comment_fic | Tuesday: Tropes

~

When the teachers arrive, Hermione takes the blame, and Draco has another Gryffindor to add to his unwanted collection.

Ron and Harry are somewhat understandable. Getting close to the Boy Who Lived was, as his father wrote, 'imperative to assessing his significance as a threat or otherwise', and since Ron and Harry came as a pair, Draco could explain his association with both. Since his father told him to seek more advantageous connections, Draco hasn't written home once.

Someone else must be writing to his parents, though, because on the first of November he receives a calm, elegant letter from his mother which contains all the ire of a hundred Howlers.

He is not to associate with mudbloods.

Pansy is trying to read the letter over his shoulder, so Draco crushes it into a ball and shoves it into the pocket of his robes. He is presented with a choice that he is far too young to make, but he understands its importance.

He thinks about showing the letter to Harry; a snide part of him says that Harry has no family in the first place, so he won't be able to help. Suddenly, fiercely, Draco hates that part of him, the part that sees people as targets.

It's Potions first. Draco's partnered with Ron, so his silence is barely noticed; Ron does enough grumbling for the pair of them. Draco tries to focus on the potion--Hermione with Harry and him with Ron is almost a fair competition, after all--but he finds himself thinking about Professor Snape instead. His family are friends with Professor Snape, but his mother had once told him that Snape was the reason that Aunt Bella was in Azkaban. Father clearly didn't believe that, or if he did he acted as though he did not; Snape was often at the Manor for dinner or high tea. No one knew whose side Snape had really been on, and now You-Know-Who was gone he enjoyed the best of both worlds.

When Draco wrote to his parents, he informed them that he had every intention of staying close to Potter, no matter who that forced him to associate with. He said that Potter showed unusual skill in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and that he was determined to uncover the secret behind his survival.

For Christmas, they buy him a Nimbus Two Thousand. Draco has always wanted one, but he doesn't tell Harry. He doesn't even gloat about it to Ron. The present makes him feel like dirt, even though it's his parents that he's lying to.

"There, that one in the corner. With the light brown hair." Dean tries to point out the guy subtly.

Cas rolls his eyes, takes a sip of his drink, then hops off the barstool and makes his way over to the man at the corner of the bar. Dean watches with a smirk as he stands a fraction to close to the man, a hand coming to rest lightly on his arm, clearly turning the full force of those baby blues on the guy.

Seems like Dean's quest to get his best friend laid is finally going to be fulfilled.

The whole time Dean had known him (since the very beginning of Freshman year, actually) Cas had never been much interested in sex. Almost all the way through college. it was like he was too busy studying or training to give it much thought. To Dean, that was totally bizarre (who's ever to busy to think about sex?), but whatever. So he was a little surprised when Cas came to him, three months into their Senior year and asked Dean to help him "score". He even did the air-quote thing, Christ.

Dean had choked on his beer, slapped him on the back, and announced the grand beginning of plan Get Cas Laid.

*

The Plan got off to an inauspicious start.

The problem was, Cas really didn't know how to flirt. The first time he went up to a girl in a bar, he lasted five minutes before getting a drink thrown in his face and a slap across his cheek.

It was kind of hilarious, actually. Cas stalked back over to him, glaring at Dean as he snickered into his glass of whiskey.

"I don't understand what I did wrong." Cas sounded all aggrieved and put-upon, as if the world had let him down in some fundamental way.

"Dude, you told her you thought she had reasonably pleasing proportions and that she should come home with you for one night of what would hopefully be satisfying sex, but you couldn't guarantee it since you'd never done it before."

Cas wrinkled his nose.

"The problem is that I told her the truth?" It definitely comes out as a question. Dean finished his drink and starts to herd Cas out of the bar.

"C'mon man, we got a lot of work to do."

*

Dean taught him how to stand, how to smile, what to say, how to say it. Cas complained endlessly ("The entire premise is ridiculous. Things would be much easier if people simply discussed sex in a frank, honest fashion. You should be able to walk up to someone, clearly state your intentions, and get an immediate response." "Cas?" "Yes, Dean?" "Shut up.") but he caught on quick.

And, once he'd mastered the basics, he seemed to like practising on Dean. They'd be in the middle of a normal conversation, when Cas would suddenly be up in his space, looking up at him from under his dark lashes, licking his lips, touching Dean's arm.

