#kwockwoc

“So what’d your mom talk about this time?”

“Ah,” Seiji punctuated with a [word]. He leaned back in his chair, his white tee stretching around his bicep.

“The Lunar New Year is this weekend. She wanted to know if I planned on coming home tomorrow.”

“Oh, have fun then.” Nicholas replied, holding up his pencil again to translate the next sentence on his worksheet. He was a little disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to hang out, but maybe the change of pace would be good for Nicholas. He could try to reel in his crush on Seiji a couple notches while he was gone.

“Actually…” Seiji tested slowly. “I wanted to ask if you would like to come with me.”

Nicholas paused, Latin half-scratched onto an empty line. He looked up at Seiji.

“Really?”

Seiji nodded. “Yes. I’m the only one our age in my family, and while I appreciate my relatives, I find them a bit… overbearing at times. If you were there with me, I would find it a lot easier to manage.” The fingers that were tapping along his knee were now squeezing his leg.

Is he nervous?

“I would like it, if you came with me.” Seiji [word].

It was an innocent request, yet almost raw and vulnerable all the same. This was Seiji they were talking about. The boy that Nicholas was struggling to catch up to on the piste. Mister Second Nationally Ranked Junior Fencer asking Nicholas to keep him company at a family—what, family reunion? A party?

In this context, Seiji was just another boy, an introverted teen skirting the gruels of socializing, and yet, the stakes felt that much higher. Like Nicholas was being introduced to the in-laws. Voluntarily walking into a den of Katayamas who would judge whether he was worthy enough to be called one of their own. Not that he and Seiji were dating or anything like that but…

But Seiji asked, and Nicholas couldn’t find a reason to say no. How could Nicholas ever say no when Seiji looked at him like that? With such intense conviction and desperate appeal. A sincerity that lacked an ounce of anything but genuine [honesty/faith/trust/assurance].

And the honest truth was that Seiji was uncomfortable around his relatives, and Seiji was comfortable around Nicholas.

The revelation was so simple, and yet so profound to his heart.

Seiji is comfortable around me. Seiji wants me there.

Nicholas swallowed, wetting his dry chapped lips.

“I’d like to come with you.” He said a bit breathlessly. Mirroring Seiji’s expression, eyes a bit wide, brows slightly raised, every limb frozen in the wake of something he couldn’t name. Or maybe he could, and he was just too afraid to say it.

Enjoy! 🤗✨

I guess I’ll start off with the most obvious question, why ship them?

Canon is my dollhouse and I’m making my favorite characters kiss. That’s the beautiful thing about fanfiction, canon is merely a suggestion, and I’m playing with dolls! :)

So why do I like these characters? Why Thomas and Scott?

I’ve noticed that a lot of the time, when there’s a grumpy twin/sunshine twin dynamic, it’s usually the grumpy twin that ends up finding love or pursuing a relationship, so I wanted to explore a romance for Thomas because I think the sunshine twin deserves love too.

I’m not really sure how I landed on Scott for Thomas as opposed to anyone else from the other teams, but his character has really grown on me in the short time that we’ve met his character, and also… your Scott from better this way lowkey shaped the way that I view him too. Not by any insane amount, but the brief instance of Nicholas telling Scott to chill kind of broke the ice for me and made me realize… he’s just a high school guy too. He’s a nerd that likes Lord of the Rings. An absolute dork by my standards (and Thomas’ delight :)

“Of course, you’ve missed the start of this academic year, but honestly, Nicholas, for somebody with your talent, we could p–”

“Dude –” Nicholas said, cutting in. “Sorry – Scott. I was warned about this. I’m not changing schools.”

Scott looked shocked for a moment. “But I j–” (better this way, chapter 14)

You know that meme? He’s just a little guy? Yeah that’s Scott. He’s just another guy. I mean, he is the captain of Halverton, but he’s not some untouchable being. He’s friendly. He doesn’t like raisins. He has a passion for fencing. He gets exasperated when having to deal with unruly underclassmen. I had this notion that he was going to be shrewd and stoic (like when we see him trying to poach Seiji), but he really is a friendly guy, which we can see when Nicholas gapes at Seiji talking to Marcel and Thomas when they arrive, and Scott filling him in on how they know each other. I actually really enjoyed the part where he points out that all the members of Exton are there for a reason and respects their drive.

“No. You can’t underestimate them… Each one is utterly hardworking and dedicated.” (Scott, Volume 6)

There’s just something about that that gets me. I don’t think humble is the right word for it, but his respect and awareness earns brownie points in my book. I thought he’d make an interesting match for Thomas. Plus there’s an unintentional but intriguing captain x reserve dynamic that I haven’t explored yet.

