going to make it to the bed, or do I have to add to the clutter of the living room when I get these clothes off of you?"
the words made his breath catch in his throat, and when his body reacted and his cock twitched at the thought, he knew what the answer would be. "add to the clutter. I'll clean up tomorrow, it's fine. but there's no way I'm making it all the way to the bedroom."
and there was that chuckle again, the one that was fond and warm and gentle, one he was very quickly growing used to hearing. it was usually when he got a little eager, and if that's all it took coax out that kind of happiness, he'd make sure to be excited about this for the rest of his life )
*points* taylor swift! okay, it would definitely be cheating to just say the ideas i have for the folklore anthology, so i’ve basically been thinking about this since you sent it. i jumped through ships, into a different fandom, and then came back to aos - kind of. i settled on mattleo (yes, matt, my oc for bruises verse) because somehow that ship has fully settled in my mind and in my heart over the last few years
Leo Fitz thought that life after university would be easy, with a PhD under his belt before age 20 and the drive to continue working on the things he’d been designing while still in school. When he ended up living in a tiny flat and working as a receptionist for a publishing company, he realized how wrong he was. There, he met a young writer who lived in his building. When Matthew Scott dropped out of school a year into his pre-med program to publish his first novel, he thought it might actually be his big break. But, two manuscripts later, he was still in the same tiny studio apartment, with a slowly worsening drinking problem, and no real plan for his life. When he took a call from his publisher’s office and heard his neighbor’s Scottish accent a few hours before a meeting, he wrote a new chapter for the first time in months. Maybe the best muses come in pretty packages.
[ send me a fic title and i’ll tell you what i’d write ]
I desperately miss my precious boy Matthew, and because I can’t write anything plot-wise for Bruises Verse until I get more things done, I’m stealing Kayti’s dialogue list and a random number generator to give myself some fluff for the boys
11. i’d never call you irrational, at least not to your face
Leo yawned while he let himself into the apartment, frowning and shuffling into the main room without even taking off his shoes. Work was a normal day, and the kids were all fine, but it had been long, and he knew that his physical exhaustion meant his mental exhaustion wasn’t far behind.
It wasn’t even his apartment. He had a key, meant for emergencies, and this wasn’t necessarily an emergency, but he didn’t think that really mattered. For just a few hours, even if it was only for dinner and part of a movie, he needed to not be alone. Hopefully, his boyfriend would understand that.
He stopped when he got far enough inside to see the couch, a faint smile pulling at his lips despite his current state. There were a lot of new things in his life, a lot of changes, and having his past come back in the form of Matthew Scott had been unexpected but extremely pleasant.
It was easily the best thing about the town he’d decided to settle down in.
Dark curls lifted when his presence was registered, and the cover of the book in his boyfriend’s hands was familiar enough to ground him in reality, to remind him of where he was. “Hey. Did something happen, or are we just using our emergency keys whenever we want, now?”
“You got a new copy.”
Matt arched a brow before glancing down at his book again with a small smile. “Of Gatsby? Yeah, because you still have my old one. Am I ever going to get it back?”
“It’s in a box, somewhere. I’ll find it, I promise.” Leo shook his head and stepped toward the couch slowly, fidgeting with the strap of the bag on his shoulder while he took a deep breath. “Sorry for just barging in, like this...”
“No, don’t.” The book was closed and set aside, a simple movement that meant there was nothing between them, that there was nothing to distract their attention from the conversation at hand. It helped, in a weird way. “What’s your therapist saying these days? That you need to be able to recognize when you need help and be able to ask for it? You can’t do that, yet, and that’s okay. Just showing up is kind of what you do.”
Frowning at the words, he quickly shook his head again. “What? No, it’s not.”
“Last weekend, you showed up at the library with a few dozen cookies so you wouldn’t have to sit alone and listen to the Doctor. Tommy texted me a few months ago when you showed up at his place for drinks because it was your dad’s birthday. You show up, when you need support, but you also show up when we need support, so it balances out. And we know that means you need us, so... did something happen? Because you look...” Matt looked him over for a moment before shaking his head and bringing a hand up to his glasses. He slid them off in a way that was obviously meant to mimic the lead in some romantic dramedy, meant to be seductive and teasing, and it was almost successful, until he spoke. “Well, I was going to say you look exhausted, but now you just look blurry.”
Leo managed a weak smile, shaking his head but not moving from where he was in the middle of the floor. “I’m still sorry I just came in without even knocking or texting first or anything... I still feel bad. I just show up, sometimes, I know that, but should I do that? You’re just living your lives, and then I come in, with my problems and my bullshit, disrupting all of it... I mean, I interrupted your reading thing with the kids, and I interrupted Thomas’s night because I can’t deal with my own issues. Nothing even happened, today, it was all normal, but I came over anyway, because I know I’m tired. That’s it. It’s Friday, and I’m tired, and part of me is scared that the Doctor might be a little louder than normal, tonight. It’s completely irrational...”
There was a long moment of quiet, the words settling into the air between them before the silence was broken. Even then, the words were quiet, gentle, comforting. “I’d never call you irrational. At least, not to your face.” Matt shrugged his shoulders before relaxing into the cushions under him, his glasses still in his hand.
Arching a brow, he shook his head before slowly allowing his shoulders to relax. “Can you even see my face, right now?”
“Haha.” He put his glasses back on with a humorless smile and pat the couch next to him. “Come on, we’ll order food and turn on a movie. That should keep him quiet. If it doesn’t, I’ll just talk about the homoeroticism in most classic works of literature. That usually puts you to sleep. Maybe it will work on him, too.”
Part 1.5 of Bruises Verse
Part 1 of the fluff alphabet challenge
Extended scene from Coming To Terms
Leo decides to explore his options and goes on a date with one Matthew Scott - who is very disappointed in his lack of literature knowledge.
"Did you even read the book, Fitzy? What part of any of that was a remotely heterosexual love story?"
Leo rolled his eyes, his hands in his pockets while they shuffled down the sidewalk. He was smiling, which was a rare enough occurrence outside of what he supposed he really should be considering a date, after all the hours he'd already spent with the man by his side. They'd enjoyed dinner together, and ice cream, and then when the theater down the block was advertising a late night showing of the latest Gatsby adaptation, well... There had been too much excitement in Matthew's eyes for him to even think of saying no.
