Summary: Wen Qing swallows her pride and writes a letter to Hanguang-jun asking him to escort Wei Wuxian to Jin Rulan’s one-month celebration. It changes everything.
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"Still, as you must intimately know, asking Wei Wuxian to take the cautious path is as useful as asking a mountain to kindly move out of your way. However, I cannot acknowledge my own fears while not pursuing every option available to assuage them.
If possible, I would ask that Hanguang-Jun would consider escorting Master Wei to the celebration himself.
He is determined to make the trip on foot, -
Lan Wangji stops for a moment, reading back over the line as he makes sure he has not misread the characters. A trip from Yiling to Koi Tower will take days on foot, instead of hours. He knows Wei Ying has been casual with his sword, to his own detriment, but to choose to walk instead of fly when no one from the other clans would even know -
It defies logic.
Kay's comments: Don't we all love a good what-if story? What if Lan Wangji accompanied Wei Wuxian to Jin Ling's full moon celebration instead of Wen Ning? Would have things gone better? Something this story explores! Though at first it's about Lan Wangji being sneaky (which I loved) as he receives a letter from Wen Qing, which makes his family suspicious and then we get some good slice-of-life content of the Wens and Wei Wuxian in the Burial Mounds on top! Truly the cherry on top! I really enjoy Lan Wangji's POV in this story and how it portrays his frustration towards himself. He wants to be better, he wants to express himself so that Wei Wuxian understands him, but he's struggling, especially after past misunderstandings...
Excerpt: By the end of the dinner, his uncle’s shoulders seemed to have relaxed, and his eyes were less sharp, assured that nothing was off in Lan Wangji’s behavior. If his brother’s knowing eyes see something different than his uncle’s, he keeps his thoughts to himself.
After a quick reminder of their duties in the morning of preparing the senior disciples for the trip to Koi Tower, Lan Qiren dismisses them both with a nod. The two brothers trail out.
“Wangji,” comes the hesitant voice of his brother when they reach the path that splits to lead to their respective residences. Lan Wangji turns to face him, giving him his full attention.
His brother searches his eyes, his face, his posture. He opens his mouth multiple times to speak, but hesitancy crawls across him in grasping waves and he closes it every time.
Lan Wangji knows his brother does not know the exact contents of the letter; it has stayed on his person throughout the day. But he knows that his brother knows him. And his brother is smart; he knows the situation and can make his own inferences, his own assumptions.
pov lan wangji, canon divergence, ambush at qiongqi path, fix-it, everybody lives, wen remnants live, wen remnants deserve better, canon - mo dao zu shi & the untamed combination
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(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)
Yet another plea for help from the Tumblr community....
I don't usually do this, but I have to get on here and please for help. I hope the Tumblr community will come through for me. I have seen miracles been worked on this site before, I hope you all can pull another one off.
Can some one please get Sailorbryant polls? She's been such a good friend to me, and she has been in a major depressive episode since the polls came out. She really deserves the polls guys. I promise she won't abuse them.
Summary: Not long into the courtship, the wedding arrangements begin. Unusually fast, perhaps, but neither Ryan nor Gavin particularly mind.
Continuation of this. Tag. Read here on Ao3.
Thank you so much for your support @sailorbryant <3 (officially first posted on Susan’s birthday, Aug 23rd, with the extra scene as a gift :D)
Gavin was wearing his colours.
They were strolling through the castle gardens with Gavin’s mother, chaperones and guards trailing behind at a respectful (wary) distance. Ryan should focus on the discussion of marriage arrangements with the queen, but his attention was caught by black and purple silk in the corner of his eyes. Gavin glanced up, a green flush spreading over his cheeks as he caught Ryan staring. It was utterly endearing, complimented by the black vest, and Ryan had to tear his eyes away before he did something stupid.
Their courtship had been surprisingly short, where such matters were concerned. Gavin’s parents wanted nothing more but be rid of their son as quickly as possible, even if they disliked him as a future son-in-law. Not Ryan, specifically, but what he was, what he represented. Their initial protests had quieted down immediately once Gavin pointed out that any future spouse would become aware of his creeperblood on the wedding night.
His words had piqued Ryan’s interest, but it was quickly overshadowed by the rage he’d felt on Gavin’s behalf. He saw the last bits of hope crumble in hazel eyes as his parents switched tracks, all but throwing their son at the man they saw as a monster. Ryan wanted to whisk his betrothed out of the human kingdoms as soon as possible, away from those who dared to hurt him.
“-small villa at the lake, that should suffice for the wedding night.”
Ryan took a deep breath and let the anger flow through him, releasing it on the exhale.
“Where is this villa located, exactly?” Ryan inquired politely, the thought of a lake nearby making him shudder.