It was a little weird, sure, having his best friend practise flirting with him on an almost daily basis, but he quickly got used to it. Once or twice he even found himself responding automatically, dropping his eyes suggestively, shifting his body to match up with Cas's, half-reaching out to run his fingers along Cas's arm. He didn't think much of it because, hey, Cas is fucking attractive, and Dean? Dean will flirt with anything that moves. Flirting is basically his ground state of social interaction. So if he sometimes watches Cas's lips, or leans into his casual touches, it really isn't a big deal.

*

They went out a few times, to practise on what Cas called "normal people", which Dean decided not to take offence to. Cas was a stiff at first, came across a bit too studied, but after a couple of weeks, he could flirt with the best of them. And Dean was proud, like a fucking teacher watching his star pupil shine. It was actually kind of embarrassing.

Which brings them to tonight.

Tonight is The Night. Cas is absolutely on his game. This guy is hooked; he's practically drooling, leaning way, way into Cas's space, hanging on his every word. Christ, Cas may not be a natural, but he's good at this. Give him a few more months and he'll probably be better than Dean.

Edited 2012-05-09 13:05 (UTC)

The thing about Cas, Dean muses, as he watches bar-guy lick his lips, is that he looks all sweet and innocent; slender frame, dark hair, pale skin. Huge, huge blue eyes. At first glance you kinda want to give him a hug and feed him soup. Then you get up close, and realise he's got all this unexpected muscle tone, could probably manhandle you real easy, and he's got this quiet kind of intensity that sorts hypnotising, makes you just want to... Yeah.

Dean continues to watch them, and now he's paying attention to this other guy, who it seems Cas is going to be taking home. He'd picked him out almost at random, a reasonably good-looking, apparently-single guy for Cas to practise his flirting on. But now Dean is looking at him properly, and, well, dude's got kind of a weak chin, his hair's a little greasy, and his body really isn't anything to write home about. Dean's always been pretty chilled about sex, thinks people should just let it be what it is and stop sentimentalizing it, but he can't help thinking Cas deserves to have his first time be pretty fucking spectacular. And this guy? Doesn't really look up to the task.

Cas moves in a little closer, ducks his head to say something into the man's ear. As Dean watches, the man rests his hand on the small of Cas's back, and Dean's stomach does this weird, squirming thing. He's suddenly uncomfortable, and he's about to signal the bartender for another drink when Cas straightens up and, sliding his hand around the man's neck, pulls him into a slow, deep kiss.

Dean's first thought is holy shit, that is really fucking hot, because it is, it's one of the sexiest things Dean's ever seen.

Dean's second thought is fuck no, no way that slimy-haired douche is putting his tongue in Cas's mouth, no one gets to do that but me.

Which, well, is not the sort of think he normally thinks about Cas. Also, he doesn't actually get to do that, and right now all he can think is that it's a crying fucking shame that he doesn't.

He doesn't really realize what he's doing, he just knows that he's moving, that he's in front of them, that the guys stops kissing Cas (moron) to say caustically "Can I help you buddy?" Dean just glares at him, grabs Cas by the arm and steers him out of the bar. He doesn't stop until they're out in the Square, the music from the bar just a faint hum in the background.

"Dean, what the hell? I'm finally getting somewhere with someone and you - " Cas stops talking, probably because Dean stops moving, turns to face Cas, opens his mouth and has absolutely nothing to say. Shit.

"Dean?"

He tries again.

"Uh, Cas, see, the thing is - " and fuck, he's actually freaking out now, has no idea what he's even thinking except that Cas kissing that guy = bad, and Dean kissing Cas = good. Somehow, miraculously, it must show on his face, because Cas's eyes widen, and he looks surprised, relieved, and intensely irritated, all at the same time.

"Oh my god, Dean," he says, rolling his eyes, then he tugs Dean forward by his coat collar and kisses him.

Shit, Cas is kissing him, and Dean is so, so on board with this. He wraps his arms around Cas's waist, one hand resting smugly where unacceptable-bar-dude's had been, holding Cas close against him. He opens his mouth the moment Cas licks at it, slides his tongue along Cas's, loving the feel of them moving against each other. Cas, for all his newfound flirting expertise, kisses like a novice; he doesn't quite know what to do with his tongue, or his hands, and he bites Dean's lip by accident. When he realises, however, this makes Dean whimper totally involuntarily, he does it again.

Far too soon, Cas pulls away. His lips are slick with Dean's saliva, and his cheeks are flushed and oh god, if Dean doesn't get to have sex with him in the next five minutes, he's pretty sure he's going to die.

