tracksuitponytail

they/them • 30s • my fics • fic recs   📚 secret gardens in my mind ✍️ the prince and the one with the cheekbones

[tracksuitponytail]

sunflowers & surrender

by tracksuitponytail for @1domegaverseficfest

After a devastating relationship with an alpha, omega rights activist Louis Tomlinson has learned to suppress his own nature. He loathes his heats, ignores his needs, and refuses to date alphas ever again. Then, flower-shop-owning, dungaree-wearing alpha Harry Styles walks into his life, unearthing desires Louis believed safely buried.

Alpha Harry/Omega Louis | 32k | explicit

Read on AO3

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of flower shop fics as requested in this ask. Please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

💐 Your Name Is Tattooed On My Heart by @mcpofife

(E, 86k, friends to lovers) Louis is ready to find the love of his life, but first he has to stop falling for the punk rocker next door.

💐 The Lone Hydrangea by lightswoodmagic / @lightwoodsmagic

(E, 77k, Potter direction) the post Hogwarts AU where Harry's a florist, Louis' a muggle who edits fantasy books, and they both have no say in how quickly they fall for each other.

💐 Love's Truest Language by summerwine

(E, 48k, enemies to lovers) “I don't want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him. Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

💐 sunflowers & surrender by @tracksuitponytail

(E, 32k, omegaverse) After a devastating relationship with an alpha, omega rights activist Louis Tomlinson has learned to suppress his own nature. Then, flower-shop-owning, dungaree-wearing alpha Harry Styles walks into his life, unearthing desires Louis believed safely buried.

💐 Remind Me Again by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry

(E, 28k, architect Louis) The romantic platonic friends to lovers AU where they are forced to speak about everything that has always been unspoken.

💐 Sunflower: Vol. 1 by @ourownstrings

(M, 26k, farmer's market) “Real farmers love mornings.” Louis hated that sentiment. But then he wasn’t a real farmer. He just got stuck in the family business and drags himself to the farmers market where he put on his best sunny sales pitch. That is until he meets the new flower vendor.

💐 Sakura Sunset by MsHydeStylinson / @mizzhydes

(E, 16k, exes) Only after Louis has left does Harry realise he made the biggest mistake of his life breaking up with Louis, and he has to live with the consequences of his actions.

💐 time slows down whenever you're around by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze

(E, 14k, high school) Louis plays "soccer" and falls for the wrong boy and Harry works in a flower shop and falls for Louis — again.

💐 letting the flowers speak by @shimmeringevil

(E, 13k, strangers to lovers)  an AU where Harry buys flowers from Louis' shop to try to get his attention, and Louis has no idea that the flowers have a deeper meaning

💐 soft laugh meets the eyes by sunflowersue / @sunflower-sue

(E, 12k, flirting) A florist x tattoo artist AU where Harry brings weekly blooms into Dagger Tattoo Studio, and Louis has no option but to fall in love.

💐 Far Afield by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(T, 11k, witches) Harry Styles is a witch who owns the best flower shop in Manchester. Lottie Tomlinson is planning her wedding, and brings her brother along to her first appointment. Both men have been having a bad day and sparks fly.

💐 To Plant New Seeds and Watch Them Grow by graceling_in_a_suit / @graceling-in-a-suit

(T, 10k, Potter Direction) 70s Wizarding Britain isn't the safest place for love between a half-blood and a pureblood to blossom, yet blossom it does.

💐 I Kinda Need A Hero (Is It You) by @fallinglikethis

(NR, 5k, hurt/comfort) Louis is a barista who’s had his heart broken. Harry is the boy who wants to put the pieces back together.

💐 bloom! by @turnyourankle

(T, 4k, misunderstanding) Harry is a florist, and Louis is the very taken repeat customer he can't get out of his head.

💐 Are You Thorny, Baby? by @homosociallyyours

(NR, 2k, fluff) When Louis stops in to buy flowers for Lottie’s birthday, he thinks he’s just stumbled upon a hip flower shop. Meeting Harry is just a bonus.

💐 Monday by @seekforwarmth

(NR, 2k, rivals) A flower shop AU featuring a one-sided feud, puns, and a missing cat.

💐 Say It With Flowers by @reminiscingintherain

(G, 2k, humor) From the prompt: Person A owns a flower shop and person B comes storming in one day, slaps 20 bucks on the counter and says “How do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower?”

💐 All This Time by @allwaswell16

(T, 1k, omegaverse) Louis Tomlinson had been best friends with flower shop owner Gemma Styles for years. It wasn't until she suggested he date her alpha brother that he ever thought of Harry that way. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea...