“On the outskirts of the capital, near the forest,” Gavin explained, squeezing his wrist gently. He’d noticed Ryan’s avoidance of water within the first week and started arranging things to accommodate him. Whereas everyone insisted on seeing him as a monster they had to treat as a human, Gavin accepted him for who he was and what that meant. Unsurprising, perhaps, considering Gavin was more than human himself, and had to deal with those misconceptions on his own.
It was his thoughtfulness, however, that convinced Ryan he made the right choice in coming here.
“I didn’t realize you were willing to host the festivities within the capital.” Ryan frowned thoughtfully, tugging Gavin closer to his side. The queen arched a brow.
“Of course,” she declared haughtily, all but calling him a fool for expecting otherwise. “Where else would We hold a wedding? It’s traditional.”
Ryan side-eyed her, but bit his tongue. He wouldn’t make this harder for Gavin than it need be.
“Apologies. I assumed you’d prefer not to have the more monstrous guests and their entourage march to the heart of your realm, considering how many villages they’ll pass through.”
“Monsters?” the queen echoed, startled. She pursed her lips. “I suppose officials of both kingdoms are required to witness the wedding. How many Ender creatures may We expect?”
Ryan stopped, staring at her long and hard, eyebrows climbing up. She couldn’t be serious.
“It is not my entourage you should be worried about,” he stated at long last. “But those of the other kings and queens from my side of the realms. Surely you do not wish to slight them? It is traditional to send invitations to all royal courts, monster and human.”
Not to mention that Ryan wasn’t fool enough to leave them uninvited. He could make enemies on his own time, and the wedding gave him a perfectly controlled setting to introduce Gavin. To teach him of alliances and politics that formed the careful balance between the monsters.
The queen paled rapidly, opening her mouth and snapping it shut.
“Certainly not! Of course, invitations are being sent.” She cleared her throat delicately. “They have not deigned to visit a human wedding in centuries. Are You quite sure We should expect…”
She trailed off at Ryan’s dark chuckle.
“You forget who I am, Your Majesty.” He looked her over condescendingly, feeling the purple fire roil in his veins. “Even if some of them weren’t curious to see a monster married to a human, they will come. They will come to find out why the King of the End chose a human mate. They will come to figure out what this alliance between your kingdom and mine means.”
Gavin pressed close to his side, and Ryan tore his gaze from the horrified queen’s face to look at him. Satisfaction churned in his stomach at causing her fear, but he did not wish to scare his betrothed. Ryan couldn’t decipher his emotions, however, as Gavin resolutely stared at the ground. He took solace in the fact that Gavin hadn’t fled his presence or indeed so much as flinched.
“They will come,” Ryan repeated, returning his attention to the queen. “As my guests if not yours. I’d suggest holding the celebrations in a city on the borders of your kingdom.”
Her mouth parted, before her lips pressed in a thin, bloodless line.
“I will look into that immediately. Excuse me.”
She hurried off without waiting for their response, most of the guards splitting off to follow her. Ryan stared after her until she vanished beyond the hedges. A tug on his sleeve pulled him back to his companion, who was smiling shyly up at him.
“Shall we continue?” Gavin asked quietly, leading him down the path. They walked in silence, Ryan watching Gavin closely as he mulled over his thoughts.
“You have nothing to fear from the kings and queens,” Ryan sought to reassure him, concerned that he was the cause for Gavin’s sudden introspection. “They will not dare harm what’s to be mine. And furthermore, we have a peace agreement, stating that wedding ceremonies and birthday celebrations are free of toil.”
“Oh?” Gavin coyly looked up at him from under long lashes. “Even when there’s bad blood between their kingdoms?”
“Even then,” Ryan confirmed, reaching out to brush his fingers over Gavin’s hand where it rested lightly on his arm. “We will have time to familiarize you with the relations between my- our- kingdom and theirs after the wedding.”
“But there’s so much I still don’t know!” Gavin burst out, then bit his lip and ducked his head. “Sorry. I shall be patient.”
“Never apologize for your curiosity, my dear.” Ryan hooked a finger under Gavin’s chin, tilting his head up till their eyes met. “Ask any question of me, and I will endeavour to answer it to the best of my abilities.”
“I am quite curious about the other kingdoms, it’s true,” Gavin admitted, licking his lips nervously. “But above all, I want to know about your people.”
“My people?” Ryan repeated, taken aback.
“Yes. The people of the End.” Gavin stopped, turning to face him. “What are they like? Do they also avoid water?”
“Yes. It is to our skin like acid.” Ryan took Gavin’s hand into his, turning it to face palm up. “My kind grow tall, taller than most humans. We shroud ourselves in the shadows of the End when meeting strangers. It helps us step away faster.”
“Is that why your eyes burn purple sometimes?” Gavin asked, intrigued. Ryan nodded, drawing circles on his palm.
“Yes. It’s the power inherent to my kind, the one we call upon to move quickly between spaces.”