"Idiot," Cas says, but he sounds mostly fond. "You couldn't tell I was flirting with you?"

Dean stares at him.

"Um, what? I mean, yes, I noticed, I'm not stupid. But you were just practising! You were doing what I'd been teaching you, I though it was just..." Dean would be flailing his arms around right now if they weren't so happy to stay tucked around Cas's waist.

Cas rolls his eyes again, then kisses Dean on the mouth, slick and slow. "I find you very attractive and would like to have sex with you," he says. "Can we please go have sex now?"

Dean honest-to-god whimpers, before he manages to breathe out a "yes please".

"See?" Cas says, and now he's tugging Dean in the direction of his apartment, a smirk on his face. "My way is better."

(Sorry for all the edits! I was trying to get it to fit into two comments :D)

Edited 2012-05-09 13:08 (UTC)

Oh man, this is so great. I love how you basically got the entire trope down to one word. Nevertheless. Perfect <3

The first time Tenzin had flown out to the Southern Water Tribe on Oogi – his mother clutching his arm with a strength he’d always known her to possess but had seldom experienced – he wasn’t sure what to expect from this young Avatar. But one meeting with her adoring but nevertheless frazzled parents, coupled with a spectacular bending display of utter chaos courtesy of Korra, was enough to strike fear into his heart at the idea of ever having children of his own.

He learned from them that the day Korra discovered she could bend three elements was also the day they had been forced to abandon their “United Front of Disciplining” tactic. It wasn’t that they didn’t try, they explained to him once Korra had drifted off to sleep, it was only that they became too busy keeping their igloo home from falling apart. The “time-out” corner became a nice idea that belonged in some faraway utopia where their daughter wasn’t a precocious spitfire who could levitate rocks and raise a tidal wave out of the mop bucket to boot. It was obvious that they were proud, that they loved her as fiercely as she loved bending, but there was a sliver of truth beneath her father’s exhausted chuckle that one of her was enough to keep them on their toes.

How fortunate for them, Tenzin thought wearily upon finding her room empty again, that I’ve inherited her difficult teenage years.

Since her unsanctioned arrival in Republic City, Korra had done nothing but undermine his authority at every turn. Her training was impatient and undisciplined, she bent every rule he set to the breaking point, had run off to not only watch a pro-bending tournament but join a team as well despite his express wishes to the contrary, nevermind the whole situation with Tarlokk’s strike team. When he thought about it, something as simple as upholding a curfew never had a hope.

(“Just think of it as practice for the future!” Pema had teased gently, and the thought of doing this another four times had him burying his face in his hands, wanting to never emerge again.)

He searched the courtyards first in the naïve hope that she was practicing, and then moved on through the now-familiar pathway, going down the list of places he optimistically hoped to find her before considering the ones where he most certainly did not wish her to be. Just as he had half made up his mind to leave Air Temple Island for the gaudy Bending Arena, he saw the massive furry outline that could only be Naga curled up in the meditation pavilion. Where Naga was, Korra couldn’t be too far off.

“Korra?”

Naga lifted her head and turned towards him before huffing softly and nudging the figure leaning against her.

“What? Oh. Hey, Tenzin,” came the sheepish reply.

“Korra, do you realize—“

“—how late it is and how worried you were when you went by my bedroom and found it empty?” Korra sighed, more defeated than annoyed, “Yeah, I got it. I'm sorry. I just… well, I needed some air. Although I guess you’d know that better than anyone by now,” she ended with a wry smile.

“May I?”

At her nod he settled down next to her. “I know how frustrated you are. And that all this talk of patience doesn’t help with someone as headstrong as you. But you’re making real progress, Korra. You may not see it, but I do.”

She laughed a little, “You sound like my mom. She and Katara were always my biggest supporters.”

He cleared his throat with a cough, “Yes, well, I hope you know we’re just the same. In terms of support, I mean.”

She leaned against him then, brash confidence leaching out of her until she was just like any other girl her age without the expectations of the public resting on her shoulders. “I know. Thanks, Tenzin, for everything.”

Maybe, he thought with some relief, getting them through these teenage years won’t be so bad after all.

“Soooo… with all this talk of support and stuff, would now be a good time to tell you I’m skipping the next few days of Avatar training to get ready for the tournament with the Fire Ferrets?”

“What?!”

Then again, maybe not.