- Rare Pairs -

💐 you overflowed my soul and made all good things grow by darlingjustdont / @bigbrotherlouis

(T, 8k, Niall/Louis) louis needs a bouquet that says "fuck you" and niall is the florist he comes to.

[allwaswell16]

A One Direction fic rec of fluff fics as requested via dm. Please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

🩷 such a beautiful dream (series) by staybeautiful / @harruandlou

(E, 112k, acquaintances to lovers) Louis woke up after having a sexy dream about his best friend’s boyfriend’s best friend resolved to never think about it again. He hardly knew Harry, so what difference would it make? But when they are thrown together only a few days later, Louis had to admit, his subconscious might have been onto something.

🩷 knock knock, i love you by beautlouis / @thelovejandles

(E, 86k, uni) Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy.

🩷 put the stars in our eyes by pinkgelpen

(E, 53k, farm) Louis is set to inherit the family farm after the death of his father, but after finding out that he needs to be married in order to do so, purchasing a nineteen year-old, mail-order husband named Harry Styles seems to be the easiest answer.

🩷 Homegrown by @casuallyhl

(E, 51k, strangers to friends to lovers) a gardening AU where Harry is new to town and the newest volunteer at the local gardening club, Louis is the attractive grandson of one of the members, and the nosy volunteers hatch a plan to get them together.

🩷 Hands Clasped Tight by @afirethatcannotdie

(E, 44k, established relationship) the one where Harry and Louis are high school teachers and their students have been playing matchmaker for over a year. Little do they know, Harry and Louis are already married.

🩷 I Really Like Your Styles: The Baking Advent-ure by @homosociallyyours

(T, 34k, coffee shop) Louis isn't much for frills, and the coffee shop he co-owns with his best friend Liam is evidence of that. When Liam's campaign for serving treats turns into watching a few baking accounts on whichever popular app he's on, there's one that really gets on Louis' nerves: "I Like Your Styles."

🩷 Snow In Love by @lululawrence

(NR, 33k, friends to lovers) For the first time since middle school, they are both single for the holidays leaving them with the brilliant idea to take each other as their dates to work events. To make things easier they will pretend like they’re dating.

🩷 I Know How To Whisk (But Teach Me Anyway) by @2tiedships2

(M, 32k, omegaverse) the one in which banana bread just might make Louis change his mind about soulmates.

🩷 the inconvenience of wanting you by @tracksuitponytail

(M, 14k, omegaverse) Alpha Louis Tomlinson loves his solitude. When omega Harry Styles moves into the downstairs flat with four-legged company and a love of gardening, Louis is determined to despise the disruption and keep his distance. 

🩷 Thought The Song Was Sung by @100percentsassy

(E, 12k, famous/not famous) Louis never auditioned for the X-Factor. Years later, Harry's just another gay ex-boybander who lives alone with his cat... until Niall decides to take matters into his own hands and set up a profile for Harry on a dating website.

🩷 Let's Give Them Pumpkin To Talk About by @tommokat

(E, 11k, meet cute) Louis and Harry have been talking for awhile and decide to finally meet at a Halloween party. The only problem is, Louis doesn't know what Harry looks like. Or what his costume will be.

🩷 Sweet to the Soul, Health to the Bones by @wildhalos

(T, 9k, secret admirer) Someone keeps declaring their love on the brick wall outside Louis’s office window. It's possible Louis should be concerned, but the romantic in him would like to believe a stalker would use something slightly more vicious than chalk and pretty words.

🩷 Birthday Boyfriend by @emmli28

(M, 6k, strangers to lovers) It’s Harry’s birthday, and he has had a rather shitty day, to be honest. That changes the moment a complete stranger sits down across from him at a bar and decides to make it the best birthday ever.

🩷 Have Me And Hold Me by @letsjustsee

(NR, 5k, established relationship) a wedding day AU in which Louis will let nothing stand in the way of a perfect day - especially a little rain.

🩷 i swear i could give you everything by @alwaysxlarrie

(T, 5k, coworkers) Louis Tomlinson was not a morning person, so he really should have known better than to start leaving secret notes on coworker Harry Styles' desk before he arrived at the office at 7:30 each morning. 

🩷 the sign on your heart (it's reserved for me) by moon_rose25 / @darkinfinity

(G, 3k, kid fic) The one where Louis Tomlinson is a single dad and is finally allowing himself to start dating. Insert Harry Styles, a charming coffee shop owner who sweeps him off his feet.

🩷 Violets Are Purple, Not Blue by galactic_larry / @galacticlarry

(T, 2k, blind date) One thing about Harry is that he hasn’t really been lucky when it comes to love. What happens when his friend, Zayn, organises a double date with his boyfriend’s friend, Louis?