“If- if you do not consume water- what do you eat and drink? I’ve seen you partake of honeyed meats and flatbread at supper.”
Ryan smiled, reading the concern on his betrothed’s face. He lifted his hand and brushed a kiss over his knuckles. From several feet behind them, one of their chaperones pointedly cleared her throat. Gavin rolled his eyes, blushing adorably.
“Worry not, my dear. I am well nourished.” He chuckled, offering Gavin his arm as they resumed their stroll through the gardens. “We drink sand, the way humans consume water. And property laws are quite different, that might take some getting used to. I still struggle grasping the human perspective on such matters fully.” Ryan hummed, tilting his head. “There is more, but those are secrets that must be shared in private. You will have to wait, my dear.”
“I understand,” Gavin murmured, his fingers brushing over Ryan’s hand. He bit his lip, glancing up at Ryan shyly. “What of- can you tell me about the creepers?”
Ryan met his eyes calmly. He knew how anxious the topic made Gavin, raised among humans with little understanding of the creatures, of his own nature. He’d confessed during the first week of Ryan’s stay that he sometimes grew leaves and twigs, and he’d been clearly terrified of what else he’d inherited. Creepers, after all, were most well-known for their explosive nature.
“They haven’t had a Regent for well over a century now,” Ryan starts, trying to keep his voice low and reassuring. “They’re not allied to any of the kingdoms, instead roaming throughout the lands. Our records don’t show what happened - there was a war with one of the other kingdoms, and the royal family vanished.”
“They were killed?” Gavin was clinging to his every word, and Ryan smiled.
“They either died - or fled.” They paused at one of the flower beds, and Ryan watched Gavin from the corner of his eyes. “I can only make guesses, but either one of theirs married your ancestor… or they fled here, to hide amongst humans.”
Gavin knelt down, fingers tracing white petals gently.
“There’s nothing of creepers in the family records. I checked.” He picked one of the flowers and turned to Ryan, slipping the long stem behind the brooch on his chest. “When it first became apparent… when I...”
Gavin trailed off, flattening his palm to Ryan’s chest. Ryan lifted his own to cover it, holding it close.
“It’s not your fault, my dear,” he murmured softly.
“It could have been any of my siblings instead,” Gavin whispered, closing his eyes. “Why me?”
Ryan stroked his thumb over his hand, pulling Gavin closer.
“I confess, my intentions when coming here were less than selfless.” Gavin opened his eyes at his words, looking up at him inquisitively. “I have long held the theory that a creeperkin might unify the creepers once more. At the very least, a loose alliance, an understanding between our people would already be a great boon, even if all it does is deter the other regents from declaring war.”
“You are a king, looking out for his people,” Gavin said quietly, eyes hooded. “I cannot fault your reasons.”
“Gavin-” Ryan raised a hand to cradle his cheek, thumb brushing under his eye as he stared at him fiercely. “I am so very, very blessed that it is you, and not your siblings, who inherited the creeper traits.”
“Ryan, I-”
“Every time I see you proudly wear my gifts… Every smile you direct my way… Your thoughtfulness and curiosity and kindness… I am not human, my dear, and you never expect me to be so.” He trailed his fingers up, brushing back golden locks. “For what it’s worth… If I had it my way, I would have whisked you away and back to my kingdom weeks ago.”
“Ryan…” Gavin whispered, voice full of wonder. He licked his lips. “For what it’s worth… I’m glad it’s you who courts me. Of all the suitors that showed up… I would have chosen you thrice over.”
Warmth flooded his chest, spread out in waves across his skin. It was one thing to choose a consort, yet another to choose a mate- He’d come here expecting the first, but never in his wildest dreams did he think his mate would choose him in turn. Gavin reached up, fingers tracing carefully over his cheek.
“I didn’t realize you blush purple,” he murmured, eyes trailing over Ryan’s features. “I like it.”
“I'm glad.” Ryan’s breath caught in his throat. “There is much I still wish to share with you, my dear… after the wedding.”
“After the wedding,” Gavin agreed, soft smile playing around his lips.
***
“Do you, King Ryan, Ruler of the End and all that lies beyond, named Ender King by your predecessor and the Ender people, take Prince Gavin, son of King Richard and Queen Eliza, virtuous Regents of the Freolann, as your rightful husband; to have and to hold, from this day forward; for better or worse, in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish until death do you part?”
“I do.” Ryan’s voice echoed through the hall, loud and clear for all to hear, but his eyes held Gavin’s gaze firmly, as if his words were only meant for him. “I vow to be true to you in good times and in bad, to always love and honour you for the rest of my life. I take you, Gavin, for the love you hold in my heart as my husband and commit myself to you, in all that I am and all that I’ll ever be, in righteousness and in justice, in love and in mercy, for as long as you’ll have me.”
