#odarwin

"He’d known in the same way he and Sirius knew all of the fragile tremors and solid stances of each other, almost from the very beginning." and

"How to write a speech that stayed light and happy when so much of Sirius’ lightness had its back pressed up against his dark?" and

“I love everything you are. But you have a habit of backing out on me sometimes.” and

"Just because I—I was trying to be what he wanted" and

“I decided to keep you for as—For as long as I could."

We can never forget our angsty roots :) All art and story/ character kudos go to @lumosinlove!

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

9. SW AU Mermen 👀

Oh ho ho I'm so glad you asked.

So it's a sweater weather au and Finn and Alex are college swim team stars and they need a job to pay for said college and end up working at a mall being mermen. And eventually they get hired down at an aquarium in NOLA owned by Leo's family and Leo and Logan rarely do shows anymore and they need to hire more mermen, the O'Hara's. Also Kasey and Nat are there too. So it's o'knutzy and o'darwin. And yes I have reference pictures for what all their tails look like they're so pretty AH

Snippet below the cut, it's like half of what I actually have written besides the outline...

This is set at the party in the first chapter of Vaincre (If you haven’t read it go read it right this second) Harry is around 9 months old now cause I think he was born in October in the book but I’m not exactly 100% sure. Either way in this fic he’s 9 months old.

“JAMES POTTER” Sirius’s shout echoed as he ran the short distance over to his best friend. “Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie.” He said as he took his godson from James. “Hi, buddy.” He held him up and spun him around, making the little boy giggle.

“SIRI” he clapped his hands happily,

“Don’t drop him,” James warned.

“I’m not gonna drop him, you idiot.” Sirius scoffed at him and set Harry down.

“Go, go.” He grabbed Sirius’s hand and pointed over to the party.

“Yeah, we’re going.” He walked slowly, holding Harry’s hand so he didn’t fall.

“How was the honeymoon?” Remus asked as he hugged Lily.

“Not much of a honeymoon cause this little dude.” James pointed at his son. “Is demanding and annoying.”

“It was great.” Lily rolled her eyes at her husband.

“New rookie?” James nodded over to Cole who was talking to Olli.

“Yep.” Remus nodded.

“We’ll go say hi. Watch him?” Lily asked Sirius.

“Yeah. I can watch him for a few minutes, or hours, or days, or months, or years even.” Sirius told her.

“Might have to take you up on the hours or days offer so we can have an actual honey-” James was cut off as Lily slapped a hand over his mouth and dragged him over to Cole.

++++

The team wasn’t at all what he expected it to be. They all seemed closer than most NHL teams were on the cameras and on social media. Always messing around on the bench, beating up anyone who hurt one of their players because they were pissed off not because they wanted to fight, and they always posted pictures of them together.

But seeing it in person was completely different.

They were so much closer than he ever thought a team could be. It was like they were a huge family.

Some of the players, Pascal Dumais, were like he thought they would be.

Pascal Dumais was portrayed as the ‘fatherly figure’ of the group. The team even wished him a happy fathers day every year. But he was truly a father to all of them. Not even in the sense that he was letting Cole live at his house.

“Dumo Kasey called me stupid,” Finn shouted.

“Kasey don’t call Finn stupid,” Dumo replied like he says something along those lines more times than he wants to admit.

A lot of them, like Sirius Black, were nothing at all like he thought they would be.

Sirius was always the intimidating, high-strung, feared captain. The way he would glare at the ice and the way he moved on skates made him an esteemed player.

In-person he was none of that.

Cole never in a million years thought that he would see Captain Sirius Black holding a baby and nodding along firmly as the baby babbled baby talk. And while Harry babbled on and on, stealing a cookie off his boyfriends’ plate and kissing his lips with a “Thank you, babe.” When the former exclaimed “Hey!” and tried to take it back.

“Go get your own.”

“I can’t me and Harry are in the middle of a conversation.”

There were a lot of other things that surprised him.

Like Kuny supporting Sirius and Remus’s relationship even though he claims he doesn’t to the media.

Or that Thomas was dating Logan’s sister.

Or, oh yeah, THAT THE CUBS WERE DATING.

They all seemed close. But everyone chalked it up to them all being relatively kind of the same age and living together. But apparently, they’re really close.

Coles eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Logan kiss Leo and then Finn.

“The idiots forget to tell you?” Cole jumped as Kasey appeared beside him.

“What?”

“The Cubs. Leo, Logan, and Finn? Yeah, they’re dating. Like the three of them dating the three of them. And I’m gonna bet they also left out the part about me and Nat dating Finns’ brother Alex?”

Cole just gaped in shock. “They definitely forgot to mention it.”

Characters all by the amazing @lumosinlove

#7: ...to shut them up

"I just think it's really important that we talk about this," Alex said, coaxing Kasey down by the back of his neck. "It's so--mmm--pivotal to our relationship."

Kasey bit him harder. "I assure you it is not."

"Super sure it is." Alex's infuriating grin wasn't even a little ruined by Kasey's custody of his lower lip; in fact, the slight swell almost made it better. His blunt nails drew goosebumps in their wake down Kasey's back and he pressed Alex further into the couch cushions for a simple moment of peace.

His simple moment lasted two and a half seconds.

"Do you even care about my--"

"Oh my god," Kasey interrupted, leaning back to squish Alex's cheeks between his palms and kissing him firmly on the mouth. He felt a laugh, a squirm, a long leg winding around his thigh and hip as Alex burrowed closer.

His pointed nose was cold, and soothed by a faint kiss. "I'm just saying," Alex continued. "I think it's really insulting that you don't care about my hobbies."

"Wild crab migrations have never been your hobby," Kasey pointed out. Resignation was a tiny drop in the ocean of affection rolling inside him; he took Alex's face in his hands again and shook his head for him until a bright smile crinkled his eyes. "Nature documentaries don't belong in my mouth when your tongue is already there, capische?"

#15: Kissing someone to stop them blurting out a secret/something they’ll regret

Some bittersweet O'Darwin to round out the fluff <3

"Nat..."

"This timing is bullshit," she mumbled, keeping her eyes closed. Alex's hand slid along her back, stroking over each wingbone. She knew the other would be slung over Kasey's shoulder, keeping them close in each others' orbit.

"It is," Kasey agreed quietly.

"it's bullshit," Natalie repeated, holding them tighter. "And I'm mad. And I can't do shit about it. And I love you, which makes it arguably worse."

Kasey's scruff brushed her temple as he left a small kiss there. "I'll be home in a couple days. Lexi's only got a few weeks left before he can come home, too."

"No, I know," she sighed. It took a monumental amount of effort, but she managed to peel herself away from them and settle for holding their free hands. Kasey was still blinking sleepily in the early morning light; Alex looked between them with a sad tilt to the corner of his mouth that she leaned up to kiss before stepping back. Damned O'Haras and their puppy eyes. "I'll--you'll be late for your flights if I keep this up."

"No, no, it's okay," Alex said quickly, pulling her back in for a side hug. "I'm gonna miss you, bee."

"We're going to miss you." Kasey brought her hand up to his mouth for a kiss and half-smiled. "I'm back Thursday, and then it's the Hamptons in three weeks. You'll be sick of us both by the end of it."

Natalie wanted to come up with a quip. Something playful. Something snarky. Something like the persona she put on for the stage that made dive bars scream her name. But all that came out as she pressed closer to Alex's side was, "I won't ever be sick of you."

O'Darwin!! Woo! There is so much potential with them, I just love it. TW for passing mention of alcohol, no drunkenness.