🩷 You're My Sunlight on a Rainy Day by @huggieshalo

(G, 1k, established relationship) a fun twist on a coffee shop au featuring many cats and giggles.

🩷 cause you're a sky full of stars by @femstyles

(G, 1k, uni) A film student on campus randomly stops Harry and asks him to participate in her assignment. Little does he know that agreeing also means putting his heart on the line.

- Rare Pairs -

🩷 I Saw Several Angels in the Self Help Section by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(G, 3k, ot5) Zayn and Louis are soulmates. They're also missing some soulmates. For extra flavour, it's Christmas.

[hlficlibrary]

✧ FIC REC OF THE MONTH ✧

Fic rec moodboards posted on the first Friday of the month. You can find all our other fic recs here. Want to help choose the next fic of the month? Fill out this form!

2025

✤ January: Stand on Holy Ground (series) by @wishingforloushair

✤ February: On a starlit night by @lunarheslwt

✤ March: When the Lights Go Out by thelarenttrap / @antidotetogo

✤ April: The Things We Know To Be Wild by harryanthus_annuus / @harryanthus-annuus

✤ May: Birthday Boyfriend by @emmli28

✤ June: with venom on your tongue by wildestdreams / @thelavendrhaze

✤ July: Running Through The Garden by juniperlightning / @juniperlightningwrites

✤ August: Don’t Delete The Kisses by @louislittletomlintum

✤ September: two (left) feet in front of me by whatabadchoice / @lydiejo

✤ October: Room For One More Troubled Soul by patdkitten / @babyarcanacasey

✤ November: the inconvenience of wanting you by @tracksuitponytail

✤ December: Your Reign is Free (to give along to Santa) by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

[Masterpost]

[hlficlibrary]

HL Fic Library ☁️ Fluff Fics

Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find the library's other recs here.

☁️ Relief Next To Me by dolce_piccante {M, 333k}

AU. What happens when a baker and a graphic designer meet via a very specific Craigslist post? Fate, friendship, food, and maybe more.

☁️ knock knock, i love you by beautlouis / @thelovejandles {E, 86k}

“Well,” Louis says, searching for something to relieve this tension. “I think if a bloke gets kicked out of his stats exam for a knock knock joke, he deserves to hear the punchline, yeah?”

“Oh!” Harry says, beaming. “I forgot where we left off, what was it again?” He looks overjoyed to be exchanging a shit joke.

“Ah, you said knock knock, then I said who’s there, and then you said Noah,” Louis supplies helpfully. He hates that he's actually curious about the rest of the joke. “So, Noah who?”

“Oh,” says Harry, in a much different tone, dragging out the syllable. He looks bashful now. Louis cannot keep up with this boy, it's going to kill him. “Right, well.” He shuffles his feet. Fuck, what kind of knock knock joke gets a boy nervous? “Noah a good place we could get something to eat?”

[Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy.]

☁️ like cranberries on a winter evening by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou {G, 57k}

Louis hates Christmas. With good reason, too. And no, he doesn’t want to talk about it.

When research for his next novel leads Louis to the website of a quirky little hotel in Northumberland, there is exactly one room available for the two weeks that Louis really wants to get away from his family.

Will the fairy lights, kind smiles, homemade pastries, and genuine friendships awaiting him in Harry Styles’ hotel be enough to cause Louis a change of heart?

☁️ Homegrown by @casuallyhl {E, 51k}

“It wasn’t an easy decision, if I’m honest,” Harry admits, shoulders sagging in on himself. “Moving is really difficult. My whole life was in Manchester. But Manchester didn’t want me. Leeds did.”

“Well, Leeds is happy to have you,” Louis says, giving Harry a kind smile.

Harry brightens a bit at that, undeniably pleased. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Louis replies, expression soft and lips curved.

Or, a gardening AU where Harry is new to town and the newest volunteer at the local gardening club, Louis is the attractive grandson of one of the members, and the nosy volunteers hatch a plan to get them together.

☁️ I Really Like Your Styles: The Baking Advent-ure by @homosociallyyours {T, 35k}

Louis isn't much for frills, and the coffee shop he co-owns with his best friend Liam is evidence of that. Yes, it's got a decent sized, well-kept industrial kitchen, but Louis insists that people come to coffee shops for coffee, not mediocre pastry and plastic wrapped cookies. When Liam's campaign for serving treats turns into watching a few baking accounts on whichever popular app he's on, there's one that really gets on Louis' nerves: "I Like Your Styles." With his chipper demeanor and over the top descriptions of the food he makes, Louis is sure that the (unfortunately cute) baker is full of it. Nothing that adorable could possibly be worth the hype.