Ryan held up a ring, a golden band with a round, green gem embedded in it. Gavin’s hand was shaking, but Ryan’s gentle grasp steadied him as he slipped the ring on the right finger. He lowered his voice to barely a whisper, and Gavin had to strain to hear his words.
“This is an ender pearl, one of our rarest treasures,” Ryan murmured, thumb stroking over Gavin’s knuckles. “If you are ever in need- use it, and it’ll move you through the spaces between like anyone living in the End. To do so will break the pearl, but… This way, you can leave should you ever need to.”
Gavin’s breath caught, and his gaze snapped up to Ryan’s eyes, blue nearly crowded out by purple in its intensity. He twisted his hand to grab Ryan’s fingers and squeezed.
“Then I shall use it only in dire need, to always come back to you,” he swore fiercely, heart pounding in his chest. Ryan’s eyes widened, more blue peeking through the swirling purple.
“Gavin-”
His name on Ryan’s lips was spoken like a revelation, and Gavin leaned in, drawn by an irresistible force. Their mouths brushed together, and electricity shot down his spine. Ryan stiffened, eyes wide, before pressing closer-
“Ahem,” the priest cleared his throat loudly, pointedly, and Gavin jolted back, heat spreading across his face. Ryan’s cheeks were a deep purple as well, but he held his head high. Gavin licked his lips and turned to the priest.
“Please, continue,” he commanded and was proud when his voice only broke a little.
The priest eyed both of them sharply, then nodded, before finally taking up his sermon again.
“Do you, Prince Gavin, son of King Richard and Queen Eliza, virtuous Regents of the Freolann, take King Ryan, Ruler of the End and all that lies beyond, named Ender King by his predecessor and the Ender people, as your rightful husband-”
“Yes,” Gavin interrupted impatiently, “I do.”
The priest stared at him flabbergasted, mouth opening and closing soundlessly. Ryan chuckled, and Gavin’s gaze was drawn to him immediately. He smiled tentatively, offering the silver band with tiny, sparkling amethysts he’d picked out for Ryan.
“I take you as my lawfully wedded husband, Ryan, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. I pledge myself to you in all that I am, in faithfulness and in justice, during good times and bad. I promise to love and to cherish you, to honour and support you, in your reign and as your Consort, and to strengthen our bond through honesty and patience. Take this ring as a sign of my fealty, my king, for I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
He slipped the ring on Ryan’s long, slender finger, pausing to take a deep breath. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, and his mouth felt dry. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for, he’d prepared for for weeks, and yet as it finally came, Gavin felt at a loss, unsure how to proceed. His future sprawled out in front of him, distant and unknown, and only Ryan’s touch anchored him to the presence.
“You may now kiss the… groom,” the priest announced tersely, ripping Gavin out of his swirling thoughts. He reached out, framing Ryan’s face with his hands. The purple flush became more pronounced, and he leaned in, lips barely inches apart and breath mingling.
“Ryan,” he whispered, and Ryan giggled, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling Gavin flush to his chest.
“Gavin,” he murmured, and then their mouths met, lips brushing carefully against each other. It sent a jolt of arousal down Gavin’s spine, and he pressed closer, tipping onto his toes to bridge the gap between them. His hands trailed up, fingers carding through Ryan’s hair, and he pulled his head down, holding him in place. Ryan hummed into the kiss, tilting his head, and the changed angle left Gavin’s lips tingling, the feeling zipping over his skins and down to his toes.
Polite applause and cheering penetrated the bubble of timelessness surrounding them, and once Gavin noticed he couldn’t forget about their audience again. He ducked his head, hiding the green flush on his face against Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan’s hand smoothed over his hair, fingers drawing circles on the skin of his neck. Hot air hit his ear, dry lips brushing the sensitive lobe.
“It’s fine, my dear. Take a moment.”
Guilt flashed through Gavin. There was no reason to hide- no reason to be ashamed. Ryan loved him not despite his monster blood, but for it. It didn’t matter what his family thought, or how often his mother had drilled him in controlling himself- they’d given him away, given him to Ryan. A king, but also a monster. He was married to a monster, he may as well be proud of being one himself. He was a boon to Ryan and his people, and he’d remind himself of that as often as he needed to.
It didn’t make it any easier to shake the years of conditioning, but it helped settle the immediate panic.
“Do I- How-” Gavin took a deep breath and leaned back, catching Ryan’s eyes. “How do I look?”
Ryan cupped his face, thumb brushing over his cheek. His eyes were soft, a startling blue with barely a swirl of purple as he murmured, “Beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
Gavin felt his cheeks heat and smiled in spite of himself. He nodded. “I’m ready.”
They turned as one to face the crowd, the sound of trumpets drowning out the noise of the crowd.
“I present to you, King Ryan and King Consort Gavin of the Ender kingdom,” the herald announced.