Going back to Thomas, everything that I have ever written or headcanoned about him is entirely my own interpretation. It helps that Johanna’s art of him helps paint a picture of what his personality would be like. In this and this art right here, you can clearly differentiate who’s Aster and who’s Thomas. Their expressions and body language tell so much in the first art. Tell me that isn’t the face of a cinnamon roll. I dare you. He looks so sweet it makes my heart melt.

When writing Thomas, I wanted to subvert the popular concept of a sunshine twin/character. For me, that means a person that is outgoing and bright. Someone that people naturally gravitate towards like the sun. But I want to challenge that idea by creating a character that is still kind and bright, but sort of meek and shy. An introvert, but very sweet and likable all the same. I like the idea of a character that seems upbeat and positive on the outside, but is actually anxious and perhaps pessimistic on the inside (Now that I think about it, am I just rebranding sunshine as cinnamon roll? 🤔💭).

What are some Scott/Thomas thoughts that I have?

I’ve decided to expand upon Scott’s tastes for Lord of the Rings and think he would definitely be the type to enjoy Dungeons & Dragons, ren faires, and knitting. Specifically knitting over crochet because that’s what I prefer lol. Scott sort of keeps his knitting hobby on the down low, because he’s not a fan of when acquaintances push for him to make them something. He does however, knit Thomas a birthday and Christmas present—which if you’re a knitter, says a lot about how Scott feels about Thomas 🤭💝 (The Christmas present being after they started dating 🥰🎁) I have a scene plotted out further into their relationship (pre-slash but mutually pining) where Scott invites Thomas to play D&D with him and his friends for his birthday as well 🥳🎲✨ Plus, a ren faire sounds like a wonderful date (or appointment 😌) idea!

For Thomas, I’ve decided that he enjoys baking as a hobby, so in the first fic I have drafted, Thomas would be planning to bake something for Valentine’s Day, but do things go to plan? 👀✨ I also plan to write other instances of him baking, for example he goes to a triathlon at the beginning of summer break with some experimental cookies (special ingredient: cereal cornflakes) that he brought with him because Aster is friends with Sungchul (who’s the one competing) and Scott is there to support him too 🤭🍪✨ I also plan to have them hang out and make pizza together. Beyond baking, I think that Thomas would enjoy reading and doing puzzles. I do plan to write him and Scott having a chess match sometime, although I haven’t decided if it’ll be a glazed over sort of thing (e.g. “Thomas played a round of chess with Scott while they waited for their friends to show up”), or an actual match with dialogue spliced through it in a way that could be playfully competitive or perhaps even flirty.

- Usually a sports captain would be a senior, but to make my universe work, I decided to make Scott a junior (there were no fencing seniors left at Halverton or he was simply the most suitable choice), and captain again his senior year. Thomas and Aster will be a year under him (sophomores then juniors). I think I might even write them versing each other at a summer tournament, but that isn’t concrete yet.

- I headcanon Scott as somebody from old money, while Thomas and Aster are from new money. The twins are no stranger to wealth and the more extravagant things in live, but neither of them are quite prepared for the place that Scott calls his home. I could go on about my headcanons for their families if you’re interested 🤗✨

- Scott is a naturally a cuddler in his sleep and Thomas loves it.

- When the two are on more friendly terms, Thomas texts Scott asking him what order to read the Lord of the Rings, which grants him a wonderful spiel (haven’t decided if it’ll be all via text or Scott calling him which gives Thomas a very lovely heart attack) about what the series is about and which book he should start with (he recommends beginning with The Hobbit).

What am I currently working on for Scott/Thomas?

I mentioned this in a previous ask, that I’m drafting a slowburn series focusing on their blossoming relationship, as well as a college au, a soulmate au, and a fae au. And I just remembered having a mermaid au and an omegaverse one that I had awhile ago 👀✨

I have so many scenes already jotted down for the series, but I can’t post anything yet because I want the series to be in chronological order 😓 The first fic takes place in February, with Scott and Thomas not getting together until the following school year. The bulk of their relationship actually grows and progresses during the summer. I’ve actually already decided on how they get together as boyfriends! And I do plan on writing nsfw for them eventually… if I can finish writing the preceding storyline first 😅

For the college au, I might combine it with a Seiji/Nicholas au that I have, but I haven’t quite decided yet, as this would be set during Thomas’ freshmen year of college and Scott’s sophomore year, so neither Seiji or Nicholas would be in college yet (but I might give Nicholas a surprise appearance or two in this fic).

The soulmate au is a bodyswap universe where sometime after the younger of the two soulmates reaches their 16th birthday, there will be a day where they swap bodies. It’s the day of Exton and Halverton’s practice match when the pair wake up in unfamiliar beds 👀✨

Do I have anything posted on ao3?

Sadly no… I’m a slow writer 🥹 but I have three drabbles posted here, here, and here on tumblr (two seiji/nicholas and one jesse/eugene). I honestly wanted to have something posted by my birthday this coming week but realistically I don’t have the time, though I would definitely be happy to answer more questions if you have any!