It doesn't actually take much for him to eat his words...and some quality baked goods, while he's at it.

☁️ Snow In Love by @lululawrence {NR, 33k}

Harry and Louis are best friends and have been for basically as long as they can remember. For the first time since middle school, they are both single for the holidays leaving them with the brilliant idea to take each other as their dates to work events. To make things easier they will pretend like they’re dating. But then they learn something funny.

People thought they were already dating. Weird.

An advent fic featuring childhood friends, fake dating turned actual dating, really horrible secret keeping, and a winter weather surprise.

☁️ You Ain’t Gotta Feel Fear Just Mingle by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup {T, 32k}

Harry has been at his dream job for less than three months, and he knows two things for sure; first, his project manager doesn't know what he's doing, and second, someone in the office is apparently pure evil, and no one will tell Harry who it is.

Oh, and the guy who works in conservation at the other end of the building is the most beautiful man Harry's ever seen, even when wielding a hot iron as a weapon.

Happy Christmas, here's to many more.

☁️ On This Winter's Night by @reminiscingintherain {T, 27k}

When a random bloke offers his lap for a seat on a busy bus in December, Louis' Christmas ends up being much different, and far less lonely than he was expecting.

☁️ Lambing Season by @helloamhere {E, 24k}

“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”

//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.

☁️ When Least Expected by Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings {M, 22k}

Drowning in a sea of emails and Zoom meetings in the living room, his lonely son falling more and more behind in his kitchen classroom, and crushing weight of the world being on house arrest for the foreseeable future, one fateful online interaction suddenly has everything looking up.

☁️ no good unless it's real by @fackinglouis {E, 17k}

“Here,” Harry says, pulling a strap off his shoulder so he can dig his phone out of his bag. “We can get each other’s numbers.”  Louis shakes his head. “I have the practice’s number already,” he tells him. “And my number is definitely on file somewhere.”

 Harry pauses, smile quirking a bit as he stares at Louis. The sun is still in his eyes, though, with his sunglasses pushed up onto his head still, so Louis credits his funny face to that.

 “I’m trying to give you my number, Louis,” Harry explains around a breathy laugh.

 “Oh,” Louis blinks, processing that. He scratches his temple, moves a piece of longer fringe back behind his ear, and then nods. “Okay.”

 Or: Louis is a very busy farmer who’s just trying to make it to his next nap and Harry’s the new hot vet that’s determined to infiltrate every area of his life.

☁️ Captain Cupid by @2tiedships2 {NR, 15k}

“Right,” Niall started, finally getting the opportunity to unleash his horrible plan. “Well, as you both know, I’m an excellent matchmaker. A human Cupid.The best of the best at finding one's mate. And I’ve decided it’s time to make money doing it.”

“Oh, God no,” Louis groaned, picking up his empty plate and placing it in the sink. He needed to escape as quickly as possible.

Or the one where Niall enlists his friends to help start a speed dating side hustle. Things don't go as planned... or maybe they do?

☁️ the inconvenience of wanting you by @tracksuitponytail {M, 14k}

Alpha Louis Tomlinson loves music, his balcony overlooking an unkempt garden, and (most of all) his solitude. When omega Harry Styles moves into the downstairs flat with four-legged company and a love of gardening, Louis is determined to despise the disruption and keep his distance. But Harry, it turns out, is impossible to ignore.

☁️ Just Your Jinx by @larryatendoftheday {T, 10k}

Harry Styles may or may not have accidentally jinxed his extremely fit new neighbor, and it's not so easy to make things right.

☁️ Ever Since by @letsjustsee {NR, 10k}

Louis once again went to leave, but before he could reach the door he heard Barkley jumping off the bed behind him. The giant dog accosted Louis before he could get through, nudging Louis’ legs with all his weight and making him stumble, and Louis had to grab the doorframe to steady himself. “What the heck, Barkley?” Louis was mostly talking to himself, aware that Barkley couldn’t actually understand him, but he had never witnessed the dog acting so oddly. He turned around when he heard a quiet murmur coming from the bed. “What?” He hadn’t been able to make out what Harry said, but at Louis’ question he sat up in bed, hair already wild from the pillow, eyes heavy, and Louis’ stomach gave a little flip. “He wants you to stay.” 

Or, a very fluffy AU where Louis finds a lost dog that he wishes he could keep - until he meets his owner, who he wishes he could keep more.