From there, it was a whirl of congratulations and dignitaries, meeting new people and faces and trying to remember names as they exchanged polite pleasantries. A feast and a dance, and always, always Ryan by his side, squeezing his hand, a steady presence. Gavin barely remembered anything else, a faint memory of the strained smile on his mother’s face or the wondrous sight of the Phoenix Queen’s feathers, the teasing and speeches and barely hidden insults wrapped in compliments. Through it all, he remembered the twinkle in Ryan’s eyes, the crease of his smile, the purple dusking his cheeks as he pulled Gavin closer during the opening dance.
Tomorrow, they would head out to the Ender kingdom.
“Alright?” Ryan asked in a whisper, his breath brushing over Gavin’s ear. He shuddered.
“Yeah,” he murmured, smiling and leaning into Ryan’s side. The wine must be getting to him because he felt hot and languid, the celebrations muffled and distant. He glanced up, eyes tracking over the long expanse of Ryan’s neck, taking in his disheveled hair, his flushed cheeks. Blue eyes met his, a banked fire burning in them, flickering with interest at his regard.
“Perhaps we should retire soon,” Ryan suggested smoothly, wrapping his arm around Gavin’s waist. Gavin blushed, aware of the implications, but unable to look away. Heat radiated from Ryan’s skin, tantalizing, tempting, and Gavin knew this would come eventually. Tried to prepare himself, unsure what to expect but eager to find out.
“Yes,” he whispered hoarsely, and Ryan’s eyes sharpened at the tone of his voice, pupils shrinking down and irises filling with purple. “Let’s.”
They made their excuses, leaving to much teasing and raunchy comments. His parents wouldn’t meet his eyes when they paid their respects, and with a sinking feeling Gavin knew they wouldn’t see him off the next day. But that was fine because he had Ryan now. Gavin kept his chin high as they walked out of the halls.
They didn’t make it far before they fell upon each other, mouths smashing together desperately, hands roaming over arms and chests, tugging shirts up to feel skin. Ryan’s lips soft against his, a swipe of wet tongue, fluffy hair under his hands and the heat radiating off his skin. A breathless moment, and Ryan broke off, nuzzling his cheek.
“Want me to take us there?” he panted, pressing wet kisses to Gavin’s ear, down his throat. Gavin tilted his head back, feeling giddy. He didn’t know where Ryan meant, exactly, but it didn’t matter. He’d follow Ryan everywhere.
“Yes,” he breathed, wrapping his arms over Ryan’s shoulders and nipping at his ear. “Please.”
Ryan pulled back, blue eyes infinite depths drawn through with glowing purple, cheeks flushed in a similar tint. He stared at Gavin for one endless moment, before-
“Your wish is my command.”
With that, they vanished in a swirl of purple smoke.
Author: @sailorbryant
Recipient: @a-d-a-a-r
Pairing: Egobang
Warnings: Nearly Factual Star Trek Information
Title: RedShirts
Summary: Star Trek AU. Next gen-era. Joining Starfleet hasn’t really been the non-stop action-packed adventure that Arin had been led to believe, but at least he’s got a buddy - and unlimited access to some ancient video games - to keep him sane.
Word Count: 2600
Joining Starfleet had to have been the worst god damn decision of Arin’s life.
“My neck is still killing me," he wined, collapsing down on his bunk. He stared up at the blinding white ceiling above him once again wishing he was a high enough rank so that he could have a small port head window in their quarters. It would be nice to stare at something besides the blinding white of the bulkhead that was the same as the rest of the ship.
“Don't be a baby," Dan said offhandedly typing away at his PADD from his desk on the other side of their cramped, shared ensign quarters. “It was just a normal inoculation hypo.”
“No man, I'm telling you. Barry doesn't like me. He always jabs them in super hard.”
Dan scoffed. “That’s Chief Medical Officer Kramer to you ensign,” Dan parroted back mockingly, still never looking up from his PADD. “And maybe he only hates you because you keep calling him Barry like he doesn’t outrank the fuck out of you. Now be quiet, I have a thousand pages of requisition forms to go through.”
Arin sighed, stretching his arms up and resting his head on his hands, pulling his full body red uniform tightly around his midsection.
Life aboard a Galaxy-class cruiser had ended up being quite different than he imagined. The holo’s had always made life aboard an exploratory vessel seem like a non-stop thrill ride. Traveling to unexplored world’s, traversing the complicated social quagmire that was a first contact moment, or the heart-pounding thrill of battle with a violent, warmongering enemy.
Instead, his day to day on the USS Endeavor was spent mostly on continued training, drills, and tons and tons of data worth of reports he had to fill out, then fill out again when they were sent back from a CO with a list of minor errors and recommendations.
