im totally normal about stuff

thank you for tagging me @illbeyourreasonwhy @capseycartwright @jonathan-harks @jackiemerrick @robrondale @thatnervouswreck @barnbert @stuckinanothertimezone and @maybemystcha 💕 not gonna lie friends this was like pulling teeth—my brain is not braining atm 😩

“Why aren’t you as worried as I am?” Robert asks, trying (and failing) to keep the pitch of his words even. “He’s a psycho he’s—”

"—not getting anywhere near you while I'm here, you hear me?"

Robert falters at that, torn between insisting that Aaron go nowhere near the man, and secretly grateful for the gesture, and its promise of safety.

For a second, he's reminded of months ago, with Aaron trying to sacrifice himself to get Robert and Liam away from Kev and his sword—let them go and I'll stay—and he remembers feeling sick with fear that Kev might have taken him up on his offer, that Liam might have dragged Robert out of there and left Aaron to god knows what fate.

He takes a breath, and half-stumbles into sitting on the sofa, staring at his shaking hands—his fingers still dirty with soil—his mind struggling to stay in the present. He swallows the lump in his throat and gives Aaron a sidelong glance. "He shot at you 'n all, remember?"

"Yeah, and he missed."

"Aaron—"

"Robert! Look, I'm not saying he's not dangerous," he explains plainly, keeping his eyes fixed on his fiancé. "I'm saying it's not your fault."

❓No dumb questions amnesty - can you explain this [line/dialogue/moment from the story]?

🏴‍☠️ Were there any points in which your characters tried (or succeeded) to commit mutiny against your planned plot? Where did they most want to rebel?

🥇 What scene were you most excited to write? Did it end up being the one you enjoyed writing the most?

🙏 Was there anything your character(s) really really really wanted to do? Did you let them?

🍆 What scene do you think was the hottest? What scene do you think your readers thought was the hottest? Are they the same?

🔮Have you imagined what happens to [character(s)] in the future? Or does the story only exist to you as a moment in time?

🔎 What detail(s) in the story are you particularly captivated with? Is there any behind the scenes info or backstory?

🧭 What was the key choice or decision you had to make for this story? If you had chosen differently, what would the story have turned into?

📖 Could the story have been a different length? What would you have included/removed?

🫂How would the story have changed if you wrote it for [this pairing] instead?

💭 If you could wish into creation a transformative piece for your story, made by a real human who isn’t you, what would it be? Art, video, sequel, podfic, etc.

📋What was your main goal for the story and/or writing experience? Do you think that you achieved it?

🎤 Do you think the story was written in your typical voice? Why or why not?

👉👈What two stories have you written that are most similar? Why?

👈👉What two stories have you written that are most different? Why?

rating: mature pairing: it's complicated word count: 13268 (1/?) summary:

In November, during a thunderstorm that meant daddy had to come in from work early and Victoria was in bed so Robert was cuddled between his mummy and daddy with hot chocolates watching Scooby-Doo, there was a knock at the front door. That was how John arrived. OR a reimagining of canon if john had been present in the sugden's lives since childhood. he is not well-adjusted

(aaron's not in the first chapter but he will be soon)

read on ao3

~