☁️ and marshmallows by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite {E, 10k}

Louis Tomlinson’s ass was wet. Well the whole back of him was wet, but it was really, really seeping through the thin jeggings that he swore to Lottie were jeans. In this moment, though, lying spread eagle in the snow bank that was his front yard he admitted that they were indeed some kind of useless fabric that wasn’t denim.

“Ummm.” The voice was deep, hesitant and came from the little walk leading up to Louis’ house. Fucking fantastic. Someone to witness his misery. “Are you alright?”

Louis squeezed his eyes shut hoping that the person would just go away.

The one where Harry has a personal attachment to Louis' house, and Louis can't stop picturing the beautiful stranger dancing in his kitchen.

☁️ He’s Dressed As A Banana by juniperlightning / @juniperlightningwrites {NR, 7k}

Louis gets talked into going to a Halloween party at Niall’s house and ends up falling for the cute stranger in a banana costume.

Loads of music, a bit of banter and a bunch of fluff.

☁️ Birthday Boyfriend by @emmli28 {M, 6k}

It’s Harry’s birthday, and he has had a rather shitty day, to be honest. That changes the moment a complete stranger sits down across from him at a bar and decides to make it the best birthday ever.

☁️ i swear i could give you everything by @alwaysxlarrie {T, 5k}

Louis Tomlinson was not a morning person, so he really should have known better than to start leaving secret notes on coworker Harry Styles' desk before he arrived at the office at 7:30 each morning. But he did have to admit that hearing Harry's reaction everyday was definitely worth it. Not being a morning person might be his downfall in this situation, though. Talk about self sabotage.

☁️ Pretty and Preposterous by @brightlyharry {NR, 5k}

Harry donates a copy of Pride and Prejudice to his little free library. He never expects what comes next.

☁️ Love Mail by @neondiamond {G, 5k}

A week after moving into a new apartment complex, Harry discovers the mailman doesn’t seem to know the difference between numbers 23 and 28. He’s not too mad about it when he finds out just how handsome his neighbour from apartment 28 really is.

Or the one where Harry and Louis keep mistakingly receiving each other’s mail (and also fall in love).

[lovingstheantidote]

There is a lot going on. 😵‍💫

[hrgifs]

the little heart in ilya's curls ♡

[princesshair]

Harry’s House Vinyl Unboxing

[tosharchives]

i have the kind of melancholy that attracts me to large bodies of water.

[petaltexturedskies]

Nikolay Punin, The Diaries of Nikolay Punin: 1904-1953

[hoechloin]

[dailyhudsonwilliams]

Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie photographed at the Golden Globes.

[f1tf]

90s heartthrob

[lydiejo]

I am actually terrible at tumblr so I finally managed to copy and paste this from the person who tagged me. I feel like I am 72 years of age when I use the tumblr. I was tagged by @haztobegood and @tracksuitponytail. Thank youuu for tagging me, I'm always honoured to be included as a real author in literally any way lol.

⭐️ Annual Writing Self-Evaluation 2025 ⭐️

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 12 fics (oh shit)

2. Word count posted for the year: 189,226

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction (11), SPN (1 lmfao)

4. Pairings: 

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson

Castiel / Dean Winchester

5. Story with the most Kudos: two (left) feet in front of me

Bookmarks: two (left) feet in front of me

Comments: two (left) feet in front of me

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): hmm this is a hard question. I think I really love my neighbour au because I wrote it so quick and all in like, one sitting. And it was exactly what I imagined. And it was smutty af, which is a bit hard for me lol.

7. Share or describe a favorite review you received: EVERY comment is the best comment, it is really hard to choose. I actually screenshot and save them, most of them anyway, because I am a sap. But let's see, here are some choice phrases I loved last year:

"oh my God what the fuck was this???? I love it so fucking much??? I feel like this has done something to rewire my brain???"

"Can I just say, I have read some bad fics where they go from strangers to fucking and immediately start with the Daddy shit, and it’s often cringy and unnatural, but you write it well every time. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear that you’ve called a stranger Daddy before."

"I love the notion that, even when you are at your most miserable, you may still be someone else's inspiration."

There were tons of amazing reviews, especially from one particular person who took the time to write their own novels in my comment section (you know who you are), so all I can say is THANK YOU.

8. A time when writing was really, really hard: I had a really awful time in August in my personal life and it made writing really difficult. I have to say, the Wordplay discord and other authors in that fest carried me through. I'm proud of my year!

9. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: I think the whole the trail provides fic surprised me... I didn't mean to, but I ended up being really real and authentic in ways I didn't plan and re-reading it made me sad/proud/feel weird. Anyway, it was more heartfelt than I usually allow myself to be.

10. A favorite excerpt of your writing : umm... literally how can I even find that? I have no idea. I can't remember what I write much less if any of it is good... I tried but I can't find a single thing lol sorry

11. How did you grow as a writer this year: I participated in SO MANY FESTS. I tried omegaverse and 5+1 times (both were not great hahaha I don't love those tropes) and I joined some discord servers to stay motivated. It's been fun!! I've tried to just lean into the whole dirty dirty smut thing haha.

12. How do you hope to grow next year: I'd like to do the 1DBB. I have always wanted to do a BB and like. I really hope to do it this year!!!

13. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): well haha the entirety of the wordplay discord but I mean, if I am being completely honest, @emilarry. Feels impossible to answer anyone else.

14. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: HELP. Related to the previous question, one of my fics is just... ugh. Too real.

15. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: no, nothing new. Just. Be yourself and write for fun. Fuck stats.

16. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: Gotta finish 2 fest fics and then the bigbang so I am really looking forward to summer because I am gonna write FOR FUN and it's gonna be SMUT and maybe sequels and additions to old verses!!!!

17. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read.

I simply hate tagging people but if you see this, feel free to DO IT!!!

[harruandlou]

2025 writing in review!

thank you @tracksuitponytail for tagging me!

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 4

2. Word count posted for the year: 166,927

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry/Louis (side Ziall & liam/oli)

5. Story with the most

Kudos: but i could be your obsession

Bookmarks: but i could be your obsession

Comments: gambled our souls to the summer

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): I think it would be gambled our souls to the summer. I've always really wanted to write something that wasn't set current day and was afraid to try it. I can get bogged down in the details sometimes, but I'd been thinking about it for months and months and just finally decided to try (which can be the hardest part sometimes for me). Also, honorable mention here to you're all i ever dreamed of because although I finished writing it in 2024, it was posted in January and I had a lot of worries about posting a sequel to my most read (and probably most beloved) fic, but the reception was so so lovely.

7. Share or describe a favorite review you received: I love everyone who takes the time to comment on one of my fics, or review it in the tags or sent me a dm/ask about it. One I loved from gambled our souls to the summer read "I loved this beautiful world that was built in the tiniest of details. The drizzles and reflections, the heavy green trees and fruit blossom scents in the breeze. The honeybee knobs (Every single one makes me think of you.) and row of fabric covered journals." and "I had no idea what to expect, but this is timeless. Thank you." 🥰😭🥰 and then, not on a fic I wrote this year, but I got screamed at a lot for i would know you from touch alone this year and that was so so much fun.

8. A time when writing was really, really hard: Sort of the entire year. I think I really didn't know what I wanted to write in 2025 and that kind of carried through the whole year. I kept starting things, putting them down and working on something else instead. I published 4 fics, but I worked on 7 projects this year. I also had a very rough summer. I didn't really write anything from mid April - July.

9. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: I think Harry in snowflakes in my stomach. Everything that came out of his mouth surprised me, even if I had planned it out ahead of time. He was sort of just saying stuff with his whole chest and Louis (and I!) were just along for the ride.

10. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

from gambled our souls to the summer:

“Louis,” Harry whispered. “Your house has bees in it.” He tilted his head up to see Louis look down at him, a gentle smile on his lips. “Lenore loved them. They’re in the kitchen, embroidered at the ends of the drapes and on the pillows in the living room. Even painted around some of the doorknobs. She used to call them her ‘little blessings’.” Harry’s heart rose in his throat, swelling so that when he spoke the words were almost choked. “And what do you call them?” “You,” Louis whispered, fingers carding gently through Harry’s hair. His face was buttery soft and Harry felt almost like he could cry. Never had someone looked at him so tenderly, like the whole world was right in front of them. “Every single one makes me think of you.”

11. How did you grow as a writer this year: I think by learning to follow my gut a bit more. I think I lost some confidence somewhere in trying to make things perfect or something and I'm trying to fix that. 2025 was about trusting myself and my ideas, even if the fics are shorter or not what what I set out to do at the beginning.

12. How do you hope to grow next year: My goal last year and again this year is to read more fics and books. I went 3 months last year without reading a single fic (summer was a bad time) and I think I've felt a bit disconnected from reading in general. and I miss it!

13. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): I really really appreciate and love @blueskiesrry, @petitommo, @wishingforloushair for just being there for me all year lol. Always @red-panda-28 for being a sounding board and beta reading.

14. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: I don't think I can ever keep myself out of my writing. Sometimes it's the setting or the places they go (but i could be your obsession & gambled our souls to the summer), sometimes it's the carpentry (you're all i ever dreamed of), and sometimes it's my friends thinking I was stalking my history professor (snowflakes in my stomach).

15. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: Be kind to yourself when writing isn't going your way. It's okay to give a project space, it's okay to give yourself space. To put stuff down and pick it back up . To come back to something with a clear head a cut the things that aren't working, even if you love them, even if there's good writing there.

16. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: I started a fic in November I'd love to finish this year (another fic I had put down and picked back up lol) and I would love to finish some original fiction in 2025.

17. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read: I'm not sure who has already done this, but @blueskiesrry @wishingforloushair @emilarry @louislittletomlintum @red-panda-28

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that take place in a bookshop as requested in this ask. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis / Harry -

📚 I would name the stars for you (I would take you there) by orphan_account

(M, 91k, famous/not famous)  a vaguely Notting Hill-like AU (or that made for TV Disney movie Starstruck if you’ve seen it… no? Just me?) starring popstar!Harry and bookkeeper/soulful poet!Louis; and including guest appearances by Fate, a wise elderly aristocrat, and lots and lots of pining.

📚 Meet Me in Montauk by make_this_feel_like_home

(M, 84k, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind au) The one where Harry has amnesia, Louis can't handle the pain and Lacuna Inc provides a unique service: the ability to erase a person from your memories.

📚 Finding Lou by @stylinsoncity

(M, 60k, strangers to lovers) Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

📚 another hazy may by deLILAh

(M, 41k, strangers to lovers) louis is a terrible poet and harry lives in the now and they have six weeks to fall in love but, really, it only takes six seconds. bookshop meets military meets summer romance au ft. marlboros, the backstreet boys, and underrated literary devices.

📚 Enchanted by @brightgolden

(E, 25k, single parent Harry) Where Louis finally meets his neighbour. After a few conversations, he begins to realise he is too weak to resist the charms of the new mother and his six month old daughter.

📚 One for the Books by @neondiamond

(M, 25k, Christmas) the one where there’s a bookshop, a cat, OT5 friendship, a budding romance, and all the festive vibes.

📚 Singing To Tiny Dancer by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite

(E, 22k, famous/not famous) When everything gets to be a bit too much for A-list actor Louis Tomlinson, he runs back to the town he had never really called home and the boy who was the only one he did.

📚 Anonymous Said by @alivingfire

(T, 21k, uni)  two boys, two blogs, two years of anonymous messages, and a bookshop where it all comes together.

📚 When We Uncover by @fallinglikethis, Rearviewdreamer / @all-these-larrythings

(T, 18k, tattoos) In world where everyone is born with a unique tattoo on their ankle, people come to wear the marks of everyone they fall in love with on their skin. Louis only has a few marks and he regrets nearly every one of them. So when he meets Harry, a boy with too many tattoos, he's hesitant to let him get too close.

📚 It Will Always Be You by @phdmama

(E, 15k, reconnecting) If you had told Louis Tomlinson a year ago that he would be celebrating his birthday by kissing the man who is the love of his life on a Church Street park bench in Burlington VT as the snow drifted softly down, he would have told you that you were extremely imaginative. Or nuts. Both, maybe.

📚 The Journal by 4ureyesonly28 / @evilovesyou , RecycledStardust

(G, 13k, historical) When Harry finds himself purchasing an antique journal in the ancient bookshop of a town he's never heard of, he doesn't exactly want to admit that he has no idea how he got there.

📚 Crystal Ball on the Table by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird

(E, 12k, girl direction) Harry Styles is just an ordinary witch from an old-fashioned Boston family trying to survive in her regular job as the fiction manager at a local bookstore and café. Her magic isn't exactly something she advertises when looking for potential new girlfriends, so when Louis Tomlinson arrives in her life like a breath of fresh air, she tries her best to hide how strongly her magic is reacting to Louis' presence.

📚 The Art of the Giants by asphodelknox / @iamasphodelknox

(G, 10k, ballet) Louis is dancing away from an old relationship when he meets Harry at a bookstore in the busy streets of Seattle. Harry is just a bookstore owner hoping his handsome weekly visitor could become something more.

📚 Snow Squalls & Kitty Paws by @littleroverlouis

(G, 8k, snowed in) Louis and Zayn own The Future is Meow, a bookstore-slash-cat café, and are spreading the holiday cheer to their customers this Christmas Eve. A few morning snow flakes turn into a full-blown blizzard and before they know it, the safest place for them and their employees to spend the night is the bookstore.

📚 of all the stars most beautiful by dangerbears

(NR, 5k, sandwich shop) when isn't the right time for a bookshop fic? louis sells books and harry makes sandwiches and zayn meets someone on the internet.