The closest he came to experiencing life or death situations was reading the official reports of the adventures aboard the USS Enterprise, whose crew seemed to be living a life closer to what Arin had imagined as a teenager who hung up Starfleet Academy posters in his room. Not that Arin would wish upon his crew the death and danger that seemed to constantly follow the Enterprise around. Still, he thought as he realized he’d been staring nonstop at the bulkhead nonstop for a long time, there was a reason they were constantly receiving lectures about watching for the signs of space madness. It was easy to get obsessed with the monotony.
It wasn’t all shift rotations and paperwork, he reminded himself - forcefully shaking off his far too introspective mood. His head slowly turned to look over at his roommate, sitting at his desk in a red uniform identical to Arin’s. His bouncy, untamed hair casting a shadow onto his forehead, his brow tensed in concentration.
Arin stared at him for a long time, greedily admiring his slim frame, and intense look. He had never thought that their long jumpsuits were very flattering, but it did seem to hug to Dan in a way that never failed to catch Arin’s gaze and hold it.
He shook his head vehemently. This was not the time for perving on his friend.
“Dan,” Arin said suddenly, his tone serious, and his roommate groaned.
“Arin,” he replied just as serious.
“Best buddy.”
“No, Arin, I’m serious. Whatever you’re going to suggest, I’m not going along with it. I’ve got too much stuff to finish.”
“Let’s hit up the holodeck.”
There was a long drawn out pause before he heard Dan mutter a soft, “Fuck,” before sitting down his PADD.
Arin was already leaping out his bunk, a grin stretching across his lips.
---
When Arin was young his dad had taken him to an old museum in town for his birthday. It was one of the few museums on Earth that still had classic games: board games, card games, and Arin’s personal favorite, video games. Old, ancient games that required a controller and a screen, nothing like the virtual games that children played now with their heads stuck inside a helmet that showed them brand new worlds in a heartbeat. Those games were practically archaic compared to the ones available now.
Arin had loved them.
He had begged his dad to take him back to the museum as often as he could in order to have the chance to play through the small dismal selection that they had until he knew them all by heart.
Now he was stationed aboard a Galaxy-class cruiser with admittance to the ships’ many holodecks available to him whenever he had any downtime. The holodeck was the peak of virtual technology, giving him access to any moment in time or space and only limited by what the user could imagine.
“Oh, come on you little shit, get it together!” he cried out at the screen, once again leading his little avatar on the screen into its doom, and ignoring Dan’s loud giggles beside him on the couch.
And Arin used it to play late 20th/early 21st-century video games.
It wasn’t a hobby that a lot of people understood or even wanted to. HIs first year aboard the ship he’d spent his breaks in the holodeck, enjoying the games alone. Then his old roommate had been transferred off ship and Dan, fresh-faced from the academy, had moved in. They had hit it off immediately. He didn’t understand at first, but he’d been open-minded enough to give Arin’s strange way of spending leisure time a shot, and here they were. Dan only played sometimes, spending most of his time enjoying just watching Arin play, adding his own commentary or mostly just laughing at Arin’s own off color commentary as he hilariously failed in what he was trying to accomplish.
“Jump up on that ledge, you ding dong.”
“You’re speaking nonsense and I won’t listen to it,” Arin said as he jumped up on the ledge immediately, only to find himself knocked back by a giant lizard and fell to his death. “You whore!” he bellowed into the echo chamber of the holodeck room, while Dan laughed and laughed at him from his seat beside him on the couch.
When the darkness of space closed in around him, and the routine of an excitement deprived existence started to wear him down, spending an hour or two with Dan. Watching his toothy smile and listening to his distinctive laugh - it was definitely the bright spot of his days.
---
After two years on board the USS Endeavor excitement finally came to their ship. It was supposed to be a routine mission. First Contact with a new planet that's first foray into light speed travel had sent one of their ships into a near head-on collision with one of the Federations’ satellites. Some initial surveillance had shown them to be a relatively benign, peaceful species whose last planetary level war had been hundreds of years ago.
Most of the primary bridge crew had opted out, giving their seconds and replacements a chance for a learning experience. There were very few members of security heading down with the landing party, and those that were had some sort of separate specialty that they would get a chance to indulge in. That was why Dan was going down, with his focus on botany, to study a particular fascinating species of trees that their probes had picked up on that they felt could have some useful medicinal purposes. Most of the landing party were young crewmembers on their first or second missions, the highest ranking member being Lieutenant Brian Wecht, the head of the astrophysics department, who, being the newest ranked officer, had found himself bullied into the position.
It would’ve been a very easy, run-of-the-mill mission if the Romulans hadn’t beaten them to the planet first.
When the red alert alarms had started blaring, Arin kicked into gear and reported to his designated station without a thought. It wasn’t until he saw the look on CO’s face that he realized that this wasn’t a drill.
He tried his damndest to be on the party sent down for the rescue, but instead, he found himself standing beside CMO Kramer waiting to assist him whenever they brought back the survivors. It was only his training that kept him standing as he overhead the reports being delivered to Barry.