No fill, but I'm *really* happy to see a Dan/Casey Sports Night prompt on here. Please keep them up! I couldn't fill this one (the muse isn't working with me), but I'd love to see more prompts to fill!

YES YES YES YES YES

THIS IS AMAZING

I HAVE SUCH A WEAKNESS FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS

I particularly liked the bit where Dean thinks about how Cas looks all innocent and angelic and you want to feed him soup, but then you realise that he's all muscled and awesome as well. And the inauspicious start where Castiel tries telling the truth.

Thank you SO much! :D

*hugs* Thanks for the fill! I need more reincarnation fic in my life, I'm realizing.

Yeah, there cannot be enough of it. Sadly most of them have to be huge to prevent clichee's.

Notice: this is not a sad fic.
Not quite happy yet, but at least the fill doesn't bleed with tragedy.

\o/ I did notice! (Rejoice, rejoice!) Now I just need to think of prompts that can encourage you to write a continuation. ;)

Noooo. Don't do this *runs away screaming*

your prompts won't catch me

lmao

Wow, this is amazingly good!!

I'm not a big SPN slash fan, but this definitely caught my attention and I was hooked right from the beginning. the descriptions and actions, not to mention how you kept them in character in an AU, totally flawless! Very nicely done! :D

OMG LOVE ♥ ♥ ♥

But one meeting with her adoring but nevertheless frazzled parents, coupled with a spectacular bending display of utter chaos courtesy of Korra, was enough to strike fear into his heart at the idea of ever having children of his own.

Awwwww- I can just picture his expression at all this... evidently he got over that last part, though. ;)

When he thought about it, something as simple as upholding a curfew never had a hope.

Pretty much. Can't let her know that he knows that yet, of course.

(“Just think of it as practice for the future!” Pema had teased gently, and the thought of doing this another four times had him burying his face in his hands, wanting to never emerge again.)

This is hilarious.

“Soooo… with all this talk of support and stuff, would now be a good time to tell you I’m skipping the next few days of Avatar training to get ready for the tournament with the Fire Ferrets?”

“What?!”

Poor Tenzin. This really is totally adorable gen fic- thank you so much for writing it!

Additionally, this is the first LoK fic I've actually read, so YAY

Loki doesn't want Thor's love, that is so easily won, total strangers can do it. He wants the love Thor gets from others. He wants people to look at him like they do his brother.

♥

I haven't reviewed by Greek mythology recently enough to play with this, but I really hope someone fills it because it is an excellent prompt. ♥

This is just perfect!

I love this. Draco's so ... in-character-Draco while at the same time just different enough to be fascinating. And *of course* Ron grombles enough for two!

I'd love if you continued on with this and/or linked me to it if you don't want to do it here :-)

I'm glad you liked it! Tenzin's life is kind of hilarious to me, haha.

To be honest I loved all your prompts, but Korra's kind of my fandom crush at the moment, so thanks :)

:DDDDD

(The bit about how Cas looks was inspired by tvtropes section on Woobies :D)

Thank you!

Edited 2012-05-10 01:33 (UTC)

Thank you! I'm glad you gave it a go, despite it not really being your thing :)

\o/ I wasn't sure if I was just shouting into the void when I prompt for this pairing :) I only watched the show a few weeks ago, but I've since read basically all the fic on AO3 for them and been prompting a little bit here. So I will definitely keep doing it!

Tenzin's reactions to almost everything so far have indeed been funny- the guy has had some of the best EEEK faces of anyone so far IMO.

Any Korra recs? I'm fairly ship impartial if it's well written so far. :)

Okay so when I said "fandom crush", what I actually meant was "show-that-I-love crush" because the Avatar fandom kind of scared me off with the hardcore shipping wars,haha...

There's lots of really adorable fanart though!

http://legend-of-korra.deviantart.com/gallery/25956085#/d4vvis4

http://legend-of-korra.deviantart.com/gallery/?set=25956085&offset=24#/d4vog62

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2c53pLFF91qfrrfso1_500.png

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/084/3/6/katara_is_always_a_bad_influence_by_psychoe-d4tvezd.jpg

Tuesday: Tropes

Re: this could be a lot longer, and I might well revisit it later (1b/1)

Theory and Practice (college!au) - 1/2

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Re: Theory and Practice (college!au) - 3/3

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No fic but

Thank you so very much!

Re: this could be a lot longer, and I might well revisit it later (1b/1)

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Re: Theory and Practice (college!au) - 3/3

Re: Theory and Practice (college!au) - 3/3

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