📚 Things Unsaid by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(G, 4k, soulmates) "That chunky oversized sweater is like a clown outfit made for winter." Or, where you have a tattoo of the first thought your soulmate has when they see you.

- Rare Pairs -

📚 Wooing for Beginners by sunsetmog / @magicalrocketships

(T, 4k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) There's a girl at school Louis is dying to impress, but Louis ends up impressing Nick instead. A sort-of bookshop/high school/Saturday job AU with extra baking and not enough fish fingers.

📚 Sleep, Please Come Softly by @lululawrence

(NR, 3k, Louis/Pedro Pascal) Louis can't sleep. Maybe an incredibly boring book from the nearby used bookstore can help.

[tracksuitponytail]

Thank you @disgruntledkittenface for tagging me <3

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 4 fics, 2 drabbles, 1 ficlet

2. Word count posted for the year: 63.765

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry/Louis, Harry/Louis/Zayn

5. Story with the most

Kudos: sunflowers & surrender

Bookmarks: sunflowers & surrender

Comments: sunflowers & surrender

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): I love when I can access a feeling of comfort with my fics, and I think I was able to with every one in a different way. is this just fantasy had it in the form of this playful excitement grounded in familiarity and friendship. sunflowers & surrender gave comfort after hurt in a more visceral, physical sense that I love about omegaverse. the inconvenience of wanting you brought it through humor and setting for me and through shared interests as a form of intimacy. For can't take my eyes off you, baby, I spent time thinking about what every character might need to feel safe in a scenario like this given their personalities and how it could be achieved without physical touch. I really liked how that turned out.

7. Share or describe a favorite review you received: I'm always glad when a feeling I set out to convey is felt while reading, so the general feedback of sunflowers & surrender giving "a sense of safety" or feeling "like a cozy warm bath" meant a lot, as did when readers said Harry felt realistic as the antithesis to Louis' former experiences. I loved that the inconvenience of wanting you brought a sense of delight and made people laugh. And it resonated a lot when someone described can't take my eyes off you, baby as "comforting and sensual and nostalgic and hot" which is really all I aimed for when writing it.

8. A time when writing was really, really hard: To be honest, writing was hard almost the entire year as I was navigating caretaking responsibilities, health struggles and barriers to support, so I was teetering the line of burnout at all times until my capacity basically collapsed at the end of November. There comes a certain grief with not being able to do what you love, so the hardest part of writing is probably not currently doing it because it feels inaccessible.

9. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: Nothing I can think of at the moment.

10. A favorite excerpt of your writing: I quite liked the imagery in can't take my eyes off you, baby:

The thing is, Louis is as much under Harry’s spell as Harry is under his, just as in control as he is powerless against the moans spilling from Harry’s plush lips. With every one of Louis’ soft-spoken commands, it feels like he’s coaxing a siren into singing his own seduction.

11. How did you grow as a writer this year: That's a really hard question because though I've probably grown in terms of skill, and I've temporarily overcome some of my social anxiety and found inspiration and motivation for a while, I also feel like I've regressed again. Maybe that's because growth isn't always linear. It can be more of a spiral at times and progress is hard to see when you're currently on the back end of it.

12. How do you hope to grow next year: I hope to come back around to my joy of reading, to gain some clarity on how to move forward with writing and life in general, or to be more comforable with not knowing.

13. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc): I'm glad I got to work with @disgruntledkittenface in 2025. sunflowers & surrender would not exist without her because I needed someone to help me to the finish line, and she did with such care. @louislittletomlintum's enthusiasm led me to writing can't take my eyes off you, baby, which still has a special place in my heart. I also appreciate @allwaswell16's presence in the fandom, her stories, fic recs and support for both writers and fic reccers.

14. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year: Almost every fic of mine carries aspects of real life, with sunflowers & surrender being the most personal one this year. the inconvenience of wanting you ended up full of the things that interested me and brought me joy at the time. I got more into Zayn's music and him as a person in 2025, which inspired a Zayn POV in can't take my eyes off you, baby.

15. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: I wish I could say I've left 2025 with a clear learning to possibly pass on. In 2024, I said I wanted to find a way to write that was challenging enough to be interesting but not so much it became overwhelming, and I haven't found that balance yet. Being in a liminal space where old strategies don't work anymore and new ones aren't presenting themselves yet can be frustrating... So maybe what I can say is that if you're in a similar situation, then you're not alone, and I feel you.

16. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: There's one WIP that I'd love to finish and one I just hope to spend some time with this year.

17. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read:

@allwaswell16 @louislittletomlintum @harruandlou @dedtobeginwith @louandhazaf @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @lydiejo @forwhatiam