Half the landing party immediately incapacitated and captured. At least two deaths so far, a good chunk of them missing.
Guilt burned through him like a phaser blast. He had wished for excitement and danger, but now that it was here instead of adrenaline running through his veins it was just an ice cold and nauseating dread.
He had other friends that were missing. People he had graduated the academy with, fellow ensigns he saw every day, but it was the worry about Dan that seemed to be overwhelming him completely. Never seeing Dan’s teasing smile, or hearing his laugh. It was unthinkable.
Arin was so busy stuck in his head, imaging him sitting in the holodeck alone or an empty bunk across from his that it took him a moment to notice the movement in the transporter room. Then Barry’s hands were on his arm, pulling him back out of the way, and he came back to the present. The room buzzed suddenly, the sound of particles forming and rearranging, then the platform was filled with materializing crewmen.
Dan’s hair stuck out like a rose bush in the middle of a desert. There were a few bodies lying prone, but Dan wasn’t one of them; his arm was slung around the shoulders of Lt. Wecht’s bright blue uniform. He looked weak, but his eyes were open, searching the room until they met Arin’s and a small smile quirked up the side of his lips.
His knees almost gave out and sensing his unstableness the CMO’s grip tightened until he was able to keep himself steady. Then they were both heading into the fray to help. Arin didn’t even pretend like he was heading anywhere else but straight to Dan’s side.
“Hey,” he found himself saying in a breathy voice, unable to look away from Dan’s bright open eyes, or half smile. There was a speck of dried blood on his temple but it only slightly registered to Arin.
“Hey, yourself,” Dan replied equally as soft, looking up at him with a tired grin.
“I-” Arin started to say, but was quickly interrupted by Brian.
“Make yourself useful, Hanson,” he said sternly, but not unkindly, and Arin took the soft reprimand to heart. Sliding Dan’s free arm around his own shoulder, he took his weight onto himself (spending a lot of energy not thinking about how right Dan felt pressed against him) and freed the Lieutenant to help other injured crewmen.
They slowly made their way towards the med bay, Arin joking with Dan about how lucky he was going to be - being doted on by the nurses and getting extra rations that Arin would be trying to steal - and treasuring every small chuckle that Dan gifted him with. He left his friend in the capable hands of the med bay, reluctant to the point of flirting with insubordination, but the reassurances of his friend in his relative wellness forced back to help with the ongoing crisis.
The second he was relieved from his shift, six hours later, exhausted and weak on his feet, he rushed to the med bay and pleaded his way to Dan’s bedside. His friend, still looking rather worse for wear, but comfortably lounging on the bright white sheets, gave him a small smile as soon as he entered the private room.
“I’m so sorry, I just got off shift,” Arin breathed out in a rush.
“You look like shit,” Dan huffed out, interrupting him before he could continue. Arin glared at him, but Dan just laughed. “You should go to sleep man, it’s just going to be worse tomorrow. I’ll still be here when you wake up I promise. No one ever died from some cuts and bruises and a sprained ankle.”
Something truly awful must have crossed Arin’s face because Dan immediately looked regretful.
“I’m sorry, I’m a little woozy from the painkillers. Pretty bad taste I guess, just ignore-”
“Dan,” Arin said seriously, stopping the other man’s rambling in its tracks. “This is all my fault.”
There was a silent pause, before Dan finally huffed out, “What?”
Arin collapsed into the empty chair sitting beside the bed.
“It’s all my fault. All I’ve ever done is whine and complain about how fucking boring it always fucking is and begging for something to fucking happen and then something happens and I nearly fucking lost you!” His voice cracked at the end and realized he was nearly shouting. He slid further down in his chair. “You could’ve died,” he whispered, knowing his voice sounded haunted just at the thought, but the mixture of exhaustion and the rapidly approaching adrenaline crash had left him unable to think before he spoke.
Dan stared at him, obviously trying to take in the sudden seriousness of his usually laid-back friend before he finally graced him with a quiet smile. “But, I didn’t.”
Arin nodded, unable to let his gratefulness of that fact overweigh the tremendous guilt that was currently clinging to his heart.
“This isn’t your fault, you idiot,” Dan continued, fondness lacing through his voice. “Shit happens, man, and you didn’t cause this any more than you can change the weather or make the stars fall out of the sky. There’s not a person on this ship who doesn’t want any break from paperwork that they could get, but I bet none of them are sitting around thinking that they are somehow responsible for the Romulans being absolute jerks. It was just bad luck,” he finished softly.
Arin took a deep breath, and it felt like the first one he had taken since he had found out what happened to the landing party.
“Besides,” Dan continued with a rakish grin, and Arin felt his heart melting at the sight, “you complain about everything. Doesn’t make this one thing any more special.”
Dan’s hand was laying on the bed, palm up, and Arin was gripped with the urge to hold it so strong it nearly jerked him forward in his seat. It seemed like such a great, wonderful idea he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t done it the second he walked in the room. Why he hadn’t done it months ago when they’d been sitting so close on the shared couch in the holodeck.
“I don’t know how I’d survive on this damn ship if you weren’t here every day,” Arin blurted out instead. “It wouldn’t just be boring, it’d be fucking excruciating. You make me happy, not just because you’re my friend, but just because you exist and if I never got to see you smile again I just don’t what I’d do with myself.”
There was a stunned silence in the room, only permeated by the sounds of machines beeping in the hallways as both men tried to come to terms with what Arin had just said.
“That was pretty gay, man.”
Arin glared.
“Oh quit being a dumbass and just come over here and kiss me,” Dan finally said, sitting up in his bed.
They shared wide, identical grins before Arin stood up and did as Dan asked.
Joining Starfleet had to have been the best god damn decision of Arin’s life.
“One might get ideas about you bringing someone of such reputation to our little meet-up,” Gavin drawled, stepping past Michael and crossing the distance to Adam and the man in the skull mask behind him.
“Gavin!” Michael hissed, grabbing for his sleeve. Gavin shrugged him off.
“But I understand the urge to show off,” Gavin continued, just as Adam opened his mouth. He circled around the Vagabond, fingers dancing lightly along his shoulders. Piercing blue eyes followed him closely. “Between friends.”
Adam watched him wide-eyed, Michael cursing in the background. Gavin ignored them all, leaning in with a smirk. His hand flattened on the Vagabond’s chest, just above his heart.
“And we are friends,” he said huskily, catching Vagabond’s gaze. “Aren’t we, Adam?”
Gavin leaned back, flicking his right hand. Immediately Vagabond grabbed his wrist, eyeing him warily. Gavin winked. Slowly, he turned the card between his fingers so Vagabond could see it. His grip on Gavin’s wrist relaxed, and Gavin pushed his card into the chest pocket of his leather jacket.
“Call me when you’re done here,” he demanded softly. Vagabond stared back at him, then dropped his wrist and nodded. Gavin stepped back and smoothed down his shirt, before turning to face the others. Most were staring at him torn between disbelief and respect.
Michael looked furious.
Adam cleared his throat, watching him warily. “Of course we’re friends.”
“Great!” Gavin clapped his hands and turned to him with a grin. “Let’s talk shop then.”
My hands are starting to protest, so I’m gonna dive right in:
@ganglylimbs (Ao3, patreon) gosh, where do I even start? Your stories are amazing and our tastes just compliment each other so well, especially in regards to kinky stuff. I appreciate both your smut and your plots, and I know you’ve been focussing more on the former than the latter but I feel like you do best when you combine them (like with the Danvin. REALLY excited for that one).
Sweet Friend Of Mine (Danvin, modern au, w/ smut) Friends (with benefits) to Lovers over a lifetime and it’s just. Really sweet and I cannot WAIT for the rest you have planned <3
Golden Waste (immortal fahc, Midas!Gavin) The style is just incredible poetic and I love how the story unfolds? 10/10 will read again and again and again
Love In Odd Places (jerevinwood, fahc, w/ smut) Just. Misunderstandings, angst, tension and finally, lovers. All my favourite tropes and the story that made me notice how much your writing’s improved and got me talking to you and for that I’m forever grateful and I cannot overstate how much this story is one of my faves of yours :D
Professional Eye (Ryack, fahc, w/ smut) Gosh I don’t even know why you complain about fight scenes, you did this one amazingly and that’s before all that talk and practice. Also this is just hot and I love the roles and Jack’s characterisation in this <3
@sailorbryant as one of the writers who I loved in this fandom before I got really involved, I am so glad and EXCITED that you’re back to working on No Grey. What I’ve seen of your upcoming chapters, it’s going an amazing ride and I am just so appreciative that after all these years you’re going back to try and finish this incredible story <3 You inspired some of my earliest ideas for this fandom, and it’s amazing to see you coming back now! And all the bits you shared with me about your original story - I really, really wish you the best for that, because it sounds awesome.
No Grey (Freewood, minecraft kings au) Ryan kidnaps Prince Gavin and then promptly falls in love. And it gets even better. Seriously. So excited you’re picking this back up <333
Dark Horse (X-Ray and Vav, MadVav, smut) Pure PWP and one of the hottest things I ever had the honour of reading. Remains incredibly in character too despite the hero/villain premise. Perfect porn.
Partners in Crime (Freewood, fahc) Gavin’s in a pinch because of Ryan, so Ryan has to come help. Just cute relationship stuff, if you live in a city filled with sins and crime.
What a Hot Mess (Freewood, fahc) Utterly amazing story including everything from swimming lessons to elopement. Go